Majority of Pinoys believe number of drug users decreased —SWS survey

Majority of Filipinos believe that the number of drug users has decreased last year, results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed Saturday.

In its fourth quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey conducted from December 16 to 19, 2018, the SWS found that 66 percent of Filipino adults said that the number of drug addicts in their area has decreased over the past year.

The polling body also noted that 14 percent believe the number of drug users have increased while the remaining 7 percent said it remained the same.

"By area, the proportion of people who say there are less drug addicts in their area compared to last year was highest in Mindanao at 83 percent, compared to the 6 percent who say the number increased, and 4 percent who say it remained the same," SWS said.

"In the Visayas, 71 percent say it decreased, 11 percent say it increased, and 6 percent say it remained the same," it added.

In Metro Manila, the polling body noted that 67 percent said it decreased, 22 percent said it increased, and 8 percent said it remained the same.

In the rest of Luzon (Balance Luzon), 54 percent said it decreased, 18 percent said it increased, and 8 percent said it remained the same, according to SWS.

In rural areas, 68 percent claimed that the number of illegal drug addicts decreased, 9 percent said it increased, and 6 percent believe it remained the same.

In urban areas, 63 percent said it decreased, 23 percent said it increased, 9 percent said it remained the same.

Capturing drug suspects

The latest SWS poll also found that 95 percent of adult Filipinos said it is important for them that the police capture illegal drug suspects alive, and 5 percent said it is not important.

"This is similar to 95 percent when the question was first surveyed in June 2018," SWS noted.

"The dominant opinion in all areas was that it is important that drug suspects are captured alive: it was 97 percent in Metro Manila and the Visayas, 96 percent in Mindanao, and 92 percent in Balance Luzon," SWS said.

The survey also found that 87 percent of Filipinos said it is important for the police that they capture illegal drug suspects alive, while 13 percent say it is not important.

"This compares to 86 percent in June 2018," SWS said.

"The dominant opinion in all areas was that it is important for the police that drug suspects are captured alive: it was 91 percent in the Visayas, and 86 percent in the Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, and Mindanao," it said.

The latest SWS survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults or those 18 years old and above nationwide. Around 360 participants each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao were surveyed.

The exact survey questions are as follows:

• “Kumpara sa nakaraang taon, ang bilang ng mga tao sa lugar na ito na na-aadik sa mga ipinagbabawal na gamot ay… (PAREHO LAMANG, MAS MARAMI NGAYON, MAS KAUNTI NGAYON)” [“Compared to last year, the number of people in this neighborhood who are addicted to banned drugs have… (REMAINED THE SAME, INCREASED, DECREASED)?”]
• “Sa pagtupad ng kapulisan ng kanilang tungkulin sa kampanya laban sa illegal na droga, sa inyong palagay, gaano KA-IMPORTANTE SA MGA PULIS NA MAHULI NILA NANG BUHAY ang mga taong pinaghihinalaang kasabwat sa illegal na droga? Ito po ba ay... (Talagang importante sa kanila; Medyo importante sa kanila; Medyo hindi importante sa kanila; Talagang hindi importante sa kanila)?” [In the police’s fulfillment of their duty in the campaign against illegal drugs, in your opinion, how IMPORTANT IS IT FOR THE POLICE THAT THEY CAPTURE ALIVE the suspects allegedly involved in illegal DRUGS? Is it... (Very important for them; Somewhat important for them; Somewhat not important for them; Not at all important for them)?]”
• “Gaano KA-IMPORTANTE PARA SA INYO NA MAHULI NG MGA PULIS NANG BUHAY ang mga taong pinaghihinalaang kasabwat sa illegal na droga? Ito po ba ay… (Talagang importante sa inyo; Medyo importante sa inyo; Medyo hindi importante sa inyo; Talagang hindi importante sa inyo)? [How IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU THAT THE POLICE CAPTURE ALIVE the suspects allegedly involved in illegal drugs? Is it (Very important to you; Somewhat important to you; Somewhat not important to you; Not at all important to you)?]”

SWS said it employs its own staff for questionnaire design, sampling, fieldwork, data-processing, and analysis, and does not outsource any of its survey operations.

The survey has sampling error margins of ±2.6 percent for national percentages, and ±5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The area estimates were weighted by Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2018 to obtain the national estimates.

"The quarterly Social Weather Surveys on public satisfaction with the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs are not commissioned. They are done on SWS's own initiative and released as a public service," the polling body said. —Ted Cordero/KG, GMA News