drug addiction prevention essay

Essay on Drug Abuse

Students are often asked to write an essay on Drug Abuse in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Drug Abuse

Introduction to drug abuse.

Drug abuse refers to the harmful or unhealthy use of substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. It’s a serious issue affecting people worldwide.

Effects of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse can lead to physical and psychological damage. It can cause diseases, impair judgement, and lead to criminal behavior.

Prevention of Drug Abuse

Prevention involves education about the dangers of drugs. Schools and communities play key roles in this. Support from family and friends is also crucial.

In conclusion, drug abuse is a grave problem. However, through education and support, it can be prevented.

250 Words Essay on Drug Abuse

Introduction, causes of drug abuse.

Drug abuse often originates from a complex interplay of factors. Biological predispositions, such as genetics, can make individuals more susceptible to drug addiction. Environmental factors like peer pressure, family dynamics, and socioeconomic status also contribute significantly.

Consequences of Drug Abuse

The implications of drug abuse are far-reaching and devastating. Physically, it can lead to severe health issues, including heart disease, liver damage, and neurological complications. Psychologically, it can result in mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. Socially, drug abuse can lead to broken relationships, unemployment, and criminal activities.

Prevention and Treatment

Preventing drug abuse requires a multipronged approach. Education and awareness programs can help individuals understand the risks associated with drug use. Early intervention programs can identify at-risk individuals and provide them with the necessary support. Treatment for drug abuse typically involves a combination of medication and therapy to help individuals overcome their addiction.

In conclusion, drug abuse is a multifaceted issue requiring comprehensive solutions. By understanding the causes and consequences, and implementing effective prevention and treatment strategies, we can make strides towards mitigating this global problem.

500 Words Essay on Drug Abuse

Drug abuse, also known as substance abuse, is a critical issue that has plagued societies around the world. It is characterized by the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, such as illicit drugs or alcohol, leading to addiction, health problems, social issues, and even death.

The Nature and Extent of Drug Abuse

There are numerous causes of drug abuse, often complex and intertwined. Biological factors, such as genetics and mental health conditions, can predispose an individual to substance abuse. Environmental factors, including family dynamics, peer influence, and socioeconomic status, also play a significant role. Additionally, psychological elements, such as stress, trauma, and low self-esteem, can trigger drug abuse.

Impacts of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse has far-reaching consequences. Health-wise, it can lead to both physical and mental health problems, including heart disease, liver damage, and mental disorders like depression and anxiety. Socially, drug abuse can result in broken relationships, job loss, and criminal activities. Economically, it imposes a significant burden on healthcare systems and reduces productivity.

Prevention and Treatment of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is a pressing global issue that demands urgent attention. While it is a complex problem with numerous causes and impacts, it is not insurmountable. Through a comprehensive approach that includes education, policy changes, and effective treatment, societies can combat drug abuse and its devastating effects. The fight against drug abuse is not just the responsibility of the individual, but of the entire community.

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• Tween and teen health

Teen drug abuse: Help your teen avoid drugs

Teen drug abuse can have a major impact on your child's life. Find out how to help your teen make healthy choices and avoid using drugs.

The teen brain is in the process of maturing. In general, it's more focused on rewards and taking risks than the adult brain. At the same time, teenagers push parents for greater freedom as teens begin to explore their personality.

That can be a challenging tightrope for parents.

Teens who experiment with drugs and other substances put their health and safety at risk. The teen brain is particularly vulnerable to being rewired by substances that overload the reward circuits in the brain.

Help prevent teen drug abuse by talking to your teen about the consequences of using drugs and the importance of making healthy choices.

Why teens use or misuse drugs

Many factors can feed into teen drug use and misuse. Your teen's personality, your family's interactions and your teen's comfort with peers are some factors linked to teen drug use.

Common risk factors for teen drug abuse include:

• A family history of substance abuse.
• A mental or behavioral health condition, such as depression, anxiety or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Impulsive or risk-taking behavior.
• A history of traumatic events, such as seeing or being in a car accident or experiencing abuse.
• Low self-esteem or feelings of social rejection.

Teens may be more likely to try substances for the first time when hanging out in a social setting.

Alcohol and nicotine or tobacco may be some of the first, easier-to-get substances for teens. Because alcohol and nicotine or tobacco are legal for adults, these can seem safer to try even though they aren't safe for teens.

Teens generally want to fit in with peers. So if their friends use substances, your teen might feel like they need to as well. Teens also may also use substances to feel more confident with peers.

If those friends are older, teens can find themselves in situations that are riskier than they're used to. For example, they may not have adults present or younger teens may be relying on peers for transportation.

And if they are lonely or dealing with stress, teens may use substances to distract from these feelings.

Also, teens may try substances because they are curious. They may try a substance as a way to rebel or challenge family rules.

Some teens may feel like nothing bad could happen to them, and may not be able to understand the consequences of their actions.

Consequences of teen drug abuse

Negative consequences of teen drug abuse might include:

• Drug dependence. Some teens who misuse drugs are at increased risk of substance use disorder.
• Poor judgment. Teenage drug use is associated with poor judgment in social and personal interactions.
• Sexual activity. Drug use is associated with high-risk sexual activity, unsafe sex and unplanned pregnancy.
• Mental health disorders. Drug use can complicate or increase the risk of mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
• Impaired driving. Driving under the influence of any drug affects driving skills. It puts the driver, passengers and others on the road at risk.
• Changes in school performance. Substance use can result in worse grades, attendance or experience in school.

Health effects of drugs

Substances that teens may use include those that are legal for adults, such as alcohol or tobacco. They may also use medicines prescribed to other people, such as opioids.

Or teens may order substances online that promise to help in sports competition, or promote weight loss.

In some cases products common in homes and that have certain chemicals are inhaled for intoxication. And teens may also use illicit drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine.

Drug use can result in drug addiction, serious impairment, illness and death. Health risks of commonly used drugs include the following:

• Cocaine. Risk of heart attack, stroke and seizures.
• Ecstasy. Risk of liver failure and heart failure.
• Inhalants. Risk of damage to the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys from long-term use.
• Marijuana. Risk of impairment in memory, learning, problem-solving and concentration; risk of psychosis, such as schizophrenia, hallucination or paranoia, later in life associated with early and frequent use. For teens who use marijuana and have a psychiatric disorder, there is a risk of depression and a higher risk of suicide.
• Methamphetamine. Risk of psychotic behaviors from long-term use or high doses.
• Opioids. Risk of respiratory distress or death from overdose.
• Electronic cigarettes (vaping). Higher risk of smoking or marijuana use. Exposure to harmful substances similar to cigarette smoking; risk of nicotine dependence. Vaping may allow particles deep into the lungs, or flavorings may include damaging chemicals or heavy metals.

Talking about teen drug use

You'll likely have many talks with your teen about drug and alcohol use. If you are starting a conversation about substance use, choose a place where you and your teen are both comfortable. And choose a time when you're unlikely to be interrupted. That means you both will need to set aside phones.

It's also important to know when not to have a conversation.

When parents are angry or when teens are frustrated, it's best to delay the talk. If you aren't prepared to answer questions, parents might let teens know that you'll talk about the topic at a later time.

And if a teen is intoxicated, wait until the teen is sober.

