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| BNN Launches Community Empowerment Program to Combat Drug Abuse in Johar Baru. |
Star News INDONESIA, Monday, (03 November 2025). JAKARTA - The National Narcotics Board (BNN) of Indonesia, through its Deputy for Community Empowerment (Dayamas), held a Coordination Meeting on Community Empowerment and Vocational Training Collaboration at the Johar Baru Subdistrict Hall, Central Jakarta, on Monday (3/11).
The event marked a concrete step in realizing the 100-day program of BNN Chief Suyudi Ario Seto, focusing on strengthening community empowerment and reducing drug vulnerability in Johar Baru, one of Jakarta’s high-risk areas.
Through this coordination forum, BNN seeks to enhance inter-agency collaboration by adopting a community development approach to build resilient, empowered communities capable of actively participating in the Prevention and Eradication of Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (P4GN).
BNN’s Director of Alternative Empowerment, Edi Swasono, highlighted the urgency of addressing drug-related issues. He reported that the national prevalence rate for people who have used narcotics stands at 1.73%, meaning that out of every 10,000 Indonesians aged 15–64, approximately 173 individuals have used drugs in the past year — equivalent to around 3.3 million people nationwide.
“This figure shows that drug abuse remains concentrated in vulnerable zones,” Edi explained, emphasizing that such vulnerability is driven by three dimensions: community susceptibility, supply reduction, and demand reduction efforts. Populations most at risk include current and former drug users, ex-offenders, former illicit crop cultivators, and impoverished communities.
According to BNN, repressive measures alone have proven ineffective without the support of local communities. Instead, the agency is shifting toward persuasive and facilitative interventions grounded in community empowerment principles.
These interventions aim to foster social and economic resilience, reduce vulnerability, and cultivate collective anti-drug values. The ultimate goal is to transform passive, reactive behaviors into proactive, anticipatory ones — enabling communities to thrive through enhanced skills, employment opportunities, and sustainable livelihoods free from narcotics influence.
BNN’s empowerment model follows a four-step business process, beginning with mapping community potentials, skills, and socioeconomic conditions. The coordination meeting marks the second stage, where BNN assigns specific roles to relevant ministries, local government agencies, and stakeholders to ensure the success of the program.
“The goal is to make participants productive, independent, and healthy individuals who can sustain themselves without resorting to drugs — and even become agents of prevention in their communities,” Edi said.
Johar Baru Subdistrict Head, Ishran Prasetiawan, welcomed the initiative, pledging full support for BNN’s program. “We hope this program will bring real impact and help eradicate drug problems in Johar Baru,” he stated.
Through this initiative, BNN hopes to turn previously drug-prone neighborhoods into productive, independent, and high-achieving communities, reinforcing Indonesia’s long-term goal of a drug-free society.
Editor : Maria Patricia
