Yogyakarta, 7 May 2025─The department of Social Development and Welfare (PSdK) of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UGM, in collaboration with Universitas Teknologi Yogyakarta, held a national seminar entitled “Social Movement of Youth through Education to Prevent Drug Danger”. The event presented Ema Susianti, S.H., M.P.A., as the Head of the Family Empowerment Team of the Ministry of Bangga Yogyakarta Representative, Andi Fairan, S.IK, M.S.M., Head of BNNP Yogyakarta; Maygsi Aldian Suwandi, S.Sos., M.A., academic of Fisipol UGM.
Andi sees drug eradication as an inseparable part of the efforts to achieve the country’s ideals of progress. However, field facts show that the spread and use of drugs is still a serious problem. He revealed that Yogyakarta is also not free from the threat of drugs. “The fact of drug problems in Yogyakarta is because there are factors of student city, tourism, and YIA Airport as well,” he said.
Andi sees that young people have a high risk of drug abuse. He revealed that many of the drug abusers at a young age were motivated by trial and error. He observed that this motive tends to appear in curious young people. “Many of the drug abusers get drugs from their neighborhood friends,” he said.
Not only that, but Andi also mentioned that the complexity of conditions and problems faced by the current generation also increases the risk of drug abuse as an escape. “The complexity of the conditions of today’s young generation makes drugs one of the escapes,” he said.
Responding to this polemic, Ema emphasized the importance of the family’s role in answering this problem. A harmonious and supportive family is needed to provide space, especially for the younger generation to actualize themselves positively. That way, the younger generation can keep themselves away from the risk of negative activities, including abusing drugs. “Families, including the surrounding environment, need to build harmonious conditions, and if friends have problems, tell their parents,” she noted.
Maygsi provided another perspective on youth. He underlined that the young generation, through social movements, has become an essential part of taking part in handling drug abuse. He noted that youth social movements can play a role in prevention and promotion, as well as recovery and rehabilitation. “Youth can create social movements that have a wide impact, especially through social media, maybe this is often considered rebellious, but for me, the younger generation is revolutionary,” he said.
Finally, Maygsi emphasized the importance of a multi-sectoral approach with the awareness that this is a common problem, so that it can form a good social movement ecosystem. The youth movement is not without its shortcomings, as it is often heavily influenced by policy, space provision, and resource availability. “A multi-sectoral approach is essential to answer this problem; often the youth movement has limitations, especially in the financial aspect, which other sectors can fill,” he concluded.