Diagnosing drug abuse has never been a problem to the client and the counselor because it can be identified with much ease compared to establishing whether an individual is dependent on drugs. If either the client or the professional wishes to determine the extent to which an individual is dependent on drugs, the only thing he or she would have to do is read the individual’s behavior. For instance, an individual who fails to conduct their duties as expected is said to be a drug addict. Similarly, some individuals may be prone to committing crime whenever they utilize drugs, and they may go to the extent of injuring others or causing harm to the entire society (Perkinson, 2012). Establishing whether an individual is dependent on drugs is problematic for both clients and professionals. Various tests would have to be conducted to ascertain drug addiction level before ruling out whether the individual is dependent on a drug. Studies show that abusing medicine is different from being dependent on a similar substance. The professional has no chance of identifying whether the client is dependent on imports unless the affected person is willing to share the information.
First Response-Ja La
According to Ja la, identifying whether an individual is dependent on drugs is difficult instead of ascertaining whether an individual is a drug abuser. In his view, an individual is said to abuse drugs in case legal suits are filed against him or her frequently or if the person fails to live up to the societal expectations whereby his or her responsibilities are rarely fulfilled. For instance, people believed to be drug abusers are often accused of causing physical injuries to others, breaking up relationships, and causing agony to their families. Ja la observes that identifying whether a client is dependent on any substance would be problematic given the fact symptoms show up rarely. Ja La’s thinking is valid because drawing a line between abuse and dependence on imports has always been a big issue for many professionals.
Second Response-Jen Galo
Jen Galo starts by identifying some of the symptoms that would help a professional identify whether a client is an abuser of drugs or dependent with the aim of differentiating between substance abuse and over-dependence on drugs. One of the signs indicating that an individual is addicted to drugs includes failure to carry out responsibilities effectively, especially for students, development of hazardous behaviors, and disorderly conduct. Similarly, Jen Glo notes that it is a challenge to identify substance dependence as compared to establishing whether an individual is an abuser of various drugs in the sense that dependency calls on the professional to be keener on observing and analyzing the client’s behavior.
Third Response-Shanie H
Shanie’s observation is not any different from others because she believes identifying substance dependence is challenging as opposed to establishing whether a client is an abuser of drugs. Similarly, she notes that abusers of drugs are likely to be failures as far as fulfilling their responsibilities is concerned, engaging in hazardous behaviors, being found on the wrong side of the law, and causing instabilities in families. In trying to identify whether a patient is dependent on a substance, tolerance and withdrawal are rarely noted, yet they are the significant assessors as regards dependence on imports.
Reference
Perkinson, R. R. (2012). Chemical dependency counseling: A practical guide. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Is the DARE program more or less effective than we thought?
The studies conducted by West and O’Neal (2004) reveal that the effect size is ineffective because of the insignificant difference between the DARE participants and DARE non-participants. The z-score equals 0.73, whereas the CI reveals a negative value. Similar concerns are represented by Gorman (1995), who believes that the DARE program is ineffective because P < 0.5, and therefore the distribution is not tangible as well. Gorman (1995) criticizes the studies represented by other acknowledged scholars, including Ennett, Tobler, Ringwalt, and Flewelling (1994), whose research also approves the ineffectiveness of the program with regard to other related substance abuse prevention programs. However, as discussed by Gorman (1995), Ennett et al. (1994) were not consistent in their research of the program effectiveness. In comparison with the studies by West and O’Neal (2004), the studies by Ennett’ et al. (1994) are not focused on accurate evaluation criteria because the reports they used did not relate to the essence and purpose of the examined program.
What difference did methodological differences in the individual DARE evaluation make in the outcomes reported?
While evaluating the effectiveness of the DARE program analysis in accordance with the methodologies and evaluation criteria used, the given assessments refer to various methods of the analysis of participants, as well as various data analysis methods. In particular, West and O’Neal (2004) refer to the information on other related programs to contrast and compare the effectiveness, as well as the peer-reviewed article related to the investigated topic. Thus, they apply to non-experimental methods to find out that the DARE program reveals insignificant changes to the participants’ behavior. Ennett et al. (1994) referred to a wider variety of resources to confirm its slight effect on the welfare of participants suffering from substance abuse. In particular, they refer both to computerized devices, surveys, and peer-reviewed articles reporting the effectiveness of the DARE program. An important issue of the presented studies is connected to the criteria investigated. Specifically, the research by West and O’Neal (2004) measures the program’s effectiveness in accordance with the skills and knowledge acquired by the participants. In contrast, Ennett et al. (1994) are more focused on the analysis of race as an independent variable, which has also proved the program to be ineffective.
From your reading of the material on DARE Program evaluations, how could this program benefit from improvements?
While introducing a wider approach to assessing the program, it is possible to highlight shortcomings and gaps. Specifically, many more factors should be considered while creating a program. Such aspects as race, culture, social background, education should be examined in much more detail to define an action plan and outline solutions for the DARE program participants. The differences in size effects have not provided an objective evaluation of the program’s effectiveness. Therefore, the given program should introduce new training disciplines that would increase the awareness of the participants about the harm caused by drug and alcohol abuse.
