SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
) 
) 
) 
'1'5 
JUN -3 P 3 :14 
___________________ 
S_.N_O_. 
2_7_9_7 ____________ 
.•. _,_ .. _._.;_.\_._~' 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE ADDICTION AND RECOVERY 
PROGRAM I 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Scction 15 states: The State shall protect and promote 
the right to health of thc people and instill health consciousness among them. 
In 2012, it was reported by the United Nations World Drug Report that the 
Philippines had the highest abuse rate for methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu.2 
The Dangerous Drugs Board reported that there is an estimated 1.7 million people who 
use drugs and that the mean age of drug use is 28 years old and most of these drug users 
have attained only high school education3 
With the increasing number of people who use and abuse drugs, this bill aims to 
expand prevention and educational efforts-pwrticularly aimed al teens, parents, and 
caretakers-to prcvent the abuse of drugs and to promote treatment and recovery. This 
bill also seeks to launch an evidence-based treatment and interventions program to 
expand treatment best practices throughout the country. 
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DEF~SOR SANTiGO 
I This bill was originally filed as Senale Bill No. 2839 at the II3'h Congress of the U.S. Senate. 
2 http://newsin fo. inq Ll irer.nct! 1 68 143/un-d rug -report-ph i 1 ippines-has-h ighest -rate-of-shabu-use-in-east -asia 
3 http://www.ddb.gov.phlrese .. rch-statistics/46-sidebar/S 8-facts-an-drugs 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS or THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 
2797 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
I 
AN ACT 
2 
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE ADDICTION AND RECOVERY 
3 
PROGRAM 
4 
SECTION I. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Comprehensive 
5 
Addiction Recovcry Act." 
6 
SECTION 2. Inter-Agency Task Force. - Not later than 120 days after the date of 
7 
enactment of this Act, the Department of Health, in cooperation with the Dangerous 
8 
Drugs Board, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Administration, shall convene a Pain 
9 
Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force (referred to in this section as 
10 
the task force). 
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(a) Membership. - Thc task force shall be comprised of: 
12 
I. 
the Department of Health; 
13 
2. 
Dangerous Drugs Board; 
14 
3. 
the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency; 
15 
4. 
the Nationallnstitutcs of Health; and 
16 
5. 
physicians, dentists, and non-physician prescribers; 
17 
6. 
pharmacists; 
18 
7. 
experts in the fields of pain research and addiction research; 
19 
8. 
pain management professional organizations; 


2 
3 
4 
9. 
thc mcntal hcalth treatmcnt community; 
10. 
11. 
12. 
thc addiction treatment community; and 
pain advocacy groups; and 
other stakeholders, 
as 
the Secretary of Health determines 
5 
appropriate. 
6 
(b) Duties. - The task force shall: 
7 
1. Not later than 180 days after the date on which thc task force is 
8 
convened, develop best practices for pain management and prescribing 
9 
pain mcdication, taking into consideration-
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
1. 
existing pain management research; 
11. 
recommendations from relevant conferences; and 
iii. 
ongoing efforts at thc State and local levels and by medical 
professional 
organizations 
to 
develop 
improved 
pam 
management strategies; 
2. solicit and take into consideration public comment on the practices 
developed under paragraph (a), amending such best practices if 
appropriate; and 
3. develop a strategy for disseminating information about the best practices 
developcd 
under 
Section 
2, 
subparagraph 
(b) 
to 
prescribers, 
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pharmacists, State medical boards, and other parties, as the Secretary of 
21 
Health dctcrmines appropriate. 
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(c) Report. - Not later than 270 days after the date on which the task force is 
23 
convened, the task force shall submit to Congress a report that includes-
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a. the strategy for disseminating best practices developed under Section 
25 
2(b); 
2 


b. recommendations 
on 
how 
to 
apply 
best practices 
developed 
2 
undcr Section 2(b) to improve prescribing practices at medical facilities; 
3 
Section 3. National Education Campaign. - Together with local government units, 
4 
the Department of Health, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Department 
5 
of Education shall expand educational cfforts to prevent abuse of opioids, heroin, and 
6 
other substances of abuse, undcrstand addiction as a chronic disease, and promote 
7 
treatment and recovery, including: 
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(a) Parent and caretaker-focuscd prevention efforts, incJuding-
9 
1. the development of rescarch-based community education online and social 
10 
media materials with an accompanying toolkit that can be disseminated to 
11 
communities to educate parents and other caretakers of teens on-
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1. how to cducate teens about opioid and heroin abuse; 
13 
11. how to intervene if a parent thinks or knows their teen is abusing 
14 
opioids or heroin; 
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iii. signs of opioid or heroin overdose; and 
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IV. the use of naloxone to prevent death from opioid or heroin overdose; 
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(b) The development of dctailed digital and print educational materials to accompany 
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the online and social media materials and toolkit described in Section 3(a); 
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(c) The dcvelopmcnt and dissemination of public service announcements to-
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a. raise awarencss of heroin and opioid abuse among parents and other 
21 
caretakers; and 
22 
b. motivate parents and other caretakers to visit online educational materials 
23 
on heroin and opioid abuse; and 
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(d) The dissemination of educational materials to the media through-
25 
a. an intcr-Iocal government units or panel discussion with experts; 
26 
b. media tour, and sharable infographics; 
3 


1 
(e) Prevention efforts focused on teenagers, college students, and college-age 
2 
individuals, including-
3 
a, the development of a national digital campaign; and 
4 
b. the development of a community education toolkit for use by community 
5 
coalitions; 
6 
c. campaigns to inform individuals about available resources to aid 
111 
7 
recovery Ii'om substance usc disorder; 
8 
d. encouragement of individuals in or seeking recovery from substance use 
9 
disorder to enter the health care system; or 
10 
e. adult-focused awarcness dlorts, including efforts focused on older adults, 
11 
relating to prescription medication disposal, opioid and heroin abuse, signs 
12 
of overdose, and the use of naloxone for reversal. 
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SECTION 4. Programs Addressing Local Drug Crisis. - The Department of 
14 
Health, the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, 
15 
the Department of Education, and thc local govcrumcnt unit shall design and implement a 
16 
comprehensive community-wide prevention strategy to address local drug crisis in the 
17 
area. 
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SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid 
19 
or unconstitutional, thc remainder of thc law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
20 
rcmain valid and SUbsisting. 
21 
SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
22 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to 
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or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended 
24 
accordingly. 
4 


1 
SECTION 7. ~JJectivily Clause. - This Act shall take effcct fifteen (15) days after 
2 
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
lat29May20 15 
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