Chairman of the Commission I of the district legislative assembly Handoyo J Wibowo said the condition necessitates serious addressing and firm preventive measure.
Almost everyday police nabbed users or traffickers indicating that the district has been badly infested and rampant with trading of the illicit drugs, Handoyo said here on Monday.
He said law enforcement is not enough to deter the perpetrators, therefore, tougher measure should be taken especially against the traffickers.
"We are very concerned with the future of our younger generation. We are not fully aware that we are in a situation of narcotics emergency," he said.
The traffickers and the users are not only among men but also women as well, he said.
He hoped there would be a new formula effective to fight drugs in Kotawaringin Timur in addition to imposition of maximum legal punishment.
"We need to impose a maximum level of punishment with deterrent effect," he said.
So far the law enforcement is too lenient that many drug convicts after serving their jail term and became a free men repeated the same offense, he said.
The condition in Kotawaringing Timur is a reflection of the condition almost in the whole country.
In the first year of his administration, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) adopted a tough policy against illicit drugs executing more than 15 death row inmates among drug convicts.
Jokowi defended his policy saying around 50 Indonesians died everyday on drug related causes.
However, protests by both local and international human rightists forced him to postpone execution of more drug convicts.
Reporting by Untung Setiawan
Editing by Bustanuddin
Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