The main lesson from the meta-analysis is that many factors influence the findings of outcome evaluation. How much credibility would you place in the Meta-Analysis of Ennett et al. “How Effective is Drug Resistance Education?
The studies by Ennet et al. (1994) prove that the Drug Resistance Education does not contribute greatly to the improvement of students’ social skills and awareness of the negative impact of substance abuse. However, significant changes were attained to the effectiveness of education against tobacco use. In general, the program evaluation has a sufficient level of credibility because all outcomes have been measured in accordance with the schemes and requirements introduced by Martin and Kettner (1996). At the same time, Ennet et al. (1994) could have focused on the importance of social skills and knowledge rather than on the analysis of program potential concerning race characteristics.
References
Ennett, S. T., Tobler, N. S., Ringwalt, C. L., & Flewelling R. L. (1994). How Effective Is Drug Abuse Resistance Education? A Meta-Analysis of DARE Outcome Evaluations. American Journal of Public Health. 84(9), 1394-1401.
Gorman, D. M. (1995). The Effectiveness of DARE and Other Drug Use Prevention Program. American Journal of Public Health. 85(6), 873.
Martin, L. L., & Kettner, P. M. (1996). Measuring the Performance of Human Service Programs. US: Sage Publications.
West, S. L. and O’Neal, K. K. (2004). Project D.A.R.E. Outcomes Effectiveness Revisited. American Journal of Public Health, 94(6), 1027-1029.
According to the data provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services, in 2019, almost 30 percent of Americans older than 12 years illicitly used drugs (14). More than 4 million adolescents from 12 to 17 years old take drugs in 2019 (US Department of Health and Human Services 15). Overall, the number of people addicted to drugs increases each year (US Department of Health and Human Services 15). The fact that drugs are dangerous for physical health and the nervous system is not new. However, it is essential to spread information on the devastating effects of drug abuse among young people because it will help to protect them from a fatal mistakes. The current paper discusses such effects of drug abuse as the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, encephalopathy, and mental disorders, including depression and paranoia.
Main body
To begin with, it is necessary to explain how drugs affect the brain. The critical function of neurons in the brain is to transport and absorb neurotransmitters. Drugs affect this process of electrochemical communication between the neurons by slowing down or increasing the speed of neurotransmitters’ transportation. Simultaneously, drugs damage brain cells, the deprived brain tissue of oxygen and necessary nutrients. These numerous damages severely affect the quality of the brains work and the health of the nervous system. That is evident from memory losses, difficulties in concentration, and the decline of cognitive abilities.
It is rather apparent that drugs bring irreversible damage to the nervous system. However, addiction to drugs destroys not only brains but also inner organs. More precisely, drugs could ultimately become a reason for numerous cardiovascular diseases, including arrhythmia, inflammatory cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiotoxicity, and sudden cardiac death (Phillips et al. 178). The US crack-cocaine epidemic of the 1980-s – to 1990-s resulted in the modern-times increase in the number of aging patients with cardiac and vascular diseases (Bach et al. 154). The intake of cocaine, which is one of the most widespread illicit drugs, initiates the formation of blood clots (Phillips et al. 178). The danger of thrombus is that they might become big enough to block the blood flow in the veins and arteries. Blood flow disorder, in its turn, is the cause of myocardial infarction. Cocaine also “blocks K+ channels, increases L-type Ca2+ channel current and inhibits Na+ influx during depolarization” (Phillips et al. 178). Therefore, a person addicted to this drug is also at high risk of being diagnosed with arrhythmia.
The fact that addiction to drugs causes encephalopathy is rather self-evident. The concept of encephalopathy describes damage to the brain and, as it has been previously mentioned, drugs significantly alter the normal functioning of a brain. Consequently, the long-lasting drug abuse will result in memory losses, difficulties in thinking and concentrating, and sleepiness. Crack and cocaine addicts frequently are diagnosed with Wernicke’s encephalopathy which appears as a result of thiamine deficiency (Sukop et al. 68). Crack and cocaine are not the only illegal drugs that cause encephalopathy. Amphetamine, methamphetamine, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), heroin, morphine, and opium, to name but a few, also pose danger to the health of the nervous system and the brain (Virmani & Binienda 54). Any psychoactive drug without exception brings devastating effects to the health.
Fortunately, encephalopathy caused by the intake of drugs is reversible. First of all, it is necessary to stop the abuse (Virmani & Binienda 63). Secondly, the correction of nutritional deficiency is required (Virmani & Binienda 63). Encephalopathy is generally characterized by a lack of B vitamins. Coenzyme Q10 could be used to reduce “the neurotoxicity of cocaine” and methamphetamine (Virmani & Binienda 64). Nevertheless, it is vitally important not to forget that any treatment is capable of reversing the brain to the same state as it was before drug addiction appeared.
Mental health is an essential component of a life of good quality. Drug abuse triggers such psychiatric problems as depression, hallucination, and schizophrenia (Ham et al. 11). All these issues with mental health are derived from damages in the brain that were caused by drug addiction. For example, the intake of cocaine provokes the reduction of dopamine production and decreases the number of dopamine receptors in the brain (Volkow 1182). Dopamine is widely known as a hormone responsible for the feeling of happiness and, consequently, the brains inability to produce and sense dopamine leads to the condition called depression.
