Category: Alcohol

Alcohol is categorized as disinhibitor when at low or moderate levels, the substance doses relieve dysphoria but it becomes a real problem at higher levels. Increasing the cost of beer can significantly reduce consumption of alcohol (Chikritzhs et al. 2009, p. 294). There are significant evidences in some countries increasing the cost of alcohol that has reduced the amount being consumed by the addicts. However, increasing tax has been ignored by the consumers thus becoming an ineffective method. Perhaps, this method should not be adopted. Instead, a more responsive method like psychosocial interventions may work. Rassool (2008, p.419) qualifies this method and notes that it is good for alleviating a person from mental. Psychosocial interventions are both short term as well as long term measures.

Substance abuse is more prevalent among youths and adolescents. This is because it is the time they try to separate themselves from parents. Jackson and Mannix (2003, p. 171) note that the big problem in this is that young people would try to experiment with life after fleeing themselves from the confines of homes with substance use. Perhaps, the best thing which can act as a real remedy is to remove these youths from areas that can enhance their substance use. Parents and physicians should be able to state clearly to the youths and the dangers posed by drug use. For example, it is possible to instill fear in the youths by giving the dangerous aspects; for example, seizures and delirium tremens (King & Brucker 2009, p. 218). In Jackson and Mannix (April 2003, p. 174), parents give their testimonies of the accounts that their young ones were exposed to.

There are various reasons why people justify consumption drugs. Some of these are like feeling better and good, curiosity and capability of doing better. Tobacco tops as one of the most abused and as per report on illicit drug in Australia, it topped with $31.5 billion spent on it. The rate of prevalence of drug use is high, and some of the problems that have been quoted in use of these are like high mortality rate and morbidity. There are some perceived supports by the community on drugs, and tobacco tops as most supported, followed by alcohol and lastly the illicit drugs. The age group between 20-29 years of age is most accused as using drugs as compared to other categories of age groups. As per the persons who have used drugs recently, females between the ages of 14-17 were seen to be most exposed which even beats the logic that men are more exposed than women.

The movie, Walk the line’ calls for dire need to whole understanding of drug abuse and if every body is to become a drug police, then the war on drug can be won. The drug menace is a worldwide problem. Looking at Australia, there are drug policies developed by the National Drug Strategy with an overall aim to have an increase in health condition and reduce the overall health cost. Australia has suffered a lot economically due to this problem and as per the period 2004-2005, it suffered $56.1 billion, and that is why it has put stringent measures to cub this. Generally, the movie sensitizes people and puts it plainly that use of drugs is prohibited and causes dependence, and hence should be avoided at all cost.

References

Chikritzhs, T. N., et al., 2009. The “alcopops” tax: Heading in the right direction, MJA journal, 190 (6), pp. 294-295.

Jackson D, J. Mannix., 2003. ‘Mothers’ stories of adolescent cannabis use. Content Management Journal, 14 (2), pp. 169-179.

King, T. L., Brucker, M. C., 2009. Pharmacology for women’s health. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Rassool, G. H., 2008. Alcohol and drug misuse: A handbook for students and health professionals. New York: Taylor & Francis.

Introduction

Alcohol is among the widely abused substances in the United States. Alcohol addiction has adverse effects on an individual’s physical, mental and social wellbeing. Overall, according to the Addiction Center (2019) 88,000 Americans die annually due to alcohol consumption. Moreover, it is estimated that in the U.S., approximately 6 individuals succumb everyday to alcohol poisoning, and 30 die everyday to alcohol-related accidents. Last but not least, alcohol addiction is an issue in the U.S. since about 7% of the 15 million American adults having an alcohol disorder receive treatment (Addiction Center, 2019). It is also essential to note that men are more likely to become addicts as compared to women.

SBIRT description

It is divided into three components

Screening – It entails the process of assessing the risk. In this stage, the health practitioner asks the patient three questions regarding the quantity and frequency of alcohol use by employing the AUDIT-C tool. If the responses to the first three questions suggest higher than the standard unhealthy use, the patient is asked seven more remaining questions of the AUDIT-C tool (Barata et al., 2017). Apart from the AUDIT, other tools that can be used include the ASSIST, CAGE, CRAFFT, RAPS, T-ACE, and TWEAK.

Brief Intervention – This comprises of a behaviour change technique that emphasizes on assisting the patient in minimizing or stopping unhealthy drinking. If screening evidences unhealthy drinking, the health practitioner can provide normative behavior information or simple advice about the adverse effects of drinking, compare their drinking to others of their age and gender and ask the patient if they are willing to change (Barata et al., 2017). Brief intervention is beneficial to many; however, not all patients can make changes.

Referral to Treatment and Follow up – In this last stage, the patient is linked to specialized alcohol addiction treatment and is periodically contacted post-treatment to ensure treatment success. Addiction treatment is most applicable in cases where alcohol consumption is more intensive (Barata et al., 2017).

