DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE, PREVENTION AND CONTROL

It has been known that the foremost reason why our youth is dragged into the abyss of drug abuse is the lack of guidance from the family itself. There are aspects to this reason:

First, maybe the parents are too busy with their jobs, giving less time to their children.

Second, parents have not finished schooling, making them less informed and less aware of the effects of drugs.

Third: the type of discipline of the parents includes physical violence, thus, in most cases in the Philippines drives away the kid from home.

The second most predominant reason adolescence is the period where wants exceed necessities. A teenager spends more time with friends or peers rather than at home. It is the stage where a younger has continuing searching of identity and place in the society. The influence of the peers, either friends or activity partners, has been proven as a strong force of imitation into drug addiction among the youth.

A drug addict is generally an emotionally unstable individual before he or she acquires the habit. The person cannot face painful situations without help. He has little or no self control. He or she hates physical, mental, or moral sufferings. Every individual cannot stand alone, as we say it.

A person will try to use drug if a friends insists for the sake of friendship. This weakness is a predator and hard to dismantle for most teenagers.

In fact, drug trafficking 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 Council Board (INBC) is an independent body, established by the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs, mandated to monitor and support government‟s compliance with the three international drug control treaties. Its 13 members are elected by the Economics and Social Council to serve in their individual capacities for a term of five years.

The Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) was established in 1983 to The Vienna-based international Narcotics Council Board (INBC) is an independent body, established by the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs, mandated to monitor and support government‟s compliance with the three international drug control treaties. Its 13 members are elected by the Economics and Social Council to serve in their individual capacities for a term of five years.

Provide a link between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the Vienna-based agencies involved setting drug policy: the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the international Narcotics Council Board (INCB), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Commonly Abused Drugs

Despite the seemingly tamed and glamorized idea of drug use, it must be remembered that it can still lead to abuse, addiction, legal offenses, serious health problems, and even death.

Drugs

Drugs are chemicals that affect a person in such a way as to bring about physiological, emotional, or behavioural change.

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.

Commonly Abused Substances:

(1) Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu)

(2) Cannabis (Marijuana)

(3) Inhalants (Contact Cement)

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: shabs, ice, meth, crystal, kristal, basura, 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 light headedness, hallucinations, and delusions.

Harmful irreversible effects of inhalants include:

- Hearing loss

- Limb spasms

- Central nervous system or brain damage

- Bone marrow damage

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

Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, or (Republic Act of the Philippines) R.A. No. 9165, is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 1858 and House Bill No. 4433. It was enacted and passed by the Senate of the Philippines and House of Representatives of the Philippines on May 30, 2002 and May 29, 2002, respectively. It was signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 7, 2002

This Act repealed Republic Act No. 6425, otherwise known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972, as amended, and providing funds for its implementation. Under this Act, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) remains as the policymaking and strategy- formulating body in planning and formulation of policies and program on drug prevention and control.

It also created the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) under the Office of the President, which serves as the implementing arm of the DDB. The PDEA is responsible for the enforcement of all the provisions on any dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals as provided in the act.

Enforcement

The law took effect on June 22, 2002, 15 days after it was signed by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Its primary implementing agency is the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. The list of illegal drugs may modified by the DDB through a proceeding initiated by the PDEA, the Department of Health, or any petition by a concerned party.

Penalties

Under the law, anyone guilty with importation or sale of dangerous drugs, with the manufacture of illegal drugs, or with the operation of a drug den can be punished with life imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from ₱500,000 (then ~$10,000) to ₱10,000,000 (then ~$200,000). Anyone guilty with importing or selling drug precursors, protecting other violators, or working as an employee in a drug den can be punished with 12 years and a day to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine ranging from ₱100,000 (then ~$2,000) to ₱500,000 (then ~$10,000).

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

As an archipelago located at the south-eastern part of Asia. The Philippines is exposed to both climatic and geological hazards. It is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire where two major tectonic plates, the Pacific Plate and the Eurasian Plate meet.

The Philippines is also located along the typhoon belt on the North Pacific Basin in the Pacific where 75 percent of the typhoon originate. There are 20 to 30 typhoons passing through the country, 5-7 of which can be destructive (NDCC 2008). As a consequence of extreme rainfall events, flashfloods, flooding and landslide have become more prevalent since 200.

On average, 20 cyclones cross the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) with about 8-9 making landfall each year.

According to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Philippine was the fourth most accident prone country in the world in 2015. Accordingly, 31,835 Filipinos were killed and 94,369,462 others were affected by natural disasters and calamities in a span of 20 years.

Since the Office of Civil Defense and National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council creation, PD 1566 of 1978 has been the basic law that guides the disaster management programs, projects and strategic implementation in the country.