Mental disorders not only degrade an addicted persons quality of life but also threaten the life of the surrounding people. For example, depression is commonly accompanied by suicidal thoughts, and, therefore, there is a risk that an addicted person who does not receive the necessary help will kill himself. Patients with paranoid schizophrenia usually fail to distinguish between imagination and reality and have hallucinations and delusions. In such circumstances, a person might accidentally harm other people because he does not give himself an account of his actions.
While discussing the effects of drug addiction, it is essential to notice that it has a devastating impact on physical and mental health and the quality of life in general. People who suffer from drug abuse are at risk of losing jobs, houses, and families. If they do not receive help, they could die on the street because of overdosage, hunger, or disease caused by addiction. Besides, if a person shoots drugs, then he or she is at risk of getting HIV. In modern times, drug addiction has become romanticized. There are numerous films and TV series in which addicts are depicted as intelligent, wealthy, and successful. The problem is that teenagers could easily believe that if no one tells them what the truth looks like.
Conclusion
To conclude, drug abuse has numerous effects, the most significant of which are the emergence of cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, and destruction of the brain. Even though modern medicine is capable of helping to reduce the negative effect of drug abuse, it could never return health to the original level. The severity of the health effects depends on how long and how strong an individual is taking drugs. Still, nothing could restore brain cells that die because of the lack of oxygen provoked by drugs. What is more, recovery from drug addiction is a long and painstaking process. Nonetheless, some people fail to cut drugs out of life and, after a while, could become addicted again. The current paper primarily targets adolescents because they are prone to try something new and prohibited. The main aim of the provided information is to determine whether the intake of drugs is actually worth the devastating consequences it brings.
Works Cited
2019 NSDUH Annual National Report. US Department of Health and Human Services, 2020, Web.
Phillips, Katharine, et al. “Cocaine cardiotoxicity.” American journal of cardiovascular drugs, vol. 9, no.3, 2009, pp.177-196.
Bachi, Keren, et al. “Vascular disease in cocaine addiction.” Atherosclerosis, vol. 262, 2017, pp. 154-162.
Sukop, P. H., et al. “Wernicke’s encephalopathy in crack–cocaine addiction.” Medical hypotheses, vol. 89, 2016, pp. 68-71.
Virmani, Ashraf, Syed F. Ali, and Binienda, Zbigniew K.. “Neuroprotective strategies in drug abuse‐evoked encephalopathy.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 1199, no. 1, 2010, pp. 52-68.
Volkow, Nora D. “Drug abuse and mental illness: progress in understanding comorbidity.” American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 158, no. 8, 2001, pp. 1181-1183.
Ham, Suji, et al. “Drug abuse and psychosis: new insights into drug-induced psychosis.” Experimental neurobiology, vol. 26, no. 1, 2017, pp. 11-24.
A voluntary help for those who are addicted to some habit which is detrimental to them is intervention. This habit may contain abnormal and destructive behaviors in different respects. Many techniques are there for intervention like motivational interviewing, pre-treatment intervention, or brief interventions. Drug addiction or alcoholism kinds of dependences are normally treated with family intervention. Sometimes all the techniques fail to get person out his addiction. Intervention method is proved to make addicted person understand the value of life and that their alcoholism needs help so that he or she can get out of the destructive behavior leading to death. By intervention person can be given cure by his loved ones who are concerned about his addiction problems and dependencies. Those loved ones whose opinions have some importance in front of the alcoholic are chosen for applying family intervention process on them. Patient realizes the denials associated with his addiction and starts to seek help in this regard (Intervention-Get Your Loved One Into Treatment, 2008).
Drug or alcohol abusers have the greatest problem that they are not aware of being uncontrollable. Seeing the other abusers they feel they are alright. An honest criticism would help their behavior to set up an objective for themselves. Intervention lets a person realize the profoundness of his problem. At any stage of addiction a trained professional is the one who can persuade the addict towards recovery as it is a systematic, non-judgmental and non-critical process. However it is the greatest task to force an abuser to endure any treatment and on the other hand another major issue is to keep the abuser from getting worse by any minor mistake. Proper strategy and timing must be taken to persuade a defensive addict who grows sterner and insecure from the world around him as intervention conduction is a subtle and obscure issue (Drug and Alcohol Abuse Intervention, Inc., 2008).
A technique of Family Intervention needs the concern, care and supremacy of love to penetrate the denial and start the treatment. By structuring friends and family members in a way, an impossible thing becomes possible. Jeff Jay and Debra Jay say in their book Love first that family intervention is probably the most effectual way to begin patient’s recovery procedure. Misapprehensions about Family intervention are very common that this is just an emotional ensnare but the fact is that this approach uses a lot of careful planning established on the foundation of pure love and honesty. Facing addiction is a tough process and engaging the strength of love of the family can make its treatment possible (LoveFirst Intervention and Recovery Services, 2008).
Proper planning, preparation before getting started and foolproof technique is the key to successfully perform intervention process. The previous experiments fail because they contain unwitting force against each other and the patient plays a person off against the other one which makes an off balance in the family. With the family intervention approach family gets united for a purpose. Family intervention needs a rehearsal process after planning phase so that no chance remains to be left. Family apply this by having a sound education about intervention and single person starts this by seeking solutions for problems caused by alcohol or drug addiction. This includes guidance of a professional interventionist as well. Once it is known by the family members and friends that family intervention needs love and poise, help to a loved one with high planning and success would be made possible by far (LoveFirst Intervention and Recovery Services, 2008).
