EPIDEMIOLOGY OF

DRUG ABUSE
Ronnie Juangco, MD.MPH.
DDB Accredited Physician

Course Objectives

At the end of the session the students will be

able to:
Describe the typical profile of a drug user
Identify the common drugs of abuse and its
effects
Describe the different treatment modalities for
drug abuse
Enumerate the different preventive strategies
being employed in the Philippines against
drug abuse

EVOLUTION OF THE ANTI DRUG LAW

RA 6425 - The Dangerous
Drugs Act of 1972

RA 9165 The Comprehensive

Dangerous Drugs Act
of 2002

SO YOU KNOW

SECTION 11: POSSESION

10 Grams of opium, morphine, heroine, cocaine,
ecstasy
50 grams of shabu
500 grams of marijuana
Life imprisonment
12 20 years

Section 12: Possession of paraphernalia

6 mos to 4 years
Section 15: Use
1st offense: rehabilitation
2nd offense: 6 12 years

AS A DOCTOR

Section 18: Unnecessary prescription

12 20 years
Fine of 500,000.00
Revocation of license
Section 19: Unlawful prescription
Life imprisonment
Fine of 10 Million pesos

THE PROBLEM

1972
20 Thousand Drug
users
Metro Manila

2010
6.4 M Drug Users
1.6 M Occasional Users
Shabu (2009 Cocaine (?)
70 % Heinous Crime
36% of inmate population
70,181 Drug Cases
28,868 in NCR
7 laboratories dismantled
with net worth of 500
Million Pesos
4.8 Billion pesos worth of
seized drugs
250 Billion Pesos Industry
38 Death Row Inmates

Current Average Drug Price

THE DRUG USER

The User
REHABILITATION

ARRESTED

29

31

MAJORITY AGE GROUP

23 29

22 29

DRUG OF CHOICE

SHABU

SHABU

MALE TO FEMALE

3:1

9:1

AVERAGE AGE

CIVIL STATUS

53% SINGLE

EMPLOYMENT

74% UNEMPLOYED
21% UNDEREMPLOYED

21% UNEMPLOYED
58% UNDEREMPLOYED

EDUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENT

53% HIGH SCHOOL

52% HIGH SCHOOL

REASONS FOR DRUG USE

SOURCE OF DRUGS
SOURCE OF DRUGS
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

FAMILY INFLUENCE

INFLUENCE OF ORDINAL
POSITION
Distribution According to Ordinal Position

21%

1%
28%

Only child
Youngest
Middle

50%

Eldest

DRUGS OF ABUSE

PROHIBITED DRUGS
Narcotics
Morphine, Heroin (Hero, bruce), Opium
(Scab), Codeine (gatas)
Stimulants
Cocaine (Linya)
Hallucinogens
Marijuana (dyuts, damo)
LSD (Acid)
Mescaline

Regulated drugs
Stimulants
Amphetamines: Ionamine (Ayos)
Cough Syrups: Benadryl (Bernard),
Hylorin (Bilog), Phydol (Vandolph,
dolphy), Corex (Xero), Colagin (Lola),
Methamphetamines (Shabu)

Hypnotics
Mandrax, Mogadon (Madonna, Sleeper,
Kilay)
Benzodiazepines
Valium (Bee-gees), Ativan (Bubbles),
Rivotril (Ekis Pinoy)
Barbiturates
Seconal (Secs), Nembutal, Phenobarbital

OTHER DRUGS
Gateway Drugs
Nicotine
Alcohol

Solvents
Amyl Nitirites
Talampunay
Caffeine
Peyote
GHB
Bangkok Pills
Club Drugs
Nitrous Oxide

NEW DRUGS ON THE

MARKET

Benzylpiperazine (BZP) (Mimic Ecstasy)

A2. Benny, Bear, Frenzy. Nemesis
Adverse effects includes psychosis, renal
toxicity, seizures

Salvia Divinorum
(Sage Plant)

Diviners Sage, Maria Pastora, Sage of the

Seers
Same family as mint, herba buena, oregano
hallucinogen

Doctors Cocktails

MILKSHAKE Nubain + methamphetamine

Cebu
Anesthesiologists
Surgeons

ILLICIT DRUGS

MDMA or 3,4-Methylenedioxy-Nmethamphetamine (C11H15NO2)

1912 Patented in Germany
1970 Used in Psychotherapy
1985 Used by Truck Drivers as stimulants
Drug Lingo
Ecstasy, X, XTC, E, M,
Truck Driver, Beans, Roll,
Adam, Eve. Lovers Speed

Usage
Tablets or Capsule forms
P 1,800.00 3,300.00
50 mg 150 mg
Used in rave parties, disco, clubs
Last for 4 8 hrs
Dance all night
Always with a bottle of Mineral Water

Effects
Prolonged Erection
Tactile Orgasm in women
Feeling of Connectedness
Euphoric sense of well being
Love Effect
Dehydration
Rapid Eye Movement

LONG TERM EFFECTS

Anorexia
Hypertension
Kidney Failure
Loss of Memory
Panic attacks
Depression
Psychosis

Brain scan 3
weeks
after last use of
Ecstasy.
Shows damage
to serotonin
producing cells
which regulate
emotion,
memory and
reasoning.

