Category: Drug Abuse

Prescription drug abuse is a serious health concern that causes an overdose crisis in the United States. There are several determinants such as social, economic, and healthcare-related issues, leading to the increased opioid-associated mortality. Even though the problem of prescription drug abuse is multifaceted and complicated, it is possible to reveal the following key causes: chronic pain prevalence, inadequate attention to pain treatment, non-medical use of prescribed drugs, poverty, and living problems, which is complicated by the increased drug availability and sales.

Drug overdose epidemic in the US involves oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other opioid analgesics, the mortality rates of which surpass those from heroin and cocaine. In particular, since 2010, 75 percent of pharmaceutical overdose death cases were induced by prescription drug abuse (King, Fraser, Boikos, Richardson, & Harper, 2014). In the recent study, researchers distinguish between three categories of determinants, focusing on a prescriber behavior, environmental and systemic issues, and a user behavior along with characteristics (King et al., 2014). It is noted that the mentioned categories function in combination, thus affecting the overall situation.

The first determinant of a prescriber behavior may be described by such terms as a high-volume prescribing, inadequate dosage, and sales (Paulozzi, Kilbourne, & Desai, 2011). In addition, one may note that the growing levels of patients encountering chronic pain compose one more health factor that impacts the actions of prescribers (Dasgupta, Beletsky, & Ciccarone, 2018). The improved rates of surviving after injuries, surgeries, and accidents as well as aging disorders along with greater expectations regarding pain relief cause chronic conditions. The limited access to pain treatment or insufficient attention of care providers to this option may be regarded as another health determinant that should be clarified. The above is largely refers to a lack of insurance, high care costs, and improper education of caregivers. The non-medical use of prescription drugs also contributes to high overdose and mortality rates (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013). As a result, it becomes evident that a prescriber behavior and health determinants are closely intertwined.

Speaking of social determinants of prescription drug abuse, it is possible to state that it is closely connected to low-income, poverty, alcohol abuse, and high crime rates. According to Dasgupta et al. (2018), poor health and prescription overdose are associated with a lack of opportunities and substandard living conditions. In these cases, prescription overdose is characterized as a disease of despair that sometimes ends with suicide (Dasgupta et al., 2018, p. 183). The mentioned trend is especially pronounced in the American White population with a middle income who die early because of drug abuse. In this regard, the third determinant of environmental and systemic issues may be aligned with the economic factors. In particular, the increased drug availability in the US seems to catalyze prescription overdose, as argued by Dasgupta et al. (2018). In times of economic crises, the situation becomes especially critical as the number of prescription drug addicts raises.

Elaborating on the presentation of economic drivers, one may focus on high costs for pain treatment, missing insurance opportunities, and widespread sales of the identified drugs. As noted in the recent report prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2013), Medicaid-population is more prone to develop prescription drug overdose. At the same time, pharmacy shopping and policies promote opioid sales, deteriorating the problem of prescription drug abuse in the US. Thus, a set of social, health, and economic determinants leads to the specified health concern.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2013). Addressing prescription drug abuse in the United States: Current activities and future opportunities. Web.

Dasgupta, N., Beletsky, L., & Ciccarone, D. (2018). Opioid crisis: No easy fix to its social and economic determinants. American Journal of Public Health, 108(2), 182-186. Web.

King, N. B., Fraser, V., Boikos, C., Richardson, R., & Harper, S. (2014). Determinants of increased opioid-related mortality in the United States and Canada, 19902013: A systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 104(8), 32-42. Web.

Paulozzi, L. J., Kilbourne, E. M., & Desai, H. A. (2011). Prescription drug monitoring programs and death rates from drug overdose. Pain Medicine, 12(5), 747-754. Web.

Lifesaving Naloxone: Compassionate Intervention

“Heroin(e)” is a Netflix documentary that follows three women: a fire chief, Jan Rader, a judge, Patricia Keller, and a street missionary, Necia Freeman, and it shows a closer look into the opioid crisis in West Virginia, especially in Huntington, WV, where it has been called the overdose capital in America. In the documentary, it was mentioned that the overdose death rate is ten times the national average. It shows what each of the three women sees and encounters every day regarding the opioid crisis and what they are trying to help with this crisis. It shows these women do everything in their power to help.

The opioid is “a compound resembling opium in addictive or physiological effects” (n.d., 2019) which can include heroin, synthetic opioids such as pain relievers that can be available legally by prescription (codeine, morphine, etc.), and fentanyl. According to The National Institution on Drug Abuse, “the misuse of and addiction of opioids is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 21 to 29% of patients that are prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them. This issue has become a public health crisis that increases misuse of opioids and overdoses, and injecting this drug, or any drug, can spread infectious diseases.

Jan Rader was the first woman to be fire chief in Huntington, and she brought Naloxone into the paramedics and fire department as well to help when they were called to an overdose and paramedics hadn’t arrived or would take time to arrive. Naloxone is a “medication that is designed to reverse opioid overdose” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). People who overdose and are injected with this afterward wake up within minutes and are taken to the hospital. It is truly a lifesaver for this medication. Many people think having this kind of medication enables drug addicts to continue doing drugs, but Jan Rader said that she doesn’t care if she has to use it 50 times, that’s 50 chances to help someone get help. And this shows that she truly cares for people and wants this epidemic to end.

Compassionate Justice & Street Outreach

Patricia Keller is a judge, and she does drug court. Drug courts are “specialized court programs that target criminal defendants and offenders, juvenile offenders, and parents with pending child welfare cases who have alcohol and other drug dependency problems” (Drug Courts, 2018). She does this by showing that she cares for the people who are part of the program and supporting and giving them resources to help them keep clean and maintain drug-free. While watching this, you can see she created a bond with the people who attend drug courts, and you can see she cares for these people. But just because she cares, she is still a judge, and she has to do her job when they don’t do their part.

When they lie to her or their probation officer, it is not taken lightly, and there are consequences when they relapse and are honest about it, she is happy they are honest, but there are consequences for that as well, or when they are clean for a certain amount of months, they can graduate from drug court. What I found interesting, in the end, they do a “graduation ceremony” for those who are “graduating” from drug court, and I think this is very nice and helpful to those who are in this program to see you can overcome this addiction and have a better life afterward.

Necia Freeman is a street missionary who is part of the Brown Bag Ministry. They go out once a week and hand out a bag of food for those living on the streets who need it and hygiene bags as well. While doing this, she also helps those who are addicted to drugs and opioids find a place to recover, stay the night, etc. She has created a bond with the people who live on the streets with addictions, and they know she can help them when they need it.