Jeff Jay shares his own experience that being a national merit scholar and president of student association in school; he was helpless after getting addicted to chronic alcoholism and drug abuse. He became penniless and homeless and began to suffer from bleeding ulcer, bleeding colon and legs neuropathy. Due to these weaknesses he was incapable of eating solid food. Sleeping under the bushes in parks of the city he was unaware of his alcohol and drug problem. He always thought they are just money matters. All these were the marks of addiction and above all the biggest hallmark was denial but he thought alcoholism as the solution so he kept on applying that. Everyone who came in my way was ruined by my behavior. His problems lead him for suicide attempt and then he planned to kill himself after giving himself a farewell party. He informed his ex-girlfriend and told about his suicide plan which was further forwarded to his parents and then they took a step for his intervention. Obviously the process was long enough but I got back to life because of the family intervention plan and the power of my family’s love. After having all the disasters of life and leaving everyone wife, mother, and father, they were the people who took lessons of family intervention and applied them strategically on him.
The process he and his wife Debra derived in their book Love First was learning about the illness and wrestles that by showing concern, then to put along the intervening team all organized and motivated, and after that detailed preparations, actions and rehearsals by the team. They have told plan as the basic key to success in family intervention. Self-esteem of the alcoholic should never be dismantled in any step of the process and steps where they surrender to accept help should be tried out. The foremost goal of the family should be to convince an alcoholic for his denials to accept and to start seeking for their help (Jay, 2000).
References
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Intervention, Inc. (2008). Drug and Alcohol Abuse Intervention.
Intervention-Get Your Loved One Into Treatment. (2008). Intervention.
Jay, J. (2000). Introduction to Intervention.
LoveFirst Intervention and Recovery Services. (2008). Family Intervention.
“Most people would disagree with me on this, but I don’t think we have a substance abuse problem in our country. We are just not developing strong kids that can make good choices”, said Thomas Collingwood. When I read the sport psychologist’s statement, my heart was filled with hope; I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, I knew there was hope for our future generation because I realized that though drug abuse was quite a debilitating issue among the youths, there lied hope just within our reach. As I went on to read Dr. Thomas’s article and saw the result his sports program First Choice was able to accomplish, I knew for sure that our children would see tomorrow if only we took sports for more than just a healthy fitness activity but acknowledged that sports could actually keep away our children from the trouble of; drug abuse, alcohol use, and other indulgences that they are exposed to. (Weiss M and R Fretwell 2005)
Discussion
Dr. Thomas’ phrase should be challenging to adults who think that it is not their responsibility to take charge of their children’s extra curriculum activities. His comments should make parents and caregivers see the need to reconsider their positions and offer much-needed guidance and support to their children. The comment actually made me acknowledge that though the role of keeping young people free from drug abuse is not easy, parents played the greater role in how our children grow up in ensuring that they provided structures and resources needed in their kid’s sporting activities. His comments made me realize that it would be unwise by the end of the day for any parent to leave their children under the mercy of the media where they learned that doing drugs is cool and fashionable, as they chase for provision of their children’s daily bread only to come home and find not only an empty stomach to feed but a kid to rehabilitate. Statistics show that African American teens have overall lower rates of drug abuse than any other population. The good results are attributed to African American form of parenting, but given the rate at which economic demands are increasing, good parenting will surely continue to be emphasized but will not be enough in days to come, and that is where sports come in.
Dr. Thomas’s First Choice program showed that as a result of an introduction to sports, there was a 60 percent decrease in multiple drug use, 60 percent decrease in alcohol use, 60 percent decrease in marijuana maybe it is important to note here that despite good parenting 13 percent of African American youths are reported having used marijuana. The results also showed that there was an increase of 23 percent increase in school attendance, and 20-27 percent increase in levels of physical fitness, and 10 percent increase in school grades. (Weiss M and R Fretwell 2005)
Schools, parents, and caregivers have to come together and provide kids with after-school activities that will make them preoccupied as opposed to just walking home from school with nothing preoccupying their minds. Keeping kids occupied is a great way to discourage them from acting out. Many students find themselves idle, and as a result, since they are just kids, it becomes hard for them to think of anything useful to do except, of course, for a few who eventually get influenced by others to indulge in crime when they have “ran out” of useful ideas. Sports have a way of bringing out the personality of a kid and expose positive elements that may have never been discovered. Naturally, when you, for example, give children a ball to play with, they are able to team up, chose their leaders, and basically manage the game even without your help. It is during sport that kids learn to be good managers of both times and any other available resource since the motivation to win makes them become creative and at the same time disciplined. As a result, you will find that when they are playing, they learn how to team up, keep time and follow the rules of the game. Subsequently, the same kids become responsible for their schoolwork; they are more motivated to set goals not only in the field but in their lives in general. (Weiss M and R Fretwell 2005)
Psychologically, sports help children boost their confidence and energy levels. It is during sports that kids are able to discover that though they might not be perfect in classwork, they are not good for nothing after all. They discover that they are as important as others, and once their morale is boosted, there is no space for drugs or any other destructive behavior in their lives. Sports also provide kids with role models either directly or indirectly. When a kid identifies with a football star, for example, they are motivated to aim higher for better performances and for a better tomorrow. That creates preoccupation that leads to better use of time and available resources and basically creates a source of hope for tomorrow.
