Free Alcohol And Drug Abuse Prevention Research Paper Sample

Abstract

Most countries in the world have placed a legal age before which young people cannot drink so as to ensure that they are wiser, smarter and more in control of their emotions and self control before they start consuming alcohol. Usually this age is 21, like in the United States of America. However, it is also a known fact that almost everyone who drinks has had a drink before the legal age by the help of any illegal source. This shows the inclination towards alcohol from a very young age. This inclination can be harmful, as the number of deaths by alcohol overuse in college students is alarmingly high. The government, along with the society at large needs to take certain steps to help prevent drug and alcohol overuse. There needs to be a shift in the ideology towards these things, so that they are utilized in moderation and not consumed in binge drinking or smoking up as the youngsters like to call utilization of drugs.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention

Around 39% of the total deaths in traffic incidents in 2005 were due to the involvement of alcohol and 40% of all the violent crimes committed in the world were also by people who were under the influence of alcohol. Statistics also show that the young people who are prone to drinking alcohol are also 7.5 times more probable to use other drugs which have been categorized as illegal and 50 times more possible to utilize cocaine as compared to the youth who do not ever consume alcohol. It has also been the findings of one survey that 32% of the heavy drinkers who were 12 years and older have also been associated with the utilization of one or other illegal drugs. These alarming statistics highlight the significance of the dilemma faced by the world, as to how to prevent people, especially young people, from consuming too much alcohol and not to use illegal drugs. Alcohol damages a person’s judgment and perception of things. People who have consumed alcohol are ready to accept the fact that alcohol reduces their reaction time a lot, they are slower as to when they weren’t drinking and they would also be more risk prone as due to poor judgment they would take risky chances, which had they been sober, they would never take. These chances are more often than not proven fatal for these alcohol users resulting in the fact that the risk of a driver, who has consumed alcohol, to be killed in traffic accidents is more or less 11 times more possible than by a driver who has not had any alcohol to drink before driving.
It is thus necessary to fully comprehend how alcohol affects the human body. Liquor is assimilated into the circulatory system through little veins in the dividers of the stomach and small digestive tract. Inside minutes of drinking liquor, it sets out from the stomach to the mind, where it rapidly delivers its belongings, moderating the activity of nerve cells. Give or take 20% of liquor is consumed through the stomach. The greater part of the staying 80% is consumed through the small digestive system. Liquor is additionally conveyed by the circulatory system to the liver, which kills the liquor from the blood through a methodology called "metabolizing," where it is changed over to a nontoxic substance. The liver can just metabolize a certain sum at once, leaving the abundance flowing all through the body. Along these lines the force of the impact on the body is specifically identified with the sum expended. At the point when the measure of liquor in the blood surpasses a certain level, the respiratory (breathing) framework eases off uniquely, and can result in a trance like state or passing, on the grounds that oxygen no more achieves the cerebrum.
The utilization of alcohol as well as drugs before the maturity and full development of one’s brain highly augment the chances of one becoming a future alcohol or drug addict by a significant percentage. Youth, who start consuming alcohol before the age of 15 have 5 times more chances of developing an addiction and a dependence on alcohol as compared to the young people who do not start drinking before age 21. The age limit has been set after a lot of research which proves that the utilization of drug use and drug addiction also runs along the same lines and thus respect for the legal age is critical to avoid dependence. Another factor that affects a person’s chances of becoming an addict of whether alcohol or drugs is if they have a family history of alcoholism or drug abuse. The utilization of drugs is choice for most people however it has been influenced heavily by a lot of external factors like, family, friends as well as access to the substances. However, once a person has started utilizing drugs or consumed alcohol their chances of becoming dependent on the substance and having an addiction to either alcohol or drugs has a large impact from their family history and their genes. Alcoholism and drug dependence are not ethical issues, it does not simply mean that the person has negligible will power or they are doing it by choice. Simply stating facts, some people’s bodies react more to the effects of alcohol and drugs as opposed to other people. If someone in the family has a history of alcoholism and/or drug addiction then the chances of new user to develop a problem increases 4 times more.