SBIRT Institute (2011) illustrates a real-life example of how the above described SBIRT techniques were employed on a college patient with an alcohol disorder. In the video, the medical practitioner begins by determining the quantity of alcohol the patient consumes daily. She then goes ahead and tells her the adverse effects of drinking on women with age similar to that of the patient. Moreover, she offers simple advice by enabling the patient to understand the consequences of drinking, such as her head injury. She finalizes the session by referring the patient to her primary doctor, who might be help her cut back on her drinking.

Problem Description

According to Romano, de la Rosa, Sanchez, Babino & Taylor (2016) in 2017, alcohol was present in all drug-related deaths in Florida, and it was ascertained to be the cause of death for 18% of the victims in which it was identified.

Moreover, there was a 10.2% increase in the number of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests in Florida in 2016 as compared to 2015 (Romano et al., 2016).

Community Resources

There are both federal and private institutes that help promote sober living among alcohol addicts. One of the federal programs in the Miami area include the Miami-Dade County Addiction Services Board (ASB) (Addiction Center, 2019). The ASB was established in 1990 with the objective of improving the coordination of substance abuse prevention and treatment services, by uniting with the Miami Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Community. The organization provides a comprehensive inpatient and outpatient treatment to individuals with substance abuse disorders including alcohol addiction. The services are provided via assessment, intervention, direct treatment, case management and referral.

Another community resource in Miami is the Harbor Village Detox (Addiction Center, 2019). The institute provides comprehensive and personalized residential and outpatient programs in Miami. Several therapies used in harbor Village Detox include the cognitive behavioral, psychopharmacological, art, and motivation enhancement therapy, counselling and 12 step meetings.

Lastly, there are groups such as the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that hold multiple meetings in the Miami city. The function of the AA is to assist its members stay sober through mutual support and sponsorship.

Conclusions

Alcohol addiction is a public health concern affecting Miami and the United States as a whole. Therefore, there is need to integrate programs that combat the issue. SBIRT has proven to be an effective method of handling. Nurses are a key profession to use SBIRT since they spend most of the time with patients as compared to doctors.

References

Addiction Center. (2019). Drug rehabs in Miami, FL.

Barata, I. A., Shandro, J. R., Montgomery, M., Polansky, R., Sachs, C. J., Duber, H. C., et al. (2017). Effectiveness of SBIRT for alcohol use disorders in the Emergency department: A Systematic Review. The western journal of emergency medicine, 18(6), 1143–1152.

NDEWS. (2017). Southeastern Florida (Miami Area) Sentinel Community Site (SCS) Drug Use Patterns and Trends, 2017. Web.

Romano, E., de la Rosa, M., Sanchez, M., Babino, R., & Taylor E. (2016) Drinking and Driving Among Undocumented Latino Immigrants in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 18 (4), 935-939.

SBIRT Institute. (2011). SBIRT for alcohol use: college student [Video file].

Various harmful outcomes are linked to underage alcohol misuse, particularly strong and regular excessive drinking. The impact of alcohol use can range from severe and rapid results of a single incident of alcohol impairment, including unexpected accidents and deaths, to cumulative and varied implications of a persistent pattern of drinking, including poor academic performance and relationships that have been damaged as a result of alcohol misuse and dependence.

The short-term effects of underage alcohol misuse involve manslaughter and brutality, suicidal tendencies, sexual misconduct, unintended death and injury related to driving or participating in other dangerous activities after drinking, as well as vandalism and property destruction. Furthermore, research indicates that people who start drinking at an early age have more severe repercussions (National Library of Medicine, n.d.). According to studies, young people who began drinking before the age of 15 had a 12 times higher risk of suffering an unintentional injury while intoxicated, developing an addiction, and a 7 times higher risk of being involved in a car accident (National Library of Medicine, n.d.). Alcohol-related impairment of judgment can have both short-term and long-term impacts. Similarly, young people’s life chances have been shown to vary over time as a result of severe alcohol usage. Frequent and intense usage is linked to low self-esteem, depression, behavioral problems, abusive behavior, dependence on other substances and cigarettes, and stress (National Library of Medicine, n.d.). It is probably connected to the higher rate of attempted suicides among young drinkers.

Hence, alcohol misuse that starts at a young age proves to have an adverse influence on both the mental and physical state of the individual. In this sense, when it comes to mental health, children and adolescents experience depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Meanwhile, physical impact implies damage that stems from violence, car accidents, and inadvertent deaths or injuries. Lastly, research proves that those individuals who start to drink early have a higher chance of developing an addiction in adulthood.

Reference

National Library of Medicine. (n.d.) Reducing underage drinking: A collective responsibility. Web.

