500 HS STUDENTS IN SOUTH UNDERGO DRUG TESTING

More than 500 students from public and private high schools in
Southern Mindanao underwent a random drug testing yesterday, the
Department of Education (DepEd) announced.

Director Thelma Santos of the DepEd School Health and Nutrition Center
and Education Undersecretary Ramon Bacani led the drug testing with
Department of Health (DoH) personnel in 17 schools all over Region 11
(Southern Mindanao). There were 30 students selected at random in each
school.

The health department and its accredited drug testing laboratories
performed the drug tests on high school students.

Santos said the drug testing is in line with R.A. 9165 or the
"Comprehensive Dangerous Acts of 2002," which requires the random drug
testing of students in public and private secondary, tertiary, and
higher educational institutions and vocational technical schools.

The program's objectives are: To determine the prevalence of drug
users among students, assess the effectivity of school-based and
community-based prevention programs, deter the use of illegal drugs,
facilitate the rehabilitation of drug users and dependents, and
strengthen the collaboration of efforts of identified agencies against
the use of illegal drugs in the rehabilitation of drug users and dependents.

"The government is serious in eradicating the drug menace in the
country. We drew up this program to assess if HS students are free
from illegal drug use or to prevent them from being lured to this
habit if they had tried one," Santos stressed.

She added "many teenagers or students these days may be involved with
legal or illegal drugs in various ways. Experimentation with drugs
during adolescence is common. Unfortunately, teenagers who mostly are
students often don't see the link between their actions today and the
consequence tomorrow. This is why the government intervenes to protect
them and their future."

According to her, the drug testing for high school students will run
until next week or until every student has been assessed.

The results of the test, she assured won't be divulged to the public
whatever the outcome. "The results of the test shall be strictly
confidential. No school shall publish the results, whether positive or
negative."

Should the outcome yield positive during the initial and confirmatory
test, the coordinator shall refer the students to government or
DoH-accredited hospitals to determine their dependency level, she said.

For those found dependent, she added, schools may impose appropriate
action against the student, based on the school's regulations. They
shall also be required to undergo a three-month observation and
counselling period.

Moreover, students showing no signs of improvement or recovery after
the rehabilitation phase may choose to enrol in a private
rehabilitation program or avail themselves of the government's
rehabilitation services, she said.

A few months ago, the DepEd and the DoH conducted a similar test to 17
public and private high schools in the National Capital Region (NCR)
to meet the same objective.