There are many connections I can make with this documentary with the things we are learning about in class. I think that drug addicts are usually pushed to the side and forgotten about because they do drugs. Some may think they chose this lifestyle. But in reality, it is a disease. It’s important for us to educate ourselves about this epidemic that is happening and find ways to prevent it and ways to that minimize the deaths that can come with it. With this epidemic, overdosing is an outcome that can lead to death.

Empathy’s Transformative Impact

From watching this documentary, I have learned many things throughout this documentary. The major thing I have learned from this documentary will be if you want to help, you have to show that you care. Patricia Keller, a judge in this documentary, leads the drug court, and she shows that she cares by sympathizing with the people who attend the drug courts. She does this by listening to them, telling them not to lie, always telling the truth, and always attending.

I think it’s very inspiring to see people who actually care, want to help, and are willing to help others to change if they want to because it first starts with themselves, and then others can help them achieve that. And by being in the social work field, I know that for me to be able to help others, I will first need to create a bond with them, sympathize, and show that I care and that I am here to help them achieve their goals. And by doing that, I must first show that I care.

References:

1. Drug Courts. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nij.gov/topics/courts/drug-courts/Pages/welcome.aspx
2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018, April 04). Opioid Overdose Reversal with Naloxone (Narcan, Evzio). Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/opioid-overdose-reversal-naloxone-narcan-evzio
3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019, January 22). Opioid Overdose Crisis. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis

Causes and Consequences

Why is the abuse of prescription drugs so widespread? What types of drugs are typically abused? Are consumers aware of the risks of prescription abuse? These are questions that people need answers to. They need to know the main question first, which is what is prescription drug abuse? A prescription drug is a pharmaceutical drug that legally requires a medical prescription to be dispensed. In contrast, over-the-counter drugs can be obtained without a prescription, such drugs as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, and Robitussin. OTC drugs are usually located on the shelves in pharmacies, grocery stores, and even gas stations( OTC Medications ). Prescription drugs are often strong medications, which is why they require a prescription from a doctor or dentist ( NIDA for Teens 1).

When prescription drugs are used for purposes other than prescribed, they can become addictive. Although a person who abuses prescription medications might think that their habits are not dangerous, taking those pills can result in serious negative consequences or harm ( La Hacienda 3). Sometimes, people who abuse these drugs need the help of addiction professionals to recover ( La Hacienda 3). Overall, prescription drug abuse has a negative impact on society because it affects people’s mental health, and physical health and gives them social struggles. This has been a major problem since the early 1990s, and the statistics of people abusing prescription drugs have been rising ever since then.

Neurological Pathways

Prescription drug abuse is when you take a medication for a reason other than why the doctor prescribed it. Experts estimate that more than 18 million people ages 12 and older have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons in the previous year. That’s more than 6% of the U.S. population (WebMD). Teens may take medication from their parent’s medicine cabinets for themselves or their friends to use. Most young people have no idea what medications they’re taking and which ones may cause serious problems in the brain or even cause death–if used with other drugs (WebMD). Abusing drugs–even prescription drugs–can change how the human brain works. In the brain, neurotransmitters such as dopamine send messages by attaching to receptors on nearby cells.

The actions of these neurotransmitters and receptors cause the effects of abuse of prescription drugs. Each class of prescription drug works a bit differently in the brain and can cause actions similar to some illegal drugs (NIH). Most people start by choosing to take these medications. Over time, the changes in the brain affect people’s self-control and their ability to make good decisions. At the same time, they have intense urges to take more drugs (WebMD). When prescription drugs are used for purposes other than prescribed, they can become addictive. The first time a person uses drugs, it’s usually a free choice. However, repeated drug use can change the brain, driving a person to seek out and use drugs over and over (NIH). A person may also use prescription drugs for other reasons than prescribed, for example, recreationally, for the effects the drug causes (La Hacienda).

Consequences & Complications

Prescription drug misuse has become a large public health problem because misuse can lead to addiction and even overdose deaths. Every medication has some risk for harmful effects, sometimes serious ones. Doctors and dentists consider the potential benefits and risks to each patient before prescribing medications and take into account a lot of different factors described below. When prescription drugs are misused, they can be just as dangerous as drugs that are made illegally. Before prescribing a drug, health providers consider a person’s weight, how long they’ve been prescribed the medication, other medical conditions, and what other medications they are taking. Someone misusing prescription drugs may overload their system or put themselves at risk for dangerous drug interactions that can cause seizures, coma, or even death.

Prescription drugs are designed to treat a specific illness or condition, but they often affect the body in other ways, some of which can be uncomfortable and in some cases, dangerous. These are called side effects. Side effects can be worse when prescription drugs are not taken as prescribed or are used in combination with other substances. Doctors know how long it takes for a pill or capsule to dissolve in the stomach, release drugs into the blood, and reach the brain. When misused, prescription drugs are sometimes taken in larger amounts or in ways that change the way the drug works in the body and brain, putting the person at greater risk for an overdose. For example, when people who misuse OxyContin® crush and inhale the pills, a dose that normally works over the course of 12 hours hits the central nervous system all at once. This effect increases the risk of addiction and overdose (NIH).

References:

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens. (n.d.). Prescription Drugs. Retrieved from https://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/prescription-drugs
2. La Hacienda Treatment Center. (n.d.). Prescription Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://www.lahacienda.com/addiction-resources/prescription-drug-abuse
3. WebMD. (n.d.). Prescription Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/prescription-drug-abuse#1
4. National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). Misuse of Prescription Drugs. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/misuse-prescription-drugs

Introduction

Heroin, ketamine, ice, and cannabis, to name but just a few, bear a marked similarity- a common type of drug abuse. It is a worrying trend in lowering the age of drug abusers in Hong Kong. All secondary or above levels students who were first drug-taking at aged ten or below was 10.5% while first took drugs at aged 18 and above was 8.3% in the 2014/15 Survey (Table A). Also, juveniles are easily acquired illicit and potentially dangerous substances nowadays.

James (2017) stated that the police is difficult to enforce the law because online transactions use encryption to avoid detection. Therefore, to tackle the youth drug abuse problem in Hong Kong, nurses play an essential role, as educators and caretakers, from health promotion to recovery. Besides, as a researcher, to analyze the contemporary area of substance abuse. In my opinion, an educator is the most appropriate nursing role to inhibit the severity of drug abuse.

Drug abuse in Hong Kong

During 2017-2019, the total number of drug abusers who took single drugs and multiple drugs in Hong Kong followed a downtrend, falling to 5522 persons (Figure B1). Nevertheless, despite an improvement in the overall situation, the drug abuse problem among youths aged under 21 has remained unchanged. Single drug abusers were around 80%, and multiple drug abusers were around 20% (Figure B2).

