November 12, 1993

As we celebrate Drug Abuse Prevention Week, we ask ourselves the following question: “What ought we to do now to help solve our major problem on drug abuse?”

We have to be convinced that, indeed, drug abuse or dependence is a major problem in our society. Unfortunately, the facts speak for themselves. According to the United Nations’ 1992 Drug Abuse Report, the Philippines is tagged as the main transit point for heroin smuggling from Thailand to Australia, the United States of America and Europe. Moreover, our country is considered at present the second biggest producer of marijuana in the world. Our own Dangerous Drug Board has reported that, at the end of 1992, there were 800,000 drug dependents in the country. Of these, over 300, 000 come from Metro Manila. The majority of our illegal drug users come from our schools.

The personal, social and moral devastation that drug addiction entails makes us all — civil authorities, law enforcers, non-government organizations, churches and schools — responsible to the drug menace. We have to go on fighting it through the classical three-integrated-steps approach, namely, rehabilitation, law enforcement, and prevention.

The effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependents is improving. It is a difficult kind of work being ably done by physicians, counselors, social workers, pastors — and a growing number of admirable volunteers, many of the, networking with the Drug-Watch Movement. Rehabilitation work personnel teach us that those of our brothers and sisters living under the influence of hallucinogens, amphetamine, barbiturates, sedatives and narcotics are not to be considered criminals, but victims; not delinquents, but sick persons. For us Christians, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ and, therefore, special subjects of our fraternal love.

Our criminal justice must be improved and our laws justly implemented. The government agencies connected with drug abuse, like the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Customs must continue making real efforts to clean their ranks of members allegedly connected with drug syndicates and the drug trade. The legal punitive provisions of the Dangerous Drug Act of 1972 must be carried out, and drug lords, manufacturers, producers and traffickers should be justly punished through appropriate nonviolent measures. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “The prevention of the common good of society demands to place the aggressor in a situation where he cannot cause harm” (No. 2266).

Those directly involved in the production and commercialization of drugs of abuse are guilty of grave sins against humanity and against God: “Clandestine drug production and trafficking are scandalous practices, which constitute direct cooperation in evil that is gravely contrary to the moral law” (Catechism, No. 2291). To all those of our brothers and sisters who make money out of the drug trade, I say: “Please, repent, turn away from enslaving and killing our children and youth, and return to God. In the name of Jesus, I cry out to you: ‘It would be better for anyone who leads astray one of these little ones who believe in me, to be drowned by a millstone around his neck, in the depth of the sea’ “ (Mt 18:6).

While law enforcement is geared towards the reduction of prohibited drugs supply, prevention is directed to the reduction of drugs demand. Preventive education is widely considered as the best means to solve the drug scourge. All our schools, as commanded by Republic Act 6425 (1972), are obliged to offer drug education as part of their curriculum.

Drug education, however, is only a part of integral education. Genuine integral education centers on moral education, a wholistic education which helps persons become free and responsible and, thus journey towards ethical maturity. In his outstanding encyclical Veritatis Splendor Pope John Paul II speaks powerfully of our serious moral crisis and the way to correct it. He tells us that morality is not a question of lawless personal or social choices, but of free and responsible choices, which are rooted in the truth about our human nature and ultimately in God’s eternal law.

In our journey of life together, let us be good examples of justice, solidarity and prayer to our young. Let us take care of our health: we are the stewards of our life. Let us avoid all kinds of excesses, in particular, as the new Catechism advises us, “the abuse of food, of alcohol, of tobacco and of medicines” (No. 2290). Facing the drug culture mentality in our world, we use, when necessary only, properly prescribed drugs.

We are celebrating Drug Abuse Prevention Week. Let us try to be compassionate. Compassionate, above all, with “the little ones” — the poor, the marginalized, the sick. With the victims of drug abuse. For us, Christians, to do something for them is, in fact, to do it for Jesus Christ, who keeps telling us: “What you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do it to me” (Mt 25:40).

Dear Friends in the Lord, at the end of our journey of life, the Lord will also ask us: “Where were you when your children experimented with drugs and got hooked to them?” My dear young ones: “Get high with God, not drugs!” After all, as St. Teresa of Avila said, Only God Suffices!

(Sgd.) + Jaime L. Cardinal Sin, D.D.

Archbishop of Manila

November 04, 1993

St. Charles Borromeo