ADDICTION In the Philippines

What is the meaning of addiction?

Addiction-a compulsive chronic, physiological, or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence: the state of being addicted.

- alcohol addiction

- an addiction to prescription painkillers

- drug addiction

A strong inclination to do, use indulge in something repeatedly. But those who know him well say he isn't driven by politics as much as his addiction to breaking news:

Amanda Ripley

If we do not find the courage to kick our fossil fuel addiction and transition to clean energy, we will warm the atmosphere to the extent that areas typically covered in white all winter long could see only sporadic snow.

Steven Altman

In the Philippines, an estimated 1.7 million Filipinos were taking dangerous drugs in 2019. In the same year, there were only 5,277 recorded admissions in inpatient and outpatient facilities, excluding those who are accessing services through community-based programs.

What is the most common addiction in the Philippines?

The leading drugs of abuse remain to be Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, or "Shabu" which comprised ninety-two percent (91.80%) of the total admission, followed by Cannabis (Marijuana) at twenty-two percent (26.29%).

2021 Statistical Analysis

PROFILE OF DRUG USERS

(Facility-Based)*

CY 2021

AGE: Mean age of 33 years

A median of 33 years

SEX: Ratio of Male or Female 10:1

CIVIL STATUS: Single (53.03%)

STATUS EMPLOYMENT: Employed (62.30%)

(Workers/Employees, Businessmen, and Self-employed)

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: High School Level (27.33%)

ECONOMIC STATUS: Average Monthly Family Income Php 15,142.03

PLACE OF RESIDENCE: Urban Core (Specifically NCR 20.13%)

DURATION OF DRUGS TAKEN: More than six (6) years

NATURE OF DRUG: Mono Drug Use**

Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu)

Cannabis (Marijuana)

Benzodiasephine (Depressant)

*Residential and Out-patient Facilities

** Mono drug use - abuse of one (1) drug only

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

CY 2021

For 2021, a total of sixty-three (63) treatment and rehabilitation facilities were reported to the Treatment and Rehabilitation Admission System (TRAIS). Of this, fifty-eight (58) are residential, and five (5) are outpatient.

As culled from these facilities, two thousand seven hundred eight (2,708) admission were recorded. Out of this number, two thousand three hundred seventy-two (2,372) were inpatients with 2,344 (86.55%) new cases and 28 (1.03%) readmitted or replace cases. On the other hand, only 3 cases (12.41%) have availed of outpatient treatment. Some facilities reported no admission for the year.

Compared with the cases of the previous year, around a fourteen percent (13.54%) increase in admission was noted. The use in admission can be attributed to the resumption of the operation by the different rehabilitation centers and the seeming willingness of the PWUDs to undergo treatment and rehabilitation as evidenced by forty-two percent (41.54%) of the voluntary submission cases.

Demographic profile

The center admission consists of ninety percent (90.47%) makes around nine percent (8.83%) females and one percent (0.70%) LGBT. The ratio of male to female is 10.1 with computed mean and median age 33 years old. The youngest admission for the year under review is 13 years old while the oldest is 66. The majority of the admissions belong to the 40 years old and above age group with twenty-eight percent (28.40%) cases.

Fifty-three percent (53.03%) are single and around twenty-five percent (24.74%) are married, those who have live-in partners comprised seventeen percent (17.43%), and the rest, above five percent (4.80%) are either widowers/or, separated, divorced, annulled.

As to educational attainment, twenty-seven percent (27.33%) have attained high school level. On the second spot are those who have reached college (20.13%) followed by those who have graduated high school (16.62%).

The average monthly family income (is Php 15,142.03).

Regarding the status of employment, those employed (either workers, employees or businessmen and self-employed) comprised sixty-two percent (62.30%) while unemployed thirty-two percent (32.05%) of the admission constitute students and almost one percent (0.96%) out-of-school youth while few (0.11%) were pensioners.

Twenty percent (20.13%) of reported cases are residents of the National Capital Region while seventeen percent (16.08%) are from Region 111.

Regarding the age of the first user, (41.25%) belong to the age of 15 to 19 years old. Almost thirty-seven percent (36.60%) admitted to having taken drugs 2 to 5 times a week while twenty-seven percent (26.77%) used drugs monthly and nineteen percent (18.19%) every week.

Most Commonly Abused Drugs

The leading drug of abuse remains to be Methamphetamine, Hydrochloride, or "Shabu" which comprised ninety-two percent (91.80%) of the total admission, followed by Cannabis (Marijuana) at twenty-six percent (26.29%).

Benzodiazepines is the third drug of choice, and this could be because these are sedative medication used to address anxiety, insomnia, and seizures, indulging certain Covid-19 related mental health problems. On the other hand "LSO" which has seen to be an emerging drug in 2020, occupied the 11th rank this reporting year.

Mono-drug use is still the nature of drug-taking and the routes of admission are inhalation/self-sniffing and oral ingestion.

Social, Political, and Economic Context of Illegal

Drug in the Philippines.

M. Hembra

M. Hembra Western Visayas Medical Center and West Visayas State University College of Medicine, Iloilo City, Philippines.

