<![CDATA[Drug abuse has become a serious threat to young generations in Indonesia, including in rural areas that are increasingly vulnerable to the circulation of illicit narcotics. The limited knowledge of village youth regarding the dangers of drugs encouraged the implementation of a community service program entitled PEKA (Peduli dan Kenali Bahaya Narkotika / Care and Recognize the Dangers of Narcotics), which focused on empowering youth organizations (Karang Taruna) as the front guard of community-based prevention. The objective of this program was to raise awareness, improve knowledge, and enhance the active involvement of youth in recognizing and preventing drug abuse within their community. The method employed was an interactive counseling session using PowerPoint (PPT) as the main media, complemented with a question-and-answer session and doorprizes as incentives for participation. The activity was conducted in Wringin Hamlet, Purwobinangun Village, Pakem Sub-district, Sleman Regency, with a competent student from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) invited as the external speaker, while 10 members of KKN UMY 147 served as facilitators. Out of 50 invitations distributed, 25 participants attended (50%), consisting of 1 hamlet head (Dukuh) and 24 members of Karang Taruna. The results showed an improvement in participants’ understanding of drug dangers, reflected in the active involvement of around 40% of participants during discussions, enthusiasm during the Q&A session, and positive responses toward the delivered material. The distribution of five doorprizes proved effective in fostering active participation and maintaining an interactive atmosphere. The program’s main outcomes were the increased collective awareness of Karang Taruna and the support of the local leader in community-level drug prevention efforts. Overall, the PEKA program successfully addressed community needs through a participatory, simple, and relevant approach, and holds potential for replication in other areas with broader collaboration involving relevant institutions. The success of the PEKA Program also demonstrates the importance of collaboration between the community, government, and related institutions in narcotics prevention efforts, which can increase the effectiveness and positive impact of narcotics prevention programs at the community level.]]>
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