Eliminate addiction: Expanding The Knowledge about drugs

After targeting suppliers of prohibited drugs, the government is giving increased attention to curbing demand. Children
from kindergarten to Grade 12 will soon be taught about the evils and prevention of drug abuse.

The details are still being ironed out by the lead agencies in the information campaign, the Departments of Education and
Health. Getting the DOH on board, however, indicates that the drug menace is being seen not just as a law enforcement
problem but also as a public health issue. This is the approach adopted by several other countries.

Of course the law enforcement aspect also cannot be ignored. Apart from being taught about the health problems
associated with drug abuse, school children at a certain academic level can be educated about the consequences of
violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. The country has some of the toughest laws against drug offenders. Even
if Congress does not lower the age of criminal responsibility, teenagers who violate those tough drug laws can either end up
in juvenile rehab, or dead ostensibly after resisting arrest in a police anti-drug sweep.

Any education program on the perils of drug abuse should also include information on the rights of suspected drug
personalities, and what school children can do in case of a police raid or drug bust. This also means knowing what to watch
out for to discourage police abuses.

The education campaign must be matched by investments in hiring health professionals and boosting facilities for
counseling troubled youth as well as rehabilitating drug dependents. The few such facilities available are mostly beyond the
reach of drug abusers in low-income communities, where President Duterte says the majority of shabu users live.

In impoverished communities, the education campaign should cover not only the perils of using shabu and other prohibited
drugs but also the health problems associated with habitual sniffing of rugby, an easily obtainable substance that provides a
cheap high. Rugby is the “drug” of choice of out-of-school street children; social welfare officers will have to find ways of
drawing such kids into the education campaign.

Implemented properly, this campaign can address the demand aspect of the drug menace, which has taken a backseat in
the ruthless war on drugs.
 Mental Health:Pagsugpo tungo sa pagsulong

Isa sa mainit na pinag-uusapan ngayon sa larangang pangkalusugan sa ating bansa ay ang kalusugang pangkaisipan. Sa
kabila ng pagiging seryoso nito, bakit ngayon lang isinulong ang ganitong patakaran? Kinakailangan bang magsagawa ng
malawakang paglalaganap ng kaalaman tungkol sa mental health?

Ayon sa Republic Act 11036 o kung tawagin ay Mental Health Act, kinakailangang isulong tungo sa pagsugpo nito sa kabila
ng nakababahalang tumataas na antas sa kaso ng mental disorder. Isa sa pangunahing layunin nito ay para mabigyan ng
ilang kaalaman ang nakakarami kung paano ito maiiwasan at masosolusyonan sa ganitong sitwasyon. Hindi maikakaila na sa
naitalang datos mula sa World Health Organization halos mahigit 2500 ang kaso ng suicide sa Pilipinas bunga nito ang sakit
sa pag-iisip.

Sa kabilang dako, walang pinipiling edad ang mga mental disorder na nararanasan ng may ganitong kaso.Kaya sa tulong ng
pagsisiwalat ng kaalaman sa bawat sulok ng paaralan at mag-aaral nakakatulong ang pagsulong sa mental health upang
magkaroon sa antas at pag-iwas sa ganitong uri ng sakit. Pero ang taning ng ilan , kinakailangan bang isagawa ang ganitong
pagtuturo sa kabila ng hindi napapansin na kaso noon? Bakit ngayon lang gumawa ng hakbang ang pamahalaan?

Samantala, hindi mahalaga kung bakit ngayon lang ito isinulong, ang mahalaga ay nagawan na ng aksyon ngayon upang
opisyal nang maging patakaran ang pamahalaan at maisiwalat sa bawat paaralan sa pagpapatuloy na mabigyang solusyon at
masugpo ang ganitong uri ng kalusugan. Pinatunayan ni G.H Ambat na walang kalusugan kung walang kalusugang
pangkaisipan dahil sentro ng ating katawan ang pag-iisip sa malusog at magandang takbo ng isip. Nararapat ding gumawa
ng hakbang ang ilang mga guro sa pagbibigay ng mga paraan sa pag-iwas dito. Sugpuin tungo sa pagsulong para sa
makabagong hangad na makaahon sa madilim na lugar at hangad na makita ang bagong liwanag.
 Editorial: Teenage Pregnancy Problem

Two neophyte senators, Robinhood “Robin” Padilla and Rafael “Raffy” Tulfo, have a somewhat simplistic solution to the
complicated problem of teenage pregnancy—limiting teenagers’ access to social media.

It could be true that various social media sites, famous among them Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, have effects on the
sexual behavior of teenagers, both males and females. As there is no curriculum on sex education in the Philippine
education system, teenagers are learning about their sexuality on the internet, often done in secret, away from their
parents’ prying eyes.

However, limiting teenagers’ access to social media sites is not the best way to deal with the problem of teenage
pregnancy. There are many ways to evade restrictions on the internet.

First things first, the public must acknowledge that teenage pregnancy is a problem.

The Philippine National Nutrition Council has said teenage pregnancy has negative consequences, and the most affected are
the teenage mothers. It said “early childbearing may result in poor health outcomes and may be a threat to the country’s
economic growth. Pregnant adolescents are less likely to complete higher education and have lesser ability to earn more
income over the course of a lifetime, causing economic losses to the country.”

During the recent Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality hearing, senators learned
that the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded 2,113 births of young girls aged 10-14 in 2020. A year later, this number
increased to 2,299 births, according to the Department of Health data.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros has pushed anew for the passage of the Prevention of Teenage Pregnancy Bill, because “adolescent
pregnancy has deprived many girls of an education, of job opportunities, of a future.”

A teen parent, Carmela Bondoc, said during the hearing that it is important for young moms like her to receive culturally
sensitive, age- and development-appropriate adolescent and health education.

“Edukasyon na tamang gagabay sa amin. Impormasyon na galing sa mga health professionals. Impormasyong tama.
Impormasyong hindi ipagkakait sa amin ng dahil sa panghuhusga. Edukasyong nagbibigay ng dignidad sa aming desisyon
para sa sarili (Education that will guide us properly. Information from health professionals. Correct information. Information
that will not be withheld from us because of discrimination. Education that gives dignity to our decision for self),” she said.

Education indeed is the best tool to address the teenage pregnancy problem of the country. And it is high time to include
the subject on reproductive health in the Philippine education system.

An informed youth is one of the country’s best assets.

Senators Padilla and Tulfo should reconsider their stance as restricting social media access has a serious legal question—
implementing it could violate the right of Filipinos, adults and non-adults, to free speech.

Tapping the wide reach of social media sites is one of the best tools for educating teenagers about the perils of teenage
pregnancy. Restricting teenagers’ access to them could further put themselves in the dark