Analyzed by the type of drugs, the number of abusers of ice and cocaine accounted for 43.5% and 36.1%, respectively, in 2016. City University of Hong Kong (2008) mentioned that the relationship between the cost of cocaine and its prevalence in which the price is dropping, low-income youngsters can easily obtain it. By contrast, the number of abusers of ketamine slumped from 23% in 2016 to 9.7% in 2019 upon enhanced enforcement action (Table C). Narcotics Division, Security Bureau (2011) showed that drug trafficking of ketamine over 1000 grams would sentence to imprisonment for 14 years or above.

Analyzed by reasons for taking drugs, young abusers aged below 21 indicated ‘peer influence’ as the most major cause with 56%, followed by ‘relief of boredom/ depression/stress’ with 42% (Figure D).

Familial and individual risk factors may conduce the onset of drug abuse in youngsters. Childhood maltreatment is classified as a familial factor. Child abuse or neglect that results in physical or emotional harm. It reflects the caretaker’s failure of role obligation and leads to an estranged parent-child relationship. Whitesell, Bachand, Peel, and Brown (2013) noted that adolescents who experienced molestation increased the risk of participating in substance use from two to four times. Moreover, the personality feature of individuals at risk of exposure to drugs. Students who had admonitions or even major demerits that make prominent break the rules and be acquisitive of the sense of achievement impetuously. Swadi (1999) claimed that people with disobedient and impulsive had a high chance of early use of illicit drugs.

Drug abusers bring on individual and social impacts. In physical impact, body systems are becoming deterioration. Chu et al. (2007) mentioned that urinary tract abnormalities and contracted bladder were discovered by ketamine abusers. Drug abusers need to maintain an adequate dosage of drugs to maintain a normal physiological state due to physiological dependence. If they lose control of a drug overdose, it will increase harm to body organs. Yuen (2001) showed that ketamine poisoning influences neurological systems and that rhabdomyolysis and schizophrenia may occur. Also, psychological dependence happens in withdrawal, which leads to depression or irritability. Moreover, once they become addicted, they may break the law and ask for money to buy drugs that cause serious social problems.

Nursing roles

Drug abusers become younger, diversify with multiple psychotropic substances, and involve severe sequelae; those are the traits of the drug abuse problem in Hong Kong. Nurses, as a professional, can become members to educate, research relevant studies and look after drug abusers. One of the nursing roles is the educator for health promotion and prevention. Educators provide information to people that increase their awareness of substance abuse and arouse them to make informed decisions actively about their health. Kelly and Byrne (2006) stated that they reduce morbidity and premature mortality by identifying at the initial stage or improving health to prevent disease. Therefore, education may alter people’s attitudes and behaviors to help them realize a healthy lifestyle. Also, the researcher works in a clinical or academic setting.

Hardicre (2013) claimed that research nurses involve investigative studies and establish the protocol. To set up the clinical trials, they need to visit trial participants and notify the primary caregiver of the patient’s suitability or conflict with the plan. Then, data collection with analysis and summary to provide discussion for the treatment team. Therefore, research nurses give opportunities for continuous development and change of clinical practice. Furthermore, the caretaker takes care of in-patients for rehabilitation.

Low (2003) showed that nurses have a notable role in rehabilitation that persistently exist with a patient that can look out for the patient’s condition anytime. Nurses set the goals achieved by the clients to strengthen their independence through recovery. Rehabilitation programs are provided to the clients for drug detoxification and withdrawal that assist them to return to a drug-free life. Therefore, nurses accompany clients to prevent relapse and rebuild a healthy and meaningful life.

To compare the important role of educator and caretaker, prevention is better than cure. Adolescents follow the trend by taking psychotropic substances rather than traditional drugs like heroin. Sherril (2011) pointed out that symptoms diminish when active methamphetamine withdrawal from 4 hours to 4 weeks. Without obvious withdrawal symptoms, teenagers who lack self-discipline may continue to drug-taking until detecting permanent physical damage is too late. To alleviate the number of young drug abusers, an educator for health promotion and prevention plays a pivotal role.

Educators implement various programs that reinforce the continuum of health promotion services and lessen the risk of illicit drug use. For school education, conduct a program like life skills training to timely support the students who are confused or have low resilience. Learning for drug refusal skills and effects of drug abuse. Inman, Van Bakergem, Larosa, and Garr (2011) stated that students grasp the concepts of topics first, display the capability of health-enhancing behaviors even advocate family and community attention to health through health education. This reflects the students’ increase in the knowledge of health issues and skills to resist the temptation that helps inhibit the spread of youth taking drugs.

As to caretakers taking care of in-patient in rehabilitation, one of the goals is to avoid taking drugs again when they get back to society. Witkiewitz and Marlatt (2004) claimed that people who have addictive problems participate in cognitive behavior therapy and can prevent and manage relapse. Family background and social support factors affect people’s self-efficacy, motivation, and cognition. Also, the emotional state and skills of tackling problems due to high variability so influence the chance of relapse is higher.

Caretakers guide the patients with strategies to prevent relapse effectively that can help them regain the courage to reach no longer take drugs. In sum, educators and caretakers can both ease the trend of youth drug taking, but primary prevention is the first line of defense. Ritchie (2017) mentioned that postponing the time of disease onset and declining incidence are the noteworthy impact of prevention programs. Therefore, educators can contact students earlier than caretakers, which is more productive for having prevention education to mitigate youth drug abuse problems.

Furthermore, the educator is a more appropriate role than the researcher to focus on drug abuse of adolescence in many-sided directly because of contacting many audiences. Researcher labor with multidisciplinary study teams containing physicians and pharmacists. Gibbs and Lowton (2012) showed that research studies therapy-related instigate a change in the clinical. The responsibility for screening suitable clients for research studies and acquiring consent from patients.

Also, interventions being studied need administration and guarantee studies are conducted in legislation, guidelines, and protocols. As to educators for health promotion and prevention, Hillger, Huber, and Kirch (2011) stated that professionals can impart knowledge to the public to promote prevention. Teenagers may have inadequate or misunderstanding of the legal consequences of drug crimes and the harmful of drug abuse.

Besides, teachers and parents may be different in assisting students or children early with drug use problems because without enough knowledge to identify drugs and skills of communication. Therefore, organizing in-depth programs for particularly targeted groups can identify the youths who drug abuse early with service needs. Someone calls into question the effectiveness of drug abusers making positive steps toward behavior through education. Norton (1998) claimed that people having accurate information is important in influences decisions about their behavior.

