The Ambivalence of Drug Policy in Indonesia: Law Amendment but “War on Drugs” and Punitive Approach Remain | [Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences • 2025]

Author(s):

1. Sudirman Nasir: Department of Health Promotion and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University,Makassar,Indonesia

Abstract:

Indonesian Government, including under the current President Prabowo Subianto's administration, generally still employ "war on drug" or punitive approach including strict imprisonment to drug users and the application of death sentence to drug convicts. However, there are dynamics in the establishment of drug policy in the country. The first Indonesian Narcotics Law (Law Number 22 year 1997) was amended and the Indonesian Government and Parliament introduced a newer law on narcotics i.e. Law Number 35 year 2009 and there are debates and process in the Indonesian parliament to propose changes to the 2009 Narcotics Law advocating rehabilitation rather than imprisonment for drug users. This article argues that though the 2009 Narcotics Law does introduce some positive measures e.g. addressing health concerns through the requirement to provide medical-health and social rehabilitation for individuals who are dependent on drugs, the 2009 law in fact still preserves most of the spirit of Indonesia's “war on drugs” and therefore the need for more progressive law urgently required. It is also noteworthy that though the Indonesia government still applies a punitive and repressive approach to drug use and drug dealing, the Government acknowledges the increasing contribution of risky drug use practices to HIV epidemics. Since 2003 the Government had initiated a process that allows for the provision of harm reduction programs in the country. These phenomena indicate the ambivalence of the Indonesian Government in dealing with drug issues and drug-related problems in the country.

Page(s): 6531-6539

DOI: 10.57239/PJLSS-2025-23.1.0050

Published: Journal: Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences, Volume: 23, Issue: 1, Year: 2025

Keywords:

Drug Policy Punitive Approach War On Drugs Law Amendment Indonesia

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