EDITORIAL - 'HIGH' SCHOOL STUDENTS

The problem may not be as bad as in other countries, but the report
that 770,000 high school students in the Philippines are abusing drugs
is still alarming. As the nation marked Substance Abuse Prevention
Week, the Department of Health reported that about 12 percent of 6.4
million students in both private and public high schools were
substance abusers.

Marijuana is the drug of choice followed by methamphetamine
hydrochloride or shabu, according to a study conducted by the DOH,
which included random drug tests covering 5,648 high school students
in different parts of the country. Other abused substances are certain
brands of cough preparations, sedatives and rugby.

The problem in high school is just one aspect of the drug menace. The
DOH reported that in 1998, a survey done by the Dangerous Drugs Board
showed there were 1.8 million drug addicts in the country plus 1.6
million casual substance abusers. DOH officials say the figure is
increasing by nearly 100 percent every year. The problem is clearly
not just a matter of law enforcement. Despite some of the toughest
drug laws in the world and the cooperation of pharmaceutical companies
in taking out ingredients in their products that can give abusers a
high, substance abuse remains a problem.

Demand has not slackened over the years, although the drug of choice
shifts depending on the success of law enforcement. The international
campaign to eradicate the opium trade has made the drug and its
derivatives hard to come by in the streets. But marijuana has been
harder to eradicate, especially amid efforts to legalize cannabis use
at least for medicinal purposes. With the crackdown on cocaine, drug
dealers developed a cheaper version, shabu, which can be manufactured
in household laboratories. Dealers have also developed designer drugs
such as ecstasy, which are popular among young abusers. Among
impoverished youths, sniffing rugby provides a brief escape from poverty.

The family, the school, community support and spiritual counseling all
play a role in stopping the need, especially among youths, to escape
from reality and seek thrills. Substance abuse is a continuing scourge
and the battle must be waged relentlessly.