Health education can teach by teachers and parents after having lessons from educators. To clarify, drug abuse will affect their health. To sum up, patients as clinical trial subjects in research studies that the researchers have potential researchable questions related to patient care only. However, educators can contact people who surround the youths with sharing knowledge that can cooperate with teens out of their predicament. Strong cohesion is presented in educators rather than researchers. After a comparison of the three nursing roles, the educator is the most appropriate nursing role in tackling the youth drug abuse problem in Hong Kong.

Conclusion

To conclude, drug abusers become younger and diversify with multiple psychotropic substances are the characteristics of youth drug abuse problems. Child abuse, disobedient and impulsive character increase the risk of taking drugs. Individual and social impact may have serious consequences. Educators are the most important in tackling the problem that prevention is the frontline to avoid risks to health and solidarity people around youths to educate and recognize their condition.

References:

1. James (2017): James, A. B. (2017). Challenges in Law Enforcement: Online Transactions and Encryption. Journal of Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity, 4(2), 45-58.
2. City University of Hong Kong (2008): City University of Hong Kong. (2008). Cocaine Prevalence and Price Relationship Among Low-Income Youth in Hong Kong. Journal of Substance Abuse Research, 12(3), 215-226.
3. Narcotics Division, Security Bureau (2011): Narcotics Division, Security Bureau. (2011). Enforcement Actions and Sentencing for Ketamine Trafficking. Retrieved from https://www.sb.gov.hk/eng/links/nd/ketaminetable.pdf
4. Whitesell, Bachand, Peel, and Brown (2013): Whitesell, M., Bachand, A., Peel, J., & Brown, M. (2013). Childhood Maltreatment and Substance Use among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37(5), 387-397.
5. Swadi (1999): Swadi, H. (1999). Individual Vulnerability to Drug Abuse: The Role of Personality. Addiction, 94(1), 37-49.
6. Chu et al. (2007): Chu, P. S., Ma, W. K., Wong, S. C., & Chu, R. W. (2007). The Lethal Dose of Ketamine in Rats and Rabbits. Toxicology Letters, 172(S1), S85-S86.
7. Yuen (2001): Yuen, V. M. (2001). Ketamine Abuse: Anesthetic Implications. Anesthesia Progress, 48(4), 131-136.
8. Kelly and Byrne (2006): Kelly, M., & Byrne, K. (2006). The Role of the Nurse in Health Promotion: An Irish Perspective. Journal of Orthopaedic Nursing, 10(4), 206-213.
9. Hardicre (2013): Hardicre, J. (2013). Research Nursing: A Case Study. Nursing Standard, 27(45), 35-41.
10. Low (2003): Low, G. (2003). The Role of the Nurse in the Rehabilitation of Patients with Drug Addiction. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 41(5), 517-524.

Consequences of Teen Drug Abuse

Teens all around the world abuse drugs on a daily basis. Most parents and responsible adults ignore the abuse due to the fact that they themselves use it. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat are all places to find examples of teens who blatantly show this abuse. A simple hashtag (ex., #smokingweed) typed in the Instagram search bar is enough proof of the serious issue we face with teen substance abusers. The continued exposure from celebrities on social media and in everyday life has made drug abuse an everyday obstacle. Although drug abuse has become normalized in today’s culture, there are many teens who abuse drugs without knowledge of its consequences.

With social media as an influence, “the trend of… drug use among teens is cause for concern” (Frohnapfel-Krueger). The consequences of teen drug abuse are numerous. Some immediate consequences are: injury, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, medical conditions, impaired brain function, and low performance at school in both class and extracurricular activities, and can lead to criminal involvement and death (National Center 62). These consequences apply to not only the teens who use drugs but also those around them. Whether it be from cause and effect or the other person’s judgment also being impaired due to secondhand smoke, the chance of another person being affected by their actions is very high. A common example of this is car accidents related to drug abuse; people in those accidents usually end up with a serious life-changing injury or dead.

Factors Influencing Teen Drug Use

Many teens start using drugs as young as twelve or thirteen years old, which is around the time they are transitioning into becoming a teen. They start using drugs because of bullying, parents fighting, abuse, stress, etc., and don’t realize that they are just making the situation worse. These teens are just using drugs as a way to cope. Others use drugs because their friends use them, and they don’t want to seem uncool or feel ostracized because they refuse. Other teens see everyone else, other adults, and choose to do it.

Some curious teens just try it and move on, while others curious try it and are hooked after the first use. Teens also use it out of boredom and to go against an authority figure. Some just want to be happy and decide that drugs and the quickest and easiest way. Teens can get the wrong information about the risks of drug abuse. They ask friends whom they think are experts and just roll with what they say.

Many people in recent years have said that teen drug abuse rates have gone down, but that is not true. If anything, teen drug abuse is worse than ever before. Teens have found more clever ways to hide the fact that they are using drugs. Parents, teachers, and other people never find out usually due to the relaxed nature that today’s society has taken in parenting. Taking surveys, while helpful, is not accurate because people (teens) don’t care about research and will answer negatively because they know drug abuse is wrong. Regardless of the fact that the survey will be anonymous, teens don’t take chances of that nature.

Consequences: Health, Addiction, and Future Risks

Teen Pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and rape are not seen as consequences of people abusing drugs, even though they are the result of their impaired judgment from the drug abuse. Parties usually contain both drugs and alcohol, and the use of either or both at the same time can lead to these three consequences. There are also parties called “Pharming Parties” by writers, where the main drugs all revolve around things you can find in your medicine cabinet and prescription drugs.

“When under the influence of alcohol and drugs, teens also are at an increased risk for date rape” (Frohnapfel-Krueger). It has been found that “teens who use drugs… tend to be more sexually active than their peers, increasing their risk of pregnancy” and sexually transmitted diseases (Frohnapfel-Krueger). These parties happen because “it’s better when you are with other people” and further contribute to the problem of teen drug abuse (Doup 40).

Regarding future addiction, another consequence of teen drug abuse, there are a few different points of view. Some believe that it is not a concern because marijuana is a popular drug, and others believe that drug abuse of any kind can cause serious addiction. Addiction is formed on patterned behavior and dependency. If you use drugs as a coping mechanism continuously, you become dependent on that drug. A pattern is then formed, so when you need a way to cope with something, you use a drug.

In comparison to other drugs, “marijuana is not very addicting” because “experienced [users] are able to control their high”; the key word being experienced (Gumbiner 71 & 72). Teens are not experienced when they first start and still run the risk of becoming addicted. “Teen users are at significantly higher risk of developing an addictive disorder compared to adults, and the earlier they began using, the higher the risk” (National Center 62). Though marijuana is considered a popular drug, it is also considered a gateway drug. For this reason, this does not diminish the risk teens have concerning other drugs; it only makes the issues that much more concerning.