The president Arroyo signed on May 27 Republic Act 10121, also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. This act provides for the development of policies and plans and the implementation of actions and measures pertaining to all aspects of disaster risk reduction management and recovery including good governance, risk assessment and early warning, knowledge building and awareness raising, reducing underlying risk factors and preparedness for effective response and early recovery.

The new law adopts and adheres to principles and strategies consistent with the international standards set by the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), a comprehensive, action-oriented response to international concern about the growing impacts of disasters on individuals communities and national development.

National Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Framework (NDRRMRF)

It is the highest policy-making, coordinating and supervising body at the national level chaired by the Secretary of National Defense thru the Executive Director of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) and has 14 departments and 39 line agencies as members.

NDRRMC is also responsible for advising the President of the Republic of the Philippines on the status of the national disaster preparedness programs and management plans, disaster operations, and rehabilitation efforts of all stakeholders.

It also recommends to the President the declaration of the state of calamity and the release of the national calamity funds as needed.

Integration of DRR Education into the School Curricula and Sanguniang Kabataan (SK) Program and Mandatory Training for the Public Sector employees (Section 14, PDRRM Act)

The concept of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) accepts that some hazard events may occur but tries to lessen the impact by improving the community’s ability to absorb the impact with minimum damage or destruction. Disaster risk reduction and management is a series of action (programme, projects and/or measures) and instruments expressly aimed at reducing disaster risk in endangered regions, and mitigating the extent of disasters.

Definition of Disaster Management Terms

1. Hazards. A situation that poses a level of treat to life, health, property or environment.

2. Risks. A probability or threat of a damage, injury, liability, loss, or other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, and that may be neutralized through preemptive action.

3. Vulnerability. The level of susceptibility or resiliency of the people and communities against the impact of the prevailing hazards based on the state of physical, social, and economic conditions in a given area.

4. Disasters. A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.

The Disaster Equation

• Hazards (H). Physical impact of disturbance

• Risk (R). Likelihood of harm, loss; disaster

• People or Community (Exposure). Elements affected by hazard

• Vulnerability (V). Susceptibility and capacity to prepare, absorb, and recover from hazard H x R + V = Disaster Where:

• Hazards (H)

• Risk (R)

• People or Community

• Vulnerability (V)

• Exposure. Elements affected by hazard

Disaster Risk Management: What and Who Disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) includes administrative decisions and operational activities that involve:

1. Prevention

2. Mitigation

3. Preparedness

4. Response

5. Recovery

   6. Rehabilitation

Traditional Model – DM Cycle. The traditional approach to disaster management is to regard it as a number of phased sequences of action or a continuum

1. Disaster management occurs before, during and after a disaster.

2. Disaster management consists of the DRM component as well as relief, response, early and long-term recovery, including rehabilitation and reconstruction.

a. Disaster response., include\ing relief activities is conducted immediately after a disaster occurs primarily to save lives and for humanitarian purposes.

b. Recovery occurs over the short, medium and long-term in the aftermath of a disaster. Rehabilitation and reconstruction on the other hand, are long- term activities necessary to restore public infrastructure services and critical facilities.

c. Building back better during this process means not generating new risks and mitigating existing ones:

Rationale for Risk Management

1. Comprehensive risk management process has the potential to break the cycle of damage and reconstruction when a community is subjected to repeated natural hazards.

2. To be effective, a strategy must be in place and ready for immediate implementation when necessary.

3. This can only be done through advance preparation and planning.

Disaster Risk Management Objectives

1. Reduce vulnerabilities in the community

2. When sustained over a long term, reduce unacceptable risk to acceptable levels and make the community become disaster resistant/resilient.

Disaster risk management refers to a range of:

1. Policies

2. Legislative mandates

3. Professional practices

4. Social, structural and non-structural adjustments

5. Risk transfer mechanisms to prevent, reduce or minimize the effects of hazards on a community.

Range of Risk Management Measures

1. Engineering measures (Keep hazard away from people)

2. Land use planning and management measures (keep people away from hazard)

3. Control and protection works (modifying the hazard)

4. Early warning (predicting hazard)

5. Preparedness planning (prepare in anticipation of a hazard event)

6. Reconstruction planning after a disaster with the aim of reducing the vulnerability

7. Mainstreaming risk management in development practice and institutionalization

Disaster Risk Reduction Management Paradigm

1. The Disaster Risk Reduction paradigm has become dominant in the twenty-first century. DRR is proactive by aiming to establish a culture of disaster prevention and resilience. DRR measures emphasizes non-structural mitigation measures are therefore a must.

2. Disaster Risk management is a “range of related activities for coping with risk, including how related activities are identified and assessed and how social interventions to deal with risk are monitored and evaluated.

