Jail the pusher, save the user

ILLEGAL drugs have long been a menace to our society.

Particularly lethal  have  been the modern-day synthetic variety, the most popular of which is the methamphetamine hydrochloride or more commonly known for its street name “shabu”, because of their easy production, proliferation and affordability.

Many a life, and an entire family’s life, has been shattered by the abuse of these illegal substances.

But saddest of these tragedies is when our youth are involved.

It may somewhat be an overused and tiring adage, but “The youth is the hope of our fatherland” loudly rings as true as it did more than a hundred years ago when national hero Jose  Rizal first uttered these wise words.

Adolescence is a tough stage in life and it is the easiest time to get hooked on potentially life-ruining habits. There are manifold reasons why young people get addicted to illegal drugs — an unsteady home, peer pressure, plain curiosity, or sometimes, just boredom,   among others. The drug problem among the young cuts across social strata; the rich, the middle class, and the poor are and could be afflicted.

The best cure, of course, is an ounce of prevention. The basic unit of society, the family, is primarily responsible for the juvenile in their flock. Our educational institutions also have a social obligation to mold students into not just learned individuals but discerning citizens who are armed with basic values.

The government sector, meanwhile, is tasked to create an environment conducive to productivity. That means, among other things, curbing the propagation of illegal substances and building facilities that will help pull up those who have fallen off the edge.

House Speaker Jose De Venecia’s recent appeal to  the police force to double their efforts in capturing drug pushers and arresting the bigger drug syndicates, especially in the province where the narcotics crisis is reportedly growing, is perfectly timed with the announcement that a P35-million drug rehabilitation center will be built in Dagupan City.

Jail the pusher, save the user.

Now that’s another old adage that could very well be an undying battlecry.

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