Impact on Mental Health and Academic Performance

The link between drugs and mental health is a serious consequence when talking about teens abusing drugs because “mental health disorders… contribute to the morality” of people. Suicide is a common result of mental disorders and “one of the leading preventable causes of death” (Newswire 137). People who use drugs have a higher chance of getting a mental disorder such as depression or schizophrenia. Marijuana is said to have a direct relationship to the causation of these two disorders.

It “can worsen depression and lead to more serious mental health disorders” as a teen, more than double the average person, and lead to suicide (ONDCP 124). “The use of… drug[s] ‘moderately increases’ the risk of psychotic symptoms in” teens (Newswire 138). Those who previously had mental health disorders run the risk of worsening their disorder at a faster rate than someone who does not have a pre-existing condition when using drugs that have not been prescribed by a professional.

Behavior and grades for teens, who use drugs, tend to suffer when it comes to academic excellence. Teens already have it tough with the pressure from their other peers and don’t need to diminish their chances even further by using drugs. Teens who use drugs have a higher chance of having lower grades hurting their chances of getting into a good college. Drugs also mess with your emotions and can make you even more volatile than a normal teen, who, at this point, already does not know how to deal with their emotions. They could develop anger issues and choose to take their anger out on their family, peers, and teachers. This can result in problems such as suspension and expulsion and bad relationships with the people, leaving them with no one around they can talk with.

Physical and Social Consequences: Awareness and Impact

Using drugs can be very detrimental to your body. Important parts like your kidney, liver, lungs, and heart can be damaged beyond repair. This can shorten a person’s lifetime, especially when teens start at such a young age. Using it can damage your heart by making it beat too fast or cause a heart attack. Your lungs can be damaged to the point where you can never breathe on your own again. You can weaken your immune system and become dehydrated, which can make the chances of you contracting a disease higher.

The normalization of drugs has made the consequences of drug abuse fall under the radar leaving many teens, and people in general, without knowledge of its effects. Anything concerning drug abuse is a bad idea; the consequences are just not worth it. The consequences that teens do have knowledge of, such as addiction, are usually followed with the phrase “that’s not going to happen to me,” and the topic is dismissed until the person actually is experiencing it. Others, such as teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, are not seen as real consequences. The consequences need acknowledgment, and without acknowledgment, it will continue to be a problem.

References:

1. National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.
2. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
3. Newswire.

Drug abuse is the consistent use of drugs, legal or illegal to satisfy ones pleasure. By doing this it becomes a problem to the society at large because many vices arise from continued use of drugs. Something needs to be done and more so urgently to curb this menace called drug abuse. This paper will be looking at drug abuse as a social problem and ways of resolving it.

To get a clear picture, we need to know exactly what can be termed a social problem. A social problem is any condition within a society that some parts of the society’s members find undesirable. Several conditions fall under the umbrella of social problems. They include unemployment, smoking, abuse of drugs, problems associated with the environment, violence, et cetera.

Drug abuse, as a social problem, is associated with several problems. To begin with, the society is crying out loud with the continued increase in crime. A view supported by Natarajan (2010). This is evident with the many arrests we see over the news and the number of suspected robbers killed. The reason for one to engage in crime is so evident and primarily from use of drugs.

Unemployment is a factor that is spreading day in day out. Normally, a substance abuser can’t seek for employment because of the state of mind. And if one is employed, then it’s just a matter of time before they get fired. This poses as problem to the society because many of the people who are unemployed will resort to different ways of seeking money and pleasure (Knowles, 2003).

To add on, families are breaking up with each passing day. This comes about with the instability seen in most families. A family that has members engaged in drugs will feel that strain of ensuring that one is rehabilitated. This often causes a strain in the finances and so there will be disintegration hence family break up.

From the above factors, we will need to find out why the problem is rampant. Usually, people engage in drugs at family levels when they see some members doing the drugs. Quite often, children will emulate what they see from the parents. It is also proven that alcoholism is kind of hereditary unless you say no to it.

Also, a human being will want to live in comfort but when life becomes tough and the future seems deem, many who can’t persevere will find something else to relieve them. That thing will be to use drugs to make them forget the reality.

Peer pressure has an influence to this social problem (Knowles, 2003). Many of those engaged in drugs admit that their peers forced them into trying out some of the drugs. Therefore as time went by, they realized it was too late to go back.

Last but not least, there are people who are addicts and abuse drugs because of health problems. This comes about when someone has been prescribed medicine for a particular ailment. It forces the person not to feel normal without the intake of that drug.

With the continued use of drugs, many people are affected. First, children might be born with abnormalities related to the drug effect.

Use of drugs affects many people. In fact, it affects the nation at large. The nation is affected economically through loss of productive people who are needed in nation building. On the other hand, individuals are affected by drug abuse in terms of their health. Such complications include different kinds of cancer, reproductive system might fail, and also one can experience mental problems (Johnston, 1998).

The environment is also at risk. With growing of this drug producing plants, there is deforestation, pollution from processing of the plant into drugs and hence changes in patterns concerning climate.

Having looked at the social problems that come with the abuse of drugs it is therefore our responsibility to see how we can resolve this (Johnston, 1998). Families have to be a pillar especially parents. We need not to engage in drug discussions in front of our kids. Also talking to the kids and telling them that drugs are bad is the way to go.

Moreover the government has to put strict penalties to discourage illicit trafficking and use of drugs.

Rehabilitation centers should be at the reach of the common man. As per now, there are few centers that are so expensive. This should change so as to accommodate all the addicts that wish to change.

According to Knowles (2003), our schools have to teach and have drug related subjects in its curriculum. This must be done to create awareness of the effects of drugs hence discourage the kids from engaging in drugs.

In conclusion, the social problems associated with drugs as we have seen are, unemployment, and instability in families, crimes, education problems, prostitution and health related problems.

Drug usage has led to many being unemployed. They can’t seek for work and if any work comes by, an addict can’t persevere.

Families as we have seen are at major risk of breaking up. Parents engage in activities that make their kids also engage secretly. The hereditary factor especially in alcohol is wanting.

Natarajan (2010) says that crime in the society is a threat. Drug leads one to commit robberies and murders. They are usually not in the correct state of mind.

School dropouts and attendance is alarming. This is all thanks to kids engaging in drugs and so forgetting anything to do with school.

And finally we have seen that there are prostitution and health problems. Men and women are engaging in this vice at a scaring number. This has led to the rise in HIV/AIDS and other related STDs. Also cancer as a disease is on the spread, reproduction failure, and even mental related problems are dominant.

It is therefore important for everyone to stand up and take up position in fighting this war on drugs. We should also help those in it to quit and embrace them us our people in the society.

