DRUG EDUCATION FOR THE

YOUTH
q
q What is our national drug situation?

q Why Drug Education is so important for drug

problems?

q Why Drug Education for the Youth?

q Why Drug Education is important for the NSTP

students?
 National Drug Situation
q Allof us are very much aware of the nature of the
drug problem. It has been condemned by the
governments all over the world and billions in
resources have been spent to contain it, yet drug
trafficking and/ or drug abuse is still here.

q ThePhilippine situation is not any different from other

countries of the world that are affected by drug
problem and is in fact following the trends in other
countries.
q
q In1978, there were only about 20, 000 drug users in
the country. Almost all of them were from in Metro
Manila.
q Today, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) estimates

that the approximate 6.7 M drug users are now

down to 1.7 million.
q

q Three (3) major abused drugs dominate the drug

scene in the country:

(1) Methamphetamine hydrochloride (commonly

known as “Shabu”) the main drug used by drug abusers,
(2) Marijuana, according to some sources, the
Philippines has become the world’s second biggest source
of marijuana after Mexico, producing about 1.4 billion
worth each year, and
(3) Methylene dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or
ecstasy now sweeping the elite market.
THE YOUTH
q Youth of today comprise the most vulnerable group
that can be affected by prohibited drugs that are
commonly abused.

q According to General Edgar C. Galvante, former

Executive Director, Dangerous Drugs Board, most
drug users start their habit early, usually during
TEENAGE YEARS.
q
q Inthe Philippines, most of the drug users are young
people.

q While there are no accurate statistics available, it is

estimated by Dangerous Drugs Board as many as
3.7 millions in the Philippines are dealing with
drug addiction (2016), 65 percent of it -is young
people.
q
q Illegaldrugs that are present include
Methamphetamine or the local name is shabu,
marijuana, inhalants (rugby), solvent, cocaine,
diazepam, ecstasy and nubain.

q So what is the reason why this young people in the

Philippines are attracted to use these illegal
drugs?
q
q Teenagers are particularly susceptible/ at risk to the
drug experience because they are ADOLESCENT.
q

q
q
q
q
q
q
q
q Adolescence is the period of (eecs)
a. experimentation,
b. exploration,
c. curiosity, and
d. search for identity.
q
qIt is believed that young people with
problematic backgrounds are more
vulnerable and more like to continue
abusing drugs, once they have
started, and to develop other
aggravating problems, if not
processed.
q LACK OF GUIDANCE FROM THE FAMILY- is
the foremost reason why our youth is dragged into
the gulf of drug abuse.

q There are aspects/ features of this reason.

 First, maybe the parents are too busy with their jobs,
giving less time to their children.
 Second, parents have not finished schooling, making
them less informed and less aware of the effects of
drugs.
 Third, the type of discipline of the parents includes
physical violence, thus, in most cases in the
Philippines, drives away the kid from home.
 Adolescence is the period where wants exceed
necessities.
 It is the stage where a youngster has continuing

searching of identity and place in the society.

 The teenager spends more time with friends or peers

rather than at home.


q
q THE INFLUENCE OF THE PEERS,
EITHER FRIENDS OR ACTIVITY
PARTNERS has been proven as a strong
force of initiation into drug addiction
among the youth- this is definitely the second
most predominant reason why youth are in
danger to proscribed drugs.
TEENAGER WITH PEER


qThe drug addict is generally an

emotionally unstable before he or she
acquires the habit.
qThe person cannot face painful

situations without help. He has little

or no self-control.
qHe or she hates physical, mental or

moral sufferings.


 Every individual cannot stand alone, as we

say it.
 A person will try to use drugs if a friend

insists, for the sake of friendship.

 This weakness is a predator and hard to

dismantle for teenagers. Truly, drug abuse is

a predator/killer, a monster that targets on
innocent, curious mind like those of the
teenagers.
“ANAK”
q Drug Education Program For The
Youth

- is a significant undertaking in order to free them from

danger and keep them away from drugs.

 What is a DRUG?
q A drug is a chemical substance that brings about
physical, emotional, or behavioral change in a
person taking it.
q A chemical substance used in medicine or as a

medicine.

q Drugs affect the way the body and mind function; they
can change how a person feel, think and behave.
People take drugs for different reasons and in
different ways.
 How are DRUGS MADE?
q Drugs come from different sources:


a. plants- (e.g. cannabis, mushrooms, or tobacco)



b. processed plant products- (e.g. alcohol or heroin)



c. Synthetic chemicals- (e.g. ecstasy or amphetamines)

What are the TYPES OF DRUGS?
q Drugs that are commonly abused, depending on
pharmacological effects, may be classified into:

1. Stimulants- drugs which increase

alertness/attentiveness/preparedness and physical
disposition/nature/mood/outlook/character
Examples: amphetamine, cocaine, caffeine, nicotine

2. Hallucinogens (Psychedelics) - drugs which affect
sensation, thinking, self-awareness and emotion.
Changes in time and space perception, delusions (false
beliefs) and hallucinations may be mild or
overwhelming, depending on dose and quantity of the
drug.
Examples: LSD, Mescaline and Marijuana


3. Sedatives- drugs which may reduce anxiety
(nervousness/unease )and excitement
(pleasure/enjoyment)
Examples: Barbiturates, Non-barbiturates,
Tranquilizers, Alcohol
4. Narcotics- drugs that relieve pain and often induce
sleep.
Examples: Opium and its derivatives
(products) such as
Morphine, Heroin, Codeine
Different WAYS OF USING DRUGS:
1.
2.
3.

