This would suggest that at least some credit should go to the drug law enforcement agencies in helping reduce drug supply over the years and using data to monitor such progress. Notably, drug use has also been shown to be associated with other risky behaviors such as drunk driving, unprotected sex, and needle-sharing, … The most frequently used drug in the Philippines is a street version of Amphetamine known as Shabu drug or “poor man’s cocaine.” As per the 2012 United Nations report, the Philippines had the highest rate of shabu abuse among countries in East Asia; about 2.2% of Filipinos between the ages of 16–64 were meth users . MANILA, Philippines – The aggressive war against illegal drugs is one issue where instinct and emotion – rather than facts and reason – have unfortunately taken hold on many fronts. It appears, then, that the extent of drug use in the country seems to have actually gone down from 2004 to 2012 (6.7 million to 1.3 million) – or a total decline of 81% in 8 years. 1) The latest official estimate of drug users in the country is 1.3 million as of 2012. Thankfully, the DDB is set to release soon its latest estimates of drug use for 2015. President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs in the Philippines is morally and legally unjustifiable, says Vanda Felbab-Brown. 2) The number of drug-related raids and arrests in 2014 were the highest in a decade. Click the link to continue registering. Or could they be indirect measures of the rise and fall of the drug problem on the ground? First, rehab patients are overwhelmingly male (around 10 males for every female), and the mean age is around 30 years. Could they be an indication of the changing aggressiveness of past administrations in going after drugs? Click the link to continue signing in. Their carelessness can lead to getting involved in violent situations either as a victim or assailant. 10 Side Effects of Prescription Drug Abuse. However, when the Philippines gained their independence almost half a century later, and all previous laws regarding limiting drug use were overturned. The data also show that gains in drug law enforcement were made in the past few years (see Figure 2). Understanding the causality (rather than just the correlations) behind these trends highlights the need for further research. In 2001, the 5.8 million figure is the average of the 2.2-9.3 million users estimated by SWS. This study will attempt to determine the economic, political, and social context of the use of illegal drugs in the Philippines. Drug addiction is prevailing in our country when Rodrigo Duterte become the president of the Philippines he conducted a project the “Oplan Tokhang” in which 6,500 people have been killed by the police officers since the launch of the operation. It has also been 4 years since the 1.3-million estimate of the DDB, and drug use may have increased or decreased since then. Far from having the desired effect, the United Nations’ drug strategy has given rise to a series of side effects, such as the emergence, between 2009 and 2017, of more than 800 new psychoactive substances, often sold at low prices as ‘legal stimulants’ and alternatives to existing illicit drugs, such as codeine, which is wreaking havoc in Nigeria, for example. Drug abuse affects almost all countries of the world. Proponents of marijuana legalization and pot smokers, in general, tend to believe there is no harm in using marijuana, but scientific research tells us differently. However, a closer look shows that relevant drug law agencies came up with much lower official statistics in recent years (see Figure 1). Conclusion:Drug abuse in the Philippines is multifactorial, and there is a need to study these different factors. Drug Trafficking Trends Illegal drug trafficking is the most prevalent and by far the most pervasive illegal drug activity in the Philippines. This could provide a valuable benchmark against which the Duterte administration can measure the progress of its drug war. Figure 4. President Rodrigo Duterte has claimed that the country could become a "narco-state".Two of the most used and valuable illegal drugs in the country are methamphetamine hydrochloride (known locally as shabu) and marijuana. In 2012, the DDB in cooperation with the Philippine Normal University came up with a separate study that put the figure to be even lower at 1.3 million (1.3% of the 2012 population). They requested anonymity. Disorderly behavior from drug abuse or stealing to buy drugs can lead to arrests. Drug addiction in the Philippines has increased at alarming rates since World War II. Of course, not all drug users have the opportunity to undergo rehab, and the following figures may not be representative of the average drug user in the country. We just sent a link to your inbox. According to the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2003, it is estimated that there are 1.8 million drug users in the Philippines, which is equivalent to 2.2 percent of the population. The effects of illegal drugs do not last long. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) gave ₱14,758,156.99 monetary reward to 30 confidential informants who provided information that resulted in the successful conduct of anti-drug operations and confiscation of voluminous amounts of illegal drugs, during the awarding ceremony held today, December 21, 2020, at the PDEA National Headquarters in Quezon City. After his election in 2016, the president launched a hard-line campaign against "illegal drug personalities", claiming the Philippines had become a "narco-state". However, there are many questions to be answered in order to come up with a comprehensive program to address this problem. The DDB attributed this steep decline to supply and demand reduction efforts, like  "intensified operations" of drug law enforcement agencies and "drug demand reduction programs.". But still, the administrative data collected by the DDB give a number of useful insights. Metro Manila is the region most affected by drugs with 92% of its barangays having drug-related cases. MANILA, Philippines – The aggressive war against illegal drugs is one issue where instinct and emotion – rather than facts and reason – have unfortunately taken hold on many fronts. As the momentum of the current drug war increases, let's all keep in mind why we are doing it in the first place: to reduce the prevalence of drug use. 3) Rehab patients tend to be male, poor, and addicted to shabu. The effects of illegal drugs do not last long. Beast, Boulder, CO, Marijuana sholud stay illegal because if it is legalized, more people will smoke it, causing negative effects on health and families. When they wear off, a user gets depressed, lonely and sick, appears confused, sweats a lot, has red eyes, and neglects his/her physical appearance. As I have promised since I assumed command over the PNP in April 2018, we will not relax, we will not relent, and we will fulfill our President’s vision of a drug-free Philippines,” said PNP chief, Gen Oscar Albayalde, in his speech during the 118th Police Service Anniversary in Camp Crame on Friday. Illicit drugs that are present include marijuana, LSD, opiates, and barbiturates. Subsequent figures were obtained by the DDB through surveys. As of the first semester of 2015, the monthly poverty threshold for a family of five is P9,140 according to the PSA. 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. Then comes the irrational craving. Of course, measuring drug use is complicated and estimates can be subject to wide margins. By signing up you agree to Rappler’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy. After winning a landslide victory in June 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines immediately fulfilled a campaign promise and instigated a so-called ‘war on drugs.’ He publicly endorsed the arrest and killing of suspected drug users and sellers, even going so far as to promise the police there would be no repercussions for their actions. Figure 2. References and links are provided below. The prevalence of illegal drug use in the Philippines is lower than the global average, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Sadly, the reasons why aren’t clear cut. Project Name:Drug Addiction. Harmful irreversible effects of inhalants include: Drug Trafficking & Controlled Substances When a state or federal government classifies a substance as "controlled," it generally means that the use and distribution of the substance is governed by law. GARO/PHANIE Getty Images. San Miguel Corporation’s 1-billion donation for rehab centers. In the Philippines it has reached epidemic proportions and is one of the top priorities on the government’s agenda. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 8)— Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday countered claims that the administration’s anti-illegal drug … Side effects of drug addiction may include: A weakened immune system, increasing the risk of illness and infection Heart conditions ranging from abnormal heart rates to heart attacks and collapsed veins and blood vessel infections from injected drugs Nausea and abdominal pain, which can also lead to changes in appetite and weight loss When they wear off, a user gets depressed, lonely and sick, appears confused, sweats a lot, has red eyes, and neglects his/her physical appearance. Check your spam & junk mail. In 1999, the DDB estimated 1.8 million regular users and 1.6 million occasional users of illegal drugs, totaling 3.4 million users. We summarize some of these below. Their views are independent of the views of their affiliations. It is subdivided into 4 activities, namely: transportation of dangerous drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs), … Source: DDB Annual Report 2014. You will be re-directed to our payment partner to complete your payment. For this purpose, we have compiled key drug-related statistics from relevant government agencies. Transnational Drug Trade International drug syndicates use the Philippines as a transit hub for the illegal drug trade. First, note there was a significant drop in drug arrests and raids around 2004, and the trend started to increase around 2013. What can explain these correlated trends? Both figures actually represent a huge decline of drug users from the 6.7 million reported by the DDB way back in 2004. This leads to more side effects and the risk of overdose very high. Check your spam & junk mail. The controversial anti-drug campaign is maintained by Duterte as his top priority since his leadership two years ago. Figure 1. Here is a summary of the most commonly used illegal drugs and the effects each could have on your health. We just sent a link to your inbox. Lastly, we