Reference List

Johnston, L. (1998). National survey results on drug use: Monitoring the Future study, National Institute of Health. Publication 004802.

Knowles, C. (2003). Prevention that Works: A guide for developing school-based Drug and Violence Prevention Programs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Natarajan, M. (2010). Drug and crime: the international scene, (Eds.).Farnham: Ashgate.

Drug abuse is one of the major social problems facing society. Many young people have resorted to use illicit drugs, and this has raised concerns. The problem of drug abuse has been a major concern in most of the western industrialized nations from early 1960s. Drug abuse has caused many negative impacts in the lives of young people in the society.

Some of these effects include health problems, injuries, social problems, morbidity, violence, crimes, deaths, suicides, motor vehicle accidents, psychological addiction, unprotected sex, physical dependence, academic redundancy and school dropouts (Burke, 2003, p. 31). The effects of drug abuse have necessitated government interventions to manage the problem. Other organizations have come up with different programs and policies that help prevent and manage drug abuse among the youths.

Regardless of the many intervention measures that can be adopted to solve this problem of drug abuse, the most effective intervention measure is to create awareness to youths to enable them change their behaviors and avoid temptations of using drugs.

According to Midford (2010), prevention is better than treatment (p. 1688). Youths should be educated and counseled on the dangers of using illicit drugs (Midford, 2010, p. 1688). For instance, educators and the government should come up with education syllabus that specifically teaches youths on drug abuse and the effects.

Such programs will help youth to acquaint themselves with skills and knowledge on the effects and the dangers of using drugs, hence, reducing the number of youths who are addicted to drugs. The program should center on issues that deal with abused drugs such as cocaine, heroin and marijuana among many others, which should be avoided. It should also caution youths on peer influence. Students and the youth need to choose their peers well to avoid bad companies that may indoctrinate them to use drugs.

In such programs, drug users and youth should be provided with information on the heath implications and examples of people who have used drugs in their lives and the effects they faced. Such sensitization will trigger change in behaviors as well as deter those intending to engage in drug abuse from doing so.

Furthermore, they should also be warned of the stern measures that are taken to the drug users if found using illicit drugs. This will help them change their behaviors (Schachter, 2012, p. 41). It is also important for parents to be included in these awareness programs. They have the responsibility of ensuring that their children grow up well and do not use illicit drugs. Parents’ model enhances their children attitude and establishes relationships in their families (Midford, 2010, p. 1688).

Therefore, they should be at the forefront of inculcating good morals and virtues in their children by showing them the right direction and discouraging the use of illicit drugs. They should also provide a good description of drugs and other medicines and keep them off from their children reach. Youths indulge in drugs due to curiosity, or because their friends are doing so. In addition, upbringing of children is a contributing factor which should be put into consideration.

The area of concern is drug abuse due to its impacts on society. Therefore, I hypothesize that this problem of drug abuse can be mitigated or managed through the creation of awareness to the vulnerable members of the society.

References

Burke, T. (2003). Warning: drugs cost the earth, New Statesman, 132(4644), 31.

Midford, R. (2010). Drug prevention programmes for young people: where have we been and where should we be going? Addiction, 105(10), 1688-1695.

Schachter, R. (2012). A New Prescription for Fighting Drug Abuse, District Administration, 48(2), 41-42.

Question at Issue

What are the reasons behind youths’ engagement in drug abuse in the 21st century?

Enthymeme

Although youths in the 21^st century engage in drug abuse due to several factors, it suffices to declare factors such as the rising unemployment status, peer pressure, and their hiked tendency to copy their parents’ behaviors as the principal drivers of drug abuse. However, one would wish to know why.

Unemployment and Drug Abuse among Youths in the 21^st Century

Eighner’s words of people being satisfied with what they have and or letting go of what their financial ability cannot afford do not seem to apply in the life of youths in the 21^st century.

Youth joblessness has become a key issue in the 21^st century. It has continued to have serious effects on development potential of young people. The increased rate of unemployment among young people encourages them to use drugs to change the way they feel or they way they perceive their incapacitated situation rather than accepting the situation and or using the right means of overcoming it.

They have to carry on with offensive acts and prostitution to sustain themselves. Drug abuse has physical, mental, and social effects. Physical injury also results from accidents that youths encounter while they are drunk. Joblessness and poverty also make the youths resort to self-treatment following the evident absence of funds for appropriate therapeutic treatment.

Morrel et al. confirm the existence of a “link between unemployment and increased drug, tobacco, and alcohol use” (237). Unemployment leads to stress, which makes youths use drugs hoping to feel better. However, on the contrary, they end up being drug addicts. Unemployment makes youths become vulnerable to drug abuse because they have a lot of free and idle time on their hands, which gives them the chances to involve themselves in socially deviant behaviors with drug abuse being one of those behaviors.

Lack of employment is among the factors that influence their feeding habits and hence their health. In fact, Eighner has come in handy to address the issue of healthy eating habits that even the jobless youth should use (6). However, he also points out financial issues that arise because of lack of jobs that determine what people or rather youth will choose to consume (drugs) based on their little or no cash at all (7).

Many youths who have no employment end up abusing drugs because they need to survive and or keep on pressing in this life. When youths are growing from being children to adults, they have a lot of hopes and aspirations, which fade off as time goes by as they involve in drug abuse as a way of forgetting their unemployment status.

Moreover, congruent with Eighner’s words, a decent job can help add to habitable earnings, civilized shelter, and high-quality social sustenance, which can help promote health and wellbeing of the youths, help them recover from mental health problems, and avoid substance abuse-related harms (6).

However, youths still abuse drugs despite some having good employment. In fact, Wells and Stacy say, “Finding meaningful employment will not solve all problems, but it’s a very important part of the bigger picture for many people” (164). Congruent with Curry’s Why We Work, it is possible for youths to experience stress to the extent of demanding ‘time offs’ (23) in their jobs. As a result, majority will use this opportunity to use stimulants as a way of relieving themselves from stress. Stimulants will make a youth forget his or her situation.

On the other hand, depressants like prescription of sleeping pills can give the youth a good and extended night’s sleep, which is especially common to unemployed young people for they want to remain sleepy so that they do not think much of their situation. They prefer taking depressants to escape their problems. As they repeatedly take the pills, they end up being drug addicts. Research done by Florida found out, “states with higher unemployment rates do tend to have higher rates of drug use” (Wells and Stacy 163).

Peer Pressure and Drug Abuse among Youths

Peer pressure is among the strongest predictors of drug use during adolescence. Peers initiate youths into drugs, provide drugs, model drug- using behaviors, and shape attitude about drugs. Currently, youths are adopting a common lifestyle.

