ROMAN C. VILLALON MEMORIAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION, INC.
Sayre Highway, East Kibawe, Kibawe, Bukidnon
NSTP – CWTS 1
Module 10: The Social Menace of Drug Addiction
Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the learners are expected to:
1. define drug and drug addiction;
2. enumerate some common illegal substances and their adverse effects on the user; and
3. express commitment to the prevention and fight against drug addiction.
Overview
This chapter focuses on the social problem called drug addiction. People have always been curious about the world and
experiment with anything and everything to make life better and more comfortable. Scientists have discovered remedies that can
treat pain and illness and promote good health and longer life. In ancient Egypt, physicians prescribed berries like figs and dates
mixed with castor oil as laxatives while the Chinese and Greeks used opium for its pain-relieving properties. The Hindus resorted to
cannabis and henbane leaves as an anesthetic. In modern society, drugs treat medical and psychological disorders. To determine
whether a substance is a drug is to know its uses. For example, alcohol is a beverage, but it is also considered a drug used for
relaxation, to remove inhibitions, or stimulate appetite.
Coloma (2004) states that drug dependence is the overuse of a drug without due regard to accepted medical practice
resulting in the individual's physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral impairment.
Drug is defined as follows according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA):
1. Clinical definition
Drug is a therapeutic substance other than food used in the prevention, diagnosis, alleviation, treatment, or cure
of disease in humans or animals.
2. General definition
Drug is a substance aside from food intended to affect the structure or function of a physiological system like the
human body.
3. Popular definition
Drug refers mainly to chemical or plant-derived substances that affect the body's psychological, behavioral, or
physical functions and leads to varying degrees of dependence or addiction.
Drug addiction pertains to dependency on drug. Unpleasant withdrawal symptoms appear unless the person is
taking the substance. Addictive drugs make a person crave for or make him/her feel an overwhelming urge to continue
taking the drug, even after withdrawal symptoms have disappeared.
Drugs change the way the body and the brain function. Sometimes, the results are pleasant as in the case of
prescription medications that are used to treat various conditions and diseases. However, there are also times when the
results are terrible and cause great harm to one's body and well-being.
Thus, it is wise to know that not all drugs are harmful or are always safe. It is more important, however, to recognize
if you are addicted to drugs. Serious consequences can result from the use of both illegal drugs and prescription
medications.
Addiction
An addiction is not having control over doing, taking, or using something, until it becomes harmful. Commonly, there are
dependencies on alcohol or drugs, but you can also become addicted to everything from gambling to chocolates. Being addicted to
something means having a difficult time without it during the day.
Classification of Dangerous Drugs
According to the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972, there are two classes of dangerous drugs:
1. Prohibited drugs which include all the drugs that produce psychological effects of narcotics or those that relieve
pain and induce sleep (cocaine, LSD, marijuana, opium and its derivatives, etc.)
2. Regulated drugs which include self-inducing sedatives like barbiturates, amphetamines, or other hypnotic drugs or
compounds producing the same physiological effects
Drug abuse does not only involve illegal substances. Any drug can be abused, whether it is bought on a street corner or
obtained from a pharmacy.
There is no dividing line between prescription drugs and the so-called recreational drugs because both often include the
same or similar ingredients but in different dosages.
Common Drug Types
There are different types of drugs. Some are prescribed. Others are known as club drugs, illicit or illegal substances, and
designer drugs.
Marijuana
Marijuana is the term used to describe all that comes from the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa) like leaves, tops, stems,
flowers, and roots. These are dried and prepared for smoking or taken orally as "brownies."
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Marijuana has psychoactive effects. It is taken into the body in the form of smoke or vapor and can also be consumed and
mixed into food or steeped in tea. It is believed to act as the "gateway" to other more serious substances.
According to the PDEA, marijuana or Indian hemp embraces every kind, class, genus, or specie of the plant Cannabis sativa
L. including but not limited to, Cannabis americana, hashish, bhang, guaza, churrus, and ganjab. It also includes every kind, class,
and character of marijuana, whether dried or fresh and flowering, flowering or fruiting tops, or any part or portion of the plant and
seed thereof, and all its geographic varieties, whether as a reefer, resin, extract, tincture or in any form whatsoever.
The mind-altering component of marijuana is the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is concentrated in the resin.
Smoked cannabis produces a dreamy state of consciousness in which ideas seem disconnected, unanticipated, and free-
flowing. Time, color, and spatial perceptions may be altered. In general, a feeling of well-being and relaxation is experienced. Panic
reactions usually occur, particularly to new users.
