City, schools to set plans for drug tests

CEBU, Philippines - By tomorrow, the Cebu City government will start meeting with school officials to discuss the plans to conduct surprise drug tests among the students in all high schools in the city.

Dr. Alice Utlang, who heads the City Office on Substance Abuse Prevention, said that together with officials of the Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council, they are first scheduled to discuss the matter with officials of Mabolo and Carreta high schools, and Florencio Urot National High School tomorrow.

CADAC will be represented by its adviser Clarence Paul Oaminal and representatives from the Cebu City Council, Commission on Higher Education, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, City Health Department and religious groups, among others.

“Mo-visit ta sa mga schools and while didto, makigstorya ta sa principal and other school officials about sa drug test nga atong ipahigayon and at the same time, i-remind namo ang mga students sa dili paggamit sa drugas,” said Utlang.

According to Utlang, police revealed that the problem of illegal drugs in the city is on the rise, so that they are more prompted to proceed with the drug test among the students, who are potential users.

Utlang said they will start the drug test in the three mentioned schools as majority of the students there live in barangays identified by PDEA as drug-infested.

The COSAP chief said that a series of visitations will follow for the rest of the schools in the city, primarily night high schools.

According to Utlang, the drug test already has the initial knowledge of the Department of Education since this was conducted in previous years.

She further said thatthe drug tests among students is allowed by Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

As a procedure, COSAP will get 10 percent of the population of the students of a certain school and subject them to the drug test by taking their urine samples.

The COSAP chief has said that they will act more cautiously in conducting the test and will treat the results with utmost confidentiality in order to protect the students who shall test positive of illegal drugs.

City Councilor Noel Wenceslao, chairman of the council committee on education, said he has no idea yet about COSAP’s drug test activity in schools but he expresses support for it.

“I have no problems with that. The problem on drugs right now is increasing, so we really need to have an update labi na sa mga estudyante,” he said. – (FREEMAN)