"The President wants us to work hard together, from a regulatory perspective, to ensure eradication," Hadi said at the ANTARA Heritage Center in Jakarta on Thursday.
Hadi said this aligns with one of the priority programs in Astacita, which places the war on drugs at the top of the government's agenda.
He stated that drug abuse is a serious threat that has impacted more than 3.3 million people in Indonesia and has the potential to harm future generations.
Therefore, he said, President Prabowo is encouraging collaborative work across sectors to ensure comprehensive drug eradication, although he acknowledged that this will not be easy because domestic drug trafficking involves international networks.
"Frankly, we want to wage war on this drug problem, although, once again, it's not easy because it's related to international drug networks," Hadi said.
Beyond law enforcement, Hadi also emphasized the importance of raising public awareness of the dangers of narcotics through the role of families, communities, and educational institutions.
The mass media is also expected to help educate the public so they better understand the threat of drug abuse to the nation's future.
Previously, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo revealed a new trend in drug use involving dangerous compounds.
The National Police Chief stated that this trend involves the use of ketamine, inhaled through the nose, and etomidate, mixed with liquid and inhaled using pods.
The Indonesian National Police, through the National Committee on Narcotics, is working with the Health Ministry’s Drug Access Team to reclassify ketamine and etomidate as narcotics, seeking legal adjustments in the Narcotics Bill and updates to the Health Minister’s Regulation.
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Translator: Fathur Rochman, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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