Introduction

One of the most acute problems of our time is the increasingly frequent use of alcohol by minors. Free access to alcohol has a negative impact not only on the health and socialization of adolescents but also on their academic performance at school. The study aims to study the effect of alcohol consumption by minors on school graduation rates. This topic is significant for society as alcohol production is developing, and accessibility is becoming freer. This problem should be considered from the perspective of Merton’s anomie theory, as well as through the prism of differential association theory. Although the heads of state seek to regulate the use of alcohol by minors, children still have the opportunity to purchase alcohol, which harms school graduation rates.

Literature Review

The choice of sources is based on collecting information on keywords such as alcohol and minors, as well as on basic phrases such as alcohol consumption and the influence of alcohol on grades. For the analysis, two articles were selected that most accurately respond to the specified search parameters. An article published on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2022) website called Underage Drinking describes that alcohol consumption by minors is typical and has a detrimental effect on children’s academic performance in schools. CDC (2022) claims that alcohol consumption can be prevented by raising taxes on alcohol, ensuring compliance with laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors. These measures will reduce the number of young people addicted to alcohol and prevent a decline in school performance.

National Institute of Health (NIH, n.d.) also studied the problem of alcohol consumption by underage students and wrote the article Underage Drinking. The article describes several important problems that result from alcohol consumption by students. Such issues include physical and psychological problems, the lack of the ability of the brain to develop correctly, and many other problems. The article also suggests ways for different groups to intervene in the lives of young people, for example, the intervention of schools, families, society, and political organizations (NIH, n.d.). The help of all possible groups will make it possible to reduce the number of young minors who consume illegal drinks.

Methodology

The search for sources was based on a sample of data from various sources from which two of the most suitable were selected. NIH provides information that in 2019, 7 million young people from 12 to 20 years of age consumed alcohol during the last two months (NIH, n.d.). In America, underage alcohol consumption is more common among girls than boys. Thus, at the age of 12-13, 1.7% of girls consumed alcohol, 1.5% of boys aged 14-15, 9.3% of girls and 5.9% of boys, and at the age of 16-17, 20.8% of girls and 17.8% of boys (NIH, n.d.). This information shows that the older teenagers get, the more actively they consume alcohol. The survey was conducted by questioning young people, which made it possible to conduct research and identify the results.

The CDC is based on research also conducted through surveys and questionnaires, which made it possible to collect extensive data and perform the complete study. According to the CDC (n.d.), 29% of young people enrolled in school have consumed alcohol at least once in the last 30 days. These results are frightening because many young people may become addicted to alcohol, which will negatively impact their school performance and learning outcomes. Adolescence is one of the most critical age periods of a person’s life. It is at this time that the child shows a great degree of confrontation with the surrounding world and people. It is typical for such an age to conflict with everyone around them. No restrictions and conflicts were revealed during the study of the literature.

Alcohol consumption by school students refers to deviant behavior, and this type of behavior of adolescents is described in detail in the theory of Robert Merton. The main idea is that the leading cause of crime is the opposition to values highly valued in society and how to achieve them (Messner, 2019). Merton’s theory is based on five types of reactions to matters that are established in the community and also on how they are completed. Usually, these five types of behavior are regarded as following a generally recognized cultural goal that is accepted in society (Messner, 2019). The most chosen means of achieving goals are education and career. Alcohol significantly reduces the likelihood and ability to accomplish this goal.

Another critical theory is the theory of differential association, which consists of processes leading to systematic criminal behavior. These processes, in their form, coincide with the processes leading to law-abiding behavior (Maloku, 2022). Later, the theory was modified, and the main directions were identified. It was exposed that criminal behavior is learned by interacting in the process of communicating with other people (Maloku, 2022). In addition, it was revealed that the specific orientation of motives and aspirations is formed on the basis of assessments of legal norms as favorable or as unfavorable. An essential role in developing personality is played not by contacts with impersonal organizations or institutions but by everyday communication — at school, home, or the place of constant street meetings with friends.

Conclusion

In conclusion, underage alcohol consumption plays a significant role in changing school graduation rates. Based on the conducted research, it can be concluded that the problem of alcohol consumption by minors is urgent and acute. There are various theories, such as Merton’s theory or differential association, which demonstrate that all issues lie in deviant behavior that interferes with achieving goals. The problem of alcohol consumption by students is fundamental and requires the search for practical solutions.

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Underage drinking. Web.

Maloku, A. (2020). Theory of differential association. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 9(1), 170-174.

Messner, S., Rosenfeld, R. & Hövermann, A. (2019). Institutional anomie theory: An evolving research program. Handbook on Crime and Deviance. Springer.

National Institute of Health (n.d.). Underage drinking. Web.