1. INJECTING
q The drug reaches the brain almost immediately. This

greatly increases the chance of overdose. Also if

anything has been mixed with the drug it gets in to
the body undiluted.

q If you keep injecting into the same area it can lead to
damaged veins. It can also lead to thrombosis
(clotting/coagulation/blockage) and abscesses
(inflammation/swellings).
q If you use a lot you will keep having to find places to

inject in to. Some users use the eye as this is the only
place left.
q Sharing or using dirty needles can lead to infections

and things like hepatitis and HIV.

q There is also the danger of hitting an artery. This

means you could bleed to death.






2. SNORTING
q The drug is snorted up/ inhale through a tube or

straight up the nose.

q The drug is absorbed through the blood vessels in the
nose.
q The blood vessels get damaged as the drug kills them

off and the powder rubs at the inside of the nose.

q The nose bleeds and is sore.
q Eventually it can lead to the middle of the nose

(septum) being eaten away so you just have one big

gap in the centre of your nose.
3. SMOKING
q There are different ways of smoking drugs:

Tobacco is smoked in a cigarette or pipe(tube/channel).

You can also smoke cigars.
q
q
q Drug (cannabis or heroin) is mixed with tobacco and
rolled in to a cigarette, a small piece of cardboard (a
roach) is placed at one end to stop the end blocking
up. This is known as a spliff or joint.

q Heroin is placed in a line(s) on silver foil. This is

known as chasing (racing) the dragon due to the
heroin wiggling (shaking) when it’s heated.
q
q
q The heat of the smoke can be over 300 degrees in
temperature when you use a bong or pipe. This can
cause damage to the lungs and throat.

q Many drugs are toxic and have chemicals that can

cause various diseases such as cancer.
 Other Routes of Medication
Administration
q But medications can be given in many other ways as:
 REMEMBER!

“No matter which way you take a drug, it will end up

in your bloodstream and affect different parts of
your body!”
 Why do PEOPLE TURN TO
DRUGS?
- Drugs change the way body or brain works.

q Various reasons why people use drugs because:

1. they are curious and want to see what happens
2. they want to fit in or feel pressured by their peers.
3. they enjoy the effect on their body- for example,
feeling excited and energetic, relaxed and calm

4. they help them cope with situations- for
example, reducing pain or relieving stress
5. in the context that is used as an alcoholic
substitute
6. they’ve have a drug dependency and need to
keep taking them to avoid withdrawal
symptoms
When are DRUGS HARMFUL?
q
q Any drug may be harmful when taken in excess.
q Some drugs can also be harmful if taken in

dangerous combinations or by hypersensitive

(allergic) person in ordinary or even small amounts.

 What is DRUG ABUSE?
q Drug abuse is the use of chemical substance, licit or
illicit, which results in individual’s physical, mental
or social impairment.
q It may refer to any of the following practices:

1) using, without benefit or prescription, useful drugs

which have the capacity to alter mood or behaviour;
2) using drugs and substances for a purpose different
from the one for which the drug has been prescribed;
and
3) using drugs and substances having no legitimate
medical application for purposes other than research.
 Commonly Abused Drugs
1. Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu)
1.

1.

q Street names: shabs, ice, meth, crystal, kristal, basura,

tawas
q
q
q the most popular and commonly abused drugs in the
country today.
q This stimulant is believed to be the drug choice of

90% drug users in the Philippines. We often see

and hear about this in the news.
q A powerfully addictive drug, causing people to

become extremely paranoid (fearful/mistrustful)

and have intense hallucinations, this drug has
grown into a 1 billion-a-day industry in the country.
q The country was also dubbed/called as the

"smuggler's paradise".
q
q In 1986, the abuse of methamphetamine was noted
among the affluent, entertainment and artist
population. The status of abuse that time seemed well
confined.
q In 1987, the abuse spread to the general population.
q Today, shabu is available in varying degrees

throughout the country. This widespread availability

is illustrated by increasing methamphetamine
seizures, arrest, and cases filed in the court.
q Methamphetamine is more widely available throughout

Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, CAR, ARMM, ant the NCR.

