1.7M Pinoys use illegal drugs, but number is declining

MANILA, Philippines—A total of 1.7 million Filipinos use illegal drugs, particularly the amphetamine-type stimulant “shabu” but the trend is on the decline, according to the latest narcotics report of the United Nations.

The 176-report entitled “2010 Patterns and Trends of Amphetamine-type Stimulants (ATS) and Other Drugs: Asia and the Pacific” by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) showed a steady decline in the number of drug users in the Philippines from a high of 6.7 million in 2004 as reported by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The number of injecting drug users (IDUs) was estimated to be between 7,000 and 14,500 persons. The estimated HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) prevalence rate among IDUs was between 0–7%.

Widespread

The UN report, released in Tokyo, Japan, on Nov. 25, said the illicit manufacturing, trafficking and use of ATS has become an increasingly widespread health and organized crime threat in Asia and the Pacific.

The report identified ATS as the drugs most widely abused in East and South-East Asia, displacing the use of traditional narcotics such as heroin, opium and cannabis (marijuana).

Between 3.4 million and 20.7 million people in the region have used amphetamines in the past year—a sizeable number of the estimated 14 million to 53 million global users.

The ATS are a group of substances comprised of synthetic stimulants including amphetamine, methamphetamine, methcathinone, and ecstasy-group substances such as MDMA and its analogues. ATS use emerged in the Philippines in the late 1980s and swiftly changed the drug use patterns in the country, the report said.

Crystalline methamphetamine was the most commonly used drug for 62 percent of all users in the country.

“The situation related to methamphetamine in the Philippines appears to have improved compared to just a few years ago,” the report added.

“Large-scale manufacture appears to be in decline and fewer people report recent use, being arrested and entering treatment facilities. Efforts of the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) have contributed to these positive results,” the report said.
Snorting

Crystalline methamphetamine in the Philippines goes by the names “shabu,” “bato,” “sha,” and “siopao.” It is also known as shabu in Indonesia and Japan; “yaba” or “yama chakk (injectable)” in Cambodia; “bindu” in China; “P” in New Zealand; and “ice” in Australia and Thailand. Snorting was indicated to be the primary mode of administration.

The Cannabis herb or marijuana was the second most commonly used drug in the Philippines, accounting for 35 percent of all drug users in the country in 2009 compared with 28 percent in the previous year. Before the emergence of ATS in the 1980s, cannabis was the most dominant drug of use.

Marijuana cultivation was prevalent in some areas of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions of the north and south, the report said.

On the other hand, ecstasy was identified as an emerging concern for drug law enforcement authorities. Ecstasy use was increasing among young nightclub goers in major cities but its use remains limited due to its high price and low availability. –Cynthia Balana, Philippine Daily Inquirer