SHABU
Methamphetamine HCl [C10H15N]
Drug Lingo
Speed, S, Ice, Crystal, Meth, Sharon,
Chalk, Glass, Crank, Poor Mans Cocaine

1887 First Synthesized from Ephedrine and used

in China
1930 sold in US as nasal Spray for the treatment
of Nasal Inflammation and narcolepsy
WW II Used by US soldiers to improve
performance
1970 regulated the production of the drug

SHABU
Usage
Swallowing
Snorting
Inhalation
Intravenous
Whitish, odorless, Bitter powder
sometimes in Crystalline form
Effects last for 24 48 hrs

SHABU
INITIAL EFFECTS
Pupils Dilated
Euphoria
Hyperexcitability
Extreme Nervousness
Insensible talks
Palpitations
Insomnia
Lack of Appetite

SHABU

LONG TERM EFFECTS

Paranoia
Hallucinations
Delusions
Hypertension
Aggression, Violence
Psychosis
Cardiac and Neurological damage

MARIJUANA
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, Cannabis
Ruderalis
Drug Lingo
Hashish Boom, Chronic, Gangster,
Hash, Hemp, Hash Oil
Marijuana Blunt, Dope, Ganja,
grass, Joint, Herb, Maryjane, Pot,
Reefer, weed, Damo, Joots

MARIJUANA
9th Century BC Cultivated due to its
medicinal properties
1800 Hashish Smoking Parlors in every
city in US
1883 about 500 parlor in New York
Hashish Resin Form
Hash Oil Black or gold Colored Liquid
form

MARIJUANA
USAGE

Smoked as a cigarette Joint

Smoked thru pipe Bowl
Smoked thru Water Pipe Bong
Inhaled the vapor of heated Hash Oil
Included in food Brownies
2003 Roxanne Laboratories developed a
synthetic form of Marijuana and marketed under
the brand name MARINOL used in patients with
AIDS, Cancer, and for those with Anorexia
Nervosa

MARIJUANA
EFFECTS
Time, Color, and Spatial Perception Distortion
Dreamy Euphoria
Laughing Trip
Increase in appetite
Panic Attack
Burn Out
Decrease in Testosterone
Lack of cooordination
Conjunctivitis

TREATMENT

TREATMENT
MEDICATION THERAPY
Detoxification

Ascorbic Acid
Methadone
Disulfiram
Naltrazone

TREATMENT
MODALITIES OF TREATMENT
Hazelden 12 Steps (Narcotics Anonymous)
Therapeutic Community
Behavioral Therapy
Primal Scream Therapy
Bio-Psycho-Social
Family Therapy
Spiritual Approach
Eclectic Approach

Typical Daily Regimen

Community meeting
Work time
Groups
Recreational activities
Individual counseling
Morning Meeting
Pull ups
Diary

HAZELDEN/12 STEPS

AA
Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob
The Big Book
The 12 Steps
The 12 Tradition
The 12 Promises

Program stages

I: Orientation (0-60 days)

II: Primary treatment (2-12 months)
III: Advanced treatment and aftercare (13-24
months)

The Therapeutic Community

Journal Writing
Morning Meeting
House Meeting
Closing meetings
Encounter Groups

TREATMENT
RELAPSE PREVENTION
After Care
Halfway Home
Support Groups
Sponsor

OUTCOME OF REHABILITATION
72.9 %Drug Free
27.1 % Relapse
16.2 % Back to School
32.2 % Working
9.7 % Jail

Government Program
Five Pillars of Action
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Drug Supply Reduction

Drug Demand Reduction
Civic Awareness and Response
Alternative Development
Regional and International Cooperation

Preventive Education Programs

Drug Abuse Prevention

Education
Enhancing Life Skills on Drug
Abuse Prevention
Systematic Training for
Effective Parenting
Barkada Kontra Droga (Peer
Group Against Drugs)
National Youth Congress on
Drug Abuse Prevention
Education

OTHER CAMPAIGNS
KID LISTO

MAD/ KILL DROGA

MORE.
YOPADA
UTOL
CITIZENS DRUG WATCH
PYRADA
DARE

SUMMARY
Typical

profile of a drug user

Common drugs of abuse and its
effects
Treatment modalities for drug abuse
Preventive strategies being employed
in the Philippines against drug abuse

REMEMBER THIS
Drug Abuse is a disease

REHABILITATION WORKS

DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION

VS

DRUG SUPPLY REDUCTION

There is an increase in the

incidence of illegal drug
activities in 2009
mainly to raise funds for
the 2010 elections.

References

TOWARDS A DRUG FREE PHILIPPINES by

Senator Tito Sotto
DDB Accomplishment Report 2008
IDADAIN Bulletins
PDEA Accomplishment Report
Philippine Initiative on Drug Abuse Report

Is this
what
you
want
for your
children
?

Alcohol Abuse
Posters from
the 'Alcohol.
Don't push it.'
campaign.

THANK YOU
for not sleeping
if you did
it is time to
WAKE UP