Former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson wants the Philippine National Police (PNP) to play not just the role of enforcers against illegal drugs, but also “teachers” in keeping youths away from the menace.

Speaking at a seminar on the drug menace here Tuesday, Lacson said this is similar to the Philippine Drug Abuse Resistance Education (PhilDARE) program he undertook as PNP Chief during the Estrada administration.

“We can train our police to work closer with the community, teachers and schools. They can explain to our youths the whys and hows of staying away from illegal drugs,” Lacson said in Filipino.

In the 1990s, the Philippines adopted the Los Angeles Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) – an education program that sought to prevent drug use among youths – as Philippine Drug Abuse Resistance Program (PhilDARE).

Lacson said PhilDARE played a key role in the government’s two-pronged strategy of demand reduction and supply reduction against illegal drugs – while law enforcers continued to go after drug dealers as part of supply reduction, PhilDARE taught youths to stay away from drugs, thus reducing demand for it.

Officers from the LAPD were invited to train their PNP counterparts for PhilDARE, to work with schools and the community.

The training involved preventive education, or teaching youths up to high school to avoid drugs by showing them the ill effects of drugs. It also involved behavioral skills development, teaching youths to resist peer pressure to try illegal drugs.

“The results were very good. Our teacher-policemen became closer to the youths,” Lacson said.

“Our police personnel grew closer to the community and our youths, and our youths learned to stay away from drugs,” he added.