National Service Training Program

Lucban, Quezon

DRUG SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL EDUCATION

I. Overview
Drug education program for the youth is an important undertaking particularly those who
will be studying in the school. Presently, the youth of today comprise the most vulnerable group
that can be affected by prohibited drugs. As revealed by General Edgar C. Galvante, former
Executive Director, Dangerous Drug Board, most of the drug user start their habit early, usually
during their teenage years. At present, situation, the youth are susceptible to the drugs
experience because adolescence is the period of experimentation, exploration, curiousity, and
search for identity. It is believed that young people with problematic backgrounds are more
vulnerable and are more likely to continue abusing drugs, once they have started, and to develop
other aggravating problems, if not processed. These young people in difficult circumstances are
associated with poverty, family disintegration, relocation, discrimination, and lack of suitable
alternative activities.

The very vital to the success in controlling and stopping drug abuse is through problem
awareness, education and strategy implementation. I addition, positive behavior, including the
constructive handling of feelings and responsibilities, should be installed and encouraged in our
own 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.

II. Learning Objectives:

At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:
1. Synthesize accurate information on the health, legal, social consequence of drug
and substance abuse and examine how this negatively impact the person who uses
the drug, and his or her family, friends, and community;
2. Identify prohibited acts and corresponding penalties; and
3. Make a personal commitment to remain drug free and develop a plan to address
drug and substance abuse.
III. Discussion/Lesson Proper
Most of the reason why our youth is dragged into the abyss of drug abuse is the lack of
guidance from the family itself. Furthermore, the first reason maybe the parents are too busy
to their jobs, giving less time to their children. Second, parents have not finished schooling,
making them less inform and less aware of the effects of drugs. Third, the type of discipline
of the parents includes physical violence, in most cases in the Philippines, drives away kid
from home.

Most Predominant Reason for drug addiction

 A teenager spends more time with friends or peers rather than at home
 The drug addict is generally an emotionally unstable individual before he or she acquires
the habit.
 A person will try to use drugs if a friend insists, for the sake of friendship
 The drug addict is generally an emotionally unstable individual before he or she acquires
the habit. The person cannot face painful situations without help
Truly, drugs abuse is a predator, a monster that preys on innocent, curious mind like
those of the teenagers. Hence, this module zeroes in on uncovering problem of drug abuse
among the youngsters and on finding ways and means by which this societal menace could be
lessened, if not totally annihilated

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Input No. 1: The Nature of Drug and Drug Abuse (FAQs)

What is a drug?

A drug is a chemical substance that brings about physical, emotional or behavioral

change in a person taking it.

How are drugs taken?

1. Ingestion
2. Inhalation
3. Injection
4. Used as suppository
5. Applied topically
When are drugs harmful?

Any drug may be harmful when taken in excess. Some drugs can also be harmful if taken
in dangerous combinations or by hypersensitive (allergic) person in ordinary or even small
amounts.

Why do people turn to drugs?

There are various reason-ranging from the reason the “medicines” can solve problems, to
widespread access to various drugs, to “peer pressure”, to the notion that drugs give enjoyment
to the users and in the context that it is used as an alcoholic substitute.

What is drug abuse?

Drug abuse is the use of chemical substance, licit or illicit, which results in an
individual’s physical, mental, or social impairment. 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 behavior.
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
Are there products other than drugs ever abused?

Substances like glue, paint thinners, gasoline and other volatile (breathable) solvents
contain a variety of dangerous chemicals. They should be sold and used with caution.

What are the types of drugs?

Drugs that are commonly abused, depending on pharmacological effects, may be

classified into:

1. Stimulants. Drugs which increase alertness and physical disposition.

Example: amphetamine, cocaine, caffeine, nicotine

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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 or
quantity of the drugs.
Example: LSD, Mescaline, and Marijuana
3. Sedatives. Drugs which may reduce anxiety and excitement.
Example: Barbiturates, Non-barbiturates, Tranquilizers, Alcohol

4. Narcotics. Drugs that relieve pain and often induce sleep.

Example: Opium and its derivatives such as Morphine, Heroin, Codeine

What is a drug abuser?

Anyone can be a drug abuser. Drug abuse is no respecter of age, sex, and social status. It
is very difficult to come up with an accurate profile of a drug abuser that can be applied to all
because people are different in many ways.

How can you tell when on is abusing drugs?

