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Drug Education
Common Module
Week 4
What is Drug?
A drug is any substance that causes a
change in an organism's physiology or psychology
when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished
from food and substances that provide nutritional
support.
Drugs are chemical substances that can change how
your body and mind work. They include prescription
medicines, over-the-counter medicines, alcohol,
tobacco, and illegal drugs.
Drugs are chemicals that affect a person in such a
way as to bring about physiological, emotional, or
behavioral change.
‘Dangerous drugs’ are those that have high
tendency for abuse and dependency, these
substances may be organic or synthetic, and pose
harm to those who use them.
Drug Abuse
Drug abuse exists when a person continually uses a
drug other than its intended purpose. This
continued use can lead to drug dependence, a state
of physical and psychological dependence or both
on a dangerous drug.
Drug Addiction
Drug addiction is a complex, and often chronic,
brain disease. It is characterized by excessive drug
craving, seeking, and use. Addiction is caused by
brain changes caused by constant drug use.
Drug Dependency
This is the state of physical and psychological
dependence, or both, on a dangerous drug, or
drugs, experienced by a person following the use of
that substance on a periodic or continuous basis.
A person dependent on drugs will experience
withdrawal reactions (also known as “cold turkey”,
symptoms that occur after long-term use of a drug
is reduced or stopped abruptly) after abstaining
from drugs.
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9165
Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002
Drug Fast Facts in the country
o Estimated Drug Users in the Philippines: 1.3
Million
o Profile of Drug Users
o Mean Age: 20-29 years old
o Ratio of Male is to Female Users: 10:1
o Civil Status: Married
o Employment Status: Employed
o Educational Attainment: High School Level
Drug use, misuse, includes
Using illegal substances, such as
o Anabolic steroids
o Club drugs
o Cocaine
o Heroin
o Inhalants
o Marijuana
o Methamphetamines
▪ Misusing prescription medicines, including
opioids. This means taking the medicines in
a different way than the health care
provider prescribed. This includes
▪ Taking a medicine that was prescribed for
someone else
▪ Taking a larger dose than you are supposed
to
▪ Using the medicine in a different way than
you are supposed to. For example, instead
of swallowing your tablets, you might crush
and then snort or inject them.
▪ Using the medicine for another purpose,
such as getting high
▪ Misusing over-the-counter medicines,
including using them for another purpose
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and using them in a different way than you
are supposed to.
▪ Drug use is dangerous. It can harm your
brain and body, sometimes permanently. It
can hurt the people around you, including
friends, families, kids, and unborn babies.
Drug use can also lead to addiction.
What is Drug Addiction?
▪ Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease. It
causes a person to take drugs repeatedly,
despite the harm they cause. Repeated
drug use can change the brain and lead to
addiction.
▪ The brain changes from addiction can be
lasting, so drug addiction is considered a
"relapsing" disease. This means that people
in recovery are at risk for taking drugs
again, even after years of not taking them.
Does everyone who takes drugs become addicted?
▪ Not everyone who uses drugs becomes
addicted. Everyone's bodies and brains are
different, so their reactions to drugs can
also be different. Some people may become
addicted quickly, or it may happen over
time.
▪ Other people never become addicted.
Whether or not someone becomes addicted
depends on many factors. They include
genetic, environmental, and developmental
factors.
Who is at risk for drug addiction?
Various risk factors can make you more likely to
become addicted to drugs, including
Your biology. People can react to drugs differently.
Some people like the feeling the first time they try a
drug and want more. Others hate how it feels and
never try it again.
Mental health problems. People who have
untreated mental health problems, such as
depression, anxiety, or attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more
likely to become addicted. This can happen because
drug use and mental health problems affect the
same parts of the brain. Also, people with these
problems may use drugs to try to feel better.
Trouble at home. If your home is an unhappy place
or was when you were growing up, you might be
more likely to have a drug problem.
Trouble in school, at work, or with making friends.
You might use drugs to get your mind off these
