New anti-drug campaign to hit problem at its roots

A newly organized non-government organization will be launching on April 26 a new approach to give the government's anti-illegal drug campaign in Metro Manila more teeth.

Called the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), its key strategy is to "address the [illegal drug] problem at its very roots -- the barangays." It will attack the drug trade at the "street level where users and pushers converge."

Dr. Carlito Cubelo, DAWN's proponent, said the idea is for DAWN volunteers to spot drug traders and users, and immediately report them to the police "so that they could promptly carry out the proper procedure for the offenders' apprehension and the seizure of drugs in their possession."

Cubelo said DAWN will also help rehabilitate drug addicts through counseling and referring them to physicians accredited by the Dangerous Drugs Board.

DAWN, he explained, is a network composed of barangay volunteers with access to hotlines connecting them to the DAWN nerve center which will then alert the authorities.

Cubelo set up DAWN because the government has been unable to curb the drug trade. "The record tells us that drug dealers have outpaced the government's campaign to root them out. The anti-drug campaign is in need of a new innovative strategy."

Cubelo said the demand for drugs must be reduced in order to win the war against illegal drugs, as emphasized by DAWN's slogan: "When the buying stops, the addiction can stop, too."

DAWN will set up pilot areas in each town and city in Metro Manila. To make the campaign more effective, DAWN will seek assistance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine National Police.

DAWN's success, Cubelo said, depends on the cooperation of barangay officials. He said he would seek official recognition from barangay officials.

Cubelo is CEO of Mahogany Medical and Pharmaceutical Supplies Inc., one of the country's foremost drug-testing facilities. --