Prescription Drug Abuse and Lebanon Students

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Identification of the Public Health Challenge in the Article

The article under analysis aims to analyze university students from Lebanon and their knowledge of prescription drug abuse, including such aspects as prevalence, sources, and motivation. The authors state that the non-medical use of drugs is one of the major topics for discussion in many countries (Ghandour, Sayed, & Martins, 2012). To investigate the chosen topic, the authors develop several important research questions, including the clarification of the most frequently used prescription medications, the reasons for use, and perceptions of young Lebanese on the access of such drugs.

Identification of the Authors and Source of the Article

“Prevalence and Patterns of Commonly Abused Psychoactive Prescription Drugs in a Sample of University Students from Lebanon: An Opportunity for Cross-Cultural Comparison” is the article written by Ghandour, Sayed, and Martins for the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence in 2012. The first two authors are the representatives of the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at the American University of Beirut, and Martins is from the Department of Mental Health, the John Hopkins University.

Statement of the Rationale for Selection of the Article

The article is chosen for the analysis for three important reasons. First, the topic of the article is open for discussion. It is necessary to clarify what American researchers think of prescription drug abuse and the perceptions of young people on this topic. Second, the structure of the article is clear. It is not complicated to identify the main issues and the directions chosen by the authors of the article. In the abstract, Ghandour et al. (2012) introduce the reasons and the results of their study. Therefore, it is possible to conclude if the chosen approach is interesting for reading and helpful for discussing the topic of prescription drug abuse.

Summary of the Key Points in the Article

In the article, the authors identify the method that is used to answer the chosen research question and explore on prescription drug abuse. An IRB-approved cross-sectional study based on an anonymous questionnaire was developed at the American University of Beirut. The key points of the article include the reasons why young people are eager to use drugs without appropriate prescriptions, the outcomes of such use that could be observed among the students of Lebanon and the recommendations that could be given regarding the current state of affairs. The main reasons include pain, sleepiness, anxiety, and the need for stimulants. Gender differences do not play an important role in this kind of dependence. Also, it was concluded that young people can find the required pain relief or stimulants easily without giving any clarifications. Medical supervision is not the main issue for consideration in the country. Finally, the authors conclude that new relevant policies and the rise of awareness of medical supervision and drug misuse are required for American society as well as for other nations.

General Clarity of the Content of the Article

Taking into consideration the goals and the development of the article, it is possible to say that the article’s content is clear, reaching point 9 on the scale. The only shortage of the work is the inability to find a list of recommendations that could be given after the case of abused psychoactive prescription drugs is proved. A sample is chosen and explained properly, and the methods are identified and used clearly. Finally, the results and discussion sections contain enough information to prove the correctness of the choices and the work. At the end of the article, the achievements of the authors and the importance of the study are discussed in a clear way to provide the reader with an ability to comprehend what kind of work could be done based on this study.

Quality of Contributions to Knowledge of the Challenges to Public Health from a Global Perspective

In the article, it is hard to define the quality of contributions to the knowledge of the prescription drug abuse challenge to public health from a global perspective. Still, it is possible to find several references to a global perspective. First, the authors use global trends to clarify what the youth of Lebanon think about prescription medication use (Ghandour et al., 2012). Then global trends were identified in the discussion to prove that an opportunity to conduct cross-national comparison has not yet been used. Finally, the authors suggest using a global phenomenon and developing effective research in the future using the data obtained.

Conclusion

Regarding the checklists offered, it is possible to say that the chosen article meets the majority of the criteria. It has a focused question with the help of which the authors make a right direction and use the right type of papers. Up-to-date, peer-reviewed articles and reports are used to support the main ideas. The study is worth continuing because the challenge was proved and the topic of prescription drug abuse was properly developed. The only task that should be done is the development of effective policies and guidelines for young people to follow to avoid medication problems. In general, the results of the study were combined and explained in terms of further applications and improvements. Though no clear numbers were given, the findings provide a good opportunity to compare human behaviors regarding different cultures and to highlight contextual differences.

Reference

Ghandour, L.A., Sayed, D.S.E., & Martins, S.S. (2012). Prevalence and patterns of commonly abused psychoactive prescription drugs in a sample of university students from Lebanon: An opportunity for cross-cultural. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 121, 110-117.

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