Urdaneta City University

National Service Training Program 2

2nd Semester A.Y. 2018-2019

DRUG
EDUCATION

Submitted by:

Leader: BAUTISTA, Irish

Members: ACOSTA, Mica Ella

BALBERAN, John

BARROGA, Amadeo

BINUYA, Erica Joyce

CASTILLO, Efren

Code: A097

Submitted to:

Dr. Mary Ruth Sanchez

NSTP 2 Instructor
 What is a Drug?

Drug use is a rampant problem not only in the Philippines but throughout the

world. It is a controversial issue where there are 1.3 million estimated drug users in the

Philippines. Most of us have been affected by them directly or indirectly. Users can

harm not only the themselves but also the people around them.

According to WHO, drug is a term that has a varied usage. In medicine, it refers

to any substance with the potential to prevent or cure disease or enhance physical or

mental welfare, and in pharmacology to any chemical agent that alters the biochemical

physiological processes of tissues or organisms. Medicines are legal drugs, meaning

doctors are allowed to prescribe them for patients, stores can sell them, and people are

allowed to buy them. But it's not legal, or safe, for people to use these medicines any

way they want or to buy them from people who are selling them illegally. Hence, a drug

is a substance that is, or could be, listed in a pharmacopoeia.

In common usage, the term often refers specifically to psychoactive drugs, and

often, even more specifically, to illicit drugs, of which there is non-medical use in

addition to any medical use. Professional formulations (e.g. "alcohol and other drugs")

often seek to make the point that caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, and other substances in

common non- medical use are also drugs in the sense of being taken at least in part for

their psychoactive effects.

The main feature of drugs is that it causes addiction. Addiction is when you can’t

stop. Not when it puts your health in danger. Not when it causes financial, emotional,

and other problems for you or your loved ones. That urge to get and use drugs can fill

up every minute of the day, even if you want to quit.

Drug addiction is also called substance use disorder. It is a disease that affects

a person's brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or

illegal drug or medication no matter how much harm the drugs may cause. It is
characterized by excessive drug craving, seeking, and use. Addiction is caused by brain

changes caused by constant drug use. Drug addiction is different from drug abuse.

Drug abuse is when you use legal or illegal substances in ways you shouldn’t.

You might take more than the regular dose of pills or use someone else’s prescription.

You may abuse drugs to feel good, ease stress, or avoid reality. This continued use can

lead to drug dependence, a state of physical dependence which suggests that the body

has become habituated to the presence of a drug and psychological dependence which

manifested in the form of craving for a drug. But usually, you’re able to change your

unhealthy habits or stop using altogether.

The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, but repeated drug

use can lead to brain changes that challenge an addicted person’s self-control and

interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs. These brain changes can

be persistent, which is why drug addiction is considered a "relapsing" disease—people

in recovery from drug use disorders are at increased risk for returning to drug use even

after years of not taking the drug.

At first, you may choose to take a drug because you like the way it makes you

feel. You may think you can control how much and how often you use it. But over time,

drugs change how your brain works. For some people, the drug use becomes more

frequent. For others, particularly with opioids, drug addiction begins with exposure to

prescribed medications, or receiving medications from a friend or relative who has been

prescribed the medication.

As time passes, you may need larger doses of the drug to get high. A high is the

feeling that drug users want to get when they take drugs. There are many types of

highs, including a very happy or spacey feeling or a feeling that someone has special

powers, such as the ability to fly or to see into the future. Soon you may need the drug

just to feel good. As your drug use increases, you may find that it's increasingly difficult

to go without the drug. Attempts to stop drug use may cause intense cravings and make

you feel physically ill.

 Why do People use Drugs?

As humans, it is in our nature to take risks and experiment. People have

experimented with drugs for centuries in rituals, for cultural, social and medical

reasons. Young people today will experiment with drugs for a number of reasons.

 To feel good. Drugs can produce intense feelings of pleasure. This initial euphoria

is followed by other effects, which differ with the type of drug used. For example,

with stimulants such as cocaine, the high is followed by feelings of power, self-

confidence, and increased energy. In contrast, the euphoria caused by opioids such

as heroin is followed by feelings of relaxation and satisfaction.

 To feel better. Some people who suffer from social anxiety, stress, and depression

start using drugs to try to feel less anxious. Stress can play a major role in starting

and continuing drug use as well as relapse (return to drug use) in patients

recovering from addiction.

 To do better. Some people feel pressure to improve their focus in school or at work

or their abilities in sports. This can play a role in trying or continuing to use drugs,

such as prescription stimulants or cocaine.

 Curiosity and social pressure. In this respect, teens are particularly at risk

because peer pressure can be very strong. Teens are more likely than adults to act

in risky or daring ways to impress their friends and show their independence from

parents and social rules.

No one factor can predict if a person will become addicted to drugs. A

combination of factors influences risk for addiction. The more risk factors a person has,

the greater the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction. The following are some

of the factors that can influence the drug addiction:

 Environmental factors
 Home and Family. The home environment, especially during childhood, is a very

important factor. Parents or older family members who use drugs or misuse alcohol,

or who break the law, can increase children's risk of future drug problems.
 Peer and School. Friends and other peers can have an increasingly strong

influence during the teen years. Teens who use drugs can sway even those without

risk factors to try drugs for the first time. Struggling in school or having poor social

skills can put a child at further risk for using or becoming addicted to drugs.