Drinking alcohol is nearly as old as mankind itself. First used as a food source, it has long been an integral part of practically all cultures throughout the history of the world. People use it to relax and it is seldom absent from any celebratory event no matter how large or small. Alcohol also causes psychological, emotional and physical problems affecting employment and relationships. It is also a leading cause of death including both for the chronic drinker and the innocent victims of alcohol-related accidents. Alcohol can be good or evil depending on the level of personal responsibility exercised by the individual drinker.

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Alcoholism, 2000), alcohol is among the three largest causes of preventable mortality in the United States. Contributing to approximately 100,000 deaths annually, only tobacco and diet/activity patterns contribute to greater death tolls. The Council also estimates that, despite laws against underage drinking, approximately 13.8 million Americans over the age of 18, representing about seven percent of the population, have experienced difficulty controlling their alcohol consumption, including 8.1 million people who are alcoholic.

It is particularly disturbing to note that the prevalence for drinking problems is among those individuals within the 18 to 29 age group with a greater number of men experiencing problems than women by a factor of almost three to one. Despite laws against underage drinking, more than half of all high school seniors in this country have reported being drunk at least once and a third of them have reported having three or more drinks in a row in the weeks prior to the survey while another 76 million people, almost half of all Americans, have reported being exposed to alcoholism within the home (Alcoholism, 2000). These numbers are particularly alarming as studies continue to show that individuals who have started drinking before age 15 are up to four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who started at age 21 and there is a greater tendency for alcoholism to run within family lines.

Legislators are reluctant to prohibit the responsible adult consumption of alcohol motivated by questions of personal autonomy and choice. Most Americans, especially those who are knowledgeable of the Constitution, believe constraining what adults do in private including what they can put into their bodies is clearly unconstitutional and an infringement on personal liberties unless this action infringes upon the rights of others.

Everyone can differentiate between the wide-ranging social consequences that exist between a person who consumes an occasional alcoholic beverage and one who commits crimes while drunk. The right to drink, responsibly, is the constitutionally guaranteed right of every adult American. If this freedom is taken away, other liberties will follow until we have the type of country the Founding Fathers were trying to break away from.

The rhetoric of those who condone alcohol use is compelling but would they also allow any type of drug to be legalized as well while citing the same civil liberty concerns? It is not an issue of freedom, it’s a safety issue. We are not ‘free’ to drive 125 miles-per-hour through a school zone because of the safety issue. Alcohol can affect not only the physical health of the individual, but can have long term repercussions on their psychology and social life as well, strongly affecting the way they relate to the world and those around them and only controllable through life-long voluntary measures such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Physically, alcohol can have a dramatic impact upon an individual’s body particularly as it affects the liver.

Alcohol, without it, civilization may not have progressed as it did but many believe it to be the scourge of modern society. It is the essence of life and cause of many thousands of deaths, a multi-million dollar business which costs Americans millions in health-related expenses. Without it, celebrations are less vivacious but those who celebrate too much then drive and often kill the innocent. It has been and always will be manufactured, sold and consumed. Even after prohibition in the early part of the last century, it was manufactured, sold and consumed. Alcohol was there at the beginnings of humanity and will be there at the end. The question is how to alleviate the detrimental affects. Moderation and education is the only answer.

References

Alcoholism. (2000). “Alcohol-related Statistics.” WebMagic. Web.

Assessment of Need

Alcoholism is a mental illness caused by excessive alcohol consumption. As a result of constant intoxication, a person’s health deteriorates greatly, and his or her ability to work, well-being, and moral values decrease. Alcoholism is also characterized by the fact that a person becomes dependent on alcohol. Therefore, when there is no alcohol, the alcoholic suffers, and, to alleviate his or her suffering, he or she continuously repeats the alcohol intake. Therefore, it becomes evident that alcoholism is incompatible with a healthy lifestyle. However, it is essential to assess the learning need before applying combatting strategies. The given case revolves around my client, who continuously suffers from relapses, alcoholism, depression, and anxiety. The teaching approach will be focused on replacing her addiction with God and prayers as the centerpiece elements of 12 steps methodology.

Methodology

Combatting alcoholism and any form of addiction requires a high level of dedication and a learning process. It is stated that a teacher or educator must be capable of assessing a client’s needs and developing effective teaching strategies to help him or her (Farquharson, 1995). In my case, I identified the condition of my patient by actively communicating with her and researching their history, which contains several relapses and long-term substance abuse. The process involved proper questioning and listening to the client’s description of her problems as well as the degree of awareness regarding the addiction.

As an ex-alcoholic myself, many elements from her life story and the challenges she faced were highly relatable, and there were clear patterns of continuous escapism. After years of downfall, she is finally ready to make the necessary changes to improve her life and take control of her addiction. Therefore, the patient’s need is to quit alcohol and other substances with no relapses by following the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which needs to be learned by her with my assistance and help as an educator.

