Causes of illegal drug use among young adults in Mabini-Homesite Cabanatuan

city

An undergraduate thesis presented to the faculty of the Institute of Criminal Justice Education
MANUEL V. GALLEGO FOUNDATION COLLEGES INC.
Cabanatuan City

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree

(Bachelor of science in Criminology)

By:
Ron-Ron R Barcelo
 November 2022
APPROVAL SHEET

This undergraduate thesis “Causes of illegal drug use among young adults in Mabini-Homesite

Cabanatuan city”, prepared and submitted by: Ron-Ron R. Barcelo in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree Bachelor of Science in Criminology has been examined and is

hereby recommended for approval.

APPROVED:

ADVISER CRITIC
Adviser Critic
____________________ ___________________
Date Date

EXTERNAL PANELIST
External Panelist
________________________________

Date

ACCEPTED:

RAYMOND R. TABAJONDA
DEAN
Dean
 _______________________
Date
Chapter I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Illegal drugs or Illicit drugs are extremely addictive substances that are prohibited from

production, sale, and consumption. It is unlawful to use these medications in these circumstances

and they are not utilized for medicinal purposes. In other words, patients cannot receive an

unlawful medication prescription from a physician. In some countries, you will probably be

arrested if you are found taking illegal narcotics like heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, hallucinogens, or

marijuana. Or even worse, since many of these medicines are very addictive and might have

negative effects, you could pass away from an overdose.

Why are Certain Drugs Illegal?

Certain medications are prohibited from being manufactured, sold, and used because of their

tremendous negative effects on both the body and the mind. If taken excessively and over an

extended period of time, some drugs, like methamphetamine, can permanently harm a person's

brain. This is the rationale behind the legislation designed to stop the abuse of illegal substances.

Additionally, using illegal substances can lead to poor decisions, unruly behavior, thievery,

impaired driving, drug-related deaths and murders, among many other things (Berke, Jeremy

2020). Worldwide, criminal activity associated with drug abuse is a major issue.
According to (Michael& Hasler 2011), over 65 percent of inmates have a substance use disorder

(SUD). Another 20 percent committed crimes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol even

though they did not fulfill the formal SUD criteria.

Why are illegal Drugs Addictive?

Most medicines have an effect on the reward system of the brain, elevating mood and releasing

large amounts of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine reinforcement of enjoyable but

harmful activities, such as drug usage, encourages people to carry on with the habit.

As a person uses drugs, the brain adapts by reducing the ability of cells in the reward center to

respond to it (Kampman, Kyle M. 2005). When this change occurs, a person feels less high than

the high they felt when first taking the drug an effect known as tolerance.

An increased tolerance might make someone take more of the drug to achieve the same high. It

can cause them to become less able to derive pleasure from other things they once enjoyed

(Johnson, Matthew W, et al 2012). An increased tolerance will also make someone experience

unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when they don’t take the drug.

What are the Factors that contribute to illegal Drug Use?

Genetics - Although the relationship between drug use and family history is not fully

understood, it is well acknowledged that persons who have a history of drug use and dependency

in their families are more likely to develop addictions themselves. The main association is that

those who grow up among substance abusers are more likely to experience psychological

development that favors addiction. Studies, including one from the University of Utah, have

found a direct link between certain genes and addiction.

Lack of Options - One of the most well-known Ted Talks of all time describes a rat experiment

in which rats in an empty cage are 100% likely to become hooked to drug-laced water but rats in

a social setting with buddies are considerably less likely to develop an addiction. This study, Rat

Park, documented the reality that people who lack options—financially, personally, or in other

ways—are significantly more likely to develop addictions. As a result, drug usage and addiction

are influenced by a variety of factors, including boredom, debt, poverty, stress, and even a lack

of a stimulating environment.

Mental health disorders - It is common knowledge that those who already have mental health

issues are more likely to abuse drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. In one investigation titled Smoking

and Schizophrenia, medical professionals looked at the relationship between self-medication and

mental illnesses. Up to three times as many people with mental illnesses engage in recreational

drug or alcohol use.

