Makassar, S. Sulawesi, July 14 (Antara) - The prevalence of drug abuses in South Sulawesi has declined over the past several years, a survey said.
The known number of people committing drug abuses in the province dropped to 133,503 in 2017 from 138,937 users in 2015, a national survey by the National Anti Narcotics Agency (BNN) in cooperation with the Health Research Center of the University of Indonesia showed.
"In 2015 the prevalence of drug abuses was 2.27 percent or 136,973 and in 2017, it declined to 1.95 percent or 133,503 people," head of the South Sulawesi BNN police Brig.Gen. Mardi Rukmianto when addressing a ceremony commemorating the International Narcotics Day here on Thursday.
Cases of drug crimes recorded by the provincial police and BNN also declined - from 1,613 cases in 2016 to 1,442 cases in 2017, Mardi said.
However, the number of suspects as owners and dealers of illicit drugs rose from 12,423 in 2016 to 19,514 suspects in 2017.
Meanwhile, the number of drug users undergoing rehabilitation process dropped from 1,214 people in 2016 to 794 people in 2017.
Mardi said the appearance of new types of narcotics or new psychoactive substances (NPS) increased to the challenge to be handled by the anti narcotic agencies.
He said based on data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as released by the World Drug Reports in 2017, cases of NPS had been reported in 106 countries.
"71 types of it already hit the black market in Indonesia, and the regulation of the Health Ministry No. 7 of 2018 had covered only 65 types. No regulation yet on six other types," he said.
In Bogor, West Java, Coordinating Minister for Law, Security and Political Affairs Wiranto said illicit drugs have been used as an instrument in proxy war in the country, threatening Indonesian demographic bonus.
"This is serious, narcotics could become an instrument in proxy war, a new war, a cheap war, not visible but the damage it causes is devastating," the retired army general said.