It is important to note at this juncture that as good as sports might be for our children, resources are not available to support this extra-curriculum activity. The majority of the community members do not find sports as important, and as a result, there is a shortage of sports facilities needed for the kids. I agree at this point that sports facilities are expensive, but if the community recognized the importance of sports, they would actually find it less, less expensive than paying for the consequences of lack thereof. Parents and teachers would realize that there would be less falling out of school, fewer fights and vandalism, fewer disciplinary cases, less rehabilitation, etc. The state would also realize that there would be fewer juvenile cases, fewer police deployed to deal with kids, and fewer future high tech crime levels since it is the same children who develop to become dangerous criminals when they grow up.. (Kay Porter 2003)
The community would be surprised to learn that many youths prefer getting involved in various sporting activities to watching the games being played by others. A study done in the UK showed that two-thirds of teenagers say playing would be better than watching others play, but often lack of resources prevented them from joining any type of sporting activity. During that research, there emerged a great demand for non-mainstream sports where kids asked for the provision of other types of games other than the same old ones. 36 percent said that they would like games such as archery, canoeing, fencing, cycling, judo, and few more others to be included in their extra curriculum timetable in order to motivate them to play. Human resources are also a major challenge to kids sports. Due to the economic pressure being experienced in our times, much-qualified personnel is opting to join clubs where they will earn a living as opposed to volunteering in school and community sporting clubs. This is posing a great challenge to our kids since they, at the end of the day, need a couch to direct them so that they can improve their natural or acquired skills. As much as we would like to plead with the qualified members of the community to volunteer their services for the community good, it would also be prudent to dig deeper into our pockets and employ some of them. This will ensure that our children are under supervision while at the field, which by the way, can serve as a drug marketplace. Besides having qualified personnel since our kids are not getting involved with sports mainly for competing purposes though that is also important, schools and the communities should have a system where the older ones couch the younger ones, and this would go a long way in ensuring that sporting activities do not stop for lack of personnel. Just to add on to this point, parents should also take upon themselves the responsibility of coaching their children at home. When all the stakeholders get involved in this, we can be sure that our children will be safe, and we can be assured of a future; remember, children are our future. It is them that we leave our thriving business, successful organization, firm political parties, steady social systems, including our beautiful homes. (Kay Porter 2003)
Conclusion
Drug abuse is real in our country. Research carried out by the Monitoring the Future Results on Adolescent Drug Use showed that between 1992 and 2006, the use of marijuana increased from 12 percent to 18 percent among high school seniors, 8 percent to 14 percent among 10th graders, and 4 percent to 7 percent among 8th graders. Though these percentages have increased and are expected to continue increasing, we have learned in this paper that it is possible to alleviate this problem. This paper has shown that sporting activities will do our community a great deal of good if we commit and bring our efforts together. We have seen that sporting activities are everybody’s responsibility right from home, schools, and district levels all the way to State levels. We have also seen the importance of providing resources involved and that despite the price being high to pay, it is not measurable to the consequences of refusal or lack of provision. Lastly, we have seen that games do not have to be expensive since anybody, including our senior brothers and sisters, can help the younger ones, and together we will keep our kids out of trouble. (University of Michigan 2007)
References
Kay Porter PhD, (2003), the Mental Athlete, Human Kinetic.
University of Michigan, (2007) Monitoring the Future National Results on Adolescent Drug Use: Overview of Key Findings 2006.
Weiss M and R Fretwell (2005) the parent-couch/child-athlete, relationship in youth sport, Research Quarterly for Exercise and sport.
The Canadian Center for Substance Abuse (CCSA) based in Ottawa, Canada, is the author of the CCSA website. The references of the site are trusted documents, which include international organization reports, government documents, and ‘nongovernmental organization’ (NGO) documents. CCSA is an NGO that specializes in drug-related concerns. This includes the formulation of policies and their implementation. Furthermore, the organization has 20-years of experience in matters related to educating the public and the whole world on matters concerning substance abuse (CCSA).
The display of dates on the site is clear. However, in some instances, it is not easy to understand what the dates mean especially during the initial instances. For example, consider the information posted on the right side of the site about alcohol as the leading killer followed by AIDS. It is noteworthy that at the top of the information, the date posted is Monday, February 14, 2011, yet against the information, the date is February 11, 2011.
Thus, one cannot clearly understand what these dates mean. Similarly, the date indicating the initial posting of the site is not available. On the other hand, the date when the page was last revised is clear thus February 14, 2011. Moreover, the copyright date is also clear at the bottom of each page thus 2008. The contents on the page require regular updates. This is because information about substance abuse, which benefits society is present. It is also evident that the links on the page point to the correct internet site addresses. For example, the Facebook link on the site leads to the Facebook page of the organization (CCSA).