Drug abuse affects almost all countries of the world. In the Philippines, it has reached epidemic proportions and is one of the top priorities on the government's agenda. However, there are many questions to be answered to come up with a comprehensive program to address this problem. This study will attempt to determine the economic, political, and social context of the use of illegal drugs in the Philippines. The prevalence of illegal drugs in the Philippines has not been accurately determined. However, estimates by the UNODC showed the annual prevalence of Marijuana is 3.5 percent, Amphetamine- type stimulants 2.8 percent, and ecstasy .01 percent of the population above 15 years of age.

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. There are a variety of factors that influences 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 workers; media exposure and decreasing moral fabric of the society; and political factors such as policies, drug laws, and enforcement.

Conclusion: Drug abuse in the Philippines is multifactorial, and there is a need to study these different factors. Furthermore, there is an immediate need to do or epidemic logic study of the content of drug abuse, which will significantly help fulfill the need for policy, treatment, and prevention.

Abstract Year: 2004

Abstract Region: Pacific

Abstract Country: Philippines

The voluntary care model for persons who use drugs resulted in over 90% completion of treatment rate

DOH to scale up the model nationwide with lessons from Pilot Recovery Clinics

12 November 2021/News release/Manila

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), around 35 million people suffer from substance use disorders worldwide. However, one in six people who are eligible for drug-dependent treatment have access to treatment programs.

In the Philippines, an estimated 1.7 million Filipinos were taking dangerous drugs in 2019. In the same year, there were only 5,277 recorded admissions to inpatient and outpatient facilities, excluding those who are accessing services through community-based programs.

Substance use disorders and similar to other chronic health conditions. They are linked to the individual's health and social conditions and are best managed with public health perspective and a human rights lens.

The duration of the treatment services for and the recovery of persons who use drugs (PWUDs) depend on the individual needs of patients. It is important that long-term support and crisis interventions are available when needed, and barriers to access to treatment are minimized.

The recently passed Universal Health Care Law will also give Filipinos affordable and quality healthcare services, including drug rehabilitation services for PWUDs.

Voluntary Care Model for PWUDs

Substance use disorders are complex health conditions with psychological, environmental, and biological determinants. Institutions and organizations must work together to address deep-rooted causes with multidisciplinary, comprehensive, and public health-oriented responses.

2017 to 2020, the World Health Organization, with support from Australian Government, assisted the Department of Health (DOH) in developing voluntary care for PWUDs.

Working closely with the DOH, Dangerous Drug Board (DDB), UNODC, and other partners, six pilots Recovery Clinics provided a complementary pathway for disorder treatment service in the community. The Recovery Clinics were managed by the local government units of Ifugao, Tarlac, Pasay City, Oriental Mindoro, Mandaue City, and Davao de Oro.

The Recovery Clinics admit patients voluntarily. They are as free to enroll in treatment as they are to quit treatment. The Recovery Clinic is a non-residential treatment facility where specialized consultations, evaluations, and treatment may be provided. Health professionals consult with PWUDs in making decisions about treatment options, while maintaining their confidential medical records and respecting patient's rights and privacy.

In those years, the pilot Recovery Clinic enrolled 19% of the total 22,756 enrolled PWUDs in outpatient services, with a treatment completion rate averaging 91% based on DOH data.

"The implementation of the pilot Recovery Clinic was successful in achieving its goal of developing a voluntary pathway for drug rehabilitation services," said Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative to the Philippines. "We have now local evidence and lessons to prove their impact as a complementary approach to the current model of care for persons who use drugs in the Philippines. We look forward to seeing more Recovery Clinics managed by local governments and health authorities nationwide.

"I discovered that I am more than just a name in a list," said a patient from Tarlac Drug Recovery Clinic." The Recovery Program changed my outlook. It is a spiritual journey to the self," another patient said.

The DOH, in collaboration with WHO Philippines, also the Substance Abuse Helpline (SAH) 1550. The helpline is run by counselors who provide free and confidential services, including information on treatment services available, referral to relevant health facilities, and brief psychosocial intervention.

The mobility restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have affected access to healthcare and the SAH 1550 provides a way to deliver the basic services for PWUDs and their families.

Scrolling Up the Model

"The Recovery Clinic which is jointly developed by the DOH and WHO will be of great help in the reintegration of Persons who Use Drugs (PWUDs) in their return to a productive life likewise, the Substance Abuse Helpline 1550 (SAH 1550) will provide easy access for PWUDs, families, stakeholders by providing brief interventions and referrals to treatment 'said Dr. Lilibeth C. David, Undersecretary for Health Facilities and Infrastructure Development at the DOH. 'Together let us continue to build networks, structures, and people to improve our fellow Filipinos 'health.'

The lesson learned from the Pilot Recovery Clinics documented in the evaluation report will support the development of guidelines for the scaling up of the model. In addition, the Recovery Clinic Toolkit also serves as a compendious of the necessary information, guidelines, and procedures in establishing, operating, maintaining, and advocating for Recovery Clinics in the country.

Conclusion:

It's been a month since the Senate hearing regarding the confiscated drugs worth 6.7B to prove who was the high-ranking official informant, there are 5 policemen held in contempt because they are not telling who is the informant. So, in my observation as long as many of the Generals who are involved this killing substance (drugs) this problem will never have an ending, and sad for the policemen who are just receiving orders from their bosses had to sacrifice. However, if they will just name names who this big fish is (the protector of the drug and the distributor) the end of the drugs.