TRINIDAD, Erika Abigail M. Ms.

Leah Andal-Guevarra

NSTP 101.1 WF 12-130PM MIDTERM PAPER

Drugs, Environment & the Youth

Drugs are medical or other substances that, when ingested, can affect a
persons physical or mental state. When used outside the medical setting, they are
also referred to as recreational drugs. There are three major types of recreational
drugs, namely: depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. Depressants slow down
the activity in the central nervous system and reduce a persons alertness, while
stimulants increase activity in the central nervous system and make a person more
alert and aroused. Hallucinogens, on the other hand, work to make a person see,
hear, smell, or feel things that are not there.

The use of drugs results in chemical changes in the brain and the body that,
when not moderated, and exacerbated by continued use, may lead to drug
dependence and addiction. It can negatively affect the persons health, productivity,
and socio-economic fluidity. Drug use can also be described as a coping mechanism
in reaction to an individuals personal experience and social environment. The
environment of an individual plays an important role in the shaping of their
decisions, including those concerning drug use. Issues relating to mental, emotional,
and physical security like financial capacity, education, presence of good role
models, provision of basic needs, and positive social interactions are only some of
the daily pressures faced by individuals that may contribute to the overall
personality of a person and how he/she interacts with the world, and subsequently,
with why he/she may decide to use drugs. Other reasons cited by users include peer
pressure, stress, forced drug use, recreation, and self-medication.

A large percentage of drug users admitted in rehabilitation facilities first used

drugs while they were in their youth. Most users of varying age come from
backgrounds of poverty and unemployment, while several come from well-to-do
families and/or have high-paying jobs. There is no one common reason or
background as to why people use recreational drugs, but if our treatment and
prevention of illegal drug use does not improve, we might not only fail to solve the
drug problem in the foreseeable future, but also serve to proliferate the social
stigma surrounding drug use, and consequently, decrease our capacity to help
those who are affected.

The government has been working on properly and effectively implementing

laws governing recreational drug use, even cooperating with private corporations so
as to build and provide for a rehabilitation program that caters to many patients.
Even with this, the Philippines still lacks in facilities and personnel to treat the
current number of drug-addicted patients.

Youth is defined in the Youth As Nation-Building Act of 1994, as the period

between childhood and adulthood, specifically, from ages 15-30. It is also the period
when many are introduced to drugs. Marijuana is the most common form of illegal
substance that is easily available to the youth. It is considered as a gateway drug
because its accessibility and relatively less extreme effects make it more attractive
to first-time users. Gateway drugs serve as the starting point for long term drug
abuse of a more serious nature.
 The youth are undoubtedly an indispensable contributor to the development
and progress of society. However, that society serves as the environment which in
turn also shapes the future of the youth. If a society does not prioritize inculcating
the values of good decision-making in its youth, nor provides a healthy environment
for their growth in such a way that does not necessitate and promote drug abuse,
how can they be expected to further the growth of that society? What happens now
is a vicious cycle of the youth and society degenerating, and the solution is to break
that tautology. While education on the hazards of drug abuse is certainly
meritorious and holds a lot of weight, environmental factors should be given equal
focus in addressing the problem.

Factors such as poverty, debt, low literacy rates, incidents of teenage

pregnancies, peer pressure, unhealthy family life, pressure to excel, and pressure to
make more money are only some of the few that are critical for first-time drug
users, while the social stigma around drug abuse (that drug users are worthless,
less than human, and beyond saving, among others), harsh laws governing
recreational drugs, and lack of financial power contribute to drug users refusal to
seek help and rehabilitation. These factors lead users to make poor choices without
considering the repercussions of such.

And yet in turn, it is each and every one of the choices that we make that
shapes the environment we move in. In a sense, we have the power to create an
environment where the need for recreational drugs is obsolete. Therefore, we must
learn that we have an active participation in building a healthier, happier society,
and be aware of the consequences of our actions, scrutinizing each decision to see
that it is in line with that goal.

In line with this, a step towards eradicating drug abuse is learning to not treat
each users addiction as an individual problem. The factors surrounding the
beginning and proliferation of drug abuse are not mutually exclusive, but rather
interconnected. Each factor must be addressed so that drug abuse in the collective
scale will cease to exist. Knowing this, there is a pressing need to make ourselves
aware of this issue, share the knowledge we have learned, and encourage others to
advocate for a kinder and more comprehensive response to winning the drug war.

As college students, we are made aware of these problems as we learn of our

roles in society and of the improvements that we can make, not only when it comes
to our society in which we move, but our future and the future of the country as
well. As young adults privileged of receiving good education and being taught the
importance of responsible decision-making, we hold the obligation of learning and
acting to improve our surroundings for a future where there would be no causes for
anyone to turn to drugs to solve or escape his or her problems. While the first step
is through education of each community, our efforts need not stop there.

There are existing organizations and institutions built and maintained with
the aim of providing a solution to issues related to drug use, the environment and
the youth, and accommodate rehabilitation of patients. Organizations such as the
Philippine Council of NGOs Against Drug & Substance Abuse (PHILCADSA) specialize
in creating campaigns for the prevention and awareness of the effects of drug use,
while those such as the International Youth Foundation and Bantay Bata and others
focus more on assisting and strengthening the youth in all aspects of life. For the
environment, there are the Haribon Foundation, the Friends of the Earth
Philippines, the Environmental Legal Assistance Center, and many others that work
on spreading awareness and promoting their advocacy to save the environment.
These organizations are composed not only of the youth but advocates of a drug-
free society and a healthy environment from all ages and walks of life.

Lastly, the key in treating addiction is to continually assess and modify the
courses of action that we take, considering the mutability of the milieu we move in.
Further, we must always keep in mind that our biggest priorities, more than
anything are the well-being of each fellowman, the youth, and our society.
 Referen

Youth

Education
and
Cooperati
ve Action Environm
Drugs
ent

ces:

Class Powerpoints

http://www.ddb.gov.ph/research-statistics/statistics

http://www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au/drugs/aboutdrugs.html