A lot of changes – in behavior, in appearance and in mood – occur in a person who is

abusing drugs. Sudden changes occur in a person disposition from pleasant to unpleasant.

Thus, he:

1. is often associated with known drug abusers;

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

1. Injection mark of an addict

2. Unusual effort made to cover arms in order

to hide needle marks

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1. Stealing items which can be readily sold for cash

to support a drug habit.

2. Changes in mood – depending on the drug taken

Example: depressed or becoming elated and
Euphonic

3. Association with known drug abusers

4. Change from normal capabilities (work habits,

efficiency, etc.)

5. Change in attendance at work or school

6. Wearing sunglasses constantly at inappropriate

times (for instance, indoor 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
7. Poor physical appearance including inattention to
dress and personal hygiene

Input No. 2: The National Drug Situation

National Drug Situation

All of us are very much aware of the nature of the drug problem. It has been condemned
by 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.

In fact, it is today’s most profitable underground business which has spawned yet
considered as another crime and source of money laundering on a global scale. The Vienna-
based International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) points out that “No country rich or poor,

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large or small, equipped with sophisticated machinery to fight money-laundering or not, can
consider itself from money-laundering activities”.

The Philippine situation is not any different from other countries of the world that are
affected by drug problems and is in fact following the trends in other countries. In 1978, there
were only about 20,000 drug users in the country. Almost all of them were from in Metro
Manila. Today, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) estimated that the approximate 6.7M drug
users are now down to 1.7 million.

Three (3) major abused drugs dominated the drug scene in the country. The first is
methamphetamine hydrochloride commonly known as “shabu”, which is the main drug used by
drug abusers. The second is 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. The third is methylene dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or ecstasy, which is now
sweeping the elite market.

Commonly Abused Drugs

1. Shabu (Methamphetamine Hydrochloride). Methamphetamine is

the most popular abused drug in the country today. In the 1990s,
stimulant abuse emerged in many ASEAN countries. This major
change in the pattern of substance abuse can perhaps be considered as
the first stimulant epidemic of the region. The Philippines is probably
the first ASEAN country that faced severe stimulant abuse. The abuse
of methamphetamine was noted in 1986 among the affluent,
entertainment and artist population. The status of methamphetamine or
“shabu’ abuse at the time seemed well confined. However, in 1987, the abuse spread to
the general population.
Today, methamphetamine is available in varying degrees throughout the country.
This widespread availability is illustrated by increasing methamphetamine seizures,
arrests, and cases filed in court. Over a six-year period, the increase is almost 50. In 1996,
a total of 18,904 arrests were made; in 2001 the number increase to 32,227. In 1996,
some 792 kgs of shabu was seized; in 2001, the total seizure was some 1,561 kgs.

Of all the regions in the country, methamphetamine is more widely available

throughout Regions 1,2,3,4, CAR, ARMM, and the NCR.

2. Ecstasy or Methylene dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).

Ecstasy is fast making its presence felt in the country. There is
an increase in reports about the use of “ecstasy” among young
people, particularly in nightclubs. Ecstasy, or MDMA, is a
synthetic drug that acts simultaneously as a stimulant and as a
hallucinogen. It is strongly linked to music and dance culture
and has a growing user based among the elites (Class A&B).
While 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.
There are reports starting that ecstasy is shipped directly from Amsterdam and
othercountries in Europe. There are close to a thousand varieties of ecstasy tablets and

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capsules and among them, which are now available in Metro Manila, are Orange Hornets,
Aigners, Achtung, and Mitsubishi. Studies abroad reveal that the damage caused by
ecstasy to one’s health is irreversible.

3. Marijuana. Marijuana abounds in the Philippines. But since the

early nineties, it has seized to be the drug of choice. Most of what
is produced locally is intended for foreign markets. In East Asia,
the Pacific, Australia, Europe, and the US, the UNDCP has
identified the Philippines as a major marijuana producer and
exporter. It should be noted that CAR is the biggest producer of
marijuana in the country since 1992-2001.
In 1972, there were only nine (9) identified sites engaged
in marijuana cultivation. Today, the number of marijuana-producing barangays has
ballooned to ninety-eight (98), located in nine different regions in the country. Marijuana-
producing areas in Northern Luzon are locate in Cordillera Administrative Region
(CAR), Region 1 and Region 2. In the Visayas, the cultivation sites are found in Region
7, while marijuana plantations can also be found in Region 10,11,12,13 and ARMM in
Mindanao.

