ABUSE of a substance called Nubain, (Nalbuphine hydrochloride) which has lately been a choice of drug users
in Tagbilaran City has pushed the City Sanggunian to prepare for the enactment of an ordinance regulating the
sale and distribution of the analgesic.
According to a narcotic intelligence officer at the local Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the
province of Bohol, in fact through the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is eyeing the same move to considerably
lessen if not stop the abuse of the anesthetic that is not included in the banned substances under the
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Since nubain is not in the list of illegal or prohibited substances, we have our hands tied in making operations
against the sale and possession of the injectable drug, the narcotic agent who guested the weekly Kapihan sa
PIA said.
One of the newer drugs which is classified as narcotic analgesic with less abuse potential, Nubain is a synthetic
opiate developed and approved for use as hydrochloride salt in injectable form of 10 to 20 mg ampules which
is not under the list of controlled or dangerous substance.
Nubain is used primarily for treating moderate to severe acute pains, the prescription drug can be easily
sourced out from crooked drug dealer and pharmaceutical agent or using a doctor’s forged prescription pad,
doctors shared.
At the radio forum aired live over DyTR, the narc agent who asked not to be named said the substance has
emerged he third most notoriously abused substance next to shabu and marijuana.
Sourced out basically from possible drug laboratory in Ozamis City in Mindanao and coursed usually through
Cebu, the metamphitamine hydrochloride gets to Bohol presumably through the ports of entry, PDEA
Intelligence Offficer Steven Valles at the peace and order council meeting said.
While shabu and marijuana have been in the list of dangerous abused drugs and users could easily be
apprehended, the case of nubain is different, the drug agent at the Kapihan said.
Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called the PDEA to confirm on the entry of nubain as another
abused substance in schools, during the peace council meeting Tuesday.
Valles, who spoke for the PDEA OIC who was on an operation during the meeting said the alternative way to
get to the users or pushers is to get a local ordinance passed so agents would have the legal backing when
they accost nubain users.
At the Kapihan, PDEA relayed that the city has gone to the point of holding a public hearing as a requisite for
the passing of the city ordinance against the substance.
Upon that same information and feeling helpless against the new substance, Governor Edgar Chatto promised
he would urge the provincial sanggunian to do the same and pass a provincial ordinance regulating nubain and
other dangerous substances not listed yet in the country’s banned drugs. (racPIABohol)
