MODULE 6

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 commitments to the prevention and fight against drug addiction.
4. Explore the nature and effects of drugs and substance abuse such as alcohol, tobacco, and others
on personal health and social relationships.
5. Synthesize accurate information on health, legal, and social consequence of drug and substance
abuse and examine how these negatively impact the person, who uses the drugs, his/her family,
friends and community
6. Make a personal commitment to remain drug free and develop plan to help address drug and
substance abuse.

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 fogs 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 dug is to know its uses. For example, alcohol is a
beverage, but it is also considered a drug used for relaxation, to remove exhibitions, 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 human 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.
Drug 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-inducting 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.”
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 stepped in tea. It is believed to act as the “getaway” 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 or 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, extracts, tincture or in any from 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 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
scope 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 suffer from sever 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 gave 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 nail polish 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
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
 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (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 from 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 heart rate, or death from heart failure or stroke
5. Prolonged regular use 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 of 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 smoke 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 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 increase 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 drag 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.