problems.
Hanging around other people who use drugs. They
might encourage you to try drugs.
Starting drug use when you're young. When kids
use drugs, it affects how their bodies and brains
finish growing. This increases your chances of
becoming addicted when you're an adult.
Signs that someone has a drug problem include
▪ Changing friends, a lot
▪ Spending a lot of time alone
▪ Losing interest in favorite things
▪ Not taking care of themselves - for example,
not taking showers, changing clothes, or
brushing their teeth
What are the signs that someone has a drug
problem?
▪ Being really tired and sad
▪ Eating more or eating less than usual
▪ Being very energetic, talking fast, or saying
things that don't make sense
▪ Being in a bad mood
▪ Quickly changing between feeling bad and
feeling good
▪ Sleeping at strange hours
▪ Missing important appointments
▪ Having problems at work or at school
▪ Having problems in personal or family
relationships
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In the Philippines
Methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu
remains to be the most abused drug in the country,
followed by marijuana or cannabis sativa and
ecstasy.
Ecstasy, well known for being a “party drug,” which
is commonly used in parties and nightlife, is
considered as the most expensive drug in the
market.
Solvents and other inhalants are also a preference
and are usually abused by street children.
Most commonly abused drugs in their Ill Effects
Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu) is found
to have harmful effects to the brain. It changes how
the brain functions. Studies have shown that
methamphetamine abusers have reduced motor
skills and impaired verbal learning as a result of
alterations in the activity of the dopamine, a
neurotransmitter involved in rewards, motivation,
experience of pleasure, and motor function.
Other adverse effects of methamphetamine:
o Extreme weight loss
o Severe dental problems (“meth mouth”)
o Anxiety
o Confusion
o Insomnia
o Mood disturbances
o Violent behavior
Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana)
Marijuana use impairs a person’s ability to form
new memories and to shift focus. Its active
component, tetrahydrocannabinoi (THC) also
disrupts coordination and balance, posture, and
reactime time (experience commonly referred to as
“spacing out”). Thus, chronic marijuana use
significantly reduces a person’s capacity to learn,
carry-out complicated tasks, participate in sports,
driving and operating other machineries. Studies
also show that marijuana use can lead to lung
cancer and other problems in the respiratory and
immune system.
Health problems with the use of marijuana
include:
o Problems with memory and learning
o Distorted perception (sights, sounds, time,
touch)
o Trouble with thinking and problem solving
o Loss of motor coordination
o Increased heart rate and palpitations
Inhalants
The effects of inhalants are similar to that of
alcohol, including slurred speech, lack of
coordination, euphoria and dizziness. Inhalants
abusers may also experience lightheadedness,
hallucinations, and delusions.
Harmful irreversible effects of inhalants:
o Hearing loss
o Limb spasms
o Central nervous system or brain damage
Drug Syndicates
The advent of globalization results in a more liberal
movement of people and commerce, an
opportunity being capitalized upon by drug
syndicates. They recognize no boundary or
jurisdiction, and their main motivation is profit.
There are two identified transnational drug groups
operating in the Philippines: the African Drug
Syndicate and the Chinese or Filipino-Chinese Drug
Group.
African Drug Syndicate (ADS)
ADS is dominated by African nationals who facilitate
the smuggling of dangerous drugs into the country
for local distribution. They usually use human drug
couriers who will smuggle drugs into a country of
destination in exchange for a huge amount of
money.
This strategy enables them to carry out their illicit
drug activities without the risk of being caught
themselves. Based on the records of the Task Force
Drug Couriers (TFDC), ADS usually employ women
as couriers.
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Chinese/Filipino-Chinese Drug Syndicates

The Chinese/Filipino-Chinese drug syndicates
dominate the country’s illegal drug trade by
undertaking bulk smuggling and manufacturing of
illegal drugs. Bulk smuggling and manufacturing
activities ensure the abundant supply of illegal
drugs in the market. Usually, their activities are
largely concentrated within their group, with the
inclusion of very few and well-selected locals.

Further, Chinese/Filipino-Chinese drug groups are

also responsible for the establishment of
clandestine laboratories and illegal chemical
warehouses in the country.