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Drugs and Alcohol Essay 5: Journals on Drugs and Alcohol
Article 1- Review and summarize a professional article, position paper or study on the illegal drugs most prevalent in mid and high schools.
Richert, T., & Johnson, B. (2013). Illicit use of methadone and buprenorphine among adolescents and young adults in Sweden. Harm reduction journal, 10(1), 27.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3853648/
Illicit use of methadone and buprenorphine among adolescents and young adults in Sweden
Richert, T and Johnson, B. (2013) studied on the illicit use of methadone and buprenorphine among adolescents and young adults in Sweden. They aimed to determine the extent to which the young adolescent students used the drugs in Sweden. They gathered their data using surveys and structured and qualitative interviews. They obtained data from eighty six professional informants who encounter the adolescents on a regular basis. They found out sporadic use of illegal use of methadone and buprenorphine in Sweden. Their high school surveys revealed 0.1% prevalence rate and access to the substances.
The young drug users rarely use methadone and buprenorphine in Sweden. They also found out that the drugs were not gateways to abuse of other drugs. Some drug abusers used other drugs without necessarily starting with methadone and buprenorphine. However, the illicit use of methadone and buprenorphine is more common amongst young adults who are beyond school-going. Their findings indicate that the two substances are abused later in life. They found out that drugs like benzodiazepines and tramadol are far more prevalent in mid and high schools and more abused by the students. The use of methadone and buprenorphine is not yet a problem as compared to benzodiazepines. They recommended harm reduction measures to older methadone and buprenorphine abusers and further research on the use of prescription drugs amongst young people.
Article 2 – Review and summarize a professional article, position paper or study on how to spot students who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Ali, S., Mouton, C. P., Jabeen, S., Ofoemezie, E. K., Bailey, R. K., Shahid, M., & Zeng, Q. (2011). Early Detection of Illicit Drug Use in Teenagers. Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(12), 24–28.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257983/
Early Detection of Illicit Drug Use in Teenagers
Many teenagers are involved in the use of illicit drugs. However, their behavior goes undetected before the symptoms and signs of drug abuse become apparent. Ali et al. aimed to study the early detection of illicit drug use among teenagers and the risk factors that enhance the youths’ involvement in drug abuse. Their work would help stakeholders to detect the signs early and take action before the youths are addicted. The researchers reviewed literature from various studies and compiled their report.
They identified the risk factors that predispose the adolescents to use drugs. The risk factors dictate the behaviors of the youths for better or for worse. They classified the risk factors into family, individual and miscellaneous risk factors. Family risk factors include poor role modelling, inadequate supervision, lack of or poor communication, marriage breakdown, drug abusing parents, family alcoholism and drug abuse history and permissive parenting. Individual risk factors include poor attitude to instruction, history of child abuse, being male, and emotional instability, academic failure, and early maturity, low self-esteem, being Caucasia, adventurous and being huge. Miscellaneous risk factors are poverty, low education levels, high crime neighborhoods, accessible drugs, peer pressure and mental volatility.
The warning signs include regular change of friendships, isolation, getting angry, giving many excuses and withdrawal syndrome. Drug abusers tend to withdraw from the rest of the family or friends who are not engaged in similar activities. They tend to get angry easily when asked questions or when told to account for their time and other resources at their disposal. They like staying by themselves in isolated places to practice their vices. They do not keep time and they tend to offend schedules. Some students who use alcohol may become violent because of impaired sense of judgement.
Deterioration of school grades, absenteeism from class and skipping of important meetings and lessons are important risk factors. The students may look tired and their eyes may be bloodshot. Such students tend to have low morale, low productivity and low self-esteem. Many drug abusers tend to exhibit other behaviors such as lying, theft, sexual activity, inappropriate dressing, tattooing and violent behaviors. They may also neglect personal hygiene. They also appear depressed and emotionally withdrawn.
Article 3 – Review and summarize a professional article, position paper or study on possible intervention strategies that may be employed with an individual student or family to reduce or eliminate drug use.
McAlister, A., Perry, C., Killen, J., Slinkard, L. A., & Maccoby, N. (1980). Pilot study of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse prevention. American journal of public health, 70(7), 719-721.
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.70.7.719
Pilot study of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse prevention
McAlister et al. launched a pilot study on the prevention of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse among students. They used longitudinal research approach and gathered data from 526 students from two junior high schools in California. The aim of the study was to find ways of preventing the onset of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and drug abuse.
The researchers trained students in the two schools and selected teams of students to act as role models in influencing the behaviors of other students. The team of five to seven students led six classroom training and instruction sessions in the first year of study. In the second year of study, the teams held forty five instruction sessions. The teams acted as leaders in structured discussions which would influence the students’ commitment towards a drug-free life. The students in the second school were given an intensive course on health education based on the ‘school health program’. However, they were not given special training on how to resist pressure to smoke, use alcohol or other drugs.
Their findings after the study period indicated that the students from the first school were better equipped to resist pressure from peers to smoke, drink or use other drugs. They concluded that extensive training of young people to resist temptation from the peers can help in preventing the onset of drug abuse and alcohol consumption. It is the work of parents and other stake holders like teachers to dissuade students from yielding to peer pressure since it reduces their likelihood of abusing drugs.
References
Ali, S., Mouton, C. P., Jabeen, S., Ofoemezie, E. K., Bailey, R. K., Shahid, M., & Zeng, Q. (2011). Early Detection of Illicit Drug Use in Teenagers. Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(12), 24–28.
McAlister, A., Perry, C., Killen, J., Slinkard, L. A., & Maccoby, N. (1980). Pilot study of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse prevention. American journal of public health, 70(7), 719-721.
Richert, T., & Johnson, B. (2013). Illicit use of methadone and buprenorphine among adolescents and young adults in Sweden. Harm reduction journal, 10(1), 27.