Kalimantan: A Drug Emergency Threatening the Youth
Kalimantan: A Narcotics Emergency that Threatens the Youth
The current drug emergency in Kalimantan is growing and becoming increasingly alarming. It does not regard big cities anymore but has spread to far-flung areas which have never been affected by the influence of drugs. Moreover, with the expansion of networks, drug distribution has become accessible to all walks of life, especially to the younger generation.
It has an extraordinarily awful impact on teenagers and young adults. Rising rates of drug use not only lay waste the physical and mental health of this generation but also spoil education and personal development. A lot of youth are enslaved to addiction, which in turn erodes quality life and inhibits them from achieving their full potential.
This gets further exacerbated by issues in the enforcement of law where minimal resources in the face of sophisticated distribution networks combine to make the job of curbing drug trafficking very complex. Added to these is local corruption. Besides, there is generally a lack of proper coordination between different government agencies and institutions related to it which seriously impairs the effectiveness of the actions taken.
What is needed is a more holistic, all-encompassing approach: prevention by government agencies, health organizations, and educational institutions; education and rehabilitation within the community. A sensitization program about the use of drugs and appropriate assistance in this regard for the youth is also a must.
In this aspect, active community involvement is also needed. Community-based prevention and rehabilitation programs along with awareness about the dangers of drugs will ease the burden of this crisis. It is expected that with good cooperation among all parties, the drug emergency in Kalimantan can be appropriately dealt with and the future of the youth secured.