can learn more about the nature of drug use in the country by looking at the profile of drug users in rehabilitation centers. They take hazardous risks, such as driving under the influence and having unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners. – Rappler.com. Whether in the streets, the Senate halls, or our Facebook feeds, the discussions surrounding this drug war have resulted in an unprecedented level of discord and misunderstanding among Filipinos. Everyone is invited to look at and verify these data. Nearly a third have reached some level of college while over a quarter have reached some level of high school. Health, a crucial prerequisite and resource for development, is adversely affected as drug use impacts both morbidity and mortality. Introduction. The effects of inhalants are similar to that of alcohol, including slurred speech, lack of coordination, euphoria and dizziness. Finally, Figure 5 shows that, as of 2012, patients who entered rehab reported shabu and marijuana as the primary drugs that they abused. There are two primary ways of doing it: by reducing drug supply or reducing drug demand. By looking at the profile of rehab patients through the lens of statistics, the Duterte administration can better target its interventions and make better use of its resources for both prevention and rehabilitation. 64. (READ: San Miguel Corporation’s 1-billion donation for rehab centers). Below is a brief run down on the minimum amount of drug possession in the Philippines and its penalties.. Most of the drug users in the Philippines are young people. Here’s hoping that the statistics on drug use play a more prominent role in future discussions and evaluations of the intensifying drug war. Then comes the irrational craving. Figure 3. The unemployed are more likely to be in rehab than the employed, while more out-of-school youths are in rehab than students. In fact, the number of drug raids and arrests conducted by PDEA in 2014 was the highest since 2004 and 2006, respectively. There are a variety of factors that influence illegal drug prevalence in the Philippines, namely geographic factors that make patrolling and protecting the country from smugglers of methamphetamine and planters of marijuana difficult; economic factors such as poverty; social factors such as the phenomenon of the overseas contract worker; media exposure and the decreasing moral fabric of the society; … Social, Political and Economic Context of Illegal Drug Abuse in the Philippines, Grants Address OUD in Criminal Justice Settings, NIDA International Drug Abuse Research Abstract Database, Accessibility and Section 508 Information, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Before the drug war, the death toll, and the animosity in social networks escalate any further, perhaps now would be a good time to step back, breathe deeply, and look at the facts and figures surrounding the nature and extent of the country’s drug problem. 1. Prolonged drug dependence interferes with just about every organ in the human body, and while different drugs have different damaging effects, these are some of the common conditions substance abuse can cause: The same should apply to the country’s current drug policy. Three out of 4 rehab patients have a monthly family income of less than P11,000 (just above the poverty threshold), while the average monthly income of rehab patients is around P16,000. The Health Effects of Marijuana. Sources: PDEA and DDB, as collected in the Philippine Statistical Yearbook 2015. Abusers of prescription drugs tend to combine their medication with other prescription drugs, illegal drugs, or alcohol. Inhalant abusers may also experience lightheadedness, hallucinations, and delusions. If marijuana is legalized, people will think smoking marijuana … Since taking office on June 30, 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has carried out a “war on drugs” that has led to the deaths of over 12,000 Filipinos to date, mostly urban poor. The Philippine drug war is the anti-drug policy and actions of the Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte, who assumed office on June 30, 2016.According to former Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa, the policy is aimed at "the neutralization of illegal drug personalities nationwide".. Duterte has urged members of the public to kill criminals and drug addicts. In 2008, a survey conducted by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) estimated a much lower figure of 1.7 million drug users nationwide (1.9% of the 2008 population). These could help contextualize the country’s drug problem and put into perspective the government’s response. Incidentally, the number of marijuana plantation sites eradicated by the PDEA in 2014 (506 sites) were also at an all-time high in 2014 (see Figure 3). Slowly, new laws were put in place to make drug use illegal. The sad truth is that more deaths, illnesses, and disabilities are caused by substance abuse than by any other preventable health condition. Policymaking around the world is becoming increasingly evidence-based. But at a more fundamental level, even before we decide which strategy is better, it will do well for everyone to step back and contemplate first the current nature and extent of drug use using all available information. 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