Adverse Effects
1. Impairment of memory and short-term cognitive functioning, particularly mathematical, reading, and verbal
comprehension skills
2. Impairment of motor skills which may lead to accidents and respiratory problems such as bronchitis or lung cancer
3. Premature babies, low birth weight, abortion, or still birth (neonatal death)
4. Panic or state of anxiety, sometimes accompanied by paranoia
5. Motivational syndrome as the regular use of marijuana dulls the mind of the smoker, blunts enthusiasm, and takes
away drive or urge
6. Burnout as the user can become dull, slow-moving, inattentive, and unaware of his/her surroundings
7. Susceptibility to infections
8. Decreased sperm production and altered sperm shape and mobility.
9. Decreased testosterone level, so that pre-teenagers are at an increased risk of temporary loss of fertility
10. Symptoms of mental illness
Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu)
Methamphetamine HCL is a type of amphetamine also known as "poor man's cocaine." Its other names are shabu, ubas,
siopao, sha, and ice. Shabu is a white, odorless crystal or crystalline powder with a bitter, numbing taste.,
Abusers are known to take this drug by ingestion: inhalation (chasing the dragon), sniffing (snorting), or injection.
Amphetamines are regularly absorbed orally and are associated with a rapid onset of action, usually within one hour. If taken
intravenously or through injection, they have an almost immediate effect.
Adverse Effects
1. Anxiety, tension, irritability, irrational behavior, talkativeness, and loss of self-control
2. Loss of appetite and inability to sleep
3. Euphoria, elation
4. Acute psychotic reactions, violent and destructive behavior, and recklessness that may result in accidents
Physiological Effects
These include chest pains; irregularity of heartbeat; elevated or lowered blood pressure, evidence of weight loss, convulsion,
and death from cardiac arrest.
Long-term Effects
Psychiatric consequences are the major feature of chronic "shabu" abuse and dependency. Prolonged use and even a
single exposure, especially if administered intravenously, can lead to the manifestation of a full-blown psychosis which is similar to
a schizophrenia characterized by the presence of paranoid delusions and auditory and visual hallucinations. The paranoia may lead
to violent and aggressive behavior.
Some chronic users have difficulty in concentrating and remembering things. Diminished ability to cope with problems and
difficulties in facing reality is common. Loss of interest in sex, ambition, or motivation may also result from using shabu.
Chronic shabu snorters may suffer from severe irritation of the nasal passages and, at times, may even develop tissue
perforation of the nasal septum, so that they become prone to frequent nosebleed. Renal damage, heart disease, and stroke have
likewise been documented among chronic abusers.
Injecting shabu from contaminated needles may lead to poisoning (septicemia) and AIDS which can lead to death.
Inhalants
Inhalant abuse is the deliberate inhalation of volatile chemical substance that contains psychoactive (mind/mood-altering)
vapors causing a state of intoxication. Most inhalants are common household products such as nailpolish remover, glue, gasoline,
household cleaners, and nitrous oxide. Inhalants also include fluorinated hydrocarbons found in aerosols such as hairspray, spray
paint, and household cleaners.
As the name suggests, inhalants refer to a group of drugs that are inhaled in the form of a gas or solvent.
Immediate Effects
1. Confusion
2. Distorted perception of time and distance
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3. Aggressive behavior/violence
4. Hallucinations
5. Illusions
6. Nausea and vomiting
7. Drowsiness
Delayed Effects
1. Loss of memory
2. Inability to think
3. Muscle cramps and weakness
4. Numbness of limbs
5. Abdominal pains
6. Damage to the central nervous system, kidney, liver, and possibly, the bone marrow
Ecstasy
Methylenedioxyrnethamphetamine (MDMA) commonly known as "Ecstasy," "X-TC,'' ''Adam,'' and "Eden Tablet,'' refers to
the drug having such chemical composition, including any of its isomers or derivatives in any form.
Ecstasy is the term used for a group of "designer'' drugs closely related in chemical form to the amphetamine family of illicit
drugs. Demand for this drug caused its price to soar up to Php2,000 today.
MDMA was first developed as an appetite suppressant in 1914 by the German company, Merck. In the 1970s, U.S,
therapists, led by biochemist Alexander Shulgin, used. the drug to help patients explore their feelings.
Adverse Effects
1. Fatigue and, perhaps, depression after the drug is stopped
2. Restlessness, anxiety, and pronounced visual and auditory hallucinations at large doses
3. Nausea and vomiting
4. Rise in blood pressure and heartrate, or death from heart failure or stroke
5. Prolonged regular use can lead to the same long-term effects as those of synthetic stimulants, including a potential for
neurotoxicity and brain and liver damage
Opiates/Narcotics
Opiates, sometimes called narcotics, are a group of drugs that are used medically to relieve pain but have a high potential
for abuse. Some opiates come from a resin taken from the seed pod of the Asian poppy. Opiates that are commonly abused are
opium, morphine, codeine, and synthesized or manufactured opiates.
Opium refers to the coagulated juice of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) and embraces every kind, class, and
character of opium, whether crude or prepared; the ashes or refuse of the same; narcotic preparations thereof or therefrom; morphine
or any alkaloid of opium; preparations in which opium, morphine, or any alkaloid of opium is used as an ingredient; opium poppy;
poppy straw; and leaves or wrappings of opium leaves, whether prepared for use or not.
Opium poppy refers to any part of the plant of the species Papaver somniferum L., Papaver setigerum DC, Papaver
orientale, Papaver bracteatum and Papaver rhoeas which include the seeds, straws, branches, leaves, or any part thereof, or
substances derived therefrom, even for floral, decorative, and culinary purposes.
