THE INTERVIEW
are all involved at marketing a product of one kind or another. Religion has been a cornerstone of cultural life for so long and as the population changes and young people are exposed to different ideas, there is a sort of innocence with Indonesian parents of the evilness that is now coming into Indonesia with the aim of addicting its children and young people.
It is therefore of the utmost importance to invest in anti-drug programs in Indonesia to counter this and really educate the young people on the process by which they are ensnared into a life of drugs and how insidious it can be – their attitudes change without them even realising they are being controlled the whole way.
THE LINK: How can your organization, Foundation for Drug-Free World, reduce drug use in ways that other programs cannot? I can tell you why our program is successful. We do not wish to lessen any efforts to educate on drugs and there are many that are making a positive difference. Education is something that has to be done at all levels, but it is very needful with young people – before they are teenagers.
The Truth About Drugs program believes that when young people get the truth, then they can make informed choices. All of our surveys show that the majority of young people try drugs because they are curious, their friends are doing it, they are bored, want to do something exciting, etc. And they get their drugs from family members or close friends. So that automatically passes on some trust. But underlying everything is the simple truth – they do not know what that substance truly is and what it will do to them short term or in the long term.
All kids are taught survival skills. Do not put your hand onto the stove. Do not stick a fork into the electrical socket. Do not drink drain cleaner. Do not cross the road when the light is red. Yet a baby does not know these lessons yet – they will try anything and have to be kept safe. Parents
“ To be successful, any drug education program must be done involving the whole community.”
then teach their children about the world and how to live safely.
The Truth About Drugs program gives all the facts. It explains the Drug Culture and what it is and how they are marketed to every day and how to look out for it, so they are not just brainwashed into following the dictates of the advertisements or subtle messages in their favourite TV show or movie. It explains each of the common drugs in detail so they know where it came from, what it is made of, what is does to their body and what are the consequences of taking this drug – including the worst case scenario.
14 THE LINK JANUARY 2018