Illicit Drug use in the Asia Pacific Region - Burnet Institute

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Situational analysis of illicit drug issues and responses in the Asia–Pacific region 238 Other drugs Ecstasy is imported and used in the Philippines, regardless of its high price (Dangerous Drugs Board, 2005) . The assumption by authorities is that it is being used in ‘high-class bars’ . Likewise, cocaine also enters the Philippines for transhipment and personal use, at much lower levels than methamphetamine . It is generally seized from mail parcels . The cocaine originates in South America and is apparently destined for the Philippines and onwards to other countries . The Philippines is also used as a transit point for commercial air couriers of heroin, but at much lower levels than methamphetamine . Heroin is transhipped from Thailand and Pakistan, and is destined mainly for the United States, Guam and Europe (Dangerous Drugs Board, 2005; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2003a) . Drug arrests In 2004, as a result of law enforcement operations a total of 26,633 people were arrested (see Table A10 .3) (Dangerous Drugs Board, 2005) . The majority of arrests were for use of an illicit drug (52%), supply of an illicit drug to a drug user (45%); cultivation comprised 0 .2 per cent of arrests . Forty per cent of arrests were in metro- Drug Table A10 .4 . Drug prices in Philippines Wholesale price US$/kilogram politan Manila, 20 per cent in Southern Tagalog or Calabarzon region, 8 per cent in Central Luzon and Central Visayas, and the remaining 24 per cent in 13 other regions . Fifty-six foreign nationals were arrested, 21 (38%) of whom were Chinese nationals, mostly involved in the manufacture of shabu (Dangerous Drugs Board, 2005) . Crop studies and crop eradication statistics Intensified cannabis eradication was undertaken in 2004, with 94 operations yielding the uprooting of 1,948,999 plants and 433,054 seedlings and the seizure of 827,250 grams of dried leaves and other products (Dangerous Drugs Board, 2005) . Table A10 .3 . Category of drug-related arrests as a result of law enforcement operations Category of arrest # % Use of an illicit drug 13,876 52 Sale of an illicit drug to a user 12,016 45 Possession of an illicit drug 666 2 .5 Cultivation 49 0 .2 Financier 26 0 .09 Source: Dangerous Drugs Board, 2005 Retail price US$/gram Purity Methamphetamine 36,500–44,611 32 .4–40 .6 – Herbal cannabis 41–81 0 .1–0 .2 – Ecstasy – 32 .4–36 .5 – Cocaine – 90 .1–128 .7 – Heroin – 90 .1–128 .7 90% Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2004e A10 .4 Drug-taking practices, risk factors and trends It is generally accepted that shabu is not injected . The mode of ingestion is inhalation . The shabu is typically heated on foil and the fumes are then inhaled by the user . According to the DDB (personal communication, 2005), the drug of choice for injecting is the pharmaceutical analgesic Nubain (Nalbuphine hydrochloride) . The Philippines has one of the lowest rates on HIV infection in Asia (Mateo Jr et al ., 2004) . The epidemic has been characterised as ‘low’ and ‘slow’ (Mateo Jr et al ., 2004) . From January 1984 to December 2003, 2001 HIV-positive cases were reported to the HIV/AIDS Registry . At the time of report, 32 per cent (642) were symptomatic and of these cases 44 per cent (260) had died . The low prevalence / slow transmission scenario may reportedly not continue for long, because the ingredients for rapid spread of HIV are evident: (a) low level of condom use among high-risk groups; (b) low level of knowledge in correctly identifying preventive ways of contracting the disease; (c) increasing practice of anal sex; (d) high prevalence of STIs; and (e) high levels of needle sharing amongst injecting drug users in Cebu City (Mateo Jr et al ., 2004) . Unlike other countries in Southeast Asia, injecting drug use has not made a substantial contribution to reported HIV infections and AIDS cases in the Philippines (Amadora-Nolasco et al ., 2002) . Injecting drug use in the Philippines is concentrated in several urban depressed communities such as Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Gen . Santos, Zamboanga Cities and Tondo, Manila (personal communication, 2005) . It is difficult to determine HIV prevalence among IDUs as serosurveillance is conducted only in Cebu City (Mateo Jr et al ., 2004) . The worst scenario projected for IDU in Cebu City would be 1–3 per cent HIV seroprevalence (WHO, 2002; Mateo Jr et al ., 2004) . Nevertheless, sharing of needles and syringes among IDUs is common . A 2002 estimate of sharing amongst IDUs in Cebu City was reported to be 77 per cent (Mateo Jr et al ., 2004) . The Behavioural Baseline Survey on HIV/ AIDS among injecting drug users in the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Cebu (2005) reported on a convenient sample of 150 people aged between 15 and 54 years (median 32 years) . Almost all of the interviewees were polydrug users . Aside from injecting nubain, the respondents also used shabu, cannabis and cough syrup . Fifty-eight per cent of the sample injected drugs more than once per day and the majority (71%) of respondents used needles and syringes previously used by others . While almost all of the sample (93%) cleaned shared injecting equipment, only 8 per cent used bleach and water . More than half of the respondents (63%) were sexually active in the month prior to the interview, with the majority not using condoms with any of their partners (70%) . 239 Country profiles: Philippines
