The threat of narcotics to this nation is becoming increasingly real. However, the efforts to combat drug trafficking still seem full of rhetoric.
For three days, this newspaper has written on the threat of narcotics. The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the National Police cannot work alone to fight drugs. We appreciate the steps of the BNN and the National Police, which continue to uncover the circulation of narcotics. A "commander" is needed to coordinate the war on drugs through education, prevention and prosecution, as well as against dealers, traffickers and drug users.
All aspects must be tackled simultaneously. Education in the family and at school has to introduce the danger of drugs. The education of the younger generation needs to be comprehensive so that they are brave enough to say no to drugs. The educational path is a measure to prevent the younger generation from getting into drugs.
The aspect of prosecution is no less important. The BNN and the National Police cannot work alone to eradicate narcotics. Measures against narcotics dealers require adjustments to the Health Ministry’s regulations to improve the types of narcotics listed. There are many new types of drugs entering the country, but they have not been included on the list in order to discourage perpetrators. The BNN\'s laboratory is unable to determine the new types of narcotics.
A uniform stance of the police, prosecutors, judges, advocates and prison wardens, as well as the government, is needed to combat narcotics. Drugs are a lucrative business. The power of the money behind the drug networks can buy everything. It is no wonder why the penitentiaries have become a safe place to distribute narcotics. A road map is needed to deal with narcotics.
We need to learn from the history of narcotics, which remains in a state of emergency from 1971 to 2017. President KH Abdurrahman Wahid stressed the eradication of narcotics through education; president Megawati Soekarnoputri, president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Joko Widodo have had a policy of handing down maximum penalties and not giving clemency. If the presidential speeches were formulated under a single policy to prevent the circulation of narcotics, undoubtedly Indonesia would not continue to be in a state of emergency with regard to drugs.
A "commander" is needed to orchestrate the ministries to combat drugs and formulate campaigns to prevent this nation from being destroyed by drugs. Whether the President himself will become the "commander" or the special task will be given to the coordinating ministers to formulate a narcotics road map depends on the President. This nation should not be in a constant state of emergency over drugs.