Indonesia: youth drug issues

The youth in Indonesia represent 62 million of the population. Like youth in any nation they face challenges and opportunities. One problem is that of drug abuse. A 2011 report said: Whether lured into the habit by gangs and dealers looking to expand their customer base or by ever increasing social pressures, young Indonesians are falling under the spell of powerful illegal drugs at an alarming rate.

“Eighty percent of minors who are currently in the prison system are there for drug-related convictions. And of that number, 80 percent are drug users themselves.

When it comes to the darkest looming storm cloud on the horizon, most experts agree that a type of street-grade methamphetamine is the main threat. This is a repeated story in South East Asia.

Known locally as shabu-shabu, data collected by YCAB backs up claims that this crystallized methamphetamine has reached local shores and is gaining in popularity with drug users.

As young people gain access to new drugs, Indonesia is facing a crisis. But, like so many drug problems, it is the deeper issues that need tackling. Pray for the deeper roots of the drug problem in Indonesia to be exploded and for those who can work on them with the government. Pray for the Church to find a way to be part of the solution to this challenge.