Peer Pressure -- It is statistically more likely for someone to use drugs themselves if they have

friends or family members who are addicted to them or who use them recreationally. When teens

and adults first start using drugs, peer pressure plays a big role. While some studies suggest that

people who use drugs are more inclined to choose drug users as friends, other research indicates

that the need to maintain appearances with friends actually plays a role in both initiating drug use

and deterring users from stopping.

Anxiety and Depression - Whether they are acute problems or chronic illnesses, anxiety and

depression significantly raise the risk factors for drug use. Both anxiety and depression

significantly enhance the risk factors for beginning drug use, and they also have an impact on

drug usage by increasing a user's susceptibility to other risk variables. Self-medication, or using

drugs to "forget" or feel better about problems, is a typical example. However, these problems
also make users more susceptible to peer pressure, more likely to use prescription drugs, and

more likely to feel hopeless.

Loneliness - When you're lonely, you're far more prone to turn to drugs and alcohol to make

yourself feel better. Rats in the cage who had buddies were much less likely to consume drugs

during the Rat Park experiment. Humans are included in this as well. You are substantially less

likely to use or develop a drug addiction if you have close ties to family and friends than if you

are isolated, distant, or have little to no family support.

Prescription drugs - Due to the fact that many of them are very addictive, prescription drugs

pose a very high risk of developing a drug addiction. By overwhelming the brain's dopamine

receptors, prescription sedatives, antidepressants, and many other medicines can quickly cause

physical and mental dependence. Prescription medications have the potential to result in long-

term drug addiction if not properly monitored.

Commonly Abused Substances:

(1) Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu)

(2) Cannabis (Marijuana)

(3) Inhalants (Contact Cement)

* Figure estimates from the 2012 Household Survey on the Nature and Extent of Drug Abuse in

the Philippines conducted by the DDB with the Philippine Normal University.

Most commonly abused drugs in and their Ill Effects

Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu)

Methamphetamine hydrochloride 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 reward, motivation, experience of pleasure and motor function.

Street names: shabu, ice, meth, crystal, Tawas.

Other adverse effects of methamphetamine:

 Extreme weight loss

 Severe dental problems (“meth mouth”)

 Anxiety

 Confusion

 Insomnia

 Mood disturbances

 Violent behavior

Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana)

Marijuana use impairs a person's ability to form new memories and to shift focus. Its active

component, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) also disrupts coordination and balance, posture, and

reaction 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 systems.

Street names: weed, jutes, pot, grass, Damo, Chongke

Health problems that come with the use of marijuana include:

 Problems with memory and learning

 Distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch)

 Trouble with thinking and problem solving

 Loss of motor coordination

 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. Inhalant abusers may also experience lightheadedness,

hallucinations, and delusions.

Harmful irreversible effects of inhalants include:

 Hearing loss

 Limb spasms

 Central nervous system or brain damage

 Bone marrow damage

Signs of Drug Abuse

The following are common signs of drug revealed by individual using drugs. While not all of

these signs mean that one person is involved in drugs and there could be some other physical or

emotional problem that is causing these behaviors, there is high chance that drug use may be a

possibility:

 declining interest in school or work

  suddenly changes friends (hangs out with individuals known for their drug use)

 becomes pessimistic, irritable and anxious all the time

 asks to be left alone a lot

 is always tired (or makes it as an excuse to be left alone)

 becomes careless and often becomes involved in accidents

 becomes implicated in a lot of fights

 frequent mood swings

 sudden change in appearance and conduct (red or puffy eyes, weight changes, constant

complaints of headaches or stomachaches, shaking, incessant cough, brown stains on

fingertips, stumbling, or a constant runny nose)

