question archive Running Head: EDUCATION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE DRUG ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS 1 EDUCATION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE DRUG ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS Education Strategies to Reduce Drug Abuse among Adolescents Name Affiliation Introduction Today, the young people have indulged themselves in drugs such that they are constantly facing the problems that accompany substance abuse
Running Head: EDUCATION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE DRUG ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS 1 EDUCATION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE DRUG ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS Education Strategies to Reduce Drug Abuse among Adolescents Name Affiliation Introduction Today, the young people have indulged themselves in drugs such that they are constantly facing the problems that accompany substance abuse
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Running Head: EDUCATION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE DRUG ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS 1
EDUCATION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE DRUG ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS
Education Strategies to Reduce Drug Abuse among Adolescents
Name
Affiliation
Introduction
Today, the young people have indulged themselves in drugs such that they are constantly facing the problems that accompany substance abuse. The aim of the project is to determine whether introduction of substance abuse education programs in both schools and homes can help reduce the rate at which the young people use drugs (Das, Salam, et al.) The increase in the number of youth taking drugs has become an international health concern. Some major effects of drug abuse to these young people can include dropping out of school, poor academic performance, and even taking extended period of time to complete one’s studies. The methodology used in this case will be applied for a period of one year before the same can said to be working in reducing the cases of substance abuse.
Overview of the Problem
A number of studies have revealed that adolescents and young individuals are at increased risk of substance and alcohol us, among other related effects. The rate of substance abuse among the youth is quite high which makes it such an important health concern. This issue is not only harmful to the abusers but also to their families and the community at large (“Promising Strategies”). Some of the factors influencing the youth to abuse drugs include poverty, age, gender, affordability and accessibility of drugs, and family relations. Substance abuse is a term majorly used to point at the misuse of various types of illicit drugs. Introduction of substance abuse educational programs will help in minimizing the number of individuals that abuse drugs.
Background and Significance
Drug addiction among the adolescents is a primary substance abuse problem among the young people around the world today. Serious substance abuse patterns among the youth are mainly social, physical, and mental health issues. Mostly, the youth that abuse drugs have the worst social relations with their peers and their families also to (“Salles, Chaves, Moreira, Denis, et al., 2016). Additionally, long time use of drugs can result in lifelong problems such as dependence on drugs, social and financial problems. Teenagers are at a high risk of being susceptible to substance abuse and are likely to easily develop long-term health issues like mental health problems. Substance abuse prevalence tends to go up as the young individuals grow older and it is said that at least seventy percent of the adolescents are likely to use drugs while they are still in high school.
The substance abuse educational programs will be healthcare-based, national-based, school-based, and community-based so as to ensure that the target population is reached with ease. This program will be designed in such a way that it fits given age groups. Those in charge of implementing the program will do thorough analysis on the same to ensure that it works best for a particular age group and that it helps in reducing substance abuse among the young people (“National Crime Prevention Center”). The program will aim at reaching youth at all levels so as to educate them on the consequences they are likely to face as a result of abusing drugs. Also, the program will make use of the ‘be one another’s keeper slogan’ that will encourage the youth to watch their peers and discourage them from substance abuse.
Literature Review
As per the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the estimated number of youth between 12 to 17 years using illicit drugs was at 8.8 percent and those that drank alcohol on a regular basis was at 11.6 percent. There is, however, an indication that there is a major decline in the rate at which the youth abuse drugs. Because of this, there has also been a noticeable reduction in the number of juvenile arrest (“NIDA, 2020”). According to research, at least 10 percent of adolescents that abuse drugs are likely to develop some sort of substance abuse disorder. The rates of drug abuse, reliance, and unmet treatment requirements are seen to be higher among the youth that have gone through the juvenile justice system than the rest of the young population.
Critical Appraisal of Literature
From the literature, it is clear that the rate at which young adolescents abuse drugs has been alarming. In any population, the highest numbers of those that abuse drugs are likely to be the young people. There is a need to come up with the best strategies that can help in reducing such cases in the world today (Das, Salam, et al.). One gap in the literatures is that there is no proposed method given of the manner in which the cases of substance abuse among the youth can be minimized.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is clear that most of the young people today tend to abuse drugs without having substantive knowledge of the negative impacts that this can have on their personal lives and that of their families. This necessitates the implementation of the education programs that are meant to help in reducing these cases among the youth. Educating the young people both in school and at home about the negative impacts of drug abuse can help in significantly reducing these cases.
