INTRODUCTION Substance misuse is the continued use of drugs or alcohol despite negative consequences to the individual using, their friends, family and the community. Drug misuse is usually considered as a crime while most individuals overlook it as a mental health issue. Most people do not come forward to seek help because of the stigmatization and the fear of the law. This school health education programme can only be successful if partners from the health, education and social services sector are actively involved. TARGET POPULATION The target population under consideration are teenagers between the ages of 13-17 though there has been cases of drug use in individuals under this age group. The teenagers attending 5 secondary schools in Manchester, North West England. This population is important because of the high rate of drug use in the area. Although, the highest number of deaths occur among the 40-49 age group, most drug addicts admit to using of drugs early in their teen years. Manchester in North West of England will be chosen because of the high rate of drug misuse in the area. PLANNING FRAMEWORK The Getting To Outcomes (GTO) planning model (Chinman et al. 2004)will be used for the implementation of this programme as it is suitable for long term projects. It was initially designed to improve on substance misuse programmes. GTO will be of importance because it is flexible, recognizes existing programmes and has checklists for accountability (Wiseman et al. 2007). However the use of checklists can be limiting and this programme will adopt some steps from the Precede-Proceed model. This is because the Precede-Proceed model recognizes that there are multiple factors that are responsible for people's behaviour and it outline... ... middle of paper ... ...mme will use an educational and behaviour change approach (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). EVALUATION The project will be evaluated based on whether there is an increase in knowledge concerning the effects of drug misuse. A process, impact and outcomes evaluation (Naidoo and Wills, 2009) will be carried out before, during and after the programmes. ETHICAL ISSUES Ethical approvals will be sought from the schools where the programmes will be implemented. There will also be informed consent will be sought from parents. CONCLUSION This project would be more effective as a long term project which can also be expanded for use in other secondary schools. Hopefully the project will bring about a reduction in drug misuse as there will be more knowledge on its consequences and the fact that there is more to it than just a habit but its a health issue with several underlying factors.
Conceptualizing Co-Occurring Disorder Co-occurring disorders are terms that can be very broad and can describe different conditions that happen or occur at the same time. For the purpose of this essay and from the mental health perspective, co-occurring disorders refer to someone who has a substance use disorder such as alcohol or drugs, and also has a mental disorder such as depression or any other mental illness. According to a study conducted in 2014 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), adults 18 and over who were surveyed reported having substance use and/or mental illness. “Of these, 7.9 million people had both a mental disorder and substance use disorder” (SAMHSA, 2016). This essay will provide general history information about co-occurring disorders, how the term came about, treatment integration and the quadrants, as well as a personal view on the use of the co-occurring term.
There are many contributing factors and political issues that address substance abuse. Throughout the years, many researchers have designed many interventions and social policies designed to treat people who have used, abused, and became addicted to substances. Today, there are many new studies that address substance abuse at the individual, group, family, and community or policy levels. Today, there are many services that are effective for decreasing recidivism in youth who have completed a substance abuse program. A substance abuse treatment program or center is the best way to treat individuals who have abused substances.
The consequences that follow the use of any drug are unfavorable. Although many individuals may see drug addiction as a mere lifestyle choice, it is a problem that many individuals suffer from and inevitably a growing issue that leaves major social and economic impacts.
I chose Drug use as my topic because since my early years as a child I can remember someone in my life always being addicted to drugs or using drugs. Because of this I have seen many of the trends of what drugs are out on the streets, in schools, and in our own homes. Having a child of my own I have made it a goal of mine, as many other have, to make sure my daughter know right from wrong and to say no! When I was in school they did not impliment drug awarness programs, talk to us much about drug use or even show us in our classes the war America is facing when it comes to drugs.
Drugs cause an overall disturbance in a subjects’ physiological, psychological and emotional health. “At the individual level, drug abuse creates health hazards for the user, affecting the educational and general development of youths in particular” (“Fresh Challenge”). In youth specifically, drug abuse can be triggered by factors such as: a parent’s abusive behavior, poor social skills, family history of alcoholism or substance abuse, the divorce of parents or guardians, poverty, the death of a loved one, or even because they are being bullied at school (“Drugs, brains, and behavior”) .
Typically, almost everyone in the world has taken drugs at some point in their life. Whether it be over the counter medication or prescription drugs. People get sick, they have illness, allegories, sexually transmitted diseases or other aches and pains. As you may already know, there is medication for each aforementioned problem. This is called drug use, which is using drugs for its intended purpose. However, the real dilemma happens when people began to misuse and abuse drugs.
The drug control policy of the United States has always been a subject of debate. From Prohibition in the early 1930’s to the current debate over the legalization of marijuana, drugs have always been near the top of the government’s agenda. Drug use affects every part of our society. It strains our economy, our healthcare, our criminal justice systems, and it endangers the futures of young people. In order to support a public health approach to drug control, the Obama administration has committed over $10 billion to drug education programs and support for expanding access to drug treatment for addicts (Office). The United States should commit more government resources to protect against illegal use of drugs by youths and provide help for recovering addicts.
