FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or 
other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced.* Overdoses of 
drugs or chemicals can be either accidental or intentional. Drug overdoses occur when a person 
takes more than the medically recommended dose. However, some people may be more sensitive 
to certain medications so that the high end of the therapeutic range of a drug may be toxic for 
them. One the other hand, illicit drugs, used to get high, may be taken in overdose amounts when 
a person's metabolism cannot detoxify the drug €ast enough to avoid unintended side effects.+ 
Thus, whether intentional or accidental, one thing is clear with regard to overdoses: they 
are preventable. Hence, this bill seeks to prevent deaths caused by drug overdose by requiring 
the Secretary of Health to study and submit a report to Congress on the incidence of drug 
overdose and what strategies could be undertaken to prevent such overdose from happening to 
other people. Because of the necessity of such information regarding drug overdose, this bill 
likewise seeks to penalize certain persons who unlawfully withhold or fail to disclose 
information regarding drug overdose deaths. 
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' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dtug_overdose 
' http://www.emedicineliealth.com/dmg_overdose/~~cle~em.h~ 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
, ~ , i  ,. , ’ , -+ 
(P ’ , - ; 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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: 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO PREVENT DEATHS CAUSED BY DRUG OVERDOSE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as “Drug Overdose Prevention Act of 
2008.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote the general 
welfare of the people. Pursuant to this policy, this Act seeks to prevent deaths caused by drug 
overdose by requiring the Secretary of Health to submit a report to Congress relating to the 
prevalence of drug overdose incidents, trends in drug overdose incidents and strategies for 
addressing such drug overdose incidents. 
SECTION 3. Definition ofTerms. -For the purposes of this Act, the term: 
(A) “Department” means the Department of Health; and 
(B) “Overdose” means the ingestion or application, whether intentional or accidental, of a 
drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced. 
(C) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health. 
SECTION 4. Reporting Requirements. - (A) The Secretary shall publish, based on 
information collected pursuant to the Act, findings on nationwide drug overdose trends that 
reviews overdose death rates and other information to ascertain changes in the cause and rates of 
fatal drug overdoses for an appropriate period of time. The report shall also provide 
information on interventions that would be effective in reducing the rate of drug overdose. 
(B) The report shall include, at a minimum the following information: 


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(1) Trends in drug overdose deaths; 
(2) Trends in emergency room utilization for the treatment of drug overdose; 
(3) Trends in utilization of pre-hospital and emergency services and the cost of 
emergency services utilization for drng overdose; 
(4) Suggested improvements in data collection; and 
(5) A description of education efforts and other ‘interventions that would be 
effective in reducing the rate of drug overdose. 
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SECTION 5. Advice Regarding Drug Overdose. - The Secretary shall, as needed, 
provide advice to appropriate municipal, city or provincial officials with regard to drng overdose, 
including: 
(A)The prevalence of drug overdose incidents; 
(B) Trends in drug overdose incidents; and 
(C) Strategies for addressing drug overdose in their jurisdiction. 
SECTION 6. Mandatory Disclosure of Death by Drug Overdose. - Where a death is 
caused by a drug overdose, such information shall be indicated by the parent, spouse, child, 
sibling or next of kin of the overdose victim, including any related or specific information 
concerning the drug or drugs responsible for the death, and any other infomiation related to tlie 
overdose death as the Secretary shall require. 
SECTION 7. Unlawful Withholding or Failure to Disclose Drug Overdose Information; 
Violation; Penalties. - (A) It shall be unlawful for such parent, spouse, child, sibling or next of 
kin to knowingly withhold, or fail to disclose, such information relating to the fact of the victim’s 
drug overdose, information concerning the drug or drugs responsible for the death, and other 
information relating to the overdose death. 
(B) It shall likewise be unlawful for the hospital, health care facility, attending physician, 
or medico-legal in possession of such information to withhold or fail to disclose such when filing 
a report of the overdose victim’s death. Such report shall be mandatory and the Secretary shall 
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promulgate rules and regulations within ninety (90) days fiom the passage of this Act regarding 
the filing of such report. 
(C) Any person convicted for unlawful withholding or failure to disclose information 
required in the preceding paragraph shall be penalized with a fine of One Hundred Thousand 
Pesos (PlOO,O00.00) to not more that Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (PS00,000.00). 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
irgs 
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