Drug Trafficking

Methamphetamine hydrochloride continues to be smuggled into the country through four

major avenues: the seaports and special economic zones, the international airports, the mail and
parcel services, and the vast expanse of Philippine coastline.

The use of the seaports was exemplified by the seizure of 158 kilograms of shabu stashed
inside two (2) container vans at the Manila International Container Port in two different
occasions in 1999.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport continues to be the preferred trafficking avenue
for small quantities from less than one kilo to multi-kilo shipments by trafficking using false
compartments in luggage or through body packing. The gravity of the problem can be gleamed
from the seizure of 116.88 million pesos’ worth of drugs by the NAIA Drug Interdiction Task
Group in 2001. It was on September 11 and 14,2004 respectively, when two Taiwanese nationals
were intercepted carrying five (5) kilograms of shabu each on board a flight originating from
Xiamen, China.

The mail and parcel system is preferred in foreign destinations that have large Filipino
communities like Guam, US, Australia, England and Middle East. A case in point was the
seizure of 39.8 kilos of shabu from a FED EX shipment from Hong Kong on September 11, 2001
by the Bureau of Customs. The vast and relatively unpatrolled shoreline of the country is where
most of the huge shipments are smuggled. Major drug shipments intercepted by law enforcement
authorities include the 420 kilograms hauled in Pangasinan in 1999, the 365 kilograms in Sariaya
Quezon, 125 kilograms in Ilocos Sur, and 33 kilograms in Zambales, all in 2000. For the year
2001, 503 kilograms of shabu were intercepted in Real, Quezon on October 13, 2001, allegedly
from the shoreline of Panukulan, Quezon and said illegal drugs were personally escorted by the
Mayor of said town. Also in 2001, 350kgs of shabu was seized on San Narciso, Zambales.

Involvement of Foreign Nationals in Drug Trafficking

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Based from the data as reported by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in1993 to
December 31,2001 there were 258 foreign nationals arrested in the Philippines for violation of
Republic Act. No. 6425 (Dangerous Drugs Act 1972, as amended). Of this total, 182 or 70.54%
were Chinese nationals while other nationalities made of the remaining 76 or 29.463%. More
importantly, the volume of shabu seized from foreign nationals over the same period totaled
2,889 kilograms or 64.24% of the total volume of shabu seized in the country in over the same
period. Chinese nationals on the other hand, accounted for 2,873 kilograms for the period
January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2001 or 63.888% of the aggregate national’s seizures of shabu.

At present, supply comes not only from importation but also from local manufacturing.
Since 1997, there have been nine discoveries of clandestine laboratories made and the most
significant of which was the discovery of clandestine laboratory in San Juan. All along, cland
labs were thought of as makeshift and unsophisticated, until San Juan. On July 18, 2002, another
clandestine laboratory was dismantled at Loyola, Quezon City by members of the Metro Manila
Drug Enforcement Group. Seven (7) Chinese nationals were arrested and 44.540 kilograms of
shabu, 50.67 kilograms of ephedrine and shabu laboratory equipment and paraphernalia were
seized. Another clandestine laboratory was dismantled in Executive Heights Subdivision
Parañaque City on November 1, 2002. Just recently, on February 2012, 90 million pesos’ worth
of illegal drugs ingredients were seized by the Bureau of Customs, including that of the popular
‘ecstasy’.

Transit Points of Drugs

Based from the reports, a huge portion of shabu that enters the Philippines comes directly
from Southern China where most of the shabu laboratories are located. Of the 15 major
interdictions since 1993, seven (7) were shipped directly from Southern China. Five (5)
shipments were from China but they passed through Hong Kong first before they were rerouted
to the Philippines. At least one shipment passed through Taiwan. Lately, we learned that the
shipments at Quezon and Zambales came directly from North Korea.

It should be noted that the identified landing 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 Mindanao provinces. Reports also
indicate Palawan and Masbate as probable landing sites from shabu smuggling.

Facts and Figures

Organized Drug Groups

As a result of Intelligence Workshop conducted by PDEA, eleven (11) Transnational

Drug Syndicates were identified to be operating in the country while, the number of local
organized drug groups is pegged at 215. NCR and Region 3 have the highest number of drug
groups with 30 groups each, followed by Region 7 with 27 groups and Region 9 with 22 groups.
The regions with the lowest number of drug groups are Cordillera Administrative Region and
CARAGA Region with one (1) drug group each.