Description of Need or Opportunity for Empowerment

The client is a 67-year-old woman who has been abusing substances and drinking for most of her life. She exhibits such behavior because she wants to escape the hardships and challenges. In addition, she suffers from depression and anxiety due to her childhood trauma, which left her scarred and prone to escapism. It all started in her adolescence when she began trying and experimenting with substances, including alcohol. During her mid to late twenties, the patient’s addiction became a problem. She made numerous attempts to quit throughout her life, but they were always followed by relapses. For example, she tried to stop drinking for the last two years twice, which resulted in relapses within a week.

My Constructive Action plan will primarily focus on expanding and deepening the overall spiritual awakening of the client. I will focus on the key elements of the 12 steps, which is God, and teach her that she needs to adhere to prayer and contemplation to successfully restore her inner strength and control. I need to help her with her relapse issue by teaching the strong habits of turning and admitting to God. I want her to develop a daily routine of conducting regular prayers that she never misses because they will continuously remind her of the goal and objective. In other words, these activities will provide a multitude of benefits, such as spiritual awakening and routine stress-coping mechanisms.

Application of Knowledge to Action

My Dimension classes helped considerably to understand the importance of identifying the learning needs based on the specificity of the problems based on skills dimensional element. In the case of my patient, she is highly willing to improve her life, and she understands that it is the only path to happiness. Although relapses are common among addicts, it is important to dig deeper into the underlying issues causing the regression. Based on the client’s assessment and the material covered through the courses, I know that her childhood trauma led to depression and anxiety. Therefore, she is prone and vulnerable to life’s challenges because she perceives them more sensitively and harshly.

Throughout her life, she was not able to develop healthy approaches to cope with her problems, and thus, alcohol-filled the given gap. The lack of these capabilities explains why she relapses frequently and shortly after the decision was made. I must help her develop the coping mechanism through 12 steps, which is why my Constructive Action will revolve around the concept of God and prayer. Andy Farquharson’s book Teaching in Practice: How Professionals Can Work Effectively with Clients, Patients, and Colleagues and Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book were highly helpful in deepening my understanding of the client’s issues and Constructive Action goals.

I learned that the formation and maintenance of long-term therapeutic remissions in alcohol dependence dictate the task of studying the fundamental laws of its course. Psychopathological and pathophysiological manifestations during the period of remission are the target of therapeutic intervention, and their compensation is the main goal of treatment. However, carrying out therapeutic measures during the period of remission of alcohol dependence encounters several objective difficulties. The range of psychotherapeutic influences, especially about psychodynamic components, is limited due to the low level of the patient’s threshold for responding to emotional stress.

Description of the Citizens

Based on my knowledge and the classes, it is evident that my patient is in the later stages of her development. According to Eriksonian categorization, she is at her Ego Integrity and Despair stage (Dezutter et al., 2020). A person usually spends time contemplating the accomplishments and builds integrity to conclude if he or she led a successful or unsuccessful life (Westerhof et al., 2015). One of the main issues with the 12 steps is the fact that sometimes clients identify themselves as agnostics or atheists, which can be perceived as a problem for them because the approach revolves around God (Wilson, 2002). However, in my client’s case, she is religious and believes in the Lord, and was highly surprised that the combatting process will be focused on prayers. Therefore, her cultural background is Christian American, with her individual learning needs being centered on eliminating the occurrence of a relapse.

Conclusion

In conclusion, one should be aware that it is important to fully assess and understand the need of the patient to develop an effective teaching plan. My Constructive Action will primarily focus on my client’s relapse issues, which stem from her inability to cope with stress and life’s challenges without alcohol consumption or substance abuse. Therefore, it is critical to implement 12 steps program with the sole focus on God and prayers, which will be the replacement for the patient’s coping approaches.

References

Dezutter, J., Toussaint, L., & Dewitte, L. (2020). Finding a balance between integrity and despair: A challenging task for older adults in residential care. Journal of Adult Development, 27, 147-156.

Farquharson, A. (1995). Teaching in practice: How professionals can work effectively with clients, patients, and colleagues. Jossey-Bass.

Westerhof, G. J., Bohlmeijer, E. T., & McAdams, D. P. (2015). The relation of ego integrity and despair to personality traits and mental health. The Journals of Gerontology, 72(3), 400-407.

Wilson, B. (2002). Alcoholics Anonymous (4^th ed.). Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.

Introduction

• Alcohol use disorder (AUD), more commonly known as alcoholism, is defined as any health issues (physical or mental) that result from the consumption of alcohol.
• 6.8% of the U.S. population meets the criteria for AUD, but only 8.9% of them received treatment at an appropriate facility (Barata et al., 2017).
• At 88,000 annual deaths, excessive alcohol consumption is “the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the U.S.” (Barata et al., 2017).