To talk to your teen about drugs:

• Ask your teen's views. Avoid lectures. Instead, listen to your teen's opinions and questions about drugs. Parents can assure teens that they can be honest and have a discussion without getting in trouble.
• Discuss reasons not to use drugs. Avoid scare tactics. Emphasize how drug use can affect the things that are important to your teen. Some examples might be sports performance, driving, health or appearance.
• Consider media messages. Social media, television programs, movies and songs can make drug use seem normal or glamorous. Talk about what your teen sees and hears.
• Discuss ways to resist peer pressure. Brainstorm with your teen about how to turn down offers of drugs.
• Be ready to discuss your own drug use. Think about how you'll respond if your teen asks about your own drug use, including alcohol. If you chose not to use drugs, explain why. If you did use drugs, share what the experience taught you.

Other preventive strategies

Consider other strategies to prevent teen drug abuse:

• Know your teen's activities. Pay attention to your teen's whereabouts. Find out what adult-supervised activities your teen is interested in and encourage your teen to get involved.
• Establish rules and consequences. Explain your family rules, such as leaving a party where drug use occurs and not riding in a car with a driver who's been using drugs. Work with your teen to figure out a plan to get home safely if the person who drove is using substances. If your teen breaks the rules, consistently enforce consequences.
• Know your teen's friends. If your teen's friends use drugs, your teen might feel pressure to experiment, too.
• Keep track of prescription drugs. Take an inventory of all prescription and over-the-counter medications in your home.
• Provide support. Offer praise and encouragement when your teen succeeds. A strong bond between you and your teen might help prevent your teen from using drugs.
• Set a good example. If you drink, do so in moderation. Use prescription drugs as directed. Don't use illicit drugs.

Recognizing the warning signs of teen drug abuse

Be aware of possible red flags, such as:

• Sudden or extreme change in friends, eating habits, sleeping patterns, physical appearance, requests for money, coordination or school performance.
• Irresponsible behavior, poor judgment and general lack of interest.
• Breaking rules or withdrawing from the family.
• The presence of medicine containers, despite a lack of illness, or drug paraphernalia in your teen's room.

Seeking help for teen drug abuse

If you suspect or know that your teen is experimenting with or misusing drugs:

• Plan your action. Finding out your teen is using drugs or suspecting it can bring up strong emotions. Before talking to your teen, make sure you and anyone who shares caregiving responsibility for the teen is ready. It can help to have a goal for the conversation. It can also help to figure out how you'll respond to the different ways your teen might react.
• Talk to your teen. You can never step in too early. Casual drug use can turn into too much use or addiction. This can lead to accidents, legal trouble and health problems.
• Encourage honesty. Speak calmly and express that you are coming from a place of concern. Share specific details to back up your suspicion. Verify any claims your child makes.
• Focus on the behavior, not the person. Emphasize that drug use is dangerous but that doesn't mean your teen is a bad person.
• Check in regularly. Spend more time with your teen. Know your teen's whereabouts and ask questions about the outing when your teen returns home.
• Get professional help. If you think your teen is involved in drug use, contact a health care provider or counselor for help.

It's never too soon to start talking to your teen about drug abuse. The conversations you have today can help your teen make healthy choices in the future.

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• Dulcan MK, ed. Substance use disorders and addictions. In: Dulcan's Textbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 3rd ed. American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2021. https://psychiatryonline.org. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• 6 parenting practices: Help reduce the chances your child will develop a drug or alcohol problem. Partnership to End Addiction. https://drugfree.org/addiction-education/. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Why do teens drink and use substances and is it normal? Partnership to End Addiction. https://drugfree.org/article/why-do-teens-drink-and-use-substances/. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Teens: Alcohol and other drugs. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. https://www.aacap.org/aacap/families_and_youth/facts_for_families/fff-guide/Teens-Alcohol-And-Other-Drugs-003.aspx. Accessed Dec. 27, 2018.
• Drugged driving. National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Marijuana talk kit. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. https://drugfree.org/drugs/marijuana-what-you-need-to-know/. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Drug guide for parents: Learn the facts to keep your teen safe. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. https://www.drugfree.org/resources/. Accessed Dec. 12, 2018.
• Vaping: What you need to know and how to talk with your kids about vaping. Partnership to End Addiction. https://drugfree.org/addiction-education/. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• How to listen. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. https://www.drugfree.org/resources/. Accessed Dec. 12, 2018.
• Drug abuse prevention starts with parents. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://publications.aap.org/patiented/article/doi/10.1542/peo_document352/81984/Drug-Abuse-Prevention-Starts-With-Parents. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• How to talk to your kids about drugs if you did drugs. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. https://www.drugfree.org/resources/. Accessed Dec. 12, 2018.
• My child tried drugs, what should I do? Partnership to End Addiction. https://drugfree.org/article/my-child-tried-drugs-what-should-i-do/. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Gage SH, et al. Association between cannabis and psychosis: Epidemiologic evidence. Biological Psychiatry. 2016;79:549.
• Quick facts on the risks of e-cigarettes for kids, teens and young adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2023.
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• v.14(4); 2022 Oct
• PMC10408746

A Review of the Prevention of Drug Addiction: Specific Interventions, Effectiveness, and Important Topics

Background:.

This study was a narrative review on prevention of addictive behaviors with an effort to clarify the major concepts of prevention and its dimensions.

The PsycInfo and MedInfo databases were used to identify prevention. Α total of 65 articles were found 46 of which were included in the review. Τhe data were analyzed using content analysis.

For a better understanding of the results, it was deemed advisable to categorize them into: (a) the types of major interventions and the theoretical approaches on which they were based, (b) the results of the review articles according to (1) variables and factors concerning the prevention proved important through the review and (2) a number of more general important topics which arose in the prevention of addictive behaviors.

Conclusion:

The results highlighted the greater effectiveness of community-based programs, applied primarily in broader contexts but also secondarily in high-risk groups. Τhe results were discussed based on the combination of the emerged factors with each other and prevention experience.

Introduction

One of the most important questions in the field of psychotropic substances addiction, including alcohol abuse, is which ways, methods, techniques, or interventions are effective in substance use prevention. Given the fact that there are various kinds of prevention strategies, this question becomes even more complicated as it is hard to find and systematize these factors. It is essential to continue research in this direction since the question why young people resort to substances and get addicted to them has not been fully answered yet. Furthermore, it is generally accepted that prevention is better than treatment.

Psychotropic substances addiction refers to the substance-related disorders as described by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V). Although the psychological mechanism of addictive substance use is considered to be common with or at least similar to that of addiction to illegal substances and alcohol, in this study, the surveys that focus exclusively on alcohol were not included. The reason for this decision was that articles on alcohol prevention are numerous and could be investigated –as already done- in a separate study. Besides, alcohol use displays certain peculiarities; for example, it is a legal and easily accessible substance.

Traditionally, prevention strategies have been categorised into primary, secondary, and tertiary preventions. Primary prevention refers to the prevention of substance use and abuse. Secondary prevention refers to the early identification and treatment of individuals already using substances, while tertiary prevention refers to the treatment and reduction of harm in people who have already used substances and have consequences from their use. We can literally talk about prevention only in primary and partially in secondary types. Tertiary prevention is essentially not prevention but treatment and reduction of harm.

Another distinction that has been made in recent decades (e.g., National Advisory Mental Health Council Workgroup on Mental Disorders Prevention Research 1 ) classifies prevention strategies into universal, selective, and indicated preventions. The universal strategies apply to the general population (e.g., students) in order to inform and raise awareness about the issue of drugs. 2 Selective strategies target individuals at increased risk of substance use and abuse (e.g., children of addicts, children growing up in high-risk environments or neighborhoods). Indicated strategies are for people who may not already be addicted to drugs but have had a contact with them (e.g., young people experimenting with substances).

