Pubdate: Tue, 05 Apr 2005
Source: Manila Times (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005, The Manila Times
Contact:  http://www.manilatimes.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/921
Author: Ernesto F. Herrera
Note: The author is a former Philippines Senator.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

REHAB

Policy Peek

Drug addiction is a very serious and oftentimes life-threatening
dilemma. Not only is it difficult for the addict, but it is just as
difficult, perhaps even more so, for those who care about him.

One of the most common requests for assistance that we continue to
receive in the Citizens DrugWatch Foundation comes from people who
would like to have a drug addict relative or friend committed for
rehabilitation, if possible in government rehab centers where the
treatment is free, or at least, where the costs are very minimal.

Before the confinement of a drug addict, Philippine law requires a
court order, a drug dependency exam from a doctor accredited by the
Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), other medical tests like chest x-rays,
ECG and a pregnancy test if the drug addict is female, and a referral
letter from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of
the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police, the
DDB itself, or the mayor of the city or municipality where the drug
addict resides.

Getting through the necessary paperwork may not be easy enough but the
real challenge comes when the drug addict refuses to cooperate, as is
usually the case. This is the problem of well-meaning people because
they need to have the consent of the drug addict, of course, in order
to submit him or her for voluntary rehabilitation.

We know that most addicts are in denial. They refuse to accept that
they are hooked on drugs, and those that do often believe they can
quit any time, needing no professional or medical treatment. Often
times, the thing that makes drug addicts agree to voluntary
rehabilitation is the threat that their drug use would be reported to
the police, in which case if they are caught, they will be treated as
criminals and would face jail time or possibly even the death penalty
depending on the amount of drugs seized from them.

But even for the addicts who accept their drug addictions and are
willing to seek and accept professional treatment there is another
problem, and that is, where to seek such treatment.

The government gives free rehabilitation services for drug addicts
(well, almost free since there are still miscellaneous fees), the
biggest of which in terms of bed capacity are the NBI Treatment and
Rehabilitation Center in Tagaytay, the Narcom Drug Rehabilitation
Center in Bicutan, and the Taguig and NBI-TRC in Cebu City. All in all
there are only 11 government drug rehabilitation centers (5 in the
NCR, 3 in Luzon, 2 in the Visayas, and one in Mindanao), clearly not
enough to care for the conservative estimate of about 2 million drug
dependents in the country.

Majority of rehab centers are privately owned. However, and quite
unfortunately, majority of drug addicts also cannot afford the
treatments that they offer, which runs on the average between P15,000
and P35,000 a month. So overcrowding and the increasing number of drug
dependents who wish to undergo treatment are the two major problems of
government rehab centers. The thing is, because of the country's
fiscal problems, there isn't enough money to build more government
centers for addiction recovery. Also, it seems addiction recovery is
not even the focus of government's antidrug efforts. Indeed, perhaps
because resources are limited, more attention is given to catching
drug pushers and traffickers and hopefully prosecuting them. (Not
surprisingly these antidrug activities are the ones that provide the
most media mileage.)

As it turns out, what most drug addicts who recognize their addiction
but don't have the money for professional treatment do is try to
conquer their addictions on their own, without the help of outside
resources. I have met a few people who have permanently regained
control of their life. By sheer force of will, they have relocated to
a new environment and, through the power of prayer, successfully
recovered from their addiction. But again, their success stories are
exceptional.

When an addict makes an attempt at detoxification and to discontinue
drug use without professional help, usually success does not last
long. Quitting drugs without professional help is an uphill battle.
Research into the effects of long-term addiction has shown that
substantial changes in the way the brain functions remain present long
after the addict has stopped using drugs. A drug addict who wishes to
recover from his or her addiction would need more than just strong
will power for successful recovery.

It is incumbent upon the government as part of its comprehensive
strategy against illegal drugs to find ways of providing more low-cost
drug treatment programs for addicts, ways which need not require too
much of the national budget, only a little innovation, training, and
help from international agencies.

The Thai government, for instance, has started providing
rehabilitation treatment for drug addicts in their military camps,
quite innovative, considering that bed spacing is always a problem in
government rehab centers.

Since a lot of drug users are arrested and jailed, relocating them to
military camps for rehabilitation treatment would not only decongest
the prisons but also correspond with the policy of treating drug
addicts not as criminals but as victims.

There are sure to be a number of such other innovative strategies but
this would be the subject of another column. 
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