Alcohol is widely known to be a harmful substance, but many people tend to underestimate its dangers due to the slow and incremental nature of its effects. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, in both the short and the long term, can lead to a variety of health-related complications. These issues are generally grouped under the name “alcohol use disorder,” or AUD. The condition encompasses alcohol dependence, liver issues such as cirrhosis, and a variety of cancers alongside other conditions that are caused or exacerbated by heavy drinking. Furthermore, excessive alcohol consumption can create other issues, such as drunk driving and a variety of other accidents that result in severe injury or loss of life. Nevertheless, many people continue to drink heavily, whether because they do not realize that their habits are excessive or because they are not concerned about their health or that of others.

Addiction/Problem Description

• Most adults in the United States consume alcohol regularly (Barata et al., 2017).
• Approximately 679,000 adolescents had an AUD in 2014, but only 8.1% of them receiving treatment at a specialized facility (Barata et al., 2017).
• Miami is a popular resort that has many beaches as well as a prominent nightclub industry.
• Alcohol consumption is naturally high in such an environment, and locals may be drawn into dangerous patterns.

Most people consume alcohol regularly without worrying about the potential dangers of doing so. In most cases, they are correct, but sometimes, they begin relying on it too much or underestimate the potential harm. Barata et al. (2017) claim that 24.7% of adult patients engage in binge drinking, which can lead to a variety of health issues or damaging accidents. Furthermore, minors are in particular danger, as they tend to have worse self-control than adults and are more likely to engage in binge drinking or develop issues. Miami is a famous resort city that is well known for its history of high substance consumption, especially with regards to alcohol. As such, people are more likely to develop an AUD here than in most other locations in the United States.

SBIRT Description

1. Pre-screening stage: single questions or small item sets, instruments such as the AUDIT-C test are used (Del Boca, McRee, Vendetti, and Damon, 2017).
2. Screening stage: evaluation of disorder likelihood, a variety of tools such as AUDIT and ASSIST are used (Del Boca et al., 2017).
3. Brief intervention stage: an explanation of the issue to the patient, identification of reasons behind the habit, suggestion of approaches to resolving the issue (WSU SBIRT, 2019).
4. Brief treatment: used for high-risk patients, features individualized therapy sessions with the aim of creating significant behavior change (Del Boca et al., 2017).
5. Referral to treatment: transfer of the patient to an appropriate care facility, whether in-patient or out-patient.

The traditional definition of SBIRT consists of three distinct stages: screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment. However, many care providers add two additional stages into the process, known as pre-screening and brief treatment. Pre-screening is a short procedure used before the screening to identify whether there is a potential issue and what is its nature. The screening goes into more detail and attempts to evaluate the probability that the patient is affected by AUD. There is a multitude of instruments that can be used to evaluate the patient’s alcohol-related habits, and Del Boca et al. (2017) recommend those developed by the WHO, such as AUDIT-C, AUDIT, and ASSIST. After the screening, the brief intervention stage follows, wherein a qualified helper tries to identify the reasons behind the patient’s habit and convince him or her to address them. In the video by WSU SBIRT (2019), the social worker clarifies the reasons why the patient drinks excessively and suggests methods she can use to reduce her alcohol consumption.

Usually, the helper will then redirect the patient to an appropriate care provider in a stage known as referral to treatment. According to Del Boca et al. (2017), the transfers should be ‘warm,’ with seamless transitions, personal introductions between providers, and the provision of transportation and other services, such as childcare, if necessary. There are many different programs available, and the worker should help the patient choose one that is most appropriate for the situation. However, severe cases sometimes require a more careful approach, and so the stage of brief treatment has emerged in some settings. Del Boca (2017) states that federally funded programs require the presence of a brief treatment approach and that it consists of a structured treatment series conducted individually by a licensed counselor, preferably a dedicated SBIRT provider. It should be noted that brief treatment is not a variation of referral to treatment but rather a distinct stage that replaces it in some circumstances.

Community Resources

• The Summer House Detox Center, provides patients with a comfortable place to live while they recover from their addiction. It claims a long history of helping patients and careful guidance that prevents withdrawal sickness.
• The United Recovery Project is located in South Florida and features an inpatient alcohol treatment center as well as sober living homes and a partial day program. It has options that should suit most visitors and is ready to help with different conditions as long as the patient is willing.

Conclusion and Future Implications for Nursing

• Alcohol use disorder is a prominent concern in the United States, particularly in.
• SBIRT is effective at addressing the issue quickly and efficiently, as most of its stages do not take a long time.
• The process consists of three primary stages, but two additional ones also deserve recognition.
• Pre-screening is used to determine the nature of the potential issue.
• The screening stage is used to determine the probability of an AUD.
• The brief intervention stage teaches the patient to help himself or herself.
• The referral to treatment stage ensures that the patient receives care for his or her issues.
• The brief treatment stage is used for high-risk patients and is required by federally funded programs.
• While SBIRT is effective at addressing alcohol-related issues, many programs and research directions should be expanded due to its evolution.