Preventive interventions in the three categories described above may have different goals, including the following: (a) increasing the knowledge about drugs in adolescents; (b) reducing the use of drugs; (c) delaying the onset of first use; (d) reducing abuse of drugs; and (e) minimising the harm caused by the use of drugs. 3 Additionally, regarding the context of implementation of prevention interventions, it is evident that these interventions can aim at different settings such as schools, families, the wider community, the media, 4 or even in places of gathering of young people e.g., cultural centres, parks, cafes, and so on.

The field of prevention is in general very broad as it includes prevention policies, designs, methods, techniques, and interventions. The design of interventions requires the appropriate theoretical background and the deployment of previous knowledge and results. Furthermore, it potentially includes various intervention implementation frameworks, a different extent of involvement, and participation of the individuals e.g., children, parents, and teachers.

There are a lot of important dimensions to be investigated in what is broadly defined as prevention. The effectiveness of the interventions is an important parameter. Effectiveness is usually defined as a reduction in substance use or a reduction in the positive attitude towards substances, after the implementation of a prevention program. The sustainment, however, of positive results on a long-term basis is an even more important dimension. The active participation of the involved members and the retention of the therapeutic results are other necessary components for the implementation of effective interventions.

As far as the evaluation of interventions is concerned, reliability should be tested as youth substance use programs are often of limited generalizability due to methodological restrictions and the absence of consistency in evaluation of interventions. 5

Furthermore, it should be mentioned that the concepts usually studied (e.g., self-efficacy, motivation for change, coping skills) are complex and hard to be assessed in self-report measures. In addition, these psychological processes may not be part of conscious awareness and thus may not be possible to be evaluated using self-report measures. Additionally, it is doubtful whether they are indeed related to the underlying pathology of addiction. 6

The main objective of this narrative review was to investigate the key modern trends in the prevention of psychotropic addiction and to identify which interventions are most effective and where and how they are performed.

A specific review of factors important for the prevention of drugs was conducted in PsycInfo and MedInfo databases, entering as search items for the factors the words “prevention”, “addiction”, “drug addiction”, “drugs”, “drug prevention strategies”, “substance use” and “dependence” or the combination of the above words. The data were collected from 2018 to 2021. The search included articles published from 2000 onwards. A total of 65 articles were found among which 46 articles were included in the review. Articles that clearly referred to the prevention of substance use (interventions, strategies, or prevention systems) were included in this study. Articles that indirectly referred to prevention or were restricted to medication or genetic aspects of prevention were excluded. Regarding the type of articles, 26 of them were research articles and 20 were review articles. Among the research articles, 11 were correlational quantitative studies, 9 were quasi-experimental studies, and 6 used qualitative designs. Concerning the participants, 34 of the studies were conducted on school-based programs and 9 on community-based prevention programs. The remaining ones did not refer to specific intervention programs and focused on theoretical elements or prevention and health policies systems.

Taking into consideration the above mentioned as well as the theoretical concerns and the steady need to improve the problematic parts, a search of relevant findings from research and review articles was conducted. Given the dissimilarity of the research studies found, the data were analyzed using content analysis and systematized in different categories according to the point on which each research focused. For a better understanding and categorization of the research results, it was deemed expedient to mention a) the major interventions and techniques used in the studies and b) the results categorized through the above-mentioned analysis.

(A) With regard to the type and the theoretical approach of the interventions applied in the studies found in this review, a wide range of theoretical approaches and techniques were identified that illustrate the preferred trends in prevention over the past years. Characteristically, there is a great heterogeneity among the programs and methods. 7 , 8 Before reviewing the results in the following section, these interventions are elaborated. The following categorization of interventions was chosen because it contributes to a systematic and comprehensive display ( Table 1 ).

a) A lot of studies used interventions that could be characterized as environmental interventions 9 - 11 which highlight mainly the implementation of interventions in a more natural, social, and cultural environment where the individuals act and behave. The aim of these interventions was to increase the cultural belonging to achieve which, a lot of interventions used culturally-based techniques. 12

b) A second category of studies, possibly the one encompassing the majority of them, includes the studies that used more cognitive-based techniques, namely interventions whose broader theoretical framework relies on the cognitive-behavioral approach. Thus, it specifically includes social skills interventions, strengthening families programs and life skills trainings, 13 enhancing communication channels interventions, CHAT- a solution focused strategies program, increasing self-efficacy methods, 14 - 16 McGuires’s persuasion, 17 CHOICE program, Cherokee self-reliance program, 18 Project ALERT program, Persuasion Communication Model, SMART program, random student drug testing, 19 development and monitoring of career goals, and internet-based prevention programs. 20

c) A third research category includes methods that could be characterized in a broader sense as humanistic. These methods are based on the restricted results of the mainly informative (based on providing information) and more cognitive approaches and illustrate the experiential character of prevention. Thus, a lot of prevention strategies deal with the promotion of youth development, 21 peer-to-peer mentoring, 22 motivational interviewing 23 , 24 (a method with a cognitive background as well), narrative therapy, educational and career counseling, and positive youth development strategies with the active participation of teachers and parents. 21 , 25 Obtaining insight and expertise from program personnel and school staff and administrators can bring the program to a point where these strategies can still be achieved and theoretical linkages made after a program has been implemented. This is a necessary foundation for measuring the success of an intervention. 21 A common characteristic of these methods is the intent of active participation of all the community members such as local media and teen networks. Some of them, when implemented in a school-based environment, are delivered by teachers, 26 not by specialized scientists alien to the school environment.

(B) In the second and main part of this section, the results of the reviewed articles are presented as categorized based on (a) variables and factors concerning the effectiveness proved important through the review and (b) a number of important topics highlighted for the prevention of addictive behaviors ( Table 2 ).

a) Concerning the variables and/or the factors that proved more or less important to the implementation of prevention programs, the self-efficacy variable is the most frequently mentioned one. Self-efficacy is the optimistic self-belief in one’s competence or chances of successfully accomplishing a task and producing a favorable outcome. 27 , 28 The building of self-efficacy seems to be a characteristic of addiction-proof children. 14 Apart from self-efficacy, other variables from the cognitive approach associated with successful efforts of prevention are motivational enhancement, life coping skills, decision-making, 20 enhanced drug resistance skills, increased knowledge, and behavior determinants (attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, intention) more negative towards drugs. 13

The variables that derive from the humanitarian tradition and positive psychology have very positive results when included in prevention programs. Thus, the promotion of positive youth development and the cultivation of an optimistic future orientation, 21 the development of hopefulness, 29 harmony among family members, 30 and the strengths and the enforcement of a healthy lifestyle have been repeatedly associated with a reduction in use of addictive substances. The positive role of self-reliance which is defined as being true to one’s self and being connected, responsible, disciplined, and confident 18 can be included in the same context.

