Drug Situation in Indonesia

The most commonly abused drug in Indonesia is marijuana (ganja) with an estimated 1.3% of the total population using it according to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime 2006 World Drug Report. Amphetamines (shabu) and ecstasy have a high prevalence, both with 0.6% of the population, while opiates (putaw) are common, with an incidence of 0.2%.

The rise of ATS (amphetamine type stimulants) in Indonesia, overtaking opiates in popularity, reflects a global trend. It should also be noted that while Indonesia is not recognised as a major drug producing country, there have been several illicit ATS laboratories found in recent years, further illustrating the rising popularity of ATS in the country.

Marijuana is produced in sufficient levels to supply the domestic market, with the majority of cultivation occurring in Aceh province, although these crops are not exported in any large quantities. Indonesia’s thousands of islands and its positioning near busy international shipping lanes makes the nation a popular transit point between the drug producing region known as the Golden Triangle and Australia.

The increase in the number of Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) has contributed to an increase in the number of people infected with HIV. UNAIDS mentions that studies in Jakarta suggest as many as 48% of IDUs are infected with HIV/AIDS.