Editorial

Drug war: a challenge

War on illegal drugs continue to hit the headlines and the episodes come everyday under stories of apprehensions and raids with certain casualties, including enforcement agents. Even Vice President Leny Robredo made the headlines when appointed by President Duterte as drug czar only to be sacked a few days after sharing co-chairmanship in the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.

Illegal drug trafficking is a long menace to many societies and many believe as long as there are supplies, there will still be drug business and “awe” as a consequence. Shabu may be eliminated but other substitutes may likely appear. Society has still to trash “marijuana,” a plant species which is also considered as medicinal. In the past, over-the-counter drugs have been swallowed for addictive intakes; to some are injectibles for immediate effect. 

We again look back why there are illegal drug users and how the anti-drug crusade could be strategized. For sure, experts are knowledgeable about the factors associated with drug use and dependency. Somehow, curbing the causes could put a descent to drug trade, if not at all eliminated. Families, foremost, have to stand guard against drugs. Take note that broken homes may push children to illegal drug use as escape mechanism to emotional insecurity.

Money is the core of drug trafficking. Society stands to lose in this illegal trade… It does not get the revenues, it a headache to curb health issues and criminalities, and it wrecks human resource as a result.

Drug operatives   have to break the chain of drug trafficking. Families have to enrich and nurture social relationship within the institutional unit so sibs would not go astray and be mindful of good character. The anti-drug campaign, simply stated, has to be holistic in approach… Simple to say but difficult to address as the predators lance hard at their preys.

The “kill the pill” to the menace should not be interpreted literally but manageability and innovativeness in addressing the social problem. It would be a gigantic drive if there are some personnel in government service, including enforcement operatives, who are into drug peddling and use.

Is it still a long way to go in stamping out illegal drugs? Perhaps the drive could be upended when news headlines are already silent on the matter. In the meantime, it’s a continuing and all-out war  against the “monster” that spits destruction. To ponder: why does not a neighbor report to authorities that his/her neighbor is a drug lord, peddler, or user? This is an outright challenge in the call for participative action against the menace.

Come to think of it… Money used in anti-drug war could have better been expended for human settlements.