Substance Abuse Prevention , also known as the prevention of substance abuse , is a process that seeks to prevent the use of emerging substances or limit the development of problems associated with the use of psychoactive substances. Prevention efforts can focus on the individual or the environment. A concept known as "environmental prevention" focuses on changing conditions or public policies resulting in reduced availability of substances and demand.
Prevention of substance abuse usually focuses on minors - children and adolescents. Substances that are usually targeted by prevention efforts include alcohol (including binge drinking, drinking and driving under the influence), tobacco (including cigarettes and various forms of smokeless tobacco), cannabis, inhalants (volatile solvents including glue, gasoline, aerosols, ether, steam from correction fluid and pen marking), cocaine, methamphetamine, steroids, club medications (such as MDMA), and opioids.
Video Substance abuse prevention
Protected and risk factors
Environmentally and internally are the two main factors that contribute to the possibility of substance abuse. Environmental factors in individual adolescence include: child abuse, drug exposure, lack of supervision, media influence, and peer pressure. Drug activity in an individual community can normalize the use of drugs. Similarly, if an individual is placed through care and then placed back into the same environment they left behind, it is likely that the person will return to his previous behavior. Internal factors that exist in the child or personality are self-esteem, poor social skills, stress, attitudes about drugs, mental disorders and many others. Some other factors contributing to drug abuse in adolescents are the lack of parental communication with children, unattended alcohol accessibility at home, having too much freedom and being left alone for long periods of time.
periods of major risk for drug abuse occur during major transitions in a child's life. Some transitional periods that may increase the likelihood of youth using drugs are puberty, moving, divorce, leaving home security and entering school. School transitions such as from elementary to high school or high school to high school can be a time where children and teenagers are making new friends and more vulnerable to falling into an environment where there are drugs available. One recent study examined that by the time adolescents are senior in high school, "almost 70 percent will try alcohol, half will take illegal drugs, nearly 40 percent will smoke, and over 20 percent will use prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes" (Johnston et al., 2013). Drunken parties, too, have been shown to increase after an individual leaves home to attend college or live alone.
Most teens do not progress to abuse other drugs after experimenting. Research has shown, when drug use begins at an early age, there is a greater possibility for addiction to occur. The three exacerbating factors that may affect drug use for drug abuse are social agreements, perceived lack of risk, and availability of drugs in the community. Youth from certain demographics are also at higher risk for abuse and addiction. These groups include those who suffer from mental illness and come from a family history of addiction. However, some adolescents living with multiple diagnoses prove that there is not always a causal relationship between mental illness and substance abuse problems. In addition, when addiction occurs, young people are more likely to require adolescent rehabilitation as a form of treatment. Most young adults have the wrong perception that they may not be invincible. These people believe that changes will not take place until extreme events occur, such as a friend overdose, a car accident, or even death. Even then it is unlikely they will see a correlation between usage and trauma.
Maps Substance abuse prevention
Plans to prevent substance abuse
Family-based prevention program
"Prevention programs can reinforce protective factors among young people by teaching parents better family communication skills, appropriate discipline styles, firm and consistent rule enforcement, and other family management approaches. Research confirms the benefits of parents who provide consistent rules and disciplines, talk to children about drugs, monitor their activities, get to know their friends, understand their problems and concerns, and engage in their learning.The importance of parent-child relations continues into adolescence and beyond " (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2003).
Smit, Verdurmen, Monshouwer, and Smil conducted a research analysis to measure the effectiveness of family intervention on adolescents and adolescent drugs and alcohol use. According to their data, alcohol and drug use are very common in Western societies. For example, 18% of young adults between the ages of 12-14 years in the US have enjoyed a drinking party. According to the quantity in 2006, 73% of 16-year-old US students were reported to have used alcohol; In Northern Europe, this is 90%. Because early use of alcohol and other substances can cause serious health, an immediate solution to this problem is needed.
School-based prevention programs
There are a number of community-based prevention and classroom programs aimed at educating children and families about the dangers of substance abuse. Schools began introducing substance abuse-oriented classes to their students in the classroom as low as pre-school. The inclusion of preventative studies into the classroom curriculum at a young age has been shown to help break the initial behavior that could be a sign of future drug abuse. About 40% of children have tried alcohol at the age of ten.
There are organizations that educate, advocate, and work together to reduce drug and alcohol problems in the state. Some courses can be started by allowing students to become interactive and learn skills such as how to reject drugs. This proves to be a more effective method than a truly educational or non-interactive one. When direct influence (eg peers) and indirect influences (eg media influence) are addressed, the program is better able to cover the broad social impact that most programs do not consider. Programs that encourage social commitment not to use narcotics show a lower level of drug use. Bringing communities outside of school to participate and also using peer leaders to facilitate interaction tends to be the effective side of these programs. Finally, teaching youth and adolescent skills that improve resistance skills in social situations can increase the protective factor in the population.
Community prevention program
Prevention programs work at the community level with citizenship, religion, law enforcement, and other government organizations to improve anti-drug norms and pro-social behavior. Many programs help with prevention across settings to help send messages through schools, workplaces, religious institutions, and the media. Research has shown that programs that reach adolescents through a variety of settings can greatly affect community norms. Community-based programs also typically include policy development or regulatory enforcement, mass media efforts, and community awareness programs.
National recognition of substance abuse prevention
In 2011 President Obama issued October as the National Substance Abuse Prevention Month. It rewards everyone who works hard to prevent abuse in the community and works hard to make a safer drug-free country.
Millions of Americans currently participate in the Red Rib Week activities , according to the National Family Partnership (NFP) - the national organizer of the Red Ribbon campaign. The Drug Enforcement Administration, a Federal partner at Red Ribbon Week, described it as "the most far-reaching and well-known American drug prevention event." Through the efforts of NFP, other national organizations, Federal and State agencies, and communities, Red Ribbon Week has become more than just a call to action. It has become a symbol of unifying family and community dedication to prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs among youth.
See also
- 0-0-1-3
- Abuse prevention program
- Substance Abuse Prevention Center
- Reach (non-profit)
- Education sector response to substance abuse
References
External links
- Hot Topics: Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse - Prevention information on substance abuse related to Lessons Learned and Serving the National Education Service Institute of America
- The Misuse of Abuse and Mental Health Abuse Administration Website
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: "NIDA for Teens".
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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