Role Of Alcohol, Tobacco, And Other Drug Education to Identify and Improve the Health Outcomes of Individuals from Diverse Backgrounds Who Matriculate Through K-12 Schools in The United States of America
Substance abuse commonly starts at an adolescence stage and is usually associated with a wide array of negative impacts on the presumed scholars undertaking the education system (Whitesell et al., 2013). Drug abuse, which involves excessive maladaptive and addictive drug usage for non-medical purposes despite the problems and the complications that may arise from the usage, usually involves drugs like cocaine, Adderall, opioid, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Drug abuse is usually related to health outcomes that are either long-term or short outcomes among users, and thus can be students, teenagers, and other related scholars (Arria et al., 2017). In the USA, according to published studies, more than five million college students have admitted to having used alcohol at one point (“NCDAS: Substance Abuse and Addiction Statistics [2022]”, 2022). The best strategy to improve health outcomes on drug abuse in K-12 schools in the USA is drug education. This paper is a philosophy paper that describes and arguments on the role of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug education to identify and improve the health outcomes of individuals from diverse backgrounds who matriculate through K-12 schools in the United States of America.
According to the data by Statista, during the year 2021, about twenty percent of USA post-secondary scholars were reported using cannabis within one month. The National Survey on drugs reports that more than fifty-four percent of college students who are full-time scholars within the age gap of eighteen and twenty-five have ever used alcohol, and non-college students have a ten percent risk under the same category. According to the American medical association, substance abuse and alcohol consumption are linked to anxiety and depression among students. Consumption of alcohol in USA students usually involves different forms like binge drinking, which is a short period to get drunk. According to the data by the national institute, every two out of five students consume alcohol through binge drinking (“75 College Drug Abuