DOLE PROGRAM FOCUSES ON DRUG ABUSE

The number of drug users has risen to 3.4 million in the year 2001,
doubling in four years the figure of 1.7 million users released by the
Dangerous Drug Board in 1997.

Unless serious efforts are exerted to arrest the problem, the number
can rise to extremely dangerous proportions in the years ahead, Labor
Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas said.

Sto. Tomas raised this concern as she urged public support for the
national program against drug abuse, which was jointly launched by the
Department of Labor and Employment and the Anti-Substance Abuse
Program Foundation (ASAP) under DOLE's Kabataan 2004 program.

The program is focused on drug prevention in the workplace to counter
the growth of users among self-employed and regular workers in the
private sector, which is estimated at 39 percent of patient admissions
at government rehabilitation centers.

Also on target is alcohol abuse, which accounted for a larger
percentage of addiction - 65 percent - based on admissions also at
government rehabilitation centers in 1996.

Of the total number of drug dependents, 1.8 million are regular users
while 1.6 million are occasional users, based on a household survey by
the ADB. Among workers using drugs, 12.46 percent are self-employed
while 26.99 percent are regular employees.

To institutionalize substance abuse prevention for the youth in the
workplace, DOLE's Kabataan 2004 program is launching an education
and awareness campaign on the dangers of drug and alcohol addiction to
workers' health and productivity.

It is assisting employers and trade unions in setting up internal
employee assistance programs to provide counseling of referrals for
emotional health problems of employees that may be related to alcohol
or drug addiction.

New entrants into the workforce are urged to veer away from drugs and
alcohol by informing them of their dire effects on their health and
future.

Drug and alcohol addiction has affected many business and industrial
firms in terms of lost man-days, low production and poor work
attitudes. Despite different strategies and approaches for prevention,
the number of victims continues to rise.

The Kabataan 2004 program targets the promotion of a drug-and
alcohol-free workplace, with special focus on young workers under 30
years of age. By targeting the workforce, the program hopes to reduce
substance addiction and reduce the incidence of safety and health
problems among workers.

"There is a need for a concerted effort between government and
non-government organizations to prevent the dissipation of our human
resources productivity due to substance abuse," Sto. Tomas said.