Alcohol use disorder is a significant issue in *location* as well as the United States as a whole. A considerable part of the issue is the failure of many people to realize the dangers of alcohol and address them accordingly, exacerbated by the number of potential patients with the condition. As such, the SBIRT process is a highly effective method of addressing the issue, as it provides the necessary information to the patient, ensures that he or she receive appropriate treatment, and takes a relatively short time. SBIRT is named after its three principal stages, Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment, but recently two more have emerged as refinements of the process and adjustments that improve the outcome. Pre-screening is one of the two new stages, and it consists of a small number of questions intended to determine the nature of the potential issue if one exists.

Once the worker determines that the patient may have alcohol use disorder, he or she can begin the screening stage to determine the severity of the issue. Then, using the results, he or she can educate the patient about the issue as well as what he or she can do to address it by changing his or her behavior. Next, the patient is referred to treatment, where specialists can help him or her further by providing appropriate therapy or other interventions. However, the alternate brief treatment stage, used for high-risk cases and encompassing a structured individual intervention session by qualified specialists, is gaining popularity, becoming required for federally funded programs. As such, while the SBIRT method is effective at addressing alcohol-related issues and used worldwide, it may be necessary to expand its definition soon to encompass its new parts.

References

Barata, I. A., Shandro, J. R., Montgomery, M., Polansky, R., Sachs, C. J., Duber, H. C., … & Macias-Konstantopoulos, W. (2017). Effectiveness of SBIRT for alcohol use disorders in the emergency department: a systematic review. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 18(6), 1143-1152.

Del Boca, F. K., McRee, B., Vendetti, J., & Damon, D. (2017). The SBIRT program matrix: A conceptual framework for program implementation and evaluation. Addiction, 112, 12-22.

WSU SBIRT (2019). SBIRT for Alcohol Use [Video file]. Web.

Introduction

A difference exists between those who use alcohol and those suffering from substance use disorder. Anyone who meets two of the eleven DSM-V criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD) has the condition (Takahashi et al., 2017). Individuals suffering from AUD drink excessively or for an extended time, while others who use alcohol do not drink abnormally.

Discussion

Patients suffering from AUD believe they cannot restrict their alcohol use; however, others who consume alcohol may alter the limit since they are not addicted to the drug. Individuals with AUD often get ill due to excessive alcohol drinking, but others who consume alcohol do not frequently experience the negative consequences of alcohol. The AUD patients’ desire to drink causes them to lose focus on their daily duties. Alcohol users do not suffer these repercussions due to their managed alcohol use. People suffering from AUD cannot manage family duties, work, or attain academic success. Individuals with AUD continue to drink despite the consequences of their relationships with loved ones. People who drink alcohol may reduce their consumption if they believe it affects their relationships with their loved ones.

Patients with AUD are less interested in things that were formerly very significant to them. People who use alcohol, on the other hand, may not lose interest in things they consider vital since they have managed their drug consumption. Despite their declining health, feelings of despair or worry, or falling into a coma as a direct consequence of their drinking (Takahashi et al., 2017), AUD patients continue to consume alcohol. These people will go to any length to get alcohol for enjoyment.

Conclusion

To conclude, individuals who use alcohol may change their drinking habits if they comprehend how it impacts their everyday lives and health. Due to increasing alcohol tolerance, AUD patients drink more and eventually have withdrawal symptoms, while those who use alcohol rarely experience one.

Reference

Takahashi, T., Lapham, G., Chavez, L. J., Lee, A. K., Williams, E. C., Richards, J. E., Greenberg, D., Rubinsky, A., Berger, D., Hawkins, E. J., Merrill, J. O., & Bradley, K. A. (2017). Comparison of DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorders in VA primary care patients with frequent heavy drinking enrolled in a trial. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 12(1).

People suffering from alcohol and drug addictions are one of the USA’s common problems. Those who managed to overcome one of these addictions is now trying to help other anonymous who are still struggling with this problem. Information about the existence of clubs of narcotic and alcohol anonymous is becoming more extensive, and I believe that a considerable number of addicted people are finding a way of salvation. One of the meetings I have attended is usually held at the church, but the other is outside the church. They have different strategies and event plans, which make them to differ from each other. Having attended both meetings, I can describe them as two separate events to solve the same problem of a human’s willpower.

Alcohol Anonymous

Alcohol anonymous meeting called “Back to Basics” located at Oakes Center, 120 Morris Avenue, left me deeply impressed by the peace and tranquility of communication of such an unusual stratum of our society. Every participant clearly understands that they attend the meeting to change their lives and look for themselves. A tense aura hovered at the beginning of the meeting because some participants were new and could not keep their nervousness. However, in a few minutes, everyone relaxed, and the meeting became calmer and more friendly. People who are not first-time attending meetings are immediately visible because they are talkative and constantly supportive. The chairperson, leading and controlling meetings, believes that the desire to speak out does not come immediately but after several meetings. Nobody is forced to be active, and those who came to listen to others are always welcome. I was impressed by the fact that at the beginning of the meetings the group finds a volunteer who reads an excerpt from the book as a prayer, and the discussion of personal experiences begins. At the end, they all gather in a circle and say a closing prayer. It was not the end of the meeting for some participants, and they continued socializing with like-minded people.