 Other factors

 Early Use. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, research shows

that the earlier a person begins to use drugs, the more likely he or she is to develop

serious problems. This may be due to the harmful effect that drugs can have on the

developing brain. It also may result from a mix of early social and biological risk

factors, including lack of a stable home or family, exposure to physical or sexual

abuse, genes, or mental illness. Still, the fact remains that early use is a strong

indicator of problems ahead, including addiction.

 How the drug is taken. Smoking a drug or injecting it into a vein increases its

addictive potential. Both smoked and injected drugs enter the brain within seconds,

producing a powerful rush of pleasure. However, this intense high can fade within a

few minutes. Scientists believe this starkly felt contrast drives some people to

repeated drug taking in an attempt to recapture the fleeting pleasurable state.

 Biological factors

 A person's risk of addiction includes their genes, stage of development, gender,

ethnicity, and the presence of other mental disorders may also influence risk for

drug use and addiction.

Are there any symptoms that identify a person who may be using Drugs?

Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish normal teenage moodiness or angst from signs of

drug use. Possible indications that your teenager or other family member is using drugs

include:

 Problems at school or work — frequently missing school or work, a sudden

disinterest in school activities or work, or a drop-in grades or work performance

  Physical health issues — lack of energy and motivation, weight loss or gain, or

red eyes

 Neglected appearance — lack of interest in clothing, grooming or looks

 Changes in behavior — exaggerated efforts to bar family members from entering

his or her room or being secretive about where he or she goes with friends; or

drastic changes in behavior and in relationships with family and friends

 Money issues — sudden requests for money without a reasonable explanation; or

your discovery that money is missing or has been stolen or that items have

disappeared from your home, indicating maybe they're being sold to support drug

use

Drug addiction symptoms or behaviors include, among others:

 Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly — daily or even several times a day

 Having intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts

 Over time, needing more of the drug to get the same effect

 Taking larger amounts of the drug over a longer period of time than you intended

 Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug

 Spending money on the drug, even though you can't afford it

 Not meeting obligations and work responsibilities, or cutting back on social or

recreational activities because of drug use

 Continuing to use the drug, even though you know it's causing problems in your life

or causing you physical or psychological harm

 Doing things to get the drug that you normally wouldn't do, such as stealing

 Driving or doing other risky activities when you're under the influence of the drug
  Spending a good deal of time getting the drug, using the drug or recovering from

the effects of the drug

 Failing in your attempts to stop using the drug

 Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you attempt to stop taking the drug

What are some of the possible consequences of drug use?

There are many consequences that may come about as a result of drug abuse.

There can be social, legal, financial, and physical and mental health consequences. The

consequences of drug abuse may differ in intensity depending on how far the addiction

has progressed and the type of drug being abused.

 People of all ages suffer the harmful consequences of drug use and

addiction:

 Teens who use drugs may act out and may do poorly in school or drop out. Using

drugs when the brain is still developing may cause lasting brain changes and put

the user at increased risk of dependence.

 Adults who use drugs can have problems thinking clearly, remembering, and

paying attention. They may develop poor social behaviors as a result of their drug

use, and their work performance and personal relationships suffer.

 Parents' drug use can mean chaotic, stress-filled homes, as well as child abuse

and neglect. Such conditions harm the well-being and development of children in

the home and may set the stage for drug use in the next generation.

 Babies exposed to drugs in the womb may be born premature and underweight.

This exposure can slow the child's ability to learn and affect behavior later in life.

They may also become dependent on opioids or other drugs used by the mother

during pregnancy, a condition called neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

 Social Consequences of Drug Abuse

 Having problems in relationships with family and friends

 Doing or saying things you would not normally say or do

 Withdrawing from the people you care about

 Stealing from family to support your drug use

 No one wants to be around you anymore

 Legal Consequences of Drug Abuse

 May be arrested for possession of illegal drugs

 May be arrested for behavior resulting from your drug use

 May involve yourself in car accidents related to your drug use or lost your driver’s

license

 Financial Consequences of Drug Abuse

 May lost jobs as a result of drug use

 May be denied jobs as a result of a criminal record related to drug use

 Always in debt or broke

 Had to sell things to support your drug use

 Had to pay lawyers and/or fines as a result of your drug use

 May fail to pay important bills (mortgage, rent, utilities, etc.) because a large amount of

money is spent on drugs

 Physical and Mental Health Consequences of Drug Abuse

 Feeling sick when you try to lessen the amount of drugs you use or try to stop

 May suffer from depression

 May suffer from anxiety

 Feeling paranoid

 Being suicidal

 May experience tremors

This is not a perfect and all-inclusive list of all the consequences of drug abuse.

In most cases, someone that is experiencing consequences of drug abuse can

experience many of those listed above to lesser or greater degree.

 What drugs are commonly abused?

