DDB: Philippines has 1.8 million current drug users

The survey commissioned by the Dangerous Drugs Board estimates that 4.8 million Filipinos aged 10-69 years old used illegal drugs at least once in their lives

by: Jodesz Gavilan @jodeszgavilan Published 2:45 PM, September 19, 2016                                         Updated 3:13 PM, September 19, 2016

DRUG USERS. Alleged drug addicts and pushers wait to undergo drug tests following their surrender to authorities at Camp Karingal police station in Manila on June 22, 2016. Photo by Noel Celis/AFP

MANILA, Philippines — There are 1.8 million current drug users in the Philippines or 1.8% of the total population of 100.98 million, results of the Dangerous Drugs Board’s latest survey on the drug use situation in the Philippines show.

According to the 2015 Nationwide Survey on the Nature and Extent of Drug Abuse in the Philippines presented on Monday, September 19, the current drug use prevalence among Filipinos aged 10 to 69 years old is at 2.3%, or an estimated 1.8 million users.

Filipinos aged 10 to 69 years old comprise around 75% of the total Philippine population as of 2015.

Current drug users refer to individuals who are currently using or have used illegal drugs more than once from January 1, 2015, until February 5, 2016.

The 2015 figure is higher than the 1.3 million drug users estimated in 2012 and 1.7 million estimated in 2008.

Commissioned by DDB, the survey on national drug abuse situation was conducted by Resources, Environment and Economics Center for Studies Incorporated (REECS) from December 5, 2015, to February 5, 2016, among 5,000 respondents across the Philippines. It had a ±0.9 margin error. 

(source:http://www.rappler.com/nation/146654-drug-use-survey-results-dangerous-drugs-board-philippines-2015)