The author has cited all the sources used to develop the site. There is a clear possibility of verifying the authenticity of these documents. This is because the author has provided information about the origin of the documents through links; furthermore, the contacts of the information sources are available. It is noteworthy that some information contained in the site focuses on research, but the author has not provided the methods of research. The only information provided is for the data congregated. The information on alcohol as the leading killer followed by AIDS, made me believe the site’s accuracy. This is because the information is sourced from the ‘World Health Organization (WHO) report. On logging into the WHO site, the same information is available.
CCSA aims to provide leadership and analysis of information based on evidence. Moreover, it mobilizes other partners to help reduce the harm resulting from abuse of substances and alcohol. The site provides information on substance abuse in Canada and globally; thus, it is an informative site. The organization is trusted, as it has existed for the last 20 years. Furthermore, it has formulated various policies implemented by different organizations including the government. These policies have been effective in the fighting of war against alcohol and other substance abuse globally (CCSA).
According to Galanter & Kleber (2008), cases of drug abuse amongst nursing professionals are rare. It is evident that familial backgrounds, overachievement, working too hard and low self-esteem are contributing factors. The effects of these drugs make them fail to perform efficiently whilst working. This might lead to their dismissal from duty. Some of the issues resulting from this behavior include the provision of medication errors on patients, the death of patients, and the increase of legal proceedings related to the mistreatment of patients by nursing personnel. Cases of substance abuse by patients are widespread. Effects of this activity on patients include failure to adhere to medication, chaotic home, and hospital environment, poor parenting, and low self-esteem (Aschenbrenner & Venable, 2008).
References
Aschenbrenner, D. & Venable, S. (2008). Drug Therapy in Nursing. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Canadian Center on Substance Abuse (CCSA). Working to reduce alcohol and drug related harm. Web.
Galanter, M. & Kleber, H. (2008). The American Psychiatric Publishing textbook of substance abuse treatment. Virginia, VA: American Psychiatric Pub.
Drug abuse is one of the significant problems of modern society. Some regions of the United States are estimated to have the highest rates of drug-related deaths (Guydish et al. 108). Lake County, CA, is claimed to have at least 48 deaths in every 100000 people related to drug abuse every year (Guydish et al. 108). The figure is relatively high compared to the statewide average number (Guydish et al. 108). The topic of drug abuse is essential for discussion due to the need to develop strategies to prevent and minimize the dangerous consequences of drug abuse in different regions. The paper covers the problem of drug abuse in Lake County, focusing on the possible problem management strategies. The problem of drug abuse can be efficiently solved by combining the attempts of the government, police, hospitals, educational organizations, and the community.
Background
Historically, drug and substance abuse were not rampant in California and its environs. This problem results from poor policing and the state’s proximity to Mexico and drug syndicates. To be precise, opioids and other laboratory-manufactured substances have been on the rise in recent years due to the continued trafficking by Mexican cartels. Currently, California is the number one destination for methamphetamine trafficking, which explains the high drug abuse in counties like Lake County (Guydish et al. 108). The deaths due to drug overdose have been rising over the years. The poor economic situation also contributes to the increase in opioid overdose.
Survey of the Literature
Research has indicated that poverty and unemployment are directly related to drug abuse. Today the county has the highest drug-related death rate in California (“Behavioural Health”). Some of the addictive substances in the county included opium, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and other controlled substances. Some researchers believe that drug abuse can be compared with brain disease, which means that it can be efficiently treated and prevented (“What is Drug Addiction?”). The reasons explaining why people fall into addiction are usually social in nature. Adverse life conditions and psychological oppression often affect the human decision-making regarding drugs.
The situation becomes extremely dangerous in cases of teenagers’ addiction. According to the practical brain analysis, the teenagers’ prefrontal cortex is at the stage of development that causes problems with self-control and disturbs the decision-making process (“What is Drug Addiction?”). As a result, young people are prone to drug abuse due to biological and psychological reasons. Due to the poor economic situation, the infrastructure of Lake County is not well-developed. Teenagers are not devoted to some activities which positively affect their development. Controversially, they spend time on potentially dangerous activities such as drug usage. Young people’s understanding of harmful consequences is atrophied due to the lack of experience and some psychologically-conditioned issues (“It takes a community to fight drug abuse”). The conducted interview with ex-addict John Doe proves that teenagers in Lake County are prone to drug addiction because of social oppression and peers’ influence.
Contrary to the mentioned above position that people decide to try drugs under psychological and social oppression, there is an idea that drug abuse is genetically inherent. The early parental use of drugs is likely to be genetically inherent to future generations (“What is Drug Addiction?”). This fact explains why some people are more vulnerable to drug addiction than others. The high rates of teenage drug abuse in Lake County mean that the future generations in this region are also at an increased risk of being addicted. Such a situation is potentially harmful to the community. The vicious circle of drug abuse is difficult to eliminate due to the region’s economic instability. The enhancement of living conditions starts with improving the educational and career opportunities for the citizens. Thus, the teenagers, who are the future of the Lake County community, are supposed to bring positive changes to the region.
However, being the victims of drug abuse, teenagers are at high risk of damaging their brains, showing no prospects of improving the situation. As a result, Lake County’s community is in deplorable conditions due to drug abuse and the government’s inability to manage this problem. The quality of living is gradually decreasing because of this problem. Drug and substance abuse affect Lake County, and the situation will worsen if nothing is done. This problem has many negative consequences for the regions, such as crime, school dropouts, deaths, hospitalization, prostitution, and negligence of children.