Most adolescents are drained by this lifestyle not because they lack something essential in their lives like a job or because they have a genuine reason as to why they have adopted to that very lifestyle but because they want to fit into their peer group for acceptance. Peer pressure leads to the abuse of drugs by teenagers. Teens engage in drugs in order to rhyme with their peers. The extensive and continuous use of these drugs lands them to drug addiction.

A drastic rise in drug abuse among teens in the 21^st century has been noted following their parting with their parents to join their peers at school. On the contrary, Cisneros’ The Storyteller is an article that features the life of a young tutor who has been far from her parents for a while. Although Cisneros has peers in her workplace, she is an epitome of young people who choose to go against the norms to do what is right no matter the pressure (Cisneros 153) of experimenting things along with her peers.

According to Morrel et al., “teenagers seem to have more problems with peer pressure because they are just beginning to learn about whom they are and what their belief systems are” (240).

Peer pressure stands out as among the principal causes that can drive the present-day knowledgeable youths towards drugs dependence. When educated youths are through with their studies, they start hunting jobs. Sometimes, the jobless time can extend due to rapid changes in the job market thus leading them to start experiencing headaches, depressions, and confusion.

At this stage, the peers who seem to be helping them to overcome the situation lead the educated youths into the act of abusing drugs. By the time they realize they are abusing drugs, they already have reached the addiction stage. Peer pressure qualifies as one of the central roots of drug abuse among youths because many teenagers try drugs because they were given by their friends. Unfortunately, what people believe their peers want them to do is often the cause of what they actually do.

Family Lifestyle and Drug Abuse among Youths

The way family functions can have a strong impact on a teenager. Teenagers coming from families where there is minute parental management and attention have high chances of misusing drugs in relation to teens from homes with more parental participation. Teens who spent the better part of the day without their parents have high chances of participating in hazardous behaviors. Tough folk relations can help prevent drug abuse.

Coming from a home that stresses on using of harmful substances has a tendency to make a young person perceive it as up to standard. Detrimental family pressure may be an aspect in a teen’s early drug testing. In fact, “Exposure to family members who reach for a substance to cure every pain of ailment can cause a teen to do the same” (239). Young people acquire many of their principles from parents and other mature influences.

They often mimic what they see. In addition, adolescents who have the perception that they are not close to or treasured by their parents are at a larger hazard because they have low self-esteem, which leads to depression and hence drug addiction. A teen may also engage in a drug abuse act when he or she comes from a family with poor familial factors like poor communication strategies between youths and their parents.

Conclusion

In conclusion, youths lie within a delicate age set, which is prone to many dangers especially drug abuse. The paper has discussed drug abuse as the main challenge facing youths in the 21^st century. It has clearly described how youths engage in drug abusing activities. Three reasons behind this engagement have been addressed.

Unemployment is one of the issues discussed in this paper whereby many unemployed persons engage in abusing drugs as a way of getting consolation. Peer pressure also plays a big role in the act of drug abuse among the youths. Lastly, family lifestyle has a major influence on teens and their likelihood of abusing drugs.

Works Cited

Curry, Andrew. Why We Work. London: Routledge, 2010. Print.

Cisneros, Sandra. “The Storyteller.” The Oprah Magazine 10.3(2009): 153. Print.

Eighner, Lars. “On Dumpster Diving.” The Threepenny Review 1.47(1991): 6-8. Print.

Morrel, Stanley, Jack Taylor, and Kerr Bill. “Jobless. Unemployment and Young People’s Health.” Medical Journal of Australia 168.5(1998): 236-40. Print.

Wells, Brian, and Barrie Stacy. “A Further Comparison of Cannabis (marijuana) Users and Non users.” British Journal of Addiction to Alcohol and Other Drugs 71.2(1976): 161-165. Print.

Introduction

Drug use among parolees and probationers is still very likely to happen although hundreds of programs of drug control exist throughout the United States. Nevertheless, many probationers experience drug abuse even when they are aware of the consequences of it. The drug war in Montgomery, AL has continued for several decades, yet, not everyone is happy with its outcomes. It still demands extra spending and costs a lot for the government (Rubin, 2013). The current discourse suggests that drug use needs to be treated (such opinions were provided by some members of the City Council in Montgomery), but some alternatives can be implemented too. Moreover, Virginia Estates is a poor neighborhood in Montgomery that cannot afford expensive treatments of drug abusers and parolees who prefer to find drugs as soon as they are out of the prison.

Continued drug abuse can affect the probation’s outcomes and essentially result in crime recidivism. Yet, random drug testing is believed to be one of the most successful tools in preventing drug abuse (Walters, 2014). The main aim of this program is to introduce a strategy that would help prevent drug abuse in probationers. The following plan is based on Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) program.

Executive Summary

It focuses on the results of the HOPE program that had been implemented from the years 2004 to 2009; frequent random drug tests were used to control the probationers’ drug use. If probationers failed the drug test, they were arrested and sentenced to a short prison stay. Other reintegration means for probationers such as mentoring and education can be used in addition to random drug tests to ensure that participants are not motivated only by the possible sanctions and penalties. The program can influence the work efficiency of parole officers, judges, and defense lawyers. Its financing is an important task for a local government as it guarantees the improvement of the situation (Cheng, 2008). Moreover, it will also influence the crime rates in the community and reduce crimes connected to drugs if probationers follow the prescriptions and demands of the program correctly.

The drug use rates were stated to be extremely high in Montgomery, AL; Virginia Estates, as it is a poor neighborhood that has to face poverty, is also struggling with the problem of drug abuse. Crime rates are fueled by poverty and drug use, so the Montgomery police department and Montgomery City Council need to suggest new ideas and solutions prevent the spreading of drugs.

Statement of Need

Bureau of Justice Statistics had conducted long-term research that investigated the number of crimes committed by the offenders before or during the period when they were supervised by the community. The range of discussed crimes is wide, but it also includes drug use and similar crimes as drug possession, drug trafficking, unauthorized drug prescriptions, and others (Markman, Durose, Rantala, & Tiedt, 2016). According to the research, 0,31% of crimes, committed during the first five years after the release, involved a certain type of drug abuse: 0.16% were arrested for drug possession, 0.23% for drug trafficking, and 0.17% for other types of drug-related crimes (Markman et al., 2016). Two in five of all sexual assaults towards college students were committed by an offender who was supposedly on drugs (Bureau of Justice Statistics, n.d.). Montgomery’s situation is similar and a great number of crimes are committed by people who are affected by drugs. The national survey conducted in 1994 states that fourteen percent of probationers used drugs when they committed their first crime after the release (Bureau of Justice Statistics, n.d.).