Personalities in the BADAC Watch List

As of September, the nationwide total number of drug personalities perfected in the

Barangay Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) Watch List is pegged at 37,076. Among the region,
NCR has the highest number of identified drug personalities with 10,879 or 29,348 of the total

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number of drug personalities nationwide followed by PRO 4 with 7.958 or 21,468 and 6,443 or
17,378.

Drug Rehabilitation

The number of drug patients is increasing. Based on records of Government Residential

Centers’ Admission, from 1,446 in1974, the number reached 5,945 in 2001.

Statistics from rehabilitation centers show the following data:

1. Majority of patients are in the 15-29 age group.

2. The mean age of drug user is 27 years old.
3. Shabu and/or Marijuana are their drug of choice.
4. The ratio of male users to female is 14:1.
5. Workers comprised 43.718% of the drug patient population.
6. Unemployed comprised 35,838.
7. Students comprised 5,138.
8. Out of school youth comprised 1,183.
Drug –Affected Barangay

Records show that the number of drug-affected barangays as of September this year
represents 8,508 or 3,577 of the country’s 42,061 barangays. Comparing all the regions, Region
4 has the highest number of drug affected barangays with 1.026 of its 5,463 barangays, followed
by Region 3 with 492 of its 3.175 barangays, and Region 7 with 279 of its 3,003 barangays.
While Region 12 has the lowest with 32 of its 1,192 barangays.

Assessment

The emergence of East and Southeast Asia as the fastest growing region in terms of
manufacture, trafficking, and consumption of Amphetamine Type Stimulants seriously affects
the Philippines. Being a major ATS consuming country, it is therefore important to maintain
close cooperation with the countries in the region in the common fight against illegal drugs.

The discovery and dismantling of clandestine laboratories in the country indicates a

major shift in strategy to manufacture shabu in the country as opposed to the traditional
trafficking of shabu in its processed form. Control of precursors and essential chemicals and the
prevention of diversion to illegal use are therefore more urgent than before.

Marijuana cultivation expanded despite the decline in preference of Filipino drug abusers
due to increase in trafficking to other boundaries like Japan, Australia and other countries in
Europe. While it may not affect Filipinos directly, the resulting stigma as a source country for the
drug is equally damaging to the standing of the country in the international community.

Profile of Drug Abusers in the Philippines

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Age Mean age of 28 years old

Sex Male to female ratio 9:1
Civil Status Single 51.56%
Married 34.44%
Family Size Siblings 3-4
Employed 30.94%
Self-employed 12.4%
Occupation Unemployed 38.87%
Students 5%
OSY 0.09%
College Level 28.23%
Educational Attainment High School Level 29.41%
High School Graduate 16.74%
Economic Status Average Monthly Income ₱15,064.00
Duration of Drug Taking More than 6 years
Nature of Drug Taking Poly Drug Use
Methamphetamine
Abused Drugs Hydrochloride (Shabu)
Cannabis (Marijuana)
Inhalants (Contact cement)
Place of Residence Urban, especially in NCR

Input No. 3: Myth versus Fact: Drug Abuse and Illicit

Trafficking

1. Why the Big Outcry? Drug aren’t Really a Big Problem. The fact is… They are a
tremendous problem, the seriousness of which is becoming more apparent everyday.
2. “Recreational” Use of Drugs is not Harmful. The fact is… All illegal drugs are
dangerous and cause physical and psychological change in the user. Prolonged drug use
exacerbates these harmful effects that can lead to addiction.

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3. Marijuana is no Worse than using Alcohol or Tobacco. The fact is … Marijuana is