DRRM is undertaken during “normal times” and before another disaster strikes (e.g. during recovery). I focuses on the following:

a. Mitigation and Prevention - This is a sustained measure taken before a disaster occurs and is aimed to minimize the potential impacts of a disaster or reduce disaster risks.

b. Preparedness – This helps reduce severity of impact or certain disasters, particularly slow onset disasters. Proactivity with risk identification and capacity development. Common preparedness measures: hazard maps, food and material stockpiling; emergency drills, installation or early warning systems, and preparation of emergency kits.

c. Risk assessment (identification and monitoring). The information generated by this is essential to the development of non structural) mitigation measures (e.g. institutional and capacity building information sharing and dissemination, land use planning).

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND PROTECTION

Environmental Education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainability. The term is often used to Imply education within the school system, from primary to post secondary. However, it is sometimes used more broadly to include all efforts to educate the public and other audiences, including print materials, websites, media campaigns, etc. Related disciplines include outdoor education and experimental decisions and take responsible action. (UNESCO, Tbilisi Declaration, 1978).

Importance of environmental Education

1. All major natural resources in the country are in grave danger of irreparable damage.

2. A society cannot survive if its natural resources are rendered unfit for use of its people.

3. The only hope of salvaging the grave situation is by making the young aware that they need to proactively begin to protect the environment they will inherit.

4. Science and Technology can help in a limited way but cannot deliver it.

5. It is a moral and ethical education for changing people’s attitude.

6. To protect children living in polluted regions, environmental education represents a relevant means of prevention.

7. It is a need of the time to propose environmental education delivered with moral concept.

8. It is conceived to sustain participation of the citizens especially the youth particularly in combating ill effects of climate change.

Related Laws and Directives in promoting Environment Education

CHED Memorandum Order No. 33 Series of 2009

Subject: Integration of environmental Education in the Tertiary Education Curriculum particularly the Civic Welfare and Training Service Component of the National Service Training Program.

Republic Act No. 9512 or The National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008.

An act to promote environmental awareness through environmental education and for other purposes.

This act is known as the “National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008.

Republic Act No. 9275 or Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

An act providing for a comprehensive water quality management and for other purposes.

Republic Act No. 9175 or Chainsaw Act of 2002

An act regulating the ownership, possession, sale, importation and use of chainsaws, penalizingviolations thereof and for other purposes.

Republic Act No. 9147 or Wildlife Resources Conservations and Protection Act of 2001

An act providing for the conservation and protection of wildlife resources and their habitats, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes.

Republic Act 9003 or The Ecological solid Waste Management Act of 2000

This is an act providing for an ecological solid waste management program, creating the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, declaring certain acts prohibited and providing penalties, appropriating funds thereof, and for other purposes.

Republic Act 8749 or Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999

“The Philippine Clear Air Act of 1999” an act providing for a comprehensive air pollution control policy and for other purposes.

Climate change is any change in climate over time whether due to natural processes or as a result of human activity.

Climate Change is caused by the increasing volume of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, warming the earth’s surface and contributing to climate change (UNEP 1988). These gases are water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, ozone. Hydro Fhoro Carbon (HFC) perflourocarbon (PFC), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). When these gases increase in volume, more solar heat will be trapped resulting to a warmer atmosphere condition. This phenomenon is known as the “greenhouse effect”.

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the earth’s near surface air and oceans that is associated with the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The Philippines is ranked 4th in the Global Climate Risk index. Being archipelogic, fifteen (15) of its regions are vulnerable to sea level rise. A meter rise in sea level will affect 63 out of 81 provinces in the Philippines, sea water would cover at least 703 ot 1,610 towns and close to 700 million square meter of land could displace at least 1.5 million Filipinos.

Ecological Solid Waste Management

Solid waste management refers to the supervised handling of waste material from generation at the source through the recovery processes to disposal.

Pursuant to Executive Order No. 192, EMB is also mandated to provide research and laboratory services, and secretariat services to the Pollution Adjudication Board and the National Solid Waste Management Commissions. The EMB is committed to pursue programs and projects that are in line with the ENR thrusts under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 which is to improve environmental quality for a cleaner and healthier environment. In order to provide the communities with a healthier environment

Based on studies made by the National Solid Waste Management Commission Secretariat based at the Environmental Management Board (EMB), it is estimated that the per capita waste production daily is 0.5 kg.

Improper solid waste disposal is probably the most important environmental concern facing local government. This is particularly true in the Philippines (World Bank, 2001) In response to a garbage crisis, the first bill that then Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed into law in 2001 was Republic Act No. 9003 (R.A. 9003) or the Ecological Solid Waste Management (ECOSWAM) Act which requires municipalities to dispose of waste in a sanitary and environmentally friendly manner.