Other studies investigated the social support and generally the effect of the social environment on addiction prevention. The results are usually controversial. Therefore, the influence of friends and peer pressure 31 may be associated with high-risk behaviors, but friends are preferred in seeking help. 26 , 30 Self-evidently, having family members who use drugs and adverse life events are associated with high risk. 31 , 32 On the other hand, peer networks and dynamic group leaders can also help to motivate the students. 33 The role of the teachers in prevention is estimated to be positive, as their involvement in prevention programs is associated with lower risk. A positive impact seems to be attributed to parenting monitoring and strict parenting as well as religiosity. 26 Especially in the school context, it seems that belonging to the public school network, development of activities targeting sexuality, development of “Health at School Program” activities, offering extracurricular activities, and having an administrator that participated in training courses on drugs are associated with program implementation. 34

b) With regard to the more general important topics highlighted in substance addiction prevention, a first point is that a lot of researches were based on an informative approach about prevention (e.g., decision), 31 namely the provision of information to the target group (youths or students) about the negative effects of addiction that is expected to lead to a logical refusal of substance use. The major conclusion drawn is that prevention strategies based mainly or exclusively on information have poor results, 17 , 35 which is confirmed by a study according to which most youths were aware of the adverse health effects of substance use. 31 However, other studies based on internet-based interventions supported that intervention groups have more knowledge and are less likely to use cannabis. 20 It is recommended to adopt a broader approach which embraces other directly or indirectly involved individual groups (parents, teachers) and control the quantity and quality of the information provided. 35 , 36 Relevant to the provision of appropriately purposeful information about substance use was the finding about the inadequate awareness and messages in workplace, 37 an example of the expansion of prevention in environments outside the school.

The importance of development stages and the transition from one development stage to the next was another topic highlighted in the review. 38 Studies focused on the understanding and recognition of possible genetic risks and protective factors at the crucial age of children and teenagers. 39 , 40 Some data seem to be confirmed, such as the fact that the onset of substance use at a later stage reduces the problematic use. 12

A lot of studies 18 , 41 - 43 mentioned the effectiveness of culturally grounded interventions. These interventions are culturally sensitive, which means that they primarily take into consideration the cultural characteristics of the population on which the intervention is implemented. Quite often sub-techniques are used that deploy special cultural characteristics of a place (e.g. canoe). 41 The positive results of these efforts reinforce the poorer results of interventions, where a prevention program is transferred and implemented invariably from one country to another, mainly from a developed country to a so-called developing country. 42 Therefore, the integration of appropriate theory and cultural elements seems to be necessary. However, there are also findings that consider that risk and protective factors concerning majority-based research may also be predictors for minorities. 43

Similar to the above is the finding that a lot of preventive interventions followed the ground-up methodology, namely the configuration of interventions after relevant research in population members, where the intervention was implemented later on. 16 , 20 Therefore, in case the aim is to apply an intervention in the school-based environment, the prevention strategies are configurated and chosen after some preliminary work (e.g., focus groups) with the affected populations (e.g., teachers, students), which illustrates the needs of these particular individuals at a specific time. This is in contrast with the most common method (up-ground) where already tested interventions are applied to various populations. 40

As mentioned in the methods section, the greatest part of interventions took place in school-based environments that seem to be probably the most suitable ones for the implementation of interventions, as indicated by findings about effectiveness. 19 However, the findings are not always consistent, as there are also findings that suggest minor to insignificant positive results. 17 Furthermore, certain findings indicated a lower effectiveness in boys compared with girls and better results in children of a low socio-economic level compared with children of a higher socio-economic level. 42 With regard to the frequent implementation of prevention programs in school-based environments, a question of generalization is raised, as expected, namely to what extent the whatsoever results achieved in this environment can be sustained outside this environment. 20

A classic study indicated small- to medium- sized differences in behavioral problems between students who participate for the longest period of time and those who participate for the shortest time 19 which highlighted the importance of the sustainment of the results as well as the retention of students both in the school-based environment and the prevention programs. As noted, the impact of education and persuasion programs tended to be small, at best. When positive effects were found, they did not persist. 17 Furthermore, in terms of effectiveness, the flexibility in delivering the program, such as offering the program in different days and times, seems quite important. 22 However, low effectiveness, indicated even by large-scale studies, is probably attributed to issues of methodology, such as selection strategies. 43

A matter of greater importance with various social aspects that was highlighted was social responsibility with regard to addiction prevention. 44 The importance of the involvement of all the community members leads to the conclusion that prevention concerns potentially every member of the society and not just the populations included in the so-called high-risk groups. Thus, the involvement of school, neighborhood, family, and various associations and religious bodies 45 - 48 seems to be important as it enhances the conscientiousness and responsible behavior of the citizens towards such a vitally important matter. In the same context, the importance of a broader collaboration and consistency between policy design and implementation of educational interventions 17 is also highlighted; however, this is a very complex issue which faces various obstacles during its implementation such as the cost of the interventions. 4

The policy issue comes to the forefront when addiction prevention issues are dealt with. Roumeliotis 49 showed drug addiction is presented as a problem to be handled by experts rather than politics. This shows an important shift in the role of policies in prevention and treatment. Certainly, there is an increasing trend towards harm reduction and even educational approaches and other more traditional forms of prevention including harm reduction. 48 These matters are underlined by the necessity for transdisciplinary scientific collaborations that have the potential to strengthen substance use and abuse research and prevention. 49 Transdisciplinarity is distinguished from other forms of cross-disciplinary collaboration, such as multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity. Transdisciplinarity is the process whereby researchers work jointly using a shared conceptual framework that draws together discipline-specific theories, concepts, and approaches to address a common problem. 49

As indicated in the first part of the results, there is great heterogeneity in the interventions and techniques of addiction prevention. This might imply a great variety of available methods and strategies that can be used. The selection of the suitable methods in each case should be based on the needs of the population to which the respective program is applied and on the study of the effectiveness of the available interventions. Any combination of methods and techniques is legitimate as long as it is based on a justified theoretical background and previous experience from prevention programs. The reported trend of environmental interventions 8 - 10 is a positive step, as it takes into account people’s needs in the natural and social environment in which they act. Given the prevalence of cognitive-behavioral methods on a large scale in the treatment of mental disorders, it is absolutely natural for similar interventions to be used in prevention as well. 15 , 16 These interventions, which require a rational data processing, have a proven effectiveness; however, quite often they seem to be inadequate for the prevention of rather complex psychosocial problems, such as addiction. For this reason, there is a prevalence of more experiential interventions (either in combination with cognitive-behavioral techniques or not), which attempt to include not only the directly affected people (e.g., the students) but also parents, teachers, and other community members or bodies. 34 , 35 Apart from the above mentioned, other factors should be taken into account including ‘Who is training the trainers?’, ‘How can quality delivery be ensured on a large scale?’, ‘How can a universal program become part of a chain of prevention?’ and ‘How do we handle the needs of practitioners?’ 50 - 52

With regard to the factors/variables that play an important role in addiction prevention, as expected, the findings highlighted already known variables, such as self-efficacy 14 - 16 and the development of positive characteristics like hopefulness 29 and social support. 31 It could be assumed that based on the repeated findings, an effective prevention program could include the development of cognitive and social skills in line with the development of a positive lifestyle, way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. The introduction of complementary concepts and interventions from the field of positive psychology would be a suggested step at the therapeutic level. Such interventions could be the emergence and strengthening of strengths as well as mental resilience and positive emotions, such as hope and gratitude. According to Peele, 53 addiction-proof children have skills to gain real rewards in life, values that sustain moderation, and reject addiction in favor of pursuing positive goals, and confidence that they can achieve these goals. This is in contrast with addiction-prone children, who are more likely to come from backgrounds that deny them any opportunity, are plagued by bad feelings (depression, anxiety, lack of purpose), and have history of dependence. The reinforcement of these characteristics seems to be even more effective when teachers, parents, and the broader community are involved in the program. Therefore, prevention should concern a bigger part of society and should not be implemented fragmentarily only to the population at risk.

