What we can learn from the lives of people who use drugs

Two years have passed since the Rodrigo Duterte administration intensified the anti-drug campaign. But the war on drugs itself has gone on for decades longer— not just here in the Philippines, but all over the world.

In all that time, few have stopped to listen to the people who bear the brunt of these harsh policies: the people who use drugs themselves. And even less have given their testimonies the weight they deserve.

On March 21, NoBox Philippines in collaboration with the University of the Philippines- Diliman and the Office of Chancellor Michael Tan, held a forum to share the results of “Living in the Time Tokhang: Perspectives from Filipino Youth.” This is an ethnographic study whose aim is to understand the situation of the drug users by getting their own views or perspectives. The study led by medical anthropologist Dr. Gideon Lasco, with graduate student Ms. Jana General, explored how young people (18-25 years old) in an urban poor community experienced illicit drugs and the policies surrounding them.

The researchers found young people who use illicit drugs the way legal substances are used. Marijuana is used to relax and socialize just like And for many, the only crime they are committing under their laws is the act of using the illicit drugs.

Young people interviewed in the study saw drug use the same way, even frowning upon those who would use shabu to boost energy for illegal activities. “Ultimately, shabu will only help you to do what you already have in mind,” said Reuben, one of the respondents.

So what does this mean for Philippine drug policy?

Whenever someone uses illicit drugs in the Philippines, our response is a toss- up between two choices: arrest or rehabilitation. This study, along with the growing body of evidence of how people experience illicit drug use suggests these choices are not enough. In fact, for many, arrest or rehabilitation might be harmful or just a plain waste of resources.

The study showed people who neither want nor need rehabilitation, and definitely none who need a jail cell. Reuben recounted how he had stopped using shabu without any help after his son was born — a son who wouldn’t benefit from a father behind bars.

“We must be open to different approaches. What else can we do to help these young people in these communities? These young people are voiceless