Philippines urged to order One Direction drug tests

It’s not the first time questions of drug use have been raised about the megastar boy band One Direction. But now a big anti-drug organization in the Philippines has demanded the Asian island nation’s government make the singers undergo drug tests when then enter the country for upcoming concerts in Manila. The group is scheduled to play back-to-back shows March 21-22 as part of their “On the Road Again” tour.

In a formal request to the Philippines authorities, Laban ng Pamilyang Pilipino stated its desire is for “the welfare of their fans, mostly youth.”

Not surprisingly, those ardent One Direction fans, known around the globe as “Directioners,” turned to social media to blast the drug testing demand.

However, drug issues have plagued the band for some time. Last year, a leaked video showed One Direction’s Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson smoking what was widely thought to be marijuana. Also, Matt Lauer raised the issue during an interview with the band on the “Today” show.

In response to the Laban ng Pamilyang Pilipino request, the country’s immigration bureau’s commissioner said, “If given enough information, we can actually prevent these drug users from entering the country.”

One Direction performed in Singapore on Wednesday, and are headed to Thailand and Hong Kong before the Philippines dates.