GENERAL HISTORY

The Holy Bible is a very reliable

source in tracing the early use and
abuse of narcotics. The Book of
Judges of the Old Testament revealed
that the mighty Samson was put to
sleep by Delilah by means of a drug-
laced wine before cutting his hair, the
source of his strength, and
subsequently gouged his eyes before
the feasting Philistines already "high
spirited" with narcotics mixed with
intoxicants.
Ancient Greek and Roman literature
likewise are replete with stories
alluding to drug abuse, as in the
lamentable and tragic romance of
Mark Anthony and Cleopatra.
Cleopatra, in desperation over her
disprized love drank a narcotic-laden
wine before allowing her self to be
bitten to death by a poisonous asp
from the River Nile.
Historians credited that marijuana (Cannabis Sativa)
is the world's oldest cultivated plant started by the
Incas of Peru. Peruvian and Mexican Incas have also
the common practice to use the coca leaves during
religious offering ceremonies. It was also known
that marijuana was a "sacred tree in the belief of the
Assyrians being used during religious rituals - some
9,000 years B.C. The use of marijuana is also deeply
ingrained in the cultures of many countries such as
India, Jamaica, Morocco, Nepal, Mexico and Peru
(Sotto, 1994).

The first reference of introduction was in Northern

Iran as an intoxicant. And from there it spread
throughout India by the Hindus used for religious
rituals in the belief that it is a source of happiness
and "laughter provoker". The word "hashis" (resin)
of the Marijuana plant was derived from the name
Hasan or Hashasin.
 FEMALE MALE
(PISTILLATE) (STAMINATE)
The Muslim cult leader who
fed his disciples a preparation
made from the resin of the
female hemp plant as a reward
for their successful activities
in assassinations.
American Indians too are
believed to use not only the
stimulant tobacco but also
opium in their peace pipes in
order to "narcotize" an
oppositionist to their common
objectives (Sotto, 1994).
Knowledge on the opium poppy plant
(Papaver Somniferum) goes back about
7000 years B.C cultivated and prepared
by the Summerians. Even the ancient
Greek physician Hippocrates, the Father
of Medicine, prescribed the juice of the
white poppy plant as early as 5,000 B.C in
the belief that it can cure many illnesses
both in the internal and external use.

The plant was first harvested in

Mesopotamia and its use spread through
out the neighboring Mediterranean areas,
then to Asia. From there, it was introduced
to Persia, India and China by the Arab
came caravans (Dungo, 1988).
Opium use in China was stemmed
out from India and became
widespread in the 19th Century.
From Middle East, the plant was
cultivated in India, Pakistan and
Afghanistan.
Five centuries later, Opium trade
between China and Portuguese
merchants became a lucrative
business. The British took over the
trade from the Portuguese and
established the Opium Trade
Monopoly through the British East
Indies Company.
It was in 1806 that a German pharmacist in the
name of Friedrich W. Sertumer discovered
Morphine, the derivative of opium. He called
this new drug as "Morphine” and later changed
to Morphine after the Greek god of dream
Morpheus.
This was the first attempt to cure opium
addiction. But morphine addictive properties
came prominence during the American Civil
War vast numbers of American soldiers became
addicted to the drug- so much so that morphine
addiction became known as "soldier disease".
The second attempt of treating opium
and morphin addiction started in 1896
when Heroin (Diacetylmorphine)
synthesized from the drug morphine,
was discovered by British chemist in
the name of Alder Wright.
It was called the "miracle drug"
because it is believed that it can cure
both opium and morphine addiction.
It was named after the word “hero”
due to its impressive power.
So physicians began use heroin but it
became a substitution of one addiction
to another. It turns out later that
heroin is the most addictive all drugs.
Meanwhile, codeine, the third derivative of
opium discovered in France while in the process
of discovering other drugs that could cure
opium, morphine and heroin addiction but it
also ended in the same tragic result.
Today, is widely used as an ingredient in most
cough syrup. There are of course other
historical events that would reveal drug abuse in
the history of man, the greatest influence of the
modem medical practice today.
In fact physicians all over the world still
consider narcotics as the most effective pain
reliever (Sotto, 1994).
HISTORY OF DRUG ABUSE IN
THE PHILIPPINES