As indicated by the findings, in the review of substance addiction prevention, certain repeated matters raised which were evaluated in order to improve future choices and practices. Therefore, the restricted effectiveness of strategies based exclusively on information 17 , 35 has been confirmed, as aptly pointed out by Zafeiridis. 54 As we live in an era in which information constitutes a basic part of our lives, information is recommended to be provided at an initial stage of prevention, whereas later on it should become more experiential. As indicated, it is important to control the quantity and quality of the information 35 , 36 to be essentially helpful to parents, teachers, and children.

Prevention programs should also take into account the importance of development stages. 38 A reasonable conclusion drawn by the findings is that prevention should be applied at a young age (even at pre-school age), because the beginning of substance use later on reduces the possibility of problematic use. This is probably due to the fact that young people, from an age onwards, have already managed to develop important cognitive and emotional mechanisms of dealing with situations. The recognition of protective factors, as well as risk factors at a crucial age is also helpful in designing an effective intervention.

An issue dealt with in numerous researches was the importance of culturally-based interventions. 17 , 41 The programs implemented in developed countries can form a good knowledge and practice basis, but it is obvious that they should not be applied invariably in different cultural environments. A good suggestion in this regard would be the development of programs through the ground-up methodology, which initially illustrates the population needs, followed by the design of prevention interventions. To this end, the theoretical knowledge should be deployed and there should also be an integration of the appropriate theory and cultural elements.

With regard to the usual choice of implementing prevention programs in school-based environments, 19 it seems that school-based environment remains the most suitable one for these interventions as it combines the daily involvement of the child in a series of activities in the community environment where potentially significant others, such as teachers and parents, are also involved. The utilization of research findings is important in order to increase the so far minor positive results and generalize them in different conditions outside school.

On a broader level, it is commonplace that substance addiction prevention should be dealt with not only by the directly affected populations but by various bodies, such as associations, communities, religious bodies, as well as every individual member of the society. It is a reasonable assumption that the increase in social responsibility brings about an increase in individual responsibility and that the social well-being is interrelated with the individual one.

Finally, on a policy level, drug prevention is not something only experts should deal with, but requires an active political will and active involvement of the citizens. Accordingly, not only transdisciplinarity, but also the consistency of policy design and implementation of educational interventions is required and vital. To overcome possible obstacles, the cost of prevention should be calculated and compared to that of interventions. Effective prevention can, therefore, have multiple benefits on both personal and social levels.

The results of this study concerning the prevention of drug use showed the most effective interventions are those implemented in community contexts, such as schools, at a young age, and based on experiential methods tailored to the needs of each population. Humanitarian approaches are effective and can be applied in parallel with cognitive and behavioral approaches. In this context, methods from positive psychology could be used. It is important for clinicians working in the community to implement or recommend prevention programs with the above characteristics. Nevertheless, even for those clinicians who do not work in the community, it is important to know what really prevents substance use to make the right referrals and give the right directions. At the level of health services, it is important that prevention programs are implemented primarily universally in a broad context such as schools but also secondarily selectively in high-risk groups. Finally, it is important to emphasize that substance abuse prevention is not just for mental health professionals but also for the whole community, teachers, parents, and every individual citizen.

The present narrative review highlighted some important issues for addiction prevention. However, this was not a systematic review or meta-analysis. Further studies are recommended to conduct a more systematic review.

Acknowledgments

I thank the colleagues in the Department of Psychology at the University of Western Macedonia and the students in the course of psychopathology for their support.

Citation: Flora K. A review of the prevention of drug addiction: specific interventions, effectiveness, and important topics. Addict Health . 2022;14(4):288-295. doi:10.34172/ahj.2022.1348

Conflict of Interests

Author declares no conflict of interests.

Ethics Approval

Not applicable.

Why is Drug Education Important?

Why is drug education important? Understanding the impact of alcohol and other drugs is undoubtedly an invaluable strength. Knowing how drugs impact the body, the long and short-term effects of substance abuse, and the possible risk factors involved are all key in the prevention strategy. Research continues to provide substance abuse experts with more material to help educate community members on the dangers of illicit substances and drug misuse. Life-saving skills can develop from newer, evidence-based research and educational materials.

Drug education is not just for teachers or drug-free advocates and counselors. Everyone can benefit from the knowledge obtained from addiction researchers and specialists. It can help create safe and effective treatments as well as reduce the potential for increased substance abuse rates throughout a community.

Resources Provide Needed Education

No one questions the severity of the nationwide drug epidemic and its devastating impact on millions of lives. Alcohol and drugs undermine health and destroy futures, especially among the nation’s youth. To combat rising trends in addiction and addiction overdoses, experts are creating educational programs that use evidence-based training to help inform community members of peer pressure , mental health concerns , prescription drug abuse, prevention strategy, and much more.

The best solution is to reach young people with effective, fact-based drug education—before they start experimenting with drugs. Tweens, teens and young adults who know the facts about drugs are much less likely to start using them. -Drug Free World

The majority of local outreach programs seek to address community violence and drug use by properly educating residents, physicians, law enforcement, educators, and all pillars in the community about the lasting impact of addiction.

Prescription Medications: Changes in Policy

A great example of educational resources that evolved due to growing trends in substance abuse rates are those that surround the issue of prescription narcotic abuse.

Prior to 1990, physicians rarely prescribed opioids to patients other than those combating pain due to certain cancer types. By 1999, 86% of patients using opioids were using them for non-cancer pain. Communities, where opioids were readily available and prescribed liberally, were the first places to experience increased opioid abuse and resulting overdoses. In 2015, the National Survey on Drug Use and (NSDUH) found that 6.5 million Americans over the age of 12 used controlled prescription medicines non-medically, second only to marijuana and more than past-month users of cocaine, heroin, and hallucinogens combined.

The sharpest rise in drug-related deaths occurred in 2016, with over 20,000 deaths from fentanyl and related drugs. Shortly after, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued comprehensive guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain outside of cancer treatment and end-of-life care.

By 2018, newer educational material revealed the truly devastating effects and widespread consequences of overprescribing opioids for general pain relief. As a result, more physicians took new approaches tor pain management. This is another reason why drug education is important.

Local Outreach Programs

Local outreach programs tend to focus on the local community needs, however there are larger scale programs aimed at informing the country about current drug related concerns. The United States Department of Health and Human Services is currently using a five step model to help address the opioid epidemic in the United States. The first step is to properly inform all Americans of the impact of the opioid crisis.

Drug education is not to be taken lightly and is a crucial factor in addressing deep seeded concerns that may perpetuate substance use disorders. Learn more about the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services is utilizing drug education to help address nationwide addiction.

What is Drug Education?

Drug education is a general term, but it incorporates several areas of alcohol and other drug recovery. It may refer to:

• Research & development
• Preventive treatment
• Early childhood or in-school education

The term drug education refers to the attempt to inform those living in a community where psychoactive drugs may be widely available and  or could have a significant effect on families, politics, and finances. It is used to help teach the effects drugs may have on physical health.

Drug education can be presented in many different formats including:

• Advertising
• Open Community Board Meetings
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Hospital and clinical training
• Wellness Coaching
• Research papers
• Infographics

Beyond providing help in substance abuse prevention, drug education is a large proponent of providing safe and healthy resources that promote healthy living. For example, it may raise awareness of community needs, such as a lack of available gyms, lack of proper community health facilities or addiction treatment options, and a lack of safe and healthy recreational activities. Drug education shows what resources may be missing in an affected community and can increase awareness and safety in the community.

