Whole community needed to fight the drug menace

The Catholic Church and its social programs arms should consider putting aside a budget for the total rehabilitation of drug dependents.

“Total” rehabilitation means not only physical or physiological treatment and recovery—like subjecting the body to toxic cleansing which, I understand, takes six months.

Decades ago, I suggested to some drug rehab centers the use of an organic detox program that takes only one week, but they refused because it would have reduced their earnings from keeping drug dependents under their care, which includes providing the latter food and medicines. The program involved a capsule invented or formulated by a Japanese. I don’t have the complete formula of the capsule, but its active ingredients are mostly organic plants found in the Philippines.

We tested the capsule in two drug rehabs center in Metro Manila, and it was proven to be successful. In less than a week, drug addicts who volunteered for testing had achieved total detox.

As for the psychological treatment, it is the family that plays the major role. Drug dependents stay away from their family because they don’t feel like a member, like they belong. Parents, sisters, brothers and relatives should give proper attention to drug dependents. Psychiatrists and psychologists could also be of big help.

San Miguel, PLDT, ABS-CBN, Inquirer and others among top 100 corporations should do their part as well, by putting aside funds for the construction and maintenance of drug rehabilitation centers; and for the doctors, psychologists, social workers attending to the drug dependents; and for the latter’s medicine, food and others.

On the part of Congress, it should pass a law providing a reasonable budget for drug rehab centers.

Civil societies, religious and civic organizations (Rotary, Lions, Knights of Columbus) should pool their resources together and be part of this undertaking.

“Ask what you can do for your government, not what the government can do for you.”—US President John F. Kennedy.

Let us join and support the Duterte administration in its campaign to rid our country of this social curse.

—ISIDRO C. VALENCIA, [email protected]