PDEA-7 looking out for zombie drugs, in Cebu’s party scene

HAVE Zombie drugs arrived in Cebu?

These are one of the things that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) are monitoring even as the anti-drug enforcement group promises to closely watch the party scene during the activities leading to the Sinulog Grand Parade on Sunday.

PDEA-7 Director Emerson Margate said that they had received reports of this kind of party drugs being already used by drug users in Central Visayas.
Margate, however said that he was concerned if teenagers in these parties would get hold of these kind of party drugs, which could harm them.

Margate said that the synthetic drug, Flakka, popularly known as a zombie drug, is a kind of party drug that would really endanger the user.

He said that the drug got its name from the drug users reaction after taking this party drug – to tremble like a zombie.

He said that the drug originated from Mexico and America and had now penetrated the Philippine market.

He encouraged parents to advise their teenagers attending these parties to be wary of drinks offered to them because these might be spiked with these drugs.

Aside from the zombie drug, the PDEA and police are also closely monitoring any use or distribution of ecstasy, which is a party drug already found in Cebu as proven by the drug raid a week or so ago where these kind of party drugs were allegedly confiscated from a businessman in Mandaue City.

“We are closely monitoring public places especially this week. Together with the PNP (Philippine National Police), we intensified our campaign against illegal drugs,” Margate said.

Ecstasy

He said party drugs contain amphetamine-type stimulants that are a major component of the illegal drug called ecstasy targeting the young generation that can afford its price at P1,800 per pill.

“Based dito sa laboratory examinations sa mga new substance na ito, these are more potent than the shabu kasi ito may mga pinag halohalong substance,” he said.

When asked if they have identified big exploiters of party drugs in the schools, Magarte said drug traffickers operate business using social media.

“As of now wala pa tayong namo-monitor na mga malaking sindikato na nakapasok sa mga schools dito sa Cebu because they organized these parties through the internet. This is a very closed group kailangan mo pa i-vouch the other person para makapasok sa group. This is a very dangerous drug na kung makakarating sa atin kawawa talaga yong mga millennials,” he said.

Parties to be monitored

He said their agency will disperse their personnel throughout the festivities and on the separate parties held at the Cebu Business Park and the LifeDance party that was transferred to Mandaue.

This week, Margate said they are regularly conducting inspections at the airport, ports, malls and business establishments that are selling liquor.
This was after the arrest of two men accused of distributing ecstasy pills in Mandaue City last week which, according to the laboratory results conducted by their agency, were not locally manufactured but were shipped.

Margate said he already wrote a letter to the national headquarters of PDEA to submit their laboratory examinations conducted in Cebu for it to crossmatch with the seizures in Metro Manila and other regions in the country.