The interview with Jennifer Kraus, Support Staff/Intern at Hilltop Recovery Services, shows that the “quitting” process is complicated. Jennifer highlights that there is no guarantee that addicts can quit using drugs for the rest of their life. This means that the managemental problem strategies should be centered on recovery and future support of ex-addicts. Moreover, the interview offers valuable insights into the essence of drug abuse prevention measures. The region’s authorities are responsible for decreasing drug abuse rates.
Discussion
The leaders and the community have to develop strategies to change the deplorable drug abuse situation in Lake County. One of the strategies that can reduce the problem is civic education. This approach can also be efficient for minimizing the risks of teenagers’ addiction. The county’s administration, nongovernmental organizations, churches, and schools should focus on educating people on the effects of drugs and how they can avoid using them. The awareness of the problem and its consequences for health and life is the first step in changing the community’s perception of drugs. Another strategy to manage the situation is the treatment, rehabilitation, and consequent support of addicts. In the case of severe drug dependence related to opioids like SafeRX and Naloxone, the best option to help people is to hospitalize them with special dispensers. The individuals can be taken to rehabilitation centers, where programs such as Narconon and others can be implemented to help them return to normal life (Darracq et al. 114). Another strategy is related to the police regulation of drug abuse. Police are responsible for managing the problem of drug distribution.
However, the officers often do not consider this problem significant enough. Special programs or laws should be proposed to regulate the work of police in the sphere of drugs. Mentioned solutions can help to decrease drug abuse rates through prevention and efficient rehabilitation. Collective work of the authorities, police, hospitals, educational organizations, and the community can contribute to minimizing the adverse consequences of drug abuse. The implementation of mentioned above strategies can make Lake County drug-free someday. Considering the close future changes, which can change the situation, I would like to see the security personnel increase policing in the county to arrest the peddlers of drugs. Therefore, even though the case of Lake County is adverse, it can be significantly improved by using the mentioned above strategies.
Works Cited
“Behavioural Health: Lake County Resource Guide?” LCBH: Lake County CA. Web.
Darracq, Michael A., et al. “Pharmacist Dispensed Naloxone: Knowledge, Availability, Participation and Cost in Selected California Counties.” International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 71, 2019, pp. 113-117. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.06.001
Guydish, Joseph, et al. “Tobacco Use and Tobacco Services in California Substance Use Treatment Programs.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, vol. 214, 2020, pp. 108-173. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108173
“It takes a community to fight drug abuse.” Christian Science Monitor, vol. 89, no. 5., 1996, pp. 11-17.
In the following paper, I have my purpose to summarize the article “From an Attempted Suicide to Salvation, Then to Helping Others” by Mathew Warren printed in New York Times not long ago. In addition, I will offer my comments concerning selected aspects of the article’s importance and will explain my choice of this particular piece of information about the issues of substance abuse and addiction and families.
Article Summary
The article tells about Sheaneen Holimon, a courageous and spirited lady who knows well what the problem of drug addiction is about. After years of fighting with this serious problem, she was so distressed on the reason of her inability to quit this maleficent predilection that she wanted to commit suicide. Still, Ms. Holimon was able to see a miracle eventually as she believed in her future and valued her family.
Ms. Holimon explains that her father’s conduct made her a very unhappy child and caused her to take drugs at a very early age. By the age of fifteen, she was a serious drug addict; however, she succeeded to graduate from high school and find a job as a secretary. Nonetheless, Ms. Holimon did not manage to preserve her working place on the reason of becoming a heavy drunkard and drug addict. She had a small period of revival when she gave birth to her son. Sadly, this period did not continue for long, and she returned to her dangerous lifestyle. The same situation repeated after the birth of her daughter.
Once, she reflected on her entire life, her two little children, long years wasted on the reason of this disastrous lifestyle, and made a wakeup call of last hope to her mother. Then she joined a rehabilitation program. That was not a short experience and not an easy one. Ms. Holimon fought courageously, and eventually, she managed to have certain success. This, in turn, motivated her to help others. Nowadays, though Sheaneen Holimon is still under some rehabilitation therapy by herself, this spirited lady has a significant experience of helping others and overcoming a lot of difficulties for this sake including material ones. To conclude on this encouraging experience, it should be mentioned that Ms. Holimon has succeeded in reviving some of her family relations, and she is still putting a lot of effort to get ahead in this area to the fullest extent possible.
Critical Reflections
The primary purpose of this article seems to inform the readers about success that was achieved by a courageous lady who strives to conquer her drug addiction throughout her entire life and has managed to have certain achievements. I have chosen this article as I believe it contains an encouraging and powerful message for all people who want to conquer their exhausting battle with drug addiction. The article’s importance cannot be underestimated; every person facing such serious problem as drug addiction, or who has a relative or any other close person with such a terrible problem knows how vital it is to know from some other person’s experience that it is possible to win the fight with this evil.
Conclusion
The article raises the very serious issues that are rife with the problem of drug addiction and family ties. It teaches that the most terrible things in life can be overcome if only the person really wants it and works hard along with others who kindly offer their professional assistance.
