PECEINVED
7 i = 06 SEP 2016
Republic of the Philippines Date
OF REPRESENTATIVES yyy pam
Quezon City ———
By: iat

SEVENTEENTH (17TH) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill NBA?3

HOU

Introduced by: Rep. BERNADETTE R. HERRERA-DY_

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF DRUG AND
ALCOHOL ABUSE AMONG HIGH RISK YOUTH

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The abuse of illegal drugs and alcohol has been the cause of hundreds of accidents,
crimes and deaths each year. In some cases, sharing of drug paraphernalia can cause the
spread of a number of communicable diseases, including AIDS and Hepatitis C. The bill
borrows from and builds upon a previous measure, S.B. 1929 filed during the 15" Congress.

In Article 33 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, all states agree to protect
children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and to prevent
children from being exposed to the illicit production and trafficking of such substances. To
effectively fulfill this obligation, the government must take cognizance of the fact that there
are certain youth groups more vulnerable or susceptible to substance abuse. These youth
groups may not have any access to formal institutional structures precisely because of their
marginalized status. In order to reach out to these disenfranchised sectors of the youth,
community-based programs which target these high-risk youth must be put in place. More
often than not nongovernmental organizations have the experience and capacity to work at
the grass-roots level

This bill mandates the Department of Health to make grants that would assist such

organizations in this noble cause, so that the youth may be saved from the debilitating effects
of substance abuse and become competent partners in development.!

BERNADETTE epruanay

* This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Sess

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH (17TH) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3472

House Bill No. *

Introduced by: Rep. BERNADETTE R. HERRERA-DY

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF DRUG AND
ALCOHOL ABUSE AMONG HIGH RISK YOUTH

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Saving Young Substance Abusers
Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in
nation-building and shall promote their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social
wellbeing,

SECTION 3. “High Risk Youth” Defined. -For purposes of this Act, the term “high risk
youth” means an individual who has not attained the age of 18 years, who is at high risk of
becoming, or who has become, a drug abuser or an alcohol abuser, and who -

(A) Is identified as a child of a substance abuser,

(B) Is a victim of physical, sexual, or psychological abuse;

(C) Does not attend school;

(D) Has become pregnant;

(E) Is economically disadvantaged;

(F) Has committed a violent or delinquent act;

(G) Has experienced mental health problems;

(H) Has attempted suicide;

(1) Has experienced long-term physical pain due to injury;

(J) Has experienced chronic failure in school:

(K) Is from a broken family;

(L) Is a child laborer;

(M) Isa street child or street gang member; or

(N) Lives in conflict areas,

SECTION 4. Grants to Public and Nonprofit Private Entities. - The Secretary of the
Department of Health shall make grants to public and nonprofit private entities for projects to


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demonstrate effective models for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of drug abuse and
alcohol abuse among high risk youth.

SECTION 5. Priority of Projects. -

(A) In making grants for drug abuse and alcohol abuse prevention projects, the Secretary
shall give priority to applications for projects directed at children of substance abusers, children
at risk of abuse or neglect, preschool children, children at risk of dropping out of school, children
at risk of becoming adolescent parents, children who do not attend school, child laborers, strect
children, and children who are at risk of being unemployed.

(B) In making grants for drug abuse and alcohol abuse treatment and rehabilitation
projects, the Secretary shall give priority to projects which address the relationship between drug
abuse or alcohol abuse and physical child abuse, sexual child abuse, emotional child abuse,
dropping out of school, unemployment, delinquency, pregnancy, violence, suicide, or mental
health problems

(C) In making grants under this Act, the Secretary shall give priority to applications from
community based organizations for projects:

(1) To develop innovative models with multiple coordinated services for the
prevention or for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug abuse or alcohol abuse by high
risk youth.

(2) To demonstrate effective models with multiple coordinated services which
may be replicated and which are for the prevention or for the treatment and rehabilitation
of drug abuse or alcohol abuse by high risk youth.

(3) That employ research designs adequate for evaluating the effectiveness of the
program,

SECTION 6. Strategies for Reducing Use. - The Secretary shall ensure that projects
under Section 4 include strategies for reducing the use of alcoholic beverages and tobacco
products by individuals to whom it is unlawful to sell or distribute such beverages or products

SECTION 7. Equal Distribution of Grants. ~ To the extent feasible, the Secretary shall
ensure the equal distribution of grants under this Act among urban and rural areas

SECTION 8. Application for Grants. - In order to receive a grant for a project under this
Act for a fiscal year, a public or nonprofit private entity shall submit an application to the
Secretary, The Secretary may provide the provincial governor or the city mayor the opportunity
to review and comment on such application. Such application shall be in such form, shall contain
such information, and shall be submitted at such time as the Secretary may by regulation
prescribe.

SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain
valid and subsisting.

SECTION 10. Repeating Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the

provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) dave after its.


Approved,