For further examples of current drug education resources, visit Drug Policy Alliance here . They discuss the potential for harm reduction, parenting, advocacy, and stigma regarding community drug use.

Accessing Community Drug Education

Drug education is progressing in significant ways as newer research seeks to address disparities among various communities. Previously, an abstinence-only policy was widely believed to be the best method in addressing addiction. Unfortunately, programs like D.A.R.E didn’t produce the intended results . Experts think this is because abstinence education doesn’t give students the tools needed to make safe decisions or find help when substance abuse is already an issue.

More funding is helping to develop evidence-based systems for educating youth and community members in rural and urban environments. Some resources that provide  access to community drug education include:

• U.S. Department of Education
• National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) – Impaired Driving Division
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Office of National Drug Control
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Office of Safe and Healthy Students

Is there a Need for Drug Education While Struggling with Addiction?

Yes. Participating in drug education while struggling with addiction is highly important. Several rehabilitation programs and relapse prevention programs use drug education to help inform clients about the severe impact drugs and alcohol have have on their personal and professional lives.

Drug education in rehab facilities develops awareness of possible triggers that may risk current progress toward sobriety. Furthermore, drug education can reduce the potential for relapse as patients can become aware of risky people, places, and situations. It is helpful to avoid such triggers or develop skills to overcome certain relapse triggers . Common triggers may include:

• Fear of Relapse

Becoming aware of these triggers and how they may personally impact a person suffering from alcohol or other drugs is critical. Triggers will always be present in all communities. Being able to identify triggers decreases the potential to accidentally place one’s self in a risky position that can jeopardize current progress.

AspenRidge: Educating Clients in Recovery

AspenRidge is a premier substance abuse and mental health treatment center. Our highly trained staff incorporates drug education in the form of skill building to safely and effectively aid in long-term recovery. AspenRidge offers various programs, all of which seek to address various levels of substance abuse and underlying mental health concerns that may prevent long-term recovery.

Please contact AspenRidge at 855-678-3144 . Our compassionate staff will help to verify insurance options and to clarify treatment options available at AspenRidge Recovery Centers.

About the Author

Karlie Roshong

Karlie is originally from Dayton, Ohio, and began her education in psychology at the University of Cincinnati. She participated in research studying ADHD in children, mindfulness and anxiety, and embodied cognition. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she continued her education at the University of Denver and earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling with a side specialization in addiction. During grad school, she treated clients involved in the legal system as well as at a detox facility. After graduating, Karlie gained experience working in a residential program for eating disorders and a private practice before joining the AspenRidge team.

In her time here, Karlie trained as a clinical supervisor and an Acudetox therapist. She has a passion for working with clients to help them develop a more profound sense of identity to navigate depressive and anxious symptoms. She’s passionate about working with clients to work through trauma and improve mental stability. In her personal life, Karlie likes reading sci-fi and fantasy and going to Marvel movies. She enjoys playing board games and having home karaoke nights with her friends. Karlie says the best advice ever received is to not fall in love with potential. Fall in love with what is, then work to grow from there.

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Prevention Research: The Fight Against Drug Abuse Essay

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Introduction

Major arguments.

US as well as other countries have formulated numerous strategies to help in the fight against drug abuse, production, trade, distribution, and addiction. This is a critical provision in the realms of rehabilitating drug addicts and banning business regarding illicit drugs (illegal trade).

It is notable that the country (United States) has made remarkable steps with its ‘War on Drugs’ initiative despite the challenges. The country (in conjunction with other associated states) has managed to establish, ratify, and embrace programs that promote the fight against drug trade and abuse among the youth, adults, and other vulnerable groups in the society.

It is agreeable that US’s ‘War on Drugs’ has been an effective substance abuse prevention plan despite the hiccups that the program faces and its inability to attain some of its designated mandates within the specified durations among the poor (Caulkins, 2005).

Since the inception of the program, several considerable results have been realized towards the prevention of drug peddling and abuse by some sections of the society. Additionally, US have managed to jail some of the drug users and peddlers. It remarkably reduced the trade, distribution, and use of cocaine and other illicit drugs among the people.

There are remarkable results exhibited among the middle and wealthier people (in the reduction of drug use); nonetheless, there have been negligible results among the poor people who have not comprehended the disadvantages associated with drug abuse and addiction.

Evidently, it is crucial to understand the importance of fighting drug abuse and addiction in the context of establishing and nurturing a healthy and productive nation. It is agreeable that US’s ‘war on drugs’ has registered considerable results in the fight against drug peddling, distribution, abuse, and addiction. This has been a critical substance abuse prevention plan in the US’s context.

The government has managed to reduce the drug consumption rates and trading incidences by arresting and jailing drug dealers and the concerned abusers in the international context.

Nonetheless, it has been challenged to incorporate education programs that could enlighten the society about the atrocities of drug abuse, trade, and addiction. Otherwise, this program has had remarkable challenges among the poor communities as indicated earlier. It is crucial to consider such provision with regard to the efforts meant to prevent drug use.

In the US’s contexts, several presidents have managed to establish and embrace varied programs meant to curb the aspects of drug use and addiction. For example, George Bush managed to reduce the abuse of cocaine with nearly 22%. This was a considerable move under the ‘war on drugs’ initiative.

Despite this, it is agreeable that the initiative (war on drugs) has not eradicated drug abuse and addiction instances as mandated during its inception. This is a critical occurrence following the increasing drug abuse instances and other relevant provisions in the entire context.

Evidently, there have been several challenges faced by the ‘war on drugs’ initiative as indicated earlier. This has hampered its success remarkably despite the efforts to eradicate the aspects of drug abuse, addiction, and other relevant factors. It is crucial to note such providences in the contexts of international drug trade.

Similarly, it is delightful that ‘war on drugs’ has made considerable landmarks in the fight against drug use, production, trade, and distribution following its ability to reduce the instance of drug peddling mentioned earlier. Since the law prohibits any business/dealings regarding illicit drugs, it is crucial to note that the initiative has helped in establishing and embracing such laws.

It forms a critical organ in proposing, initiating, and establishing laws/policies governing drug abuse and addiction. Despite the challenges and other considerable concerns characterizing this initiative, it is agreeable that ‘war on drugs’ has been an effective substance abuse prevention plan.

It is just that the public has not cooperated with the stipulations of this initiative. It is evident that such plans demand public corporation in order to realize substantial results. Nonetheless, the initiative has made considerable accomplishments as indicated earlier despite the challenges. This is a notable progress made by the initiative despite the hiccups.

Concurrently, 10-15% of prohibited heroin and 30% of illegal cocaine have been intercepted in the recent past. Higher figures have been expected although other stakeholders mandated to eradicate such drugs have not accomplished their obligations as expected. This is a critical consideration in various contexts. It is crucial to note that some efforts to fight drug abuse and addiction instances have been thwarted by none-responsiveness (Kellogg, 2003).

Additionally, the public has not cooperated fully as demanded from them. ‘War on Drugs’ has favored domestic law endorsement efforts in order to eradicate drug abuse and addiction in US and internationally; nonetheless, the initiative has registered considerable resistance from drug cartels and other shipment agents who dominate the business.

This is an important observation in the context of fighting drug abuse, trade, and the alleged addiction. Importantly, it is censurable that US’s ‘war on drugs’ has been an effective substance abuse prevention plan despite challenges. It only needs a critical restructure in its entire frameworks in order to realize any considerable result in its endeavors.

