Drug Prevention Is Most Effective When Everyone Accepts Responsibility
When somebody suffers from alcohol or drug abuse, everyone is affected in one way or another. A high number of American citizens are the children of an alcoholic. The leading cause of death among young people is traffic related accidents caused by impaired driving. More than half of the workforce uses some type of illicit drug. So, when you add up these statistics and consider the ripple effects to every family member, co-worker, or someone whose insurance rates increase, you can easily see how everyone is affected on some level. This should lead to a more proactive approach to drug prevention so these statistics can begin to decrease.
Because everyone is affected, drug prevention must become a national security concern. This may seem like an extreme approach, and many will deny that anything can be done. However, inaction is just as bad. The awareness level needs to be raised in order to substantially improve substance abuse prevention. Everyone needs to become educated on the facts of alcohol drug abuse, and learn warning signs. If parents suspect that their children and teens may be addicted, they must learn that drug abuse affects males and females differently and get the appropriate help.
Many may not think that drug prevention is necessary among older adults. This could not be further from the truth and intervention needs to occur as soon as possible. Doctors and other healthcare professionals must screen for substance abuse and educate their patients about the dangers of smoking, drinking and drug use which can impair a person’s life.
The treatment programs must be tailored to meet the needs of the audience for which it is developed. This means that programs for men, women and youth must be related on their level, otherwise the treatment will not be effective. Unfortunately, drug prevention must also begin in elementary and secondary schools, where many children begin their illicit drug use. Comprehensive, age appropriate and gender sensitive programs must be provided at each grade milestone as children are making the transition from elementary to middle school, from middle to high school, and from high school to college. Public and private insurers must be open to cover the costs of screening, assessment and treatment so that people are encouraged to seek help that is affordable. It is important to realize that not all addiction occurs from illegal drugs. Prescription drugs are also addictive, causing addict-like behaviors. Whether illegal or prescribed, the drug addiction must be recognized and treated.
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