What's in Your Bag?

I'll probably sound like The Old Man from Pawn Stars as I say this, but back in my day, partying was a lot more wholesome than it is now. Sure, we'd have booze and cigarettes at raves and concerts, and in the late 90's, that's as risky as it gets. Well, at least that was the case in the parties that I had been to.

Photo credit: NME Magazine.

These days, the party culture is on a totally different level. Partying now involves not just nicotine and alcohol, but also prescription medication and/or recreational drugs.

But what makes these 'party drugs' a lot more worrisome is that their presence and availability is not limited to parties or bars and clubs alone. If you're keeping up with the news, then you've probably heard of the recent arrest of two college students involved in illegal drug trade. Yes, college students, one of them already in his senior year.

Illegal drug substances amounting to Php 1.5 million were found
inside the condominium unit of one of the arrested college students.

This prevalence of 'party drugs' and other illegal substances among the youth is the mainspring of  NCRPO Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar's proposal of implementing random bag and locker inspections in schools. This proposition was made after the police chief received reports that even elementary students are involved in illegal drug trade. Yes, you read it right, elementary students - kids probably the same age as my son.

"The background is because there was a case, elementary students that were caught in possession of 20 or 30 sachets of marijuana na binebenta sa school at ginagamit pa nila so well that was the result of the inspection that [was] conducted by the teacher," Eleazar revealed.

NCRPO Chief Guillermo Eleazar inspects the illegal drugs confiscated during the raid.

Implementing the surprise inspections will help prevent the youth from getting mixed up with illegal drugs, Eleazar said, emphasizing that prevention is important. He also clarified that these random inspections will be done by the teachers and/or school officials, and not the police.

"I just want to clarify that even when I was still the district director of QCPD (Quezon City Police District), I have suggested that already to the district supervisors of DepEd in Quezon City but the idea is for them to inspect, not the police," Eleazar explained.

"So naisip ko na mas maganda siguro na the teachers have surprise inspection of the bags and lockers," he added.

Although many individuals, including parents, welcomed this proposal, there were many others who opposed and said that this inspection policy might allow Oplan Tokhang to victimize students. Even  Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones was against this idea, because according to her, "this violates the students' right to privacy".

What's in your bag?

And so despite its good intentions, and its objective of protecting the youth from illegal drugs, this proposal never saw the light of day. At least, not yet.

If DepEd and CHED will reconsider this suggestion and come up with a protocol for the inspections, then maybe we can actually nip the drug problem in the bud. We can keep kids away from these drugs, seek help for those who are already involved, and track down the source of these illegal substances.

"If we can inspect belongings at malls, why not in schools?" Eleazar reiterated.
The man has a point.