National survey results on drug use obtained by Monitoring the Future have a significant value to the development of various approaches with regard to the prevention of drug abuse. The survey covers serious problems, including the use of illicit and psychotherapeutic drugs as well as marijuana consumption. Gathered and analyzed statistic data play a considerable role in the investigation and prevention of such controversial issues as vaping, tobacco and alcohol abuse.
Nowadays, overall drug use remains on the same level without noticeable positive advances, and no negative tendencies have occurred. The most concerning trend which requires attention for prevention interventions is related to vaping. Even though the trend represents a decrease in vaping, the consumption rates still remain alarmingly high (Johnston et al., 2021). Therefore, vaping trends are both a reason of concern and an example of progress in prevention. Alcohol and cigarettes should also be targeted by the development of prevention initiatives as their trends do not demonstrate any positive change (Johnston et al., 2021). On the other hand, decreased use of many other drugs and substances may be considered as a result of effective prevention strategy (Johnston et al., 2021). The above-mentioned substances include synthetic marijuana, psychotherapeutic drugs, crystal methamphetamine and smokeless tobacco, particularly, snus.
As for my personal anticipations regarding current trends in adolescent drug use, the study has confirmed most of them. I expected vaping to be on a declining trend, but it still remains one of the most common issues, topping even alcohol and cigarettes in some cases. I also anticipated an overall minor decrease in the use of all substances. However, I was surprised by the fact that alcohol had a considerable growth in consumption, which may have been caused by external factors, including lockdown. Conclusively, adolescent drugs and substance abuse is a relevant issue that requires constant monitoring and the development of prevention measures.
One of the consequences of using drugs is, eventually, an individual becoming addicted. Addiction refers to a neuropsychological disorder that involves persistently feeling an urge to engage in particular behaviors despite the significant harm or negative effects. The psychology that explains addiction covers many areas, such as an illness or personal problem, an effect of someone’s lifestyle, family history, or socioeconomic demographics. This paper aims to highlight what the field of psychology says about the negative effects of drugs and why people continue using despite the consequences.
Discussion
Using drugs once does not necessarily mean someone will never consume them again. In most cases, the drugs contain elements that can cause a person to become addicted. From a psychological perspective, it is important to understand how people enter into addiction. At the root of addictive behavior is a level of emotional stress deeply hidden within someone’s subconscious mind, and addressing it becomes a challenge. To relieve stress, pleasure is discovered in excess (Bechara 100). An example is when people choose to drink alcohol to ease their pain and ultimately find fun.
Stopping the behavior is a danger to someone’s mental state as they fear returning thoughts of the initial source of emotional stress. When a person is addicted, it suggests they lack healthy coping methods for the problem. The only mechanisms are distracting as well as unhealthy such as substance usage. Individuals dealing with addiction do not care about what matters since what is important to them is the desire to do something when that stress appears (Bechara 101). Some can stop their behaviors as their emotional stress does not manifest as among the addictive behaviors. Meanwhile, for others, their drug usage indicates an issue they may not have known and needs treatment. This leads to associative learning, which refers to learning to do something according to a novel stimulus.
Associative Learning
It is regarded as associative learning when an individual finds and takes drugs and ultimately gets high. The concept can be further explained using Ivan Pavlov’s experiment, where he rang a bell to call a dog and then rewarded it with food (Fouyssac and David 3015). A specific part of the brain controls associative learning, which it does via a neurotransmitter named dopamine. Dopamine is produced naturally by the brain when an individual does something rewarding or pleasurable.
The dopamine effect is a survival mechanism whereby eating or drinking feels good. It ensures continuity of life, family, and species in general. The element’s production is among the key drivers behind sex since, as much as the act is rewarding and pleasurable simultaneously, it is needed for survival (Fouyssac and David 3015). The main effect is that it creates a memory of the experience, which pushes people to seek the feeling again. People forget about the negative effects of drugs due to the moments of pleasure. As mentioned earlier, it is most likely that someone who uses the drug once will consume it again. The feeling established, regardless of how long, is enough to convince a person to forget everything they know concerning the negative effects and pursue a minute or two of a great time.
Conclusion
The paper has highlighted what the field of psychology says about the negative effects of drugs and why people continue using despite the consequences. It has been established that, in most cases, individuals experience addiction due to the pursuit of stress relief. Using the logic of the dopamine effect, once someone experiences something pleasurable or rewarding to them, they are most likely to pursue that feeling again. Eventually, it becomes impossible to convince them against the drugs as their desire to end their problem is more than the need to remain healthy.
Works Cited
Bechara, Antoine, et al. “A Neurobehavioral Approach to Addiction: Implications for the Opioid Epidemic and the Psychology of Addiction.” Psychological Science in the Public Interest, vol. 20, no. 2, 2019, p. 96–127.
Fouyssac, Maxime, and David Belin. “Beyond Drug‐Induced Alteration of Glutamate Homeostasis, Astrocytes May Contribute to Dopamine‐Dependent Intrastriatal Functional Shifts That Underlie the Development of Drug Addiction: A Working Hypothesis.” European Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 50, no. 6, 2019, p. 3014-3027.