Badung, Bali (ANTARA) - The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) organized the Smash On Drugs (SOD) International Table Tennis Championship 2023 in Badung, Bali, on Saturday as part of its campaign against narcotics.
The championship, themed "Through Table Tennis Sport, We Glorify the Fight Against Narcotics for Shining Indonesia," was held at the Widya Sabha Auditorium of Udayana University.
During the event's opening, the head of BNN, Police Commissioner General Petrus Reinhard Golose, mentioned that there are several ways to raise public awareness against narcotics distribution and usage besides law enforcement.
One of these methods is sports competitions, he added.
Golose expressed his hope that the soft approach, such as holding competitions, would be adopted to disseminate the anti-narcotics agenda among youngsters.
The soft approach encompasses prevention, empowerment, and rehabilitation, he explained.
Given that the prevalence of drug use, especially among Indonesian youngsters, is increasing every year, a soft approach is very important and urgently needed.
Furthermore, the rise of new psychoactive substances has prompted the BNN to use sports events as a medium to deliver messages to youngsters about the dangers of drug use.
Golose emphasized that instead of engaging in using drugs, people should be encouraged to play table tennis.
The aim of the anti-narcotics campaign, conveyed through the table tennis championship, is to fight against the dangers of narcotics and welcome the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, 2023.
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