1.67 million Filipinos aged 10-69 are drug users —DDB

Around 1.67 million Filipinos or two out of one hundred Filipinos aged 10 to 69 are current users of drugs, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) said Saturday.

Citing the 2019 drug survey, DDB chairman Catalino Cuy said that 4.73 million or 6 out of one hundred Filipinos in the same age bracket are lifetime users.

“Ito ‘yung mga nag-try o gumamit ng drugs once in their lifetime. Pero not necessarily current users sila, no. Siguro nag-try lang nu’ng kabataan. So ‘yun tawag sa kanila, lifetime user,” Cuy said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

The DDB in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) and the Philippine Statistics Authority conducted the survey of 9,341 samples nationwide with an ±1.01 margin of error.

“And then ‘yung data after ma-gather… ipinasa naman natin ito dito sa independent entity, ‘yung i-Metrics Asia-Pacific Corporation. Sila ‘yung nag-provide nu'ng analysis doon sa data na nakuha natin,” Cuy said.

“So may checks and balance ito. SIla ‘yung nag-validate at sila ‘yung nag-analyze ng data na na-collect sa survey. And ‘yun, sila ‘yung gumawa nu'ng final report na inilabas natin,” he added.

Cuy said all socioeconomic classes were involved in the survey. He added that results revealed that families from the lower bracket were more involved in drugs.

“Dito nga nakita natin na ‘yung drug problem transcends all classes pero talagang mas apektado rin talaga ‘yung nasa lower bracket… ‘Yung CDE bracket,” he said.

According to Cuy, the report also showed that the youth was more “vulnerable” to drugs.

“[N]a-validate ‘yung ating assumption na ‘yung youth talaga ang pinaka-vulnerable sa drugs, ano? ‘Yung age 15 to 22. We found out also na the younger na magsimula mag-sigarilyo o uminom ng alcohol ‘yung isang minor, ang laki ng probability na mag-lead ‘yun sa drug,” he said.

“Kasi ito ‘yung tinatawag na gateway activities. Kaya we are expanding our attention not only sa use ng illegal drugs but also ‘yung substance abuse” he said.

The report showed that cannabis or marijuana was more used at 57% than methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu at 35%.

“Lumalabas dito na… mas maraming gumagamit ng marijuana ngayon kaysa shabu. Siguro isa ‘yan sa mga development, ano? Unang-una, diyan nagsisimula. From smoking, to alcohol, and then marijuana muna ‘yan, and then afterward lipat ‘yan sa shabu,” he said.

“And then meron din kaunti na cocaine. ‘Yung cocaine kasi hindi masyadong available dito, but meron din gumagamit niyan,” he added.

Cuy said the DDB will distribute the survey results to other agencies such as the DSWD, the Department of Health, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. —Joahna Lei Casilao/MDM/KG, GMA News