very dangerous. Unlike alcohol, which is usually leaves the body within 24 hours because
it is water-soluble, marijuana is fat-soluble, which meant that the psycho-active
chemicals attach themselves to the fatty parts of the body (usually the brain and
reproductive organ) and be detected up to 30 days after initial use.
4. Everybody is Taking Drug. The fact is… This common argument is used by drug users
in an effort to gain acceptability for their deviant behavior. No matter how alarming drug
use statistics may be, majority of the people in the world do not use illegal drugs.
5. Only Weak Individuals Become Addicts. The fact is… The reverse is true: addicts
become weak individuals. No one begins taking drugs with the aim of becoming
addicted. People take drugs for a variety of reasons, including to escape from reality, to
cope with daily life, or to be accepted by others.
6. Drug abuse is a “Victimless” Crime – It only Hurts the User. The fact is… While the
health and social changes for a productive life are jeopardized for the individual drug
user, he or she is not only one to suffer. The family suffers disharmony and pain in
witnessing the self-destruction of a loved one.
7. If A Person Wants to Take Drugs, Governments should Interfere. The fact is… The
legitimate right of the individual must be consistent with the safety and welfare of the
general population. No individual has an inalienable right to behave in a manner
destructive to others.
8. All Drug Addicts Should Be Imprisoned. The fact is… Imprisonment of a drug addict
as such does not solve the problem. Drug users have committed a crime, but
detoxification, treatment and rehabilitation of the individual are essential if the addict is
to learn how to live without drugs.
9. The Cultivation of Drug Crops Gives a Poor Farmer a Chance to Make Money. The
fact is… The farmer is breaking the law and usually knows it. The income received by
the farmer for illicit narcotics production unfortunately, is higher than that received for
traditional food crops, often leading to increased illicit production to the exclusion of
food crops.
10. Peddling Drugs is One Way the Poor can Earn Money. The Fact is... Most drug
peddlers are addicts or become addicts. The money they earn does not help them or their
families; they are merely supporting a drug habit. As their addiction deepens, new
"clients" must be found to bring in more money to buy more drugs.
11. Drug Use is a Way of Life in Some Countries. Why Change It? The Fact is... It is not
a way of life in any country. Statistics show that in areas where drug use is common,
economic development can be seriously retarded. This is true in both developing and
industrialized countries.

Input No. 4: The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002

Concretizes government's intensive and unrelenting campaign against the trafficking and
use of dangerous drugs, and other similar substances through an integrated system of planning,
implementation, and enforcement of anti-drug abuse policies, programs, and projects. R. A. 9165
is an act instituting the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, repealing Republic Act
No. 6425, known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972.

Prohibited Acts and corresponding penalties

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PROHIBITED ACTS PENALTIES

Maintenance of a Den, Dive Life Imprisonment to Death and a fine ranging from five
or Resort hundred thousand pesos (P500,000) to ten million pesos
(P10,000,000).

Employees and Visitors of a Imprisonment ranging from twelve (12) years and one (1)
Den, Dive or Resort day to twenty (20) years and a fine ranging from one
hundred thousand pesos (P100,000) to five hundred
thousand pesos (P500,000).

PROHIBITED ACTS PENALTIES

Manufacture of Dangerous Drugs and/or Life Imprisonment to death and a fine

Controlled Precursors and Essential ranging P500,000 to P10,000,000
Chemicals

Illegal Chemical Diversion of Controlled Imprisonment ranging from 12 years and

Precursors and Essential Chemicals 1 day to 20 years and a fine ranging from
P100,000 to P500,000

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PROHIBITED ACTS PENALTIES

Cultivation or Culture of Life imprisonment to Death and a fine ranging from Five
Plants Classified as hundred pesos (P500,000) to Ten million pesos
Dangerous Drugs (P10,000,000)

CHED and TESDA’s roles and responsibilities to prevent drug addiction in the schools.

1. What are the common responsibilities of CHED and TESDA?

RA 9165, Article IV mandates the following functions:
a. Provide continuing in-service training of teachers on the effective utilization
of the support instructional materials and on teaching strategies on drug
education
b. Continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and overall impact of
drug
education program
c. Secure funds from local and foreign donors for the implementation of the
drug education program
2. What are the other functions of CHED and TESDA regarding drug abuse
prevention?

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is responsible for:

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Enriching and updating the integration of dangerous drug prevention concepts in

the general education of all higher education course offerings and in the professional
subjects, especially in health-related and science teacher education courses

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is responsible for:

a. Integrating drug abuse prevention concepts in the technical, vocational and agro-
industrial courses
b. Integrating drug abuse prevention concepts in appropriate instructional materials for
technical education and skills development
3. Should drug abuse prevention and control be part of the school curricula?

Yes, Article IV, Sec. 43 of Republic Act 9164 stipulates that instruction on drug
abuse prevention and control be integrated in the elementary, secondary and tertiary
curricula of all public and private schools, whether general, technical, vocational or agro-
industrial.

4. What are the topics on drug abuse prevention and control that should be integrated
in the instruction?

According to Article IV, Sec. 43, the following topics should be covered:
a. Adverse effects of the abuse and misuse of dangerous drugs on the person, the family,
the school, and the community;
b. Preventive measures against drug abuse;
c. Health, socio-cultural, psychological, legal and economic dimensions and
implications of the drug problem;
d. Steps to take when intervening on behalf of a drug dependent is needed;
e. Services available for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependents;
f. Misconceptions about the use of dangerous drugs but not limited to the importance
and safety of dangerous drugs of medical and therapeutic use; and
g. Differentiation between medical patients and drug dependents in order to avoid
confusion and accidental stigmatization in the consciousness of the students.

Input No. 5: The Youth and Government's Response to the Drug Problem
By the turn of the 21"century, substance abuse has taken an alarming proportion in the
country "Shabu (the local name for methamphetamine) has become the number one drug of
abuse, followed by marijuana and inhalants. The abuse of legal substances like nicotine and
alcohol continue to be worrisome. A survey by the University of the Philippines Population
Institute in 1996 showed the initial age of use of nicotine, alcohol, and drugs to be age 16-17,
that 40% of males surveyed were smoking and 37% of the youth regularly used alcohol. At
present, more than 1.5 million Filipinos are users of illegal drugs. The youth are especially hard
hit. They are the greatest number of drug users. Among them are more than 350,000 identified
high school students in the country. One can only speculate on the number of young people
abusing drugs not identified.

Various activities, to date, are initiated and are aimed to produce the following effects on
young people:

1. lessen violent behavior;

2. increase pro-social behavior and decrease negative, self-destructive behavior;
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3. increase the ability to plan ahead and choose effective solutions to problems;
4. improve self-image and self-awareness;
5. improve social and emotional adjustment;
6. improve handling of interpersonal problems and coping with anxiety;
7. improve constructive conflict resolution with peers; and
8. improve self-control.
Early in 2004, the Dangerous Drugs Board launched the program "Barkada Kontra
Droga" (or "Peers Against Drugs"). The specific thrust of this program is drug abuse prevention.

This concept tries to change the meaning of the word "barkada" or "peer" which connotes
a negative influence among peers. Each member of the "Barkada Kontra Droga" pledges to keep
his community and family safe and secure from the evils of illegal drugs. Further, he is asked to
commit to convince friends and relatives to join the fight against drugs and trafficking, never to
use drugs, and to report clandestine laboratories, pushers and users.

Legislation for Illicit Drugs Control

1. 1972. The Dangerous Drugs Act was established.

2. 2002. The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act was implemented.
3. 2002. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was established.
4. 2002. An Integrated Drug Abuse Data Information Network (1IDADIN) was created to
monitor drug use/abuse.
Government Response to the Problem

1. Preventive education programs to dissuade users or potential users from experimenting

with illegal drugs and/or continuing to use them
2. Treatment and rehabilitation programs aimed at facilitating abstinence
3. Intensified campaigns against illegal drugs and trafficking
4. Judicial and legislative measures
5. National, regional and international cooperation to fight illegal drug trafficking and abuse
of dangerous drugs
6. Some Philippine political figures are talking about drug testing employees of outsourced
call center workers, others are calling for testing university students, and the government
is currently considering drug testing all government employees.
7. Drug Information and Action Line (DLAL) was created to receive reports and complaints
related to drug abuse and provide assistance to the public on drug-related cases.
Ten (10) Ways to Say "No" to Drugs
1. Be vocal, just say "NO" and mean it!
2. Project an image of clean living for yourself.
3. Get into sports.
4. Choose your friends and influence them positively.
5. Get involved in community-based projects.
6. Join organizations (church, school, community or social) or youth clubs or form your
own drama group.
7. Learn how to manage stress.
8. Join seminars on anti-drug abuse prevention.
9. Talk to your family, listen to the problems of your brothers and sisters.
10. Enhance your talents or skills by taking part in workshops, training or seminars.

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Lucban, Quezon

The soundness of the activity we do today will contribute to the success of the program
we have together with our clients in the days to come.
Our involvement…
To be involved in drug prevention and control requires a S.T.R.O.N.G. group:

S - Steadfast personality

T - Trustworthy in words and deeds

R - Respectable in relating with others

O - Open-minded in facing situations

N - Noble character

G - Gutsy action and ideas

As good citizens…

Let us be keepers of life and create a safe environment through our respective positions.

Let us join hands in keeping our society a drug-free Philippines

References:
1. PD 1619 "Volatile Solvents"
2. RA 9165 Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002
3. Espiritu RI et al.(2012). National Service Training Program with Specific Modules
4. Labuguen, F.et al.. Understanding the National Service Training Program

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