Republic Act No. 9003 provides the legal framework for the country’s systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program that shall ensure protection of public health and the environment.

A highly recommended formula is to adopt the 3Rs of Ecological Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Classification of Solid Waste

1. Domestic

2. Commercial

3. Industrial

4. Consumption and Demolition

5. Agricultural Waste

Physical Composition of solid Waste

1. Organic

2. Inorganic

Refuse Materials by Kinds, Composition and Sources

1. Garbage

2. Rubbish

3. Ashes

4. Street refuse

5. Dead animals

6. Industrial waste

7. Construction waste

Hazardous Waste

These are solid wastes or a combination of solid waste which identify concentration or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics may do the following:

1. Cause or significantly contribute to the increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness; and

2. Cause a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored or transported.

Hazardous Waste Management

A comprehensive and integrated management of toxic substances and hazardous wastes which adheres to the waste management hierarchy of source, reduction, recycling, treatment and safe disposal for the protection of personnel, environment and property.

Four Characteristics of Hazardous Wastes

1. Ignitable – the substance causes or enhances fires

2. Corrosive – the substance destroys tissues or metals

3. Reactive – the substance reacts with others and may explode

4. Toxic – the substance is a danger to health, water, food and air

The Three Main Goals of Hazardous Waste Management

1. Protection of the environment

2. Improvement of public public health

3. Conservation of energy

Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM)

It is the selection of combinations of techniques, technologies and management programs to achieve waste management objectives.

Source: Reduction and Minimization
Recycling and Reuse
Transformation
Landfill

Zero Waste Management

Zero Waste Management is an ecological method of handling wastes that does not degrade the environment nor pollute air, water, soil and facilitate their sanitary retrieval, reuse or recycling. This is one of the most friendly, economical tool of contributing ecological welfare for human beings and the community.

Modern waste reduction consists of three (3) components namely:

1. Reuse. Means re-utilization of materials for particular purpose.

2. Reduce. The process of lessening the fresh raw materials that affects air, water and land pollution through proper waste waste disposal.

3. Recycling. Involves processing used, unwanted materials (waste) into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials.

Air Pollution Awareness and Prevention

Ozone is formed by a series of complex reactions involving nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and sunlight.

Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odorless gas produced during fossil fuel or biomass burning. Carbon monoxide exposure can block oxygen to the brain and cause poor concentration, fatigue and death.

Lead is one of the most toxic substances. Lead in gasoline remain by far the single largest source of lead exposure in urban areas and poses the greatest threat to the public.

Sulfur dioxide is a gas. It is invisible and has a nasty, sharp smell, it reacts easily with other substances to form harmful compounds, such as sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid and sulfate particles.

The main source of sulfur dioxide in the air is industrial activity that processes materials that contain sulfur, e.g. the generation of electricity from coal, oil or gas that contains sulfur.

Nitrogen oxides are gases pollution produces from high temperature combustion in the air. It

can cause respiratory ailments like asthma and eye irritations. They are also an active ingredient in the formation of smog.

Sources of Air Pollution

1. Mobile Sources. There are 3.9 million vehicles registered in the whole country. Around 80% use gasoline and 30% use diesel. Only a small percentage of Filipinos own cars, 20% in Metro Manila. The rest take public transportation.

2. Stationary Sources. Stationary sources that account for most of the air pollution are emissions from power plants, cement plants and oil refineries.

Sulfur and nitrogen oxides, particulates matter and soot irritates the mucous membranes of the respiratory system. If irritation is prolonged, it can lead to respiratory disease – persistent cough, emphysema, asthma, and other allergies, and worse, cancer.

Carbon monoxide is hazardous because it bonds strongly with hemoglobin of the blood, replacing oxygen. As a result, the tissues and organs of the body are deprived of the vital gas, oxygen.

Ozone causes a range of acute effects including eyes, nose and throat irritation. It also impairs respiratory functions. Ozone is a highly oxidizing gas that causes damage to materials so do sulfuric and nitric acid from sulfur and nitrogen oxide, respectively.

Benzene the most toxic VOC is highly linked to leukemia. It is also an agent in ozone formation.

The Philippine is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change and has ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Under the latter, all signatory countries are committed to exert all efforts to lower their greenhouse gas emissions.

Another class of substances that must be regulated is what is collectively known as Chlorofluocarbons (CFCs). CFCs are unreactive for mattresses, Styrofoam and insulation.

Radioactivity is the most lethal form of pollutants because it can readily destroy cells and tissues.

Radioactive emissions come from nuclear power plant even in routine operations.

The Clean Air Act of 1999 The Act gives an initial list of hazardous air pollutants and guidelines for ambient air quality