RP HAS 1.8 MILLION DRUG ADDICTS -- DOH

DON'T be surprised if number of reported drug-related crimes has
increased over the years.

This is because the Department of Health, citing a data from the
Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), disclosed yesterday that the number of
individuals who uses illegal drugs or substances has increased by 100
percent annually since 1972.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that typical Filipinos who
use drugs are mostly males, single, have graduated from high school,
with an average monthly income of P13,553.36, and residing in urban
areas like the National Capital Region.

Duque said that from just 20,000 cases in the 1970s, habitual or
regular drug users now rose to 1.8 million in 1998.

Because of the alarming number, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III
said it's about time that the government and the public "addressed
this menace silently crippling the society that results to adverse
physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral changes."

Duque further said that prevention efforts have now become crucial to
address the drug problem. Unfortunately, there were only eight
government-funded rehabilitation centers operating in the country today.

Four are run by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and four
formerly operated by the Philippine National Police (PNP), now managed
by the DOH.

Duque said only 50 percent of the 8,180 admissions to rehab centers in
2003 were served in these eight institutions.

Last year, 4,041 of the three million drivers and those who applied
for firearm license who underwent mandatory drug testing were found
positive for drugs.

The confirmed cases come from the National Capital Region and Regions
4, 6 and 7.

It was also reported that 1.2 percent or at least 68 high school
students of the total 5,648 students tested at random this year are
found positive for shabu and marijuana.

Next year, they will be conducting random drug test for college
students.

Meanwhile, confirmatory testing will no longer be a problem on the
part of the government that usually hires the services of private
laboratories.

Yesterday, the DOH unveiled two drug confirmatory testing machines
called Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrophotometry (GCMS) at the
National Research Laboratory at the East Avenue Medical Center
compound in Quezon City.

The machines, worth P15 million, have 99.9 accuracy according to EAMC
director Roland Cortez.

Duque even lead the other DOH executives have their urine tested at
the NRL using the newly acquired machines.

Drug testing is mandatory for those applying for driving license,
firearms, those who want to bring their firearms outside their
residences, candidates for public office both national and local,
those who are appointed and elected in the national office and local
government units, those serving sentences at the prosecutors office of
not less than six years and one day, and military, policemen and law
enforcement agencies.

Duque said that individuals dependent on illegal substances are
usually out of work, uncaring about his health, and even expose
themselves to a number of infectious diseases like AIDS.

To support his habit, they at times engage in some form of criminal
activity.

Duque advises adolescents never to try drugs, don't give in to peer
pressure and enjoined the community to be aware of young people's activities.

"For those found to be positive of illegal drugs, the DOH is advising
them to immediately seek professional help and should not withdraw
themselves from society," he said.

In observance of Substance Abuse Prevention Week from Nov 7 to 11, the
DOH is offering free drug testing to first 500 clients in the 32
DOH-retained hospitals nationwide with drug testing laboratory.