ONLY .1% OF MANDATORY DRUG TEST TAKERS MONTHLY FAIL

Of 218,000 people who undergo mandatory drug tests every month, only .1
percent or 200, mostly drivers, test positive for substance abuse, the
Department of Health (DOH) said.

"We cannot say this is the true picture because the drug testing is
mandatory. The element of surprise is no longer there and people could
prepare if they are scheduled to be examined for drugs," said Dr. Benjamin
Reyes, acting head of the DOH's National Center for Health Promotion.

Under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,
professional and non-professional drivers and gun handlers are required to
undergo drug tests when they renew their licenses.

Reyes said the number of those who fail the mandatory drug tests is small
compared to the results of their random drug tests among high school
students in Metro Manila.

DOH records show that of 340 students tested for substance abuse, four
failed. The department also conducted random drug tests among 1,020
students in Central Luzon, Central Visayas and Southern Mindanao but the
results are not yet available.

"They are so young. Their ages ranged from 12 to 16, and yet, four of them
tested positive for drugs. How much more in the adult population?" Reyes said.

He admitted that there are ways to tamper the results of drug tests,
defeating the purpose of RA 9165, which was enacted to protect the youth
and minimize drug-related accidents and crimes.

"Procedures in collecting and transporting urine specimens should not be
neglected because this could pave the way for cheating," he said.

Reyes said the DOH prefers random drug testing because this will not give
the examinees time to prepare. Thus, the DOH, through the Dangerous Drugs
Board, has asked the oversight committee on RA 9165 to amend the law and
make way for random drug testing.

"We can devise a more effective system other than mandatory drug testing.
Drug testing has only become a lucrative business for some people," he said.