Cocaine
Cocaine is a drug from the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca plant, a shrub that originated from South America. This drug
affects the central nervous system as a stimulant.
Cocaine exaggerates changes caused by at least. Two brain chemicals-noradrenaline and dopamine-increasing alertness
and causing euphoria. Pure cocaine was produced in 1860 and was hailed as a cure-all. Doctors used it to treat anxiety and
depression until they realized it was addictive. Dentists also used cocaine to numb their patients' gums, but because it damaged
living tissues, it was replaced by drugs like lignocaine.
Sedatives
Sedative-hypnotics such as tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and sedatives are drugs which depress or slow down body
functions. These drugs can be dangerous when taken without a physician's prescription or instructions.
Steroids
Anabolic steroids are not the same as the kind used in medicine for the reduction of inflammation. Rather, these substances
are used to build muscle mass and strength. They typically consist of male sex hormones and can be very damaging when used
without a medical prescription.
Tobacco
Tobacco is often smoked in the form of cigarettes or cigars or chewed. It contains nicotine which is a stimulant and a highly
addictive substance that has been known to cause cancer and other diseases.
Nicotine
Tobacco was introduced in America in the late 5th century. When tobacco smoke is inhaled, nicotine is absorbed through
the lungs and reaches the brain in about seven seconds. Nicotine works by mimicking the actions of a naturally occurring brain
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chemical-acetylcholine-by docking with its special receptor molecules. Some of these nicotine receptors in the brain activate part of
the "pleasure center," which could be responsible for nicotine's euphoric effects.
Nine out of ten smokers say they like to quit smoking but cannot. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include irritability, anxiety,
loss of concentration, and sleeplessness. Cigarette smoke contains a handful of other harmful substances, including carbon
monoxide and tar.
Reasons Behind Drug Abuse
Typically, adolescence is a time of experimentation. Taking drugs is common as teenagers struggle to establish their
independence in a society where alcohol and other substances are associated with being a mature adult. Some reasons behind
addiction to substance, alcohol, and prohibited drugs include:
1. Curiosity
2. Social influences (peer pressure)
3. New sensations, for example, the effects of ecstasy which include increased energy and confidence
4. Rebellion and willingness to take risks especially when teenagers take illegal substances that their parents strongly
disapprove
5. Escapism. Alcohol and other drugs are used as a means of avoiding problems associated with family life, school or work
frustrations, friendship and relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, and depression.
These problems should be addressed as early as possible to prevent any related drug use from escalating.
Signs of Drug Dependency
There are no specific physical signs or personality changes that indicate when a person is using drugs. Although a deviant
behavior may indicate drug use, some behavior changes may also not be drug-related.
The following manifestations of drug use require attention and appropriate action from the parent of the user.
1. Mood swings or explosive outbursts
2. Staying out late or not coming home at night
3. Frequent absences from work or school, or declining work or school performance
4. Unexplained need for money or sudden loss of money and valuables
5. Less extracurricular activities, social withdrawal, and minimal interaction with the family
6. Sudden or noticeable change in friends
7. Tiredness or changes in sleeping patterns
8. Changes in eating patterns
9. Impaired memory and poor concentration
10. Blood-shot or glassy eyes
11. Lethargy and loss of motivation
12. Deterioration of physical appearance and grooming
If you suspect someone of using drugs, talk to him/her about it. He/She may not want to talk about it right away, but if he/she
feels that you will listen then he/she will agree to talk to you.
Different higher educational institutions (HEI) have their own structure or organization in the prevention of drug use and
addiction within their campuses. Organizing peer counselors among students is one way of knowing if there is an escalation of drug
use and addiction inside the school premises.
Students can help each other, through peer counseling or barkadahan inside the school premises or letting them participate
actively in various school activities or organizations. In the process, they become more productive in. terms of school involvement.
Conclusion
There are several reasons why a person takes prohibited drugs. The probability of becoming too much dependent on these
illegal substances leads a person to manifest behavior, mental reasoning, and habits that are negatively affecting the way he/she
treats his/her family, other people around him/her, the society where 'he/she lives, and most especially himself/herself.
Drug dependency is extremely hazardous to a person's health, the people who care for him/her and to his/her future as
well.
A drug dependent can still be saved from his/her present situation as long as there are people who are willing to listen,
understand and help him/her until full recovery is achieved.
Prepared by:
PONCIANO C. IDULSA JR. JERSON C. TALINNGUEZ JR. PONCIANO J. AYOP JR.
NSTP CWTS 1 BEED 1 SECTION 1-3 NSTP CWTS 1 BEED 1 SECTION 4-6 NSTP CWTS 1 BEED 1 SECTION 7-9
JOHN EARL WIN C. JOSE MON’S APRIL M. IDULSA
NSTP CWTS 1 BSED 1 SECTION 1-3 NSTP CWTS 1 BEED 1 SECTION 10-12
