Gateway drugs are substances like cigarettes and alcohol that are legal and widely accepted but can increase a person's risk of using illegal drugs. Cigarettes and alcohol are considered gateway drugs because they are readily available and socially acceptable, leading many people to use them and potentially progress to harder substances. Studies show that a large portion of Filipino teenagers have smoked cigarettes and tobacco-related deaths in the Philippines remain high, indicating that prevention efforts are needed, especially for curious and risk-taking youth.

1. UNIT IV:
PREVENTION OF
SUBSTANCE USE
AND ABUSE
(Gateway Drugs)

3. What areGateway
Drugs?

5. Why do you think
cigarettes and alcohol are
considered gateway
drugs?

7. Sincecigarettesandalcoholarereadilyavailableandgenerally
acceptedinoursociety,somanypeopleusethemforvarious
purposes.

8. Teenagerslikeyouareespeciallyvulnerablebecauseyouare
morecuriosandrisk-takers.

9. According to
studies by:
 NationalYouth Commission (NYC) – two (2)
out of five (5) Filipino teenagers aged 13-15
years old smoke cigarettes
 Anti-Tobacco group (2011) ten Filipinos die
every hour because of tobacco-related diseases