Some of the policies governing the initiative have become obsolete, a fact that has rendered the ‘war on drugs’ ineffective at some points. Nevertheless, the initiative has made remarkable accomplishments in its era. It is arguable that there are some difficulties in eradicating the aspects of drug abuse, peddling, and addiction as indicated earlier.

This has made some organizations, individuals, activists, and other relevant entities to declare ‘war on drugs’ as a failure in its mandates (Williams, 2012). It is important to understand the entire aspects of this provision. Several sources have indicated that ‘war on drugs’ has failed to accomplish most of its obligations especially in the societies of low class (poor people).

This is agreeable; however, it is crucial to consider several factors regarding this issue as well as some of the accomplishments already achieved by the program. Based on these arguments, it is important to agree that US’s ‘war on drugs’ has been an effective substance abuse prevention plan despite the challenges as indicated earlier. Its formulation and other relevant obligations have ensured that the abuse, sale, and illegal trading in drugs are minimized.

It is crucial to agree that US established the initiative majorly to eradicate consumption and trade on illegal drugs. This is a crucial provision due to its ability to discern the issues related to drug use and addiction. The increase in violence and crimes associated with drug abuse has become a massive concern in US and beyond.

There are critical factors regarding this factor. Additionally, ‘war on drugs’ has endeavored to fight these problems regardless of the situation. Since drug peddlers, users, and other cartels have been formulating new trends in order to counter the efforts put by the government, the program has not accomplished its full mandates as expected (Blair, 2011). Nevertheless, what it has attained is quite substantial when considered critically.

There are claims that the use of cocaine, heroin, and crack increased considerably during the ‘war on drugs’ era. Additionally, the aspects of crime and other related atrocities escalated remarkably; however, these cannot thwart the entire accomplishments of this initiative.

Despite the challenges, the achievements of this substance abuse prevention plan have been considerable. At least it has restricted trade on illicit drugs, enlightened masses on the problems associated with drug abuse and addiction, initiated the prosecution of drug peddlers/cartels, and prohibited the prevalence on drug abuse.

It is vital to agrees that US’s ‘war on drugs’ has been an effective substance abuse prevention plan despite the drawbacks and its inability to accomplish some of its mandates. Since its inception, the initiative has mandated to eradicate trades on illicit drugs, discourage drug consumption and addiction, and prosecute drug dealers in order to avoid shipments and trafficking of illegal drugs including cocaine, heroin, crack, and other addictive substances.

Although there are considerable claims that ‘war on drugs’ has not managed to eliminate drug use, trafficking, and associated addictions, it is still agreeable that its plans have made some remarkable achievements. By endeavoring to prohibit trade on illicit drugs, the initiative, ‘war on drugs’, forms substantial drug abuse prevention machinery.

It is crucial to consider this provision in various contexts including drug abuse and addiction phenomena. Another prominent consideration in this context is the obligations bestowed on the organ. Nonetheless, fighting drug use, trade, and addiction has been a challenging task both to the government and other relevant/concerned organizations.

Blair, E. (2011). 10 Ways the War on Drugs is a Wild Success . Web.

Caulkins, J. (2005). How goes the “war on drugs”?: An assessment of US drug problems and policy . Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corp.

Kellogg, W. (2003). American history: The easy way . Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s.

Williams, R. (2012). Why “The War on Drugs” Has Failed . Web.

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• How Are States Using Opioid Settlements?
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Committed to improving the health and well-being of all people across every state.

State Strategies for Preventing Substance Use and Overdose Among Youth and Adolescents

Substance use in youth can lead to a variety of negative outcomes, including health issues, poor academic performance, and increased risk of addiction and overdose. Primary prevention is a public health strategy of intervening before negative health effects occur, including delaying or preventing young people’s use of harmful substances that may lead to overdose or other substance-related harms. Increased rates of mental health challenges among youth, as well as rising overdose rates driven by illicit fentanyl (even as youth substance use remains at historically low levels ) underscores the need for multi-faceted prevention strategies that reduce risk factors that lead to drug use, support early intervention and linkage to services, and provide information and access to overdose prevention resources such as naloxone.   

States can employ these approaches at these distinct levels as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy, which recognizes the importance of different risk and protective factors that interplay at the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels. States have a variety of substance use prevention activities already underway, often overseen by state prevention coordinators and supported by a patchwork of funding that includes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Substance Use and Mental Health Block Grants and State Opioid Response  Grants, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) ( Overdose to Action funding, and other sources. With state opioid settlement funds providing an important opportunity to address priorities, invest in gaps in infrastructure, and promote sustainability of current efforts, this brief highlights evidence-based prevention activities that can be supported through state settlement funds.

Prevention: What Works?

Prevention requires understanding the multiple factors that influence individual choices and behaviors related to substance use. The socio-ecological model offers a framework for assessing the range of factors that put people at risk for experiencing the negative effects of substance use, as well as the factors that can protect against those risk factors. Individual-level efforts might involve interventions with children who are at risk, while community-level strategies might address social determinants of health and other factors that influence substance use. Importantly, prevention activities have a variety of benefits beyond reduced substance use, including lower long-term treatment costs, less premature mortality, and overall higher quality of life for young people, among many others. Figure 1 illustrates prevention strategies that can work to address risk factors for substance use at the individual, relationship, and school and community levels.

A more specific model, the SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework , guides state officials and local providers in assessing all of these risk factors to tailor prevention responses to the real needs and strengths of a specific community. The framework offers a comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing the substance use and related behavioral health problems within communities, which can then inform the development of programs and practices that address widespread behavioral health issues. By investing across this continuum, states can work to build and support a prevention infrastructure for both state and community-level prevention efforts. NASHP’s case study on Connecticut  highlights a state’s successful approach to supporting a comprehensive prevention infrastructure.

Leveraging Settlement Funding to Support Primary Prevention

As a part of the terms of the National Opioids Settlement, states and counties distributing opioid settlement funding must spend at least 70 percent of settlement funds on current and future opioid remediation. Exhibit E within the master settlement agreement defines core strategies and details a range of allowable activities across prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. Specific activities listed for preventing the misuses of opioids (Section G) provide states with significant latitude to invest in a wide range of primary prevention activities, including upstream community-level interventions and initiatives specifically targeted at youth with mental and behavioral health needs. These activities include:

• Funding media campaigns to prevent opioid misuse
• Funding community anti-drug coalitions that engage in drug prevention efforts and supporting community coalitions in implementing evidence-informed prevention, such as reduced social access and physical access and stigma reduction
• Engaging nonprofits and faith-based communities as systems to support prevention
• Funding evidence-based prevention programs in schools

The following examples show best and promising practices for implementing these allowable primary prevention activities, using settlement funding or other funding streams.

Funding Media Campaigns to Prevent Opioid Use

Research points to the idea that prevention efforts should focus on enhancing the understanding of the risks associated with opioid misuse and reducing the stigma against those who use drugs. Efforts to reduce stigma can remove barriers for individuals seeking support for substance use disorders and help to garner wider public support for policies and programs that facilitate recovery.

Many regional and national media campaigns to address stigma are underway, and the SAMHSA-funded Prevention Technology Transfer Center offers a list of current campaign resources . The CDC states that airing campaign messages at sufficient levels of reach among the target audience can lead to changes in campaign-targeted knowledge and attitudes within six to 12 months and changes in behaviors within 12 to 24 months after the campaign launch. At the state level, numerous states are investing in efforts to reduce stigma and increase awareness of available supports.