Situational analysis of illicit drug issues and responses in the Asia–Pacific region 240 A10 .5 Summary table Estimated number of current drug users In 1999, an estimated 1 .8 million people were regular illicit drug users Main drugs used Shabu (methamphetamines) and cannabis Drugs injected Injecting drug use in the Philippines is reported to be limited Estimated prevalence of HIV infection among IDUs A10 .6 Country responses to drugs Agreements and treaties The Philippines is party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances . The Philippines also ratified the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, the Protocol to Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants . Policy responses The Dangerous Drugs Board has an expanded membership and shifted mandate to the previous Drug Board, operating under previous legislation . Its role is a policymaking and strategy-formulating body for the entire country . Based on the National HIV Sentinel Surveillance System of the National Epidemiology Centre (DoH), no drugrelated HIV case was recorded in 2003 . The roles of the DDB are as follows: • policy-making and strategy-formulating body for an integrated system of planning, implementation and enforcement of antidrug policies, programs and projects • policy studies, program monitoring and evaluation, and other research on drug prevention, control and enforcement • orchestrates, coordinates and oversees the implementation of the National Anti Drug Program of Action by national government agencies, local government units, government-owned and controlled corporations and participating non-government organisations . On 7 June 2002 the President signed comprehensive counter-narcotics law . The new legislation, Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, replaced the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972 and took effect on 4 July 2002 . Before the new law, drug law enforcement efforts were decentralised with separate law narcotics units in each law enforcement agency competing for funding and jurisdiction . The new law established the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) modelled after the United States Drug Enforcement Agency . Under its mandate the PDEA absorbs existing counter-narcotics units and responsibilities . The Philippines ‘National Anti-Drug Strategy’ aims to attain a drug-free Philippines by 2010, using the following national objectives: • To reduce to zero, or at least minimise, the profits derived from illicit drug activities through Supply Reduction and Demand Reduction, in order to fulfil the Freedom from Fear for our people; • To address and eradicate, or at least alleviate, the deficiencies and risk factors in the country that abet the drug menace, in order to fulfil the Freedom from Want for its people and thereby pre-empt them from committing or becoming victims of drug related crimes; and • To motivationally enlighten, empower and mobilise the people to participate in and support the Criminal Justice System and the Government Machinery in attaining the two aforementioned objectives, so that Participatory Democracy shall be institutionalised in their society . Strategic Concepts A three pronged approach has been forwarded, with each prong assigned to accomplish its objective . 1st Prong: Supply and Demand Reduction Campaign It consists of prevention and control measures against the production, processing, trafficking, financing, retailing and consumption of dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals and plant sources of dangerous drugs; so as to make illicit drug trade unprofitable and thereby accomplish the first national objective . 2nd Prong: Development/Reform Package It includes Alternative Development/Livelihood, Family solidarity, Education, Enhancement of the Criminal Justice System, Legal Reform, etc to address/mitigate the risk factors/deficiencies that breed/abet the drug problem in the country and thereby attain the second national objective . 3rd Prong: People Empowerment Campaign It involves the conduct of motivational enlightenment, organisation and mobilisation of as many people as possible to participate in and support the 1st and 2nd Prongs as force/resource multipliers, and thereby accomplish the third national objective . The ultimate goal is to realise and harness people power against the drug menace nationwide . 241 Country profiles: Philippines
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