Thus, although drug treatment and drug control are implemented in different programs in all states, it is still a significant problem to prevent drug abuse in probationers. As to Montgomery, AL, ‘Operation Pilluted’ was implemented in 2012; it covered other states, too, but had an impact on Montgomery neighborhoods where crime rates were noticed to decrease. Zero Addiction campaign was also implemented to address the problem of drug abuse in Alabama, especially pain relievers since the sale rates of those are extremely high. In April 2015, Montgomery Director of Public Safety discussed the problems connected to the widespread drug ‘Spice.’ The HOPE program focuses on reducing drug use; moreover, only those probationers who were confirmed to use drugs are mandated to drug treatment. This information can be provided both by the Montgomery police department and Council On Substance Abuse-NCADD. To reduce drug use in probationers and the probability of a new crime, the approach to drug testing needs to be changed.

Resolution Methodology

The program tries to reduce drug use in probationers, or at least prevent the drug abuse during the probation. As the authors state, only persistent sanctions for every drug use and positive results from drug tests can reduce drug abuse in probationers because each time the violation is noticed, probationers are sentenced for short prison stays (Hawken & Kleiman, 2009). However, if the amount of drug use increases and several drug tests in a row prove that the probationer was under the influence of drugs during that period, the stays in jail become longer with every detected violation. Moreover, no regular meetings with the judge are required, so the program also allows decreasing the costs, but it remains effective nevertheless.

Mentoring of the probationers’ successes, engagement in community and program will also help understand the reasons behind recidivism, as well as indicate what other issues need to be addressed.

Stakeholder Identification

The program can be considered as valuable for probation officers and community workers who have to face drug use from probationers and other violations quite frequently. Montgomery Municipal Court can also take part in the program, and, if it is implemented successfully, evaluate the outcomes; however, court employees might perceive the new program negatively because they will have to complete additional tasks and commissions that might show insignificant results (Hawken & Kleiman, 2009).

The probationers themselves might also be interested in the new program, although its methods can also be perceived as too severe; however, if they are indeed aspiring to become non-marginalized members of society, this program can lead them to better reintegration if all rules are followed precisely.

Montgomery police department, as well as parole and probation officers, will also have an opportunity to assess the program; in case of the correct implementation of the program, the crime levels in the neighborhood will decrease, and police workers will be able to focus on other cases, not on the probation workers. Thus, the program will supposedly reduce crime rates in the community and allow probationers to avoid recidivism.

Supporting Documentation/Credentials

The HOPE probation program was used as a basis for the suggested program, so it is necessary to evaluate its success. The authors have provided the survey results that indicate which stakeholders perceived the program positively and which stakeholders stressed the program was not proven to be successful. This data can serve as supporting documentation for the implementation of the program. The surveys’ results can be found in the document submitted by Angela Hawken and Mark Kleiman.

Timeline

To gain valid results that will be suitable for a thorough analysis, the program should function for at least three or six months; moreover, before the implementation of the program, several months will be needed to find qualified employees and calculate overheads.

Conclusion

The proposed program can significantly increase the crime rate and drug abuse in Virginia Estates, Montgomery, AL; moreover, it will help the probationers avoid recidivism and focus on reintegration in society. Probation officers will receive an opportunity to control drug use in probationers more efficiently and award penalties if needed.

References

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (n.d.). Drugs and crime facts. Web.

Cheng, G. (2008). Budget tools: financial methods in the public sector. New York: CQ Press.

Hawken, A., & Kleiman, M. (2009). Managing drug involved probationers with swift and certain sanctions: Evaluating Hawaii’s HOPE: Executive summary. Web.

Markman, J., Durose, M., Rantala, R., & Tiedt, A. (2016). Recidivism of offenders placed on federal community supervision in 2005: Patterns from 2005 to 2010. Web.

Rubin, I. (2013). The politics of public budgeting: getting and spending, borrowing and balancing. New York: CQ Press.

Walters, G. D. (2014). Drugs, crime, and their relationships. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

The challenge of drug and substance abuse has been prevalent among the youth for several decades. Evidently, some of the major drugs abused by the youth include cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. Although drug abuse encompasses improper use of drugs disregarding the prescriptions of medical practitioners, the principal challenges of drug abuse occasion from abuse of drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.

It is important to note that drug abuse has a number of challenges that comprise reduced performance at home and in school, poor health and development, and death in extreme cases. As such, drug and substance abuse is an issue that requires urgent solutions. It is within this context that the essay examines the issue of drug abuse among the youth.

Fundamentally, some of the solutions that are useful in minimizing the effects of drug abuse include education on their effects and adoption of strict laws that discourage their supply. In essence, the solution regarding use of strict laws is one of the main solutions that when applied effectively, the challenges occasioned by abuse of drugs becomes minimal. The implication of the solution and its effectiveness means that law enforcers and the state need to institute its policies and regulations in order to discourage circulation of these drugs in the society.

Some of the policies initiated by the solution that effectively discourage dealers and smugglers from introducing the drugs into the society include penalties and fines. Penalties such as imprisonment and fines are among the penalties that can discourage purchase and use of drugs among the youth. Remarkably, when the state and law enforcers impose penalties that are successful in minimizing smuggling of drugs into the society, the issue of abuse and related challenges reduce.

Some of the reasons that compound the need to impose strict laws on drug dealers and smugglers include reduced circulation drugs in the society, minimized effects of drugs among the youth, and minimal cases of juvenile delinquency. The three reasons that occasion from the use of the policy substantiate its practical nature in the aspect of drug abuse. Notably, drug and substance abuse make the youth perform poorly in school and at home, initiate problems like poor health, and death.

Moreover, drug abuse among the youth leads to problems such as increased criminal cases. Therefore, by using a policy that discourages smuggling of drugs into a state, the youth cannot acquire the drugs and abuse them. As a result, the challenges and problems associated with abuse of drugs reduce and the society becomes liberated from the problems linked to use of drugs among the youth.

Drug abuse is a serious challenge that has existed for several decades. Principally, the youth are among the highly affected individuals as they are the main abusers of drugs. Drug abuse has various problems, which comprise poor performance in school and at home, poor health and development, as well as death in extreme cases. The problems occasioned by drug abuse need urgent solutions so that the youth stop suffering.

Apparently, the main solutions used in curbing the challenge comprise the use of strict laws and penalties on smugglers and dealers. By using strict laws on smugglers and dealers, they become discouraged from supplying drugs to the youth. As such, the youth cannot access the drugs and the problems related to the challenge reduce. It is important to elucidate that drug abuse is a challenge that requires quick, effective, and efficient solutions.