For example, Minnesota is funding several media campaigns through its Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council (OERAC), including a statewide project that informs the public not only of the harms of opioid use, but also provides information about pathways to recovery and naloxone and offers tailored educational materials for medical professionals.

Engaging Nonprofits and Faith-Based Communities as Systems to Support Prevention

Working with established community-based organizations allows states to bolster existing locally informed prevention projects that have longstanding trust among residents. Among a robust set of prevention activities that Michigan supports, the state prioritizes connecting with faith-based institutions to better engage a wider range of state residents. Faith-based prevention products include information tailored for congregations, training, connection to harm reduction services, and a faith-based learning collaborative. In Kansas, funding awarded through Kansas Fights Addiction will support efforts in Sedgwick, Kansas, to prevent substance use and other risky behaviors in marginalized youth through evidence-based prevention programs to enhance protective factors and address risk factors such as adverse childhood experiences and trauma.

Youth-Led Prevention Efforts

Youth can be powerful ambassadors and partners in identifying challenges and developing approaches that resonate within their communities, and youth-led prevention work offers communication and peer networks from individuals that youth find credible: other youth. Youth who are leading prevention work can participate in planning, decision-making, implementation, evaluation, and recognition processes, which both provides better-informed prevention programming, as well as leadership skills for participants.

The Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network Youth Council is made up of Ohio high school students who are part of local groups that work to prevent substance use/misuse, promote mental health, and empower other youth. The youth council chooses a topic that matters to young people and plans how to make a difference in their communities with help from their adult allies. By using comprehensive prevention strategies, youth council members develop and implement activities and messaging around their area of focus to engage with peers and adults across the state. In Kansas, Kansas Fights Addiction will support two school districts in Douglas County in implementing school-based prevention pilots that will center building youth leadership capacity and implementation of youth-led initiatives.

Community Coalitions

Community coalitions are community-based, formal arrangements for cooperation and collaboration among groups or sectors of a community in which each group retains its identity but all agree to work together toward a common goal of building a safe, healthy, and drug-free community. These coalitions offer a range of platforms and opportunities for community engagement, which is a critical factor in the scale-up of evidence-based practices, improvements in population health, and prevention. Outcomes associated with community engagement occur at implementation, service, and individual levels and include community coalition functioning, acceptability of evidence-based practices (EBPs) and/or prevention strategies, adoption of EBPs and/or prevention strategies, feasibility, sustainability, and behavioral health functioning.

The Oregon Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Board provided approximately $3.8 million to community-based organizations and regional health equity coalitions to increase the number of primary prevention initiatives in communities experiencing disproportionate effects of substance use and overdose. The funds will go to organizations that are rooted in existing linguistic and cultural systems, building on their community engagement efforts and infrastructure. New York has also set aside $1.4 million in its state opioid settlement dollars to fund seven applicants up to $200,000 each to establish Fentanyl, Opioids, Rx Coalitions, which will build on the successful implementation of evidence-based opioid and heroin use prevention strategies.

Funding for Evidence-Based Prevention Programs in Schools

As noted, primary prevention works best when instituted at multiple points, and evidence-based prevention programs in schools offer an array of educational opportunities that increase skills, socioemotional wellness, and connections with others that may serve as protective factors against future substance use. In Virginia, Fairfax County offers an array of school-based prevention services, including education about drugs; group and individual prevention services for students, staff, parents, and the Fairfax County community; and partnerships with both school resources officers and parent-teacher-student organizations. New York earmarked $4 million in state opioid settlement funds for the development of primary prevention education programs to work with schools in communities that have higher than average opioid overdose deaths, non-fatal outpatient emergency department visits, and hospital discharges involving opioid use, poisoning, dependence, and unspecified use.

Key Takeaways

Opioid settlements provide an opportunity for states and localities to strategically invest in priorities for addressing the ongoing substance use crisis. Continued investment of evidence-based practices and strategies for reducing substance use, supporting early intervention, and reducing harms is critical to building a future addiction infrastructure. Johns Hopkins University’s Principles for the Use of Funds From the Opioid Litigation — which many states have incorporated into their settlement decision-making processes — includes investing in youth primary prevention programs as a key priority for settlement funding. With prevention activities already supported by wide variety of agencies and governmental levels, investing opioid settlements in prevention offers state officials an opportunity to collaborate strategically, strengthen existing prevention infrastructure, and create opportunities for future prevention activities.

Federal Resources

• Engaging Community Coalitions to Decrease Opioid Overdose Deaths Practice Guide 2023
• Community Engagement: An Essential Component of an Effective and Equitable Substance Use Prevention System
• Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention for Early Childhood
• Data-Based Planning for Effective Prevention 
• National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Other Resources

• Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development , a registry of evidence-based interventions that have been rigorously evaluated for effectiveness in prevention

NASHP Resources

• Building a Prevention Infrastructure to Address Substance Use: Connecticut’s Approach

Acknowledgements

The National Academy for State Health Policy provides this information with the ongoing support of the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) and thanks FORE Project Officer Ken Shatzkes and FORE President Karen Scott for their continued guidance and direction. The authors would also like to thank Chris Jones, Cara Alexander, Torrance Brown, Ingrid Donato, Charlene Jenkins, and Michelle Leff with the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention for their feedback, as well as Bobbie Boyer, Valerie Connolly-Leach, Joelle Foskett, Krista Machado, Sarah Mariani, Katie Postmus, Jennifer Rennquist, Lisa Shields, Kris Teters, and Jared Welehodsky for their input.

RELATED CONTENT

Promising Practices for Collaboration on State and Local Opioid Settlement Spending

Medicaid and Children with Chronic and Complex Needs

National Care Coordination Standards for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN)

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Essay on the Prevention and Control to Drug Addiction

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Essay on the Prevention and Control to Drug Addiction!

“Prevention is better than cure” is also true here. Tobacco, drugs/alcohol abuse are more during young age and during adolescence.

Thus remedial measures should be taken well in time. In this regard the parents and teachers have a special responsibility.

The following measures would be particularly useful for prevention and control of alcohol and drug abuse in adolescents.

1. Avoid undue Peer Pressure:

Every child has his/her own choice and personality, which should be kept in mind. So a child should not be pressed unduly to do beyond his/ her capacities, be it studies, sports etc.

2. Education and counselling:

Education and counselling are very important to face problems, stresses, disappointments and failure in life. These should be taken as part of life. One should utilize a child’s energy in some other activities like sports, music, reading, yoga and other extra curricular activities.

3. Seeking help from parents and peers:

Whenever, there is any problem, one should seek help and a guidance from parents and peers. Help should be taken from close and trusted friends. This would help young to share their feelings of anxiety and wrong doings.

4. Looking for Danger Signs:

If friends find someone using drugs or alcohol, they should bring this to the notice of parents of teacher so that appropriate measures would be taken to diagnose the illness and the causes. This would help in taking proper remedial steps or treatment.

5. Seeking Professional and Medical helps:

Highly qualified psychologists, psychia­trists and de-addiction and rehabilitation programmes can help individuals who are suffering from drug/alcohol abuse. If such help is provided to the affected persons, with sufficient efforts and will power, the patient could be completely cured and lead normal and healthy life.

Related Articles:

• Drug Addiction: Causes, Prevention and De-addiction
• 9 Major Effects of Drug Abuse – Explained!

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Harmful Effects of Drug Addiction

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Published: Jun 13, 2024

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Physical health consequences, psychological and emotional impact, social consequences, economic impact.

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