There’s a new party drug in town, adding to the already extensive list of party drugs parents need to watch out for.
It’s an over-the-counter muscle pain reliever. But, when abused, the drug can pose serious health risks and even death.
In a privilege speech, Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said that the drug “Wariactiv”, also known as “laughing gas”, is advertised online as a drug for people who go to rave parties or just want to feel happy.
The senator is pushing for the study of the drug by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Dangerous Drugs Board, and the Food and Drug Agency to determine whether a more stringent protocol should be imposed on the dispensing of the said drug.
Sold between Php 750 to Php 1,500 per bottle, the drug is an affordable alternative to some of the more expensive illegal drugs in the market.
According to Sotto, Wariactiv could be one of the drugs used by youth at the recent concert that claimed the lives of five people.
“This could well be one of the drugs or substances used by some of the victims in the concert,” the senator said.
“At the risk of being tagged a killjoy by our gym buffs, bikers and sports enthusiasts, I have now come to a conclusion that there is a newcomer on the list of suspected killer substances that goes by the brand name of WariActiv,” Sotto said.
“It is likewise billed as laughing gas, and Internet news reveals deaths in its misuse in other parts of the world,” he said.
Next: Teens who attended concert tested positive for illegal drugs
Youth ages 12-15 who attended “Forever Summer” tested positive for illegal drugs
On May 27, Dr. Wency Kiat of St. Lukes revealed in a radio show that some parents brought their children to the hospital for drug testing after the minors showed signs of sleepiness and absent-mindedness. This according to a report by Nerissa Almo of PEP.ph.
The children, ages 12 to 15, admitted to taking drugs during the concert, and tested positive for ecstasy, marijuana, and shabu.
According to the Dangerous Drugs Board, a total of 1.3 million Filipinos are struggling with drug addiction, with shabu ranking first among the most commonly abused drugs. Marijuana and inhalants, such as contact cement, follow closely.
“Methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, and marijuana remain the most abused illegal drugs in the Philippines. Based on 2014 arrest data, 88.78 percent involved the seizure of shabu, while 8.86 percent covered the confiscation of marijuana. Dangerous drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, ephedrine, ‘fly-high’ and others constitute the 2.36 percent of the drug-related arrests,” said Arturo Cacdac Jr. in an article by Dennis Carcamo of the Philippine Star.
PDEA, in a report on the Philippine Star, revealed that more than 8,000 barangays in the country have a drug problem.
According to PDEA, more than 20% or 8,629 villages out of the 42,065 barangays in the Philippines have reported cases of drug abuse.
“…a barangay is said to be drug-affected when there is a drug user, pusher, manufacturer, marijuana cultivator or other drug personality “regardless of number in the area,” the article said.
In Metro Manila, 92% of its barangays are affected, ranking the province as the highest in terms of rampancy of drug-related cases.
Sotto predicts catastrophic results if country’s drug problem remains unchecked
Sotto also appealed to incoming President Rodrigo Duterte.
“It’s a different ball game, Mr. President. We don’t mean to curtail their fun, we just want them to stay alive after the party’s over,” he also said, noting that rave parties have become a hotspot for illegal drugs.
“If we don’t act immediately, we might be facing a drug problem with catastrophic proportions. Even if we remove all the pushers, we will be defeated if we do not embark on a serious nationwide rehabilitation program and a massive prevention program nationwide,” Sotto predicted.
Read: The Father of My Child was a Drug Lord
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!