 loss of interest in hobbies or sports

 exhibits poor judgment

 finds it difficult to concentrate

Review of related literature

Today's American culture views the use of illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, heroin,
and meth as deviant conduct that should be avoided at all costs. Drug use can be seen as a way to
create and solidify social norms, encouraging compliance, according to the functionalist theory
of Durkheim (Barkan, n.d. Andersen & Taylor, 2007). According to this viewpoint, the primary
purpose of criminalizing drug usage and demonizing it in society is to "protect" society from
such behavior (Andersen & Taylor, 2007). And by upholding these standards and punishing
those who disobey them, those who comply get closer to one another. In other words, by uniting
against the lawbreakers, they become more cohesive. Contrarily, the symbolic interactionist
interpretation of differential association theory sees drug usage in terms of aberrant subcultures
(Barkan, n.d.; Clinard & Meier, 2011). According to the differential association theory,
"deviants" are just people who have internalized a different set of norms from their friends,
family, etc. than those followed by the rest of society. In other words, "deviants" are just people
who have internalized a different set of norms from their friends, family, etc. (Barkan, n.d.;
Clinard & Meier, 2011,). As a result, deviants are compelled to associate with one another, form
groups, and distinguish themselves from the rest of society by disseminating the driving forces
and justifications that characterize their subculture (Clinard & Meier, 2011). There is no way to
describe the "stoner" subculture more succinctly than that: in fact, the traits of drug users lend
themselves fairly naturally to differential association theory. Differential association, in its
simplest form, is the grouping of socially constructed and defined "deviants" into a subaltern
social space, which is surrounded by norms and presumptions that are distinct from those of
mainstream society and which help to define the participants.

(M. Hembra) Western Visayas Medical Center and West Visayas State University College of
Medicine, Iloilo City, Philippines
All but a few nations in the globe are impacted by drug usage. It has pandemic proportions in the

Philippines and is a high priority on the government's agenda. To develop a thorough program to

deal with this issue, however, a lot of questions need to be resolved. This study aims to identify

the social, political, and economic backdrop of drug usage in the Philippines. Uncertainty exists

over the prevalence of illegal substances in the Philippines. According to UNODC estimates, the

annual prevalence of marijuana is 3.5%, that of amphetamine-type stimulants is 2.8%, and that of

ecstasy is.01% among adults over the age of 15. 1.8 million drug users, or 2.2 percent of the

population, are thought to be present in the Philippines, according to the International Narcotics

Control Strategy Report 2003. There are many factors that affect the prevalence of illegal drugs
in the Philippines, including geographic ones that make it challenging to patrol and defend the

nation from methamphetamine and marijuana growers; economic ones like poverty; social ones

like the phenomenon of the overseas contract worker; media exposure and the deteriorating

moral fabric of society; and political ones like policies, drug laws, and enforcement.

Conclusion: Drug abuse in the Philippines is multifactorial, and there is a need to study these

different factors. Furthermore, there is an immediate need to do an epidemiologic study of the

extent of drug abuse, which will significantly help fulfill the need for policy, treatment, and

prevention.

Facts on Drugs

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.

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.

Drug Abuse: By the Numbers

Estimated Drug Users in the Philippines: 1.3 million

Profile of Drug Users

Mean Age: 20-29 years old

Ratio of Male is to Female Users: 10:1

Civil Status: Married

Employment Status: Employed

Educational Attainment: High School Level

Nature of Drug Use: Poly drug use

Sources and References: www.ddb.gov.ph

Conceptual Framework
This study revolves around two variables:

1. illegal drug use (independent)

2. Young adults (dependent)

This study will attempt to examine the causes of illegal drug use among the young adults

in Mabini Homesite Cabanatuan city and will attempt to know the percentages of young adults

that are most likely to start the use of illegal drugs in the area of the study and to know what are

the different types of illegal drugs that are commonly used by young adults in Mabini Homesite

Cabanatuan city.

Statement of the problem

This study attempts to examine the leading causes of illegal drug usage on the young

adults of barangay Mabini-Homesite Cabanatuan city as well as the percentages of how many

percentages of young adults are most likely to start the use illegal drugs in the area Mabini-

Homesite. Knowing the causes of the start of using of illegal drugs is useful information because

It gives us the knowledge on how to prevent the future generations to use illegal substances and

to help them become a productive citizen of our country in the future.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1. Percentages of young adults that are most likely to start the use of illegal drugs?

2. What are the different types of illegal drugs that are commonly used by young adults?

3. What are the factors and causes leading the young adults to start using illegal drugs?
4. What is the most used/popular illegal drug that is mainly used by young adults in the area of

the study?

Scope and delimitations of the study

This study determined the major and leading causes of young adults that are most likely

to use illegal drugs in the area of Mabini-Homesite Cabanatuan City in the year 2022. There

were around 20 young adult/respondents involved in this study all living in the area of Mabini-

Homesite Cabanatuan city ranging from the age of 18- 30 years of age. The data and percentages

on the causes of illegal drug use in Mabini-Homesite were measured through a survey

questionnaire which measured the factors and the most likely causes of young adults to have

taken and start the use of illegal drugs and what are the types of drugs that are most likely to be

used by young adults in the surveyed area. the questionnaire contains the answers of the

respondents and the percentage of what is the most commonly used illegal drug in the said area.

This study did not intend to provide conclusive answers nor did it attempt to go beyond the

population drawn for the purpose of this investigation, hence the findings of this study

May not hold true for some similar studies due to variations of the population, instruments and

research design used.

And this study attempts to know the causes of illegal drugs usage of young adults in Mabini-

Homesite Cabanatuan City and employs the social survey design in gathering data and

information regarding the causes of illegal drugs usage of young adults in Mabini-Homesite

Cabanatuan city. I adopted social survey design due to the fact that it makes the collection of

quantitative data from a large study area and using a questionnaire instruments. Social survey has
ample advantage to my study because it would ease the data collection process considering the

nature of the area Mabini-Homesite.

Significance of the Study

Drug Addiction is one of the biggest problems in the country, the continuing growth of

illegal drug users here in the Philippines is one of the prevailing problems of the government,

hence, findings of this study hope to be beneficial to the following:

Students. This study will be of aid to the students to give them knowledge on what negative

effects can illegal drugs may do to the human body. also, to give information and basis in

knowing the causes and factors that leads young adults into the use of illegal drugs.

Teachers. This research may benefit them by becoming aware of the knowledge causing the use

of illegal drugs by young adults and the different types of illegal drugs that are commonly used.

as a result, they may have better understanding as to how the illegal drugs work and to teach

their student the knowledge of the negative effects of illegal drugs.

Parents. Through this research the parents may add to their knowledge on what different types of

illegal drugs might be using of today's young adults and so they have the knowledge to advice
and guide their son/daughter to being a healthy and productive citizen of this County and teach

them the negative and harmful effects illegal drugs.

Administrators. This study may serve as a basis in making plans for an effective and accessible

learning references and materials that may contribute better insights in constructing more and

productive learning instructions.

Future researchers. This study may provide possible and relevant information for some related

studies that may be constructed in the future researches it may serve as their basis and give them

an idea on the research that they will want to conduct it may also serve as a format on how to do

proper research and may give them additional information and knowledge to help through their

research plan.

Definition of terms

Addiction - A person has an addiction when he becomes dependent on or craves a drug and

believes he needs the drug to live. All an addicted drug user can think about is getting the next

dose after getting high.

Depressant - A depressant is a drug that slows a person down. Doctors prescribed depressants to

help people be less angry, anxious, or tense. Depressants relax muscles and make people feel

sleepy or like their head are stuffed.

Hallucinogen - A hallucinogen is a drug, such as LSD, that changes a person's mood and makes

him see, hear, or think things that aren't really there. Hallucinogens change the way a person
feels time, making it seem to slow down. As the name implies, hallucinogens may cause

hallucinations - this is when people think they see or hear imaginary people or things.

High - A high is the feeling that drug users want to get when they take drugs. There are many

types of high, including a spacey feeling, euphoria, or a feeling that a person has “special

powers”, such as the ability to fly or see into the future.

Stimulant - A stimulant speeds up a person's body and brain. Stimulants, such as

methamphetamines, have the opposite effect of depressants. Usually, stimulants make a person

high energetic. When the effects of a stimulant wear off, a person will feel tired or sick.

Purpose of the Study

This study attempts to know the causes of illegal drugs usage of young adults in Mabini-

Homesite Cabanatuan City and employs the social survey design in gathering data and

information regarding the causes of illegal drugs usage of young adults in Mabini-Homesite

Cabanatuan city. I adopted social survey design due to the fact that it makes the collection of

quantitative data from a large study area and using a questionnaire instruments. Social survey has

ample advantage to my study because it would ease the data collection process considering the

nature of the area Mabini-Homesite.