ADVENTURISM, FAMILY PROBLEMS LURE BAGUIO TEENS TO DRUGS

Adventurism, peer pressures and family problems are among the three main
reasons identified by the Baguio City Police Office-Drug Enforcement Unit
(BCPO-DEU) as to why Baguio teenagers are being lured to using illegal drugs.

Senior Supt. Isagani Nerez highlighted the three main reasons of drug abuse
among teenagers during the first anniversary celebration of the
Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (Aidsotf) at Malcolm
Square on Monday. But both the BCPO-DEA and the regional Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency (PDEA) have no available estimate on the number of
Baguio teenagers using illegal drugs, although law enforcers believed many
of them are out-of-school youth. In Baguio, the bulk of the 150,000 student
population are below 18 years old, officials said.

The BCPO-DEU and the City Anti-Drug Council (CADC) determined that
adventurism, peer pressure and family problems are among the three main
reasons for illegal drug usage among teenagers during interviews with
teenagers arrested for using illegal drugs.

At present, at least 13 Baguio teenagers are undergoing out-patient
rehabilitation and their respective parents showed concern for their
immediate therapy, Nerez said.

He added that the sincere cooperation being showed by the parents of
drug-dependent teenagers is a manifestation that the public trusts law
enforcement agencies in their all-out campaign against illegal drugs.

"The fact that parents are coordinating with the police for the
rehabilitation of their drug-dependent children is a clear manifestation
that we are winning the people to our side in the fight against illegal
drugs," Nerez said.

Interior Sec. Jose Lina earlier reported that illegal drugs have become a
P216-billion to P432-billion annual industry in the Philippines.

He said there are at least 1.8 million regular drug users in the country
who consume an average of five to 10 grams of shabu monthly. A gram of
shabu costs about P2,000. HFP