Risk Factors and Protective Factors

These are some scary facts that have been shared then what is it that can be done to protect oneself and to make sure the chances of having alcohol and drug problems is substantially low, one needs to follow these easy to follow 10 tips for prevention:
One should not be afraid to say no. Sometimes we come into peer pressure, even when we are older because we are scared of the negative reactions of our group of friends or even unknown people, and this stands as a hurdle between our inclination to do something right. However, simply even if everyone else is doing it, which in reality they are not, it is better that you don’t. Do not let anybody else make any decision for you. If someone is pressurizing you even then you have the full right to stand up for yourself and not give in and just say no, give no reason and simply walk away from the source. Especially for youngsters, it might seem as social suicide but these people will respect you when they wake up in the morning. It is also said that man is known by the company he keeps and thus it is important that everyone pays attention to the type of people they hang out with. If you realize that the majority of your group of friends are regularly just drinking alcohol or smoking weed or any other drug then it is advised that you start looking for other friends. Your chances of developing a drug or alcohol addiction would be increasing significantly if you keep hanging out with the same group of friends who routinely consumes such stuff. It might seem social suicide at that point but for young people to avoid getting in undue trouble, it is better if they establish connection with their parents or any other adult. As you progress with life it is important that you have someone who has experienced life more than you have so as to share their experiences and for you to learn from their mistakes. It is important to have people you can rely on and talk about the challenges that life throws at you and drug and alcohol use is one such important issue. It is a great opportunity to take advantages from the life experience of someone older so that you can put things in perspective and think about stuff more.
It is also important that you enjoy life. Being bored and not having enough friends or enough things to do is one of the leading causes of youngsters trying illegal drugs or consuming excess alcohol. It is important that you learn to enjoy life and the people around you without including alcohol and drugs in the equation. Thus, it is important to get involved in any hobby, sports, community activities, music or even a part time job. It would also be good to go volunteer and give back to society instead of sitting at home doing nothing. It is also important to respect the age limits and restrictions set by the family as well as the state regarding the use of drugs and alcohol. It is important to be fully aware about alcohol and its impact on the human body and the negative effects of drugs so as to make one’s decisions in a rational manner. It’s better to plan ahead and have a backup in mind and number to call if you or any of your friends is in any sort of trouble at any time of the day.
Prevention programs based on drug and alcohol abuse prevention should focus on protective factors by reversing the risk factors. For teens it is even more important to control the drug abuse, because those who don’t consumer cigarettes or other drugs as teens are less likely to use them as adults as well. The efforts should begin in their early life with education them, encouraging them for a healthy behavior and by giving a strong family bond.
Positive self-esteem and supportive families are a major factor in preventing the drug abuse and it helps them make good choices and be confident. If the neighborhood has a high risk for your teen getting involved in abuse programs, then community programs should focus on avoiding the substance abuse. The following are ways suggested by psychologist to prevent the drug abuse problem.
Be a role mode and stay connected. Parents should be guiding children about the consequences of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes to keep them away from this. If a parent has substance abuse problem then the child is highly likely to adapt the same. It is important to quit as parents for your child to not make the same mistake.
Sharing beliefs is important. Children have an impact of what their parents tell them. Talking to them about health and schoolwork and how it gets affected by drug abuse can help to a great extent.
Staying connected with children. Know where your children are all the time, and stay a part of their life. Plan outings with families and activities to give them a healthy life.

Encourage activities by involving them in sports, church and group social activities.

Be informed. It is the most crucial component which parents might ignore. Being informed at all times is central to dealing with the problem of drug abuse. Get all the information on how to deal with it.
Drug abuse is not only a teenage problem. To deal with it at a later age, other prevention methods are recommended. For example, risk of becoming a drug abuser has a high involvement of type of risk factors commonly involved like deviant attitude which can be countered by protective factors like parental support or spouse support. The impact of these risk factors and protective factors change with the age of the person. For example, the impact of risk factor like a bad relation in family may impact a child more than a person aged 40. Early interventions can help aggressive behavior and poor self-control. Risk and protective factors for preventing drug abuse depends on person’s age, ethnicity, gender, culture and environment.
Additionally, prevention programs should focus on all forms of drug abuse including the legal drugs such as tobacco or alcohol as well with high emphasis on illegal drugs like marijuana or heroin and meth. The programs should also focus on over-the-counter drugs which are easily available and remain ignored in this issue. Prevention program should focus on tailored needs to improve their effectiveness, as we mentioned earlier that ethnicity and age also make a difference to impact of risk factors. . Most importantly, if you or any of your friends is in trouble with alcohols and/or drugs then get help. Speak up about and do not feel that you’re alone. There are a lot help lines and prevention programs which can help you and your friend do approach the as soon as possible. It is curable.

Bibliography

Hawkins, J. D., & Catalano Jr., R. F. (1992). Communities that care: Action for drug abuse prevention. The Jossey-Bass social and behavioral science series , 247.
Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., & Miller, J. Y. (1992). Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: Implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychological Bulletin , 64-105.
National Institute of Drug Abuse. (2003, October). Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents (In Brief). Retrieved January 14, 2015, from National Institute of Drug Abuse: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/preventing-drug-abuse-among-children-adolescents-in-brief/prevention-principles