Substance abuse complicates almost every aspect of care for the person with a mental disorder. When drugs enter the brain, they can interrupt the work and actually change how the brain performs its jobs; these changes are what lead to compulsive drug use. Drug abuse plays a major role when concerning mental health. It is very difficult for these individuals to engage in treatment. Diagnosis for a treatment is difficult because it takes time to disengage the interacting effects of substance abuse and the mental illness. It may also be difficult for substance abusers to be accommodated at home and it may not be tolerated in the community of residents of rehabilitation programs. The author states, that they end up losing their support systems and suffer frequent relapses and hospitalizations (Agnes B. Hatfield, 1993).
Adolescences in particular can be easily influenced to abusing a drug or multiple drugs. I believe this happens because teens often lack education, live in an environment where drugs are readily available, are peer-pressured and the lack of proper growth of the frontal lobe. Many factors contribute to adolescences experimenting with drugs. As side from being a child, the adolescence stage is of great importance. Healthy habits and activities are supposed to be instilled within this stage of life. The adolescence stage can be very perplexing and what is made into a habit then is easily carried on into adulthood. Our genes act together with our environment to contribute to the addictive behaviors we are motivated to develop. If addiction is left untreated it can ultimately lead to de...
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.
Perhaps most substance abuse starts in the teen years when young people are susceptible to pressure from their peers. One of the main concerns when dealing with substance abuse is the long term problems with substance such as addiction, dependency and tolerance. The physical state of an individual, who is addicted to a substance, will deteriorate over a long period of time. This is due to the chemicals that are being put into an individual body. One of the most important aspects of the effect of substance abuse on society includes ill health, disease, sickness, and in many cases death. The impact of substance abuse not only affects individuals who abuse substances but it affects our economy. Our government resources are negatively impacted by individual who abuse substances. According to (Lagliaro 2004) the implication of drug users extend far beyond the user, often damaging their relationships with their family, community, and health workers, volunteer and wider
After interviewing my teenage cousin whom has been in several altercations at home and school, enlightened me on the ways that teenagers in her age group gets involved in drug use. Kids start as young as ten years of age using, selling, and experimenting with drugs. My teenage cousin was expelled from public schools when she started experimenting with drugs. She was surrounded by many challenges when she enrolled in the alternative behavioral school. Many students, whom attend the alternative behavioral school use drugs, sell drugs, are on probation, have been arrested, engage in sexual activity and drink alcohol.
Alcohol and drug abuse is one of biggest problems in United States today. It is not only a personal problem that dramatically affects individuals' lives, but is a major social problem that affects society as whole. "Drug and alcohol abuse", these phrases we hear daily on the radio, television or in discussions of social problem. But what do they mean or what do we think and understand by it? Most of us don't really view drug or alcohol use as a problem, if that includes your grandmother taking two aspirins when she has a headache or your friends having few beers or drinks on Saturday night. What we really mean is that some drugs or alcohol are being used by some people or in some situations constitute problem with which our society must deal. It becomes a real problem when using or I should say abusing drugs cause accidents, antisocial behavior, broken relationships, family instability, crime and violence, poverty, unsafe streets and highways, worker absenteeism and nonproductivity, and the most tragic one death. The situation in which the drug or alcohol uses accurse often makes all the difference. The clearest example is the drinking of alcohol, when individual begins to drink during the job, at school, or in the morning, we have evidence that indicates a potential drinking problem. If a person takes narcotic drug because he just wrecked his knee while his physician prescribed playing football and the drug, most of us would be not concerned. If, on the other hand, he took the same drug on his own just because he likes the way it makes him feel, then we should begin to worry about him developing dependence. Even use of illegal drugs are sometimes acceptable, but it also depends on situation, for example in some countries smoking marijuana is legal just like drinking alcohol in United States. Some subcultures even in United States that accept the use of illegal drugs may distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable situation, some college age groups might accept marijuana smoking at a party on weekends, but not just before going to a calculus class. Most of people would accept a fact that a bartender or a waiter who is working at a night club is having a beer or a drink on his break or that a landscape worker is having a cold beer with his lunch on a hot summer day. I'm not saying that it is "OK" but we wouldn't complain a...
Few people deny the dangers of drug use, while many teens are curious about drugs. They should stay away from drugs because drugs affect our health, lead to academic failure, and jeopardizes safety. Drugs are used from a long period of time in many countries. The concentration of drugs has increased from late 1960’s and 1970’s. Drugs can quickly takeover our lives. Friends and acquaintance have the greatest influence of using drugs during adolescence.
(2) Some experts believe the schools’ anti-drug programs are effective. Two popular programs are Drug Abuse Resistance Education (Dare), and the School Program to Educate and Control Drug Abuse (SPECA). The project Dare and SPECA programs use uniformed police officers to inform students in 5th, 6th and 7th grade about the risks of drugs, and how to avoid negative peer pressure (DeJong 109). William DeJong ,who is an analyst for the Education Development Center, has prepared this study for the National Institute of Justice (Bernards 108).