THE use of party drugs by young adults is common in some entertainment joints and events in Cebu, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7.
Leia Albiar-Alcantara, the PDEA 7 information officer, said they have been receiving reports that party drugs, including Ecstasy tablets, are sold in events like concerts, discos and parties. But the supply is not as abundant as shabu, as party drugs are expensive, Alcantara said.
“One pill is reportedly worth around P1,500 to P3,000,” she said.
Apprehending suppliers poses a challenge since they have a network of loyal patrons, she said. Party drug dealers, she said, do not deal with strangers for fear they might be undercover anti-narcotics agents.
In January 2018, police seized Ecstasy from two businessmen in Barangay Alang-Alang, Mandaue City.
Meanwhile, the family of 19-year-old Ashley Abad, who reportedly died from a drug overdose, has agreed to let her body undergo autopsy.
This was the only way to determine what type of party drug Abad ingested during a concert in Cebu City last Jan. 19, said Mabolo Police Station Chief Dindo Alaras.
Alaras said they also interviewed the parents of Abad’s boyfriend.
“He did not cooperate. His family said they would wait for a court order and they would consult their lawyer,” Alaras said.
In a related development, the PDEA 7 refuted the information circulating online about the presence of the “strawberry quick” drug, which allegedly resembles strawberry candy that pops and fizzes in the mouth.
PDEA 7 Acting Director Wardley Getalla, in a press statement released on Friday, Jan. 25, said the reports were unfounded.
He said there had been no verified reports or seizures of that kind of drug in the country.
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino, in a separate interview, said they had yet to arrest a person selling “strawberry quick.”
The effects of party drugs vary, depending on the type, according to Alcantara.
Alcantara said not all party drugs are stimulants that can make users alert and put them in a good mood throughout an event.
“Others are depressants, which can induce feelings that are relaxed and dreamy, while some are hallucinogens that can enhance the sensations, be it auditory or visual,” she said.
She said the most common party drug in the country was Ecstasy, a stimulant and hallucinogenic.
Some users mix an Ecstasy tablet with shabu, alcohol and Viagra (a drug taken to improve erectile function) for a stronger effect.
“If you mix drugs and alcohol, the effect is dangerous because it can create a chemical reaction, especially if the body has an allergic reaction to it,” Alcantara said.
A person who uses a stimulant drug will drink several glasses of water as he will often feel thirsty.
“Dehydration is dangerous because it can make the body function faster. The organs will function in double time. That’s why the user will not get tired,” Alcantara said.
She said the color of a party drug is just part of the design and branding. It also comes in tablet or pill form.
“If it is colorful, the teenagers will easily get attracted to it,” she said.
Getalla said there were different kinds of Ecstasy tablets in the market and chemists possibly experimented to create stronger party drugs to cater to a new generation of users who wanted a stronger hit.
PDEA is working closely with other government agencies, such as the Bureau of Customs, Philippine Ports Authority and the Cebu Port Authority, and foreign counterparts to ensure that no new types of illegal drugs can enter the country. (With AYB of SuperBalita Cebu, KAL)