Very little known about drugs in the

Philippines during the pre-Spanish
era. The intoxicants and stimulants
used by the early Filipinos were
fermented beverages and the
masticatory preparations known as
"nga-nga" in vernacular. Narcotics
including marijuana, were not in the
list of vices in the country at that time.
The opium poppy plant and the coca
bush were absent in the Philippine
vegetation prior to 1521.
During the Spanish era, drug
control laws prohibited the use of
opium by the native Filipinos and
other people except the Chinese.
In 1844, The Spanish colonial
government laid down an opium
monopoly, which entitled the
importation by the Spanish
government and its sale to
Chinese users.
The Americans took over the rule of
the Country, and after establishing a
civil government in 1901, a
systematic survey was conducted and
it was found out that there were 190
joints where Chinese smoke opium. It
was observed that the habit had not
yet foothold among Filipinos. In
1906, partial legislation allowed
Chinese to obtain a license to use
opium in their homes for a fee of
P5.00.
In 1908, the total ban of
opium was effected. The
campaign continued until the
Japanese occupation in 1946,
at which point all supplies
were cut off from the country.
In 1953, Republic Act No. 953 was
enacted which provided for the
registration of collection, and the
imposition of fixed and special taxes
upon all persons who produce,
import, manufacture, compound,
deal-in, dispense, sell, distribute, or
give away opium, marijuana, opium
poppies, or coca leaves or any
synthetic drugs which may declared
as habit forming.
Some time in 1955, foreigners, for
purpose of producing "reefers"
introduced the marijuana plant in
Pasay City. These were sold in Taverns
in Pasay City and introduced to elite
schools in the same area. The PC
Criminal Investigation on January 8,
1959 conducted the first marijuana
raid in Pasay City when several potted
marijuana plants were seized. The
Philippines has been relatively heroin-
free until the early 60's when small
laboratories opened in Manila.
Recognizing the deleterious
effect of drug abuse on the health
and well-being of the Filipino
youth and the threat that it poses
to national security, then
President Ferdinand Marcos
signed into law Republic Act No.
6525 known as the "Dangerous
Drug Act of 1972" on March 30,
1972.
During the period 1975-1980 the
cultivation of marijuana increased
and became geographically
widespread, thus the pattern of drug
taking involved marijuana, abuse of
pharmaceutical products (specially
cough syrup) and the inhalation of
solvents.
CURRENT SITUATION

The Philippine National Police (PNP)

Narcotics Group (NARCOM), the
prime enforcer of the Dangerous Drug
Act (R.A. 6425) noted that the drug
problem in the Philippines was
responsible for worsening the crime
situation by 50% affecting about one
Third of the country's population.
Homicide, robbery and rape have been
committed by youths reportedly under
the influence of SHABU
(Methamphetamine Hydrochloride).
The simultaneous intake of
stimulant and depressants or
other deadly drug combination is
the common mode of abuse.
Based on the Mid-Year report of
the Dangerous Drug Board
(DDB) covering the period of
January to June 1994, marijuana
remains popular and still the
number one drug choice. This
finding was based on the quality
of marijuana seized in illicit
market, the number of seizures
made on the number of person
arrested.
The years 1994-1995 have added a
new dimension to the issue. The
advent of new technology has
provided drug traffickers a wide
array of tools to boost their illicit
trade while law enforcers take time
to adopt it for law enforcement.
New methods of delivering drugs
are being contrived by traffickers
faster than the new law enforcer's
capability to detect and check
them.
The syndicate to further the illicit
trade infuses more funds than the
money spent by the government to
stop it. New personalities are
recruited into the trade faster than
the ability of the law enforcers to
stop new agents and informants.
Methamphetamine Hydrochloride
commonly known as shabu is the most
popular drug of abuse today.
Intelligence information indicate that
this is mainly manufactured and
produced in China and smuggled into
the country either directly from the
source or through Hong Kong and
Taiwan as transhipment points.
Binondo-based syndicates of Chinese
origin who maintain their sources in
Mainland China reportedly
monopolize the trafficking of this
popular drug.
ANY QUESTION?