Narcotic Anonymous

Narcotic anonymous’ meetings have approximately the same structure as Alcohol anonymous meetings, but they still differ and can be described as separated types of salvation for addicted people. I visited a meeting named “Another Choice” at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 587 Springfield Avenue, and managed to understand the main difference between Narcotic and Alcohol summits. The literature used during narcotic meetings does not say that stop using drugs will make your life better, but it says that the person will receive freedom from active addiction. There are many types of drugs which affect human’s organism differently, while alcohol affects our bodies in almost the same way. Surprisingly, the meeting was attended by many people of different conditions, and all were treated equally. Organizers warmly welcomed the homeless, unkempt, lost people, and hugging was the primary condition of the meeting. Addicted people had an opportunity to speak out on set topics at the beginning of the meeting, and it was difficult to interrupt them. One of the fighting strategies I noticed is a donation, but only addicts can donate to start building their drug-free future. My experience of visiting this meeting is fundamentally different from visiting the AA meeting as those suffering from drugs need socialization to fill the empty time when they do drugs.

Conclusion

Alcohol and Narcotic meetings are helpers in creating a healthier society. Having attended these meetings, I pointed out that they bring more help than it seems at first glance, and the idea of creating such meetings inspired me. I learned that alcohol addicts are like everyone else, but in a more difficult life situation, and these people have the right to be treated equally. Controversially, I was overwhelmed with emotions and realized that helping drug addicts is what I could do for the rest of my life. Like-minded people help each other and, thereby, save themselves from decay, and my experience of visiting both meetings made me understand how social help is essential in our society.

Globally, consumption of alcohol has resulted in public health concerns in many nations, and it is among the risk behaviors in many college students. Alcohol consumption has a significant impact on the overall performance of students, such as risky sexual behaviors, substance abuse, fights, poor academic performance, and injuries (Htet et al., 2020). However, the study examines the prevalence of alcohol among college students and the neighborhood surrounding since many studies have not focused on the impact of the environment on alcohol consumption among college students. The study also portrays many factors that lead to alcohol consumption among college students.

Table 1.0 shows that the respondents who filled the age section were 216 and the minimum age was 20 years, and the maximum age was 54 years. College students are matured enough to make their own decisions despite being associated with alcoholism, resulting in risky behaviors among the students.

Table 1.0: Age of the respondents

From the Chi-square tests in table 2.0, the relationship between the rate of students drinking alcohol and the neighborhood selling or using drugs is insignificant. This is because the p-value is greater than 0.05. However, this differs from Jones-Webb and Karriker-Jaffe (2013), their findings show that neighborhood with high drugs activity increases the consumption alcohol among students.

Table 2.0: How often do you have a drink containing alcohol? * People sell or use drugs in my neighborhood

Table 3.0: How often do you have a drink containing alcohol? * People in this neighborhood generally get along with each other

According to Davis and Grier (2015), areas with high poverty rates have a higher level of alcohol consumption. Urbanicity has a significant impact on alcohol consumption (Davoren et al., 2016). Regarding reasons for alcohol consumption, Freitas et al.’s (2020) study shows that many students consume alcohol because of their leisure agendas.

References

Davis, B., & Grier, S. (2015). A tale of two urbanicities: Adolescent alcohol and cigarette consumption in high and low-poverty urban neighborhoods.Journal of business research, 68(10), 2109-2116. Web.

Davoren, M., Demant, J., Shiely, F., & Perry, I. (2016). Alcohol consumption among university students in Ireland and the United Kingdom from 2002 to 2014: a systematic review.BMC Public Health, 16(1). Web.

Freitas, H., Henriques, S., Uvinha, R., Lusby, C., & Romera, L. (2020). Alcohol consumption and night-time leisure among Brazilian university students.International journal of the sociology of leisure, 3(4), 389-399. Web.

Htet, H., Saw, Y., Saw, T., Htun, N., Lay Mon, K., & Cho, S. et al. (2020). Prevalence of alcohol consumption and its risk factors among university students: A cross-sectional study across six universities in Myanmar.PLOS ONE, 15(2), e0229329. Web.

Jones-Webb, R., & Karriker-Jaffe, K. (2013). Neighborhood disadvantage, high alcohol content beverage consumption, drinking norms, and drinking consequences: A mediation analysis. Journal of urban health, 90(4), 667-684. Web.