Chemical Classifications of Drugs

Each of the regulated drugs that act on the central nervous system or alter your

feelings and perceptions can be classified according to their physical and psychological

effects. The different drug types include the following:

 Depressants. Drugs that suppress or slow the activity of the brain and nerves,

acting directly on the central nervous system to create a calming or sedating

effect. This category includes barbiturates (phenobarbital, thiopental, butalbital),

benzodiazepines (alprazolam, diazepam, clonazepam, lorazepam, midazolam),

alcohol, and gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB). Depressants are taken to relieve

anxiety, promote sleep and manage seizure activity.

 Stimulants. Drugs that accelerate the activity of the central nervous system.

Stimulants can make you feel energetic, focused, and alert. This class of drugs

can also make you feel edgy, angry, or paranoid. Stimulants include drugs such

as cocaine, crack cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine. According to

the recent World Drug Report published by the United Nations Office on Drugs

and Crime, amphetamine-derived stimulants like ecstasy and methamphetamine

are the most commonly abused drugs around the world after marijuana.

 Hallucinogens. Also known as psychedelics, these drugs act on the central

nervous system to alter your perception of reality, time, and

space. Hallucinogens may cause you to hear or see things that don’t exist or

imagine situations that aren’t real. Hallucinogenic drugs include psilocybin (found

in magic mushrooms), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), peyote, and

dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

 Opioids. These are the drugs that act through the opioid receptors. Opioids are

one of the most commonly prescribed medicines worldwide and are

commonly used to treat pain and cough. These include drugs such
 as heroin, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, oxycodone, buprenorphine,

and methadone.

 Inhalants. These are a broad class of drugs with the shared trait of being

primarily consumed through inhalation. Most of the substances in this class can

exist in vapor form at room temperature. As many of these substances can be

found as household items, inhalants are frequently abused by children and

adolescents. These include substances such as paint, glue, paint thinners,

gasoline, marker or pen ink, and others. Though ultimately all of these

substances cross through the lungs into the bloodstream, their precise method of

abuse may vary but can include sniffing, spraying, huffing, bagging, and inhaling,

among other delivery routes.

 Cannabis. Cannabis is a plant-derived drug that is the most commonly used illicit

drug worldwide. It acts through the cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Cannabis

is abused in various forms including bhang, ganja, charas, and hashish oil.

 New psychoactive substances (NPS). These are drugs designed to evade the

existing drug laws. Drugs such as synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic

cathinones, ketamine, piperazines, and some plant-based drugs such

as khat and kratom are examples of NPS.

Most commonly abused drugs in the Philippines includes the following:

 Methamphetamine Hydrochloride (Shabu) 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

  Cannabis Sativa (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

 Inhalants are similar to that of alcohol,

including slurred speech, lack of coordination,

euphoria and dizziness. Inhalant abusers may also

experience lightheadedness, hallucinations, and

delusions.

The risk of addiction and how fast you become addicted varies by drug and

the risk factors a person has. Many people don't understand why or how other people

become addicted to drugs. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack

moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing

to. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than

good intentions or a strong will. Drugs change the brain in ways that make quitting hard,

even for those who want to.

Although the problem of drugs may seem impossible to eliminate, there are

concrete steps that can be taken to weaken the hold of drugs on society. With a

thorough treatment and constant support from family and friends, any addiction,

including the drug abuse can be defeated. The first and the hardest step for the people
that suffer from drug abuse is to realize and admit that they have an addiction and listen

to the people around, who can see better the destructive effects drugs have on their life.

Fortunately, researchers know more than ever about how drugs affect the brain and

have found treatments that can help people recover from drug addiction and lead

productive lives.

References:
 https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-

addiction/drug-misuse-addiction?fbclid=IwAR10mJW_Rohi-

o3Q2QGegdlpg4PinFMtpyvd42CibAHpZvqzmVaOq-rGvq0

 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-

causes/syc-20365112?fbclid=IwAR0C77_rf-b-t8hkOH4ZVrqBRW-

XKjNdhNGPvWlQhRCXEc_w7JxanneG8hk

 https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-

addiction/introduction?fbclid=IwAR1wPPa314MumqiO1e-

qYFm4cfxLxruPPgco2j90Nih0GdcUwrWM_GDg9dc

 https://myvictorycenter.com/consequences-of-drug-

abuse/?fbclid=IwAR3uePSOiHL3T6Hwm5aKWBBVz-

4PfKawkigZk2SRPOetYBW9ImaLtlz6kcs

 https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-

addiction?fbclid=IwAR0pOzH9p3gXPMLJw1zxPHPFGbne8rkMzD9M9SYFOawG

kOk-5g2ZlOQbEbc

 https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/drug-abuse-

addiction?fbclid=IwAR0nbueorwnztbzg1b2Hw2DV62qNBni9hYUIl17UD-

OfOIWZ63m1_xaymqQ#1

 https://www.who.int/substance_abuse/terminology/who_lexicon/en/

 https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/know-drugs.html

 https://www.ddb.gov.ph/sidebar/58-facts-on-drugs

 https://luxury.rehabs.com/drug-abuse/classifications/