Preventing Drug Abuse among the Out-of-School Youth and Street Children (Through Special Drug Education Center)

Children and youth below 25 years of age constitute half of the 80 million total population of the Philippines; about 30 million are between the ages of 7 to 25 years old (NSO 2001). A significant growing number are the out of school youth and street children; the largest concentration of OSYs and street children are in National Capital Region (DDB Study 2004).

The Social Weather Station Survey claimed that 2.1 million youth population claimed to have ever experienced using illegal drugs; 0.6 million youth have experienced selling illegal drugs and the average age when this was first experienced is 16 years old.

Various psychosocial factors have been associated with adolescent substance abuse (Alcaraz, 2004). To the street children and the out-of-school youth, these would mean a variety of life experiences that lead them into the streets and out of schools. These include leaving their homes due to extreme poverty, separation of parents or dysfunctional family, peer influence, family vices, inability to go to schools, academic failures and inability to develop positive life coping skills in their own homes.

Republic Act 9165, Article IV, Section 46 provides that every province and city nationwide for the establishment of Special Drug Education Center (SDEC) to protect children and young people through drug abuse prevention and education. SDEC being a community -based project aims to provide a place of learning and sharing on the ill effects of drug abuse as well serve as a place where they can feel free and safe and learn more about positive life-coping skills.

SDEC is being pilot-tested by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Pasay City and Legaspi City. SDEC is defined as a community-based facility that serves as a venue in promoting preventive and developmental services for the out-of-school youth and street children.

It aims to enable the OSYs and street children cope with the challenges of adolescence particularly their vulnerability to drug and substance abuse. It is a place where children and the OSY learn about drugs, how to prevent them, and receive support services that may be availed at the local government units.

At present, activities undertaken in Pasay City include conduct of drug awareness campaigns in the pilot barangays; information dissemination, e.g. "Barkada Kontra Droga" on drug abuse prevention and conduct of film viewing - "Taghoy sa Dilim" that covered a total of 100 youth, parents and street children as participants/viewers.

Other activities include conduct of community awareness sessions/ lectures on drug abuse prevention; skills training for Pag-asa Youth Association (PYA) such as on gender sensitivity, volunteerism and leadership and special training on basic computer literacy training, dormat-making , jewelry/accessories making and perfumed making.

In Legaspi City, orientation workshops among SDEC volunteers and leaders in the covered barangays were also conducted. SDEC team leaders were also given capability-building activities to strengthen team relationships and promote active participation both at the city and barangay levels.

DSWD with its experience in pilot-testing SDEC including FDAPP will soon come up with a Guide Manual on the implementation of Family Drug Abuse Prevention Program and Manual on the Operation of Special Drug Education Center to serve as guides for interested local government units nationwide in replicating SDEC and FDAPP, both supported by the Dangerous Drugs Board, in their own areas. Provinces and cities may contact DSWD field offices for further information.