Senate bill seeks inclusion of anti-drug program in Grades 7-12 subjects
Senators Vicente “Tito” Sotto and Sherwin Gatchalian. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian have filed a bill seeking to integrate a drug abuse prevention program in Grades 7 to 12 subjects under the K to 12 basic education system.
Senate Bill No. 2236 or the proposed Drug Abuse Prevention Program in Basic Education Act seeks to require all public and private basic education institutions to integrate a drug abuse prevention program in the subjects Health for Grades 7 to 10, Physical Education and Health for Grade 11, and Personal Development for Grade 12.
“The Drug Abuse Prevention Program is a responsive and inclusive program which aims to equip the young generation of Filipinos with critical information and skills on drug abuse prevention – aspiring to safeguard and protect their lives and their future,” the senators said in the bill’s explanatory note.
The program proposed under the measures is aimed at discussing the following topics:
- adverse effects of abuse and misuse of dangerous drugs
- preventive measures
- health, socio-cultural, psychological, legal, and economic dimensions of the drug problem
- available services for treatment and rehabilitation
- misconceptions on the use of dangerous drugs
“Dahil sa mga pinsalang dinulot ng pandemya tulad ng kawalan ng trabaho, mas marami sa ating mga kababayan at mga kabataan ang nanganganib na masangkot sa iligal na droga,” Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate basic education committee, said in a statement Friday.
(Because of the effects inflicted by the pandemic such as unemployment, many of our countrymen and the youth are at risk of being involved in illegal drugs.)
“Kaya nais natin bigyan ang ating mga kabataan ng sapat na edukasyon upang hindi masira ang kanilang mga buhay,” he added.
(That’s why we need to educate the youth with enough information so that their future will not be ruined.)
The lawmakers cited data from the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), which showed that in 2017, 27.32 percent of those who abused illegal drugs “reached high school level.” For 2018, that percentage increased to 28.14 percent.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2020, meanwhile, reported that vulnerable and marginalized groups, including youth and women, are “more prone to drug use, trafficking, and cultivation to earn money” due to the “rising unemployment and reduced opportunities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Poverty and limited education also remain factors in an increased risk of drug use disorders, the report also said.
The bill filed by the two senators seeks to mandate the Department of Education (DepEd) to foster collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH), the DDB, and relevant non-governmental organizations to strengthen the implementation of drug abuse prevention programs.
These agencies will also be tasked to work together in establishing and providing capacity building and training courses for teachers on drug abuse prevention.
