Solvent sniffing street kids pockmark city streets, put future at risk
Published Jun 16, 2019 05:24 pm
By Chito Chavez
Does today’s youth still hold the future of the country?
The answer probably lies in the balance if the increasing number of solvent and rugby sniffing youngsters roaming the streets in Quezon City and nearby areas is made the sole basis.
(JUAN CARLO DE VELA / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
These scenes are evident along the portions of Kalayaan Avenue in Barangays Malaya and Pinyahan in Quezon City’s fourth district as dozens of street children and young adults cause eyesores and sometimes chaos when they aimlessly cross the roadway or block the sidewalks.
Quezon City resident Cesar Santos said he was victimized by the rugby and solvent sniffing mendicants in the middle of the heavy rains one night as they detached the side mirrors of his vehicle when he stopped for a red light signal along Araneta Avenue.
In an interview along Kamias Road, one of the children who identified herself as “Nini’’ admitted sniffing solvent to ease her pangs of hunger while her companion known only as “Totoy’’ said the chemical gives him a different feeling of satisfaction.
When a barangay mobile patrol arrived, the street children immediately scampered to different directions while laughing their hearts out.
One of the barangay tanods who requested anonymity said the homeless children have been a menace in their turf for a long time as some of them even defecate in the center islands and road shoulders.
He added the situation in their area is just similar to that of barangay San Vicente near the University of the Philippines (UP) campus.
Councilor Victor Ferrer Jr. said the situation is very alarming as some of these mendicants have turned to prostitution and robbery to finance their drug habits.
He called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to subject the parents of the kids into extensive counseling and bring the rugby and solvent addicted children to drug rehabilitation centers.
A Quezon City Police District (QCPD) mobile patrol personnel said that the street children they caught have returned to the streets a few days after being brought to the custody of the DSWD.
“As far as I know they were merely brought back to their homes and the attention of the parents were simply called,’’ the police officer said.
Since the system is not working, Ferrer said that another solution must be imposed.
He appealed to the law enforcers not to get tired of rounding-up the street children but stressed that a joint effort of the local government units (LGU) and the concerned government agencies is needed to eradicate the menace.
“Aside from harming their health, the presence of solvent-inhaling children put the city in bad light as pedestrians fear for their lives when crossing the streets and walking down the sidewalks especially during the night,’’ Ferrer said.
“Sometimes I received reports the rugby-sniffing individuals loiter on the pedestrian overpasses which compromises public safety. Some chose to cross the streets at ground level instead of using the footbridges as drug addicts may prey on them. It is like picking on what’s the lesser evil,’’ he added.
To recall, then First District Councilor Dorothy Delarmente filed a proposal that would regulate the sale and distribution of rugby and other solvent-based adhesives and substances in the city.
Aside from being threats to public safety and eyesores, Delarmente said that mendicants and street urchins inhaling the elements have suffered temporary and prolonged insanity prompting them to commit lawlessness.
Under the measure, Delarmente said that hardware shops, bookstores and other establishments selling the solvent-laced items must maintain logbooks indicating the names, addresses and other pertinent details of the buyers.
As section 2 of the proposed measure prohibits the possession of rugby and similar items for the purpose of inhalation to induce intoxication section 4 of the proposal disallows the retailing of solvent based products while section 5 seeks regulated steps on its sale.
Delarmente said that violators of the proposal will be fined P5, 000 or be imprisoned to one year with the possible revocation of the permit to operate.
She noted that the parents and guardians of minors caught inhaling rugby and other dangerous chemicals will also be penalized.
Under the amended version of the Quezon City anti-drug abuse ordinance a special ward for solvent users will be maintained at the city’s Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Payatas where a technical working group will be formed to formulate the regulations of the proposal.
In the recent two-year operation of the city’s social services and development department 1,100 solvent users were rescued from the streets with 472 caught more than once.
Aside from rugby law enforcement authorities said that cuticle removers and thinners are commonly used as poly drugs.
(JUAN CARLO DE VELA / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
These scenes are evident along the portions of Kalayaan Avenue in Barangays Malaya and Pinyahan in Quezon City’s fourth district as dozens of street children and young adults cause eyesores and sometimes chaos when they aimlessly cross the roadway or block the sidewalks.
Quezon City resident Cesar Santos said he was victimized by the rugby and solvent sniffing mendicants in the middle of the heavy rains one night as they detached the side mirrors of his vehicle when he stopped for a red light signal along Araneta Avenue.
In an interview along Kamias Road, one of the children who identified herself as “Nini’’ admitted sniffing solvent to ease her pangs of hunger while her companion known only as “Totoy’’ said the chemical gives him a different feeling of satisfaction.
When a barangay mobile patrol arrived, the street children immediately scampered to different directions while laughing their hearts out.
One of the barangay tanods who requested anonymity said the homeless children have been a menace in their turf for a long time as some of them even defecate in the center islands and road shoulders.
He added the situation in their area is just similar to that of barangay San Vicente near the University of the Philippines (UP) campus.
Councilor Victor Ferrer Jr. said the situation is very alarming as some of these mendicants have turned to prostitution and robbery to finance their drug habits.
He called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to subject the parents of the kids into extensive counseling and bring the rugby and solvent addicted children to drug rehabilitation centers.
A Quezon City Police District (QCPD) mobile patrol personnel said that the street children they caught have returned to the streets a few days after being brought to the custody of the DSWD.
“As far as I know they were merely brought back to their homes and the attention of the parents were simply called,’’ the police officer said.
Since the system is not working, Ferrer said that another solution must be imposed.
He appealed to the law enforcers not to get tired of rounding-up the street children but stressed that a joint effort of the local government units (LGU) and the concerned government agencies is needed to eradicate the menace.
“Aside from harming their health, the presence of solvent-inhaling children put the city in bad light as pedestrians fear for their lives when crossing the streets and walking down the sidewalks especially during the night,’’ Ferrer said.
“Sometimes I received reports the rugby-sniffing individuals loiter on the pedestrian overpasses which compromises public safety. Some chose to cross the streets at ground level instead of using the footbridges as drug addicts may prey on them. It is like picking on what’s the lesser evil,’’ he added.
To recall, then First District Councilor Dorothy Delarmente filed a proposal that would regulate the sale and distribution of rugby and other solvent-based adhesives and substances in the city.
Aside from being threats to public safety and eyesores, Delarmente said that mendicants and street urchins inhaling the elements have suffered temporary and prolonged insanity prompting them to commit lawlessness.
Under the measure, Delarmente said that hardware shops, bookstores and other establishments selling the solvent-laced items must maintain logbooks indicating the names, addresses and other pertinent details of the buyers.
As section 2 of the proposed measure prohibits the possession of rugby and similar items for the purpose of inhalation to induce intoxication section 4 of the proposal disallows the retailing of solvent based products while section 5 seeks regulated steps on its sale.
Delarmente said that violators of the proposal will be fined P5, 000 or be imprisoned to one year with the possible revocation of the permit to operate.
She noted that the parents and guardians of minors caught inhaling rugby and other dangerous chemicals will also be penalized.
Under the amended version of the Quezon City anti-drug abuse ordinance a special ward for solvent users will be maintained at the city’s Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Payatas where a technical working group will be formed to formulate the regulations of the proposal.
In the recent two-year operation of the city’s social services and development department 1,100 solvent users were rescued from the streets with 472 caught more than once.
Aside from rugby law enforcement authorities said that cuticle removers and thinners are commonly used as poly drugs.