A good plan from COSAP

The Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP) is planning to set up a reformatory center to help small-time drug peddlers get out from a life of selling illegal drugs.

Along this line, COSAP head Jonah John Rodriguez said they also plan to put up a center for children who are involved in drugs. COSAP is still looking for a place for these two centers, he added.

So far COSAP seems to be on the right track. This approach touches on both the supply and demand aspect of the drug problem.

Addressing the drug problem isn’t just a matter of removing drugs from the streets because the drug lords will always find new supplies. It’s not also just a matter of arresting drug peddlers because there will always be others willing to take their place if no other livelihood is available.

If someone can persuade a drug peddler that there is a better way to make a living, it may convince not just them to leave the drug trade but also convince those who plan to take their place that a better option is available.

The same goes for kids who are already using drugs or likely to grow up knowing no other livelihood but the drug trade, convincing them illegal drugs are harmful for them and that there are better ways to make a living will go far in their still-impressionable minds.

The drug problem is not slowing down despite what this administration claims and despite the violent approach it has decided to prioritize. Just the other day ₱102 million worth of shabu was seized from two drug pushers. Seizures and confiscations amounting to the millions of pesos are quite the norm these days.

In their plan to help reform the drug peddlers as well as youths who may be being used in the drug trade or even using drugs themselves, COSAP should get the full support of the local government, the police, and the community.