Transit Point of Shabu
q A huge portion of shabu that enters the Philippines

comes directly from Southern China where most of

the shabu laboratories are located.
q Of the 15 major interdictions since 1993, seven (7)

were shipped directly from Southern China.

q Five (5) shipments were from South China but they

passed through Hong Kong first before they were

rerouted to the Philippines. At least one shipment
passed through Taiwan.
q Lately, learned that shipments at Quezon and

Zambales came directly from North Korea.

q
q Identifiedlanding points are mainly through the
shorelines of the Northern and Central Luzon
regions and Southern Tagalog, specifically Batanes,
Cagayan, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Zambales, Aurora,
Quezon and Mindoro provinces.
q Reports also indicate Palawan and Masbate as

probable landing sites for shabu smuggling.

2. Ecstacy or Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA)

q A synthetic drug that acts simultaneously as a

stimulant and as a hallucinogen.
q It is strongly linked to music and dance culture and has a

growing user based among the elites (Class A and B).

q

q Some users confine their consumption to occasional use at

social, music and dance events, others develop regular
use profiles, while the third group uses both frequently
and intensively.
q Ecstasy is fast making its presence felt in the country.

q There is an increase in reports about the use of “ecstasy”

among people, particularly in nightclubs.

q There are reports stating that ecstasy is shipped from

Amsterdam and other countries in Europe.

q Studies abroad reveal that damage caused by ecstay to

one’s health is IRREVERSIBLE.

3. Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana)

q
q Street names: weed, jutes, pot, grass, damo, chongke

q Thisdrug impairs a person's ability to form new

memories and to shift focus.
q
q Getting high or "stoned" is the reason most pot
smokers use marijuana.
q Many experts also believe that heavy pot smokers are

at increased risk for lung cancer.

q Marijuana abounds/ plentiful/ overflowing in the

Philippines.
q But since the early nineties, it has seized to be the drug

of choice.
q Most of what is produced locally is intended for
foreign markets.
q In East Asia, the Pacific, Australia, Europe, and the

US, the UNDCP has identified the Philippines as a

major marijuana producer and exporter.
q Marijuana-producing areas in Northern Luzon are

located in CAR (Kalinga province- one of the

country's top Marijuana "hotspot“).
q , Region 1 and 2. in the Visayas, the farming sites are

found in Region 7, while marijuana plantations can

also be found in Regions 10, 11, 12, 13 and ARMM
in Mindanao.
Are there products other than
drugs ever abused?
q
q Substances like glue, paint thinners, gasoline and
other volatile (breathable) solvents contain a variety
of dangerous chemicals.
q They should be sold and used with caution

(carefulness).
“BAWAL NA GAMOT”
 What is a DRUG ABUSER?

q
q
q
q ANYONE can be a drug abuser.
q Drug abuse is no respect of age, sex and social status.
q It is very difficult to come up with accurate profile

of a drug abuser that can be applied to all because

people are different in many ways.
Profile of Drug Abusers in the Philippines
 How can you tell when ONE IS
ABUSING DRUGS?

q A lotof changes- in behaviour, in appearance, and

in mood – occur in a person who is abusing drugs.
q Sudden changes occur in the person’s disposition
from pleasant to unpleasant. Thus, he:

1) is often associated with known drug abusers;

2) is irritable, discourteous, defiant (disobedient) and
aggressive (violent);
3) is untrustworthy and lacks self-confidence;
4) is unhealthy and unconcerned with good grooming;
5) has low frustration tolerance;
6) lacks interest in his studies/ work;
7) blames everybody but not himself for his problems;
8) develops changes in normal capabilities in school/
work; and
9) borrows money and at times steals various items
unusually.
Common Signs of Drug Abuse

1. Stealing items which can use readily sold for cash to

support a drug habit
1.
2. Injection marks of an addict
3. Unusual effort made to cover arms in order to hide
needle marks
4. Changes in mood- depending on the drug taken.
Examples: depressed or becoming elated (excited) and
euphoric (joyful).
5. Association (friendship/relationship) with drug
abusers
 6. Change from normal capabilities (work habits,
efficiency, etc.)
7. Change in attendance at work or school
8. Wearing sunglasses constantly at inappropriate
times (for instance, indoors or at night) or only to
hide dilated or constricted pupils but also to
compensate for the eyes’ inability to adjust to
sunlight. Marijuana causes bloodshot eyes.
9. Poor physical appearance including
inattention to dress and personal hygiene.
DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION
Vital to the Success in Controlling and Stopping
Drug Abuse:

q Problem Awareness
q Education and Strategy Implementation
q Positive Behaviour, including the constructive

handling of feelings and responsibilities, should be

installed and encouraged in families during the early
life of young family members and carried on up to
the later stage of life. These should be nurtured by a
caring and understanding community.
Challenge is bitter but take it as an inspiration. Do your
utmost means to melt down this trial of life. One day
you will be amazed that obstacles convey you
implausible contentment and you will be grateful of the
challenge it cultivated in you.
-Dr. Albert C. Apilado