7 out of 10 Filipinos believe drug use in their areas dipped the past year – survey

Seven out of 10 Filipinos believe that the number of persons who use drugs in their area has decreased over the past year, results of a survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The nationwide survey fielded on Dec. 16 to 19 among 1,440 respondents found 66 percent of Filipinos believing that the number of persons engaged in risky abuse of substances in their areas has decreased over the past year, with 14 percent saying it has increased, and seven percent saying it has remained the same.

By area, the proportion of people who say there are less persons with drug addiction in their area compared to last year was highest in Mindanao at 83 percent, compared to the six percent who say the number increased, and four percent who say it remained the same.

In the Visayas, 71 percent say it decreased, 11 percent say it increased, and six percent say it remained the same.

In Metro Manila, 67 percent say it decreased, 22 percent say it increased, and eight percent say it remained the same.

In the rest of Luzon, 54 percent say it decreased, 18 percent say it increased, and eight percent say it remained the same.

By locale, 68 percent of those in rural areas say that the number of persons who uses drugs decreased, nine percent say it increased, and six percent say it remained the same.

In urban areas, 63 percent say it decreased, 23 percent say it increased, nine percent say it remained the same.

In the same survey, SWS found that 95 percent of Filipinos say it was important (percent very important plus percent somewhat important) for them that the police capture drug suspects alive (77 percent very important, 18 percent somewhat important), and five percent say it was not important (four percent somewhat not important, one percent not at all important).

This was similar to 95 percent (76 percent very important, 19 percent somewhat important) when the question was first surveyed in June 2018.

The dominant opinion in all areas was that it was important that drug suspects were captured alive: it was 97 percent in Metro Manila and Visayas, 96 percent in Mindanao, and 92 percent in the rest of Luzon.

The survey also found that 87 percent of Filipinos believe it was important for the police that they capture illegal drug suspects alive (67 percent very important, 21 percent somewhat important), and 13 percent say it is not important (eight percent somewhat not important, five percent not at all important).

This compared to 86 percent (58 percent very important, 28 percent somewhat important) in June 2018.

The dominant opinion in all areas was that it was important for the police to capture drug suspects alive: it was 91 percent in Visayas, and 86 percent in Metro Manila, rest of Luzon, and Mindanao.