Duterte gov’t notes decrease in illegal drug use; from 4M, drug users down to 1.67M

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members prior to his talk to the people at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on October 19, 2020. RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

 

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte said that the number of Filipinos using illegal drugs has significantly decreased during his administration.

In his recent address to the nation, the President reported that based on the figures from the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), there were about 1.67 million who are currently still hooked onto illegal drugs. He said that around two out of 100 Filipinos are still using drugs.

Duterte said that this is significantly lower than the almost 4 million people into drugs at the start of his administration.

“Dito sa — I’d like to report to you that according to the DBB — DDB, DDB, Dangerous Drugs Board, there are about 1.67 million or two out of 100 people, Filipinos aged 10 to 69 are current users of drugs,” he said.

Duterte recalled that at the start, when the police chief was Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa who is now a senator.

The President, however, said that he still does not know the figures of those still using shabu.

“In the past, ‘yung panahon nila Dela Rosa, umabot ‘yan ng almost 4 million. And how much has been reduced in the use of shabu? I really do not know until now. But we are still in the thick of the fight against shabu,” he said.

Duterte said that the use of illegal drugs, not only destroys the nation, but destroys the health of the user, and also makes him lazy and unproductive.

Poor people who are into drugs would not prosper, and their lives are simply wasted, Duterte said.

Drug use and the surge of crimes is also linked, according to authorities.

Ito lang ang masabi ko, nagwa-warning talaga ako sa inyo, lalo na ‘yung mga dealer. Huwag na ‘yung user na mahirap. Hindi ‘yan pinapatay. Wala kang makuha. Naghihintay lang ‘yan kung mayroong supply o wala.”

“But in the meantime, they are indolent. They do not want to work, laggards, because their minds are destroyed by drugs. Kaya ako, I grieve for the Filipinos na tinamaan ng droga. Talagang masakit sa akin because a waste of life,” the Philippine leader whose administration’s main campaign is to stop illegal drug trade said.

“In the end, it will destroy the nation. If this is allowed to go on and on, and if no decisive action is taken against them, it will endanger the security of the state. Iyong ano sa corruption, lahat ng bidding must be published,” he added.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque had clarified that the 167 million mentioned in the transcript of President Duterte was just a “typo error.” He said that the real numbers given by the DDB was 1.67 million.

-DDB report says gov’t succeeded in flattening user rate-

In the report by the DDB, it said that the age of the current illegal drug users were between 10 to 69.

This was based on the results of the 2019 National Household Survey on the Patterns and Trends of Drug Abuse recently released by the DDB.

“The 2019 Drug Survey estimates the current user prevalence rate at 2.05 percent, significantly lower than the 2018 global estimates of 5.3 percent published in the World Drug Report 2020,” it said.

“Noting the results of the 2019 Drug Survey and comparing it to the estimates of 4 Million Filipino drug users in 2016 based on anti-drug operations and intelligence data, it shows a clear significant decline which can be attributed to the success of the government’s anti-drug campaign and steadfast priority given by the government to create drug-free communities under the current administration,” it reported.

The survey also showed the number of “lifetime users.”

“Based on the 5.8% lifetime user prevalence rate, about 4.73 million or six out of every 100 Filipinos aged 10-69 tried drugs at least once in their life,” the DDB release said.

“Based on the survey, it can be concluded that the government not only succeeded in flattening the user prevalence rate but has also reversed the trend,” the DDB stressed.

 

(Eagle News Service)