Short answer. Yes. Section 42 of RA 9165 requires the student councils and campus organizations of every elementary, secondary and tertiary school in the Philippines to include, among their activities, a program that prevents and deters dangerous drug use and refers students with drug dependence for treatment and rehabilitation.
What the law says
All elementary, secondary and tertiary schools' student councils and campus organizations shall include in their activities a program for the prevention of and deterrence in the use of dangerous drugs, and referral for treatment and rehabilitation of students for drug dependence.
RA 9165, Section 42 — Student Councils And Organizations. Read the full provision →
Which Schools and Groups Are Covered
The duty in Section 42 applies broadly. It reaches student councils and campus organizations at every level of Philippine schooling, from elementary through secondary and tertiary institutions. Rather than leaving anti-drug programming to school administrators alone, the law places the responsibility directly on the student-run bodies that organize campus activities, making prevention part of student life rather than a purely administrative task. This wide coverage reflects the law's aim of reaching young people at every stage of their education, not just in the years typically associated with campus organizations.
What the Program Must Include
Two elements are named specifically. Student councils and organizations must build in activities aimed at preventing and deterring dangerous drug use, and they must provide a way to refer students who are already struggling with drug dependence to treatment and rehabilitation. The provision does not prescribe a fixed curriculum, so schools and student groups have flexibility in choosing the format, whether seminars, peer counseling, or partnerships with outside programs.
How This Connects to the Family's Role
This section works in tandem with the provision placing primary responsibility for drug education on the family. Where the household is expected to educate and monitor its own members, the school setting is expected to reinforce that message through structured, organization-led activities, so that a student encounters consistent anti-drug messaging both at home and on campus. Neither institution is meant to substitute for the other; the law expects both layers to operate together, since a student who hears the message only at school, or only at home, is more likely to fall through the gap between them.
What Happens If a School Falls Short
Section 42 does not spell out a penalty for a student council or school that fails to run this kind of program. It is written as a policy mandate rather than a criminal offense, and it sits apart from the sections of the law that define drug crimes and their punishments. A gap in compliance is more a matter for school administrators and education authorities than for criminal prosecution. That does not mean the requirement is optional, only that enforcement runs through administrative channels such as the Department of Education rather than the criminal courts.
Why Referral, Not Just Prevention, Matters
The section pairs prevention with referral for a reason: catching drug use early does little good without a path to help. By requiring student groups to connect struggling students with treatment and rehabilitation resources, the law treats drug dependence as something to be addressed through intervention rather than simply through discipline or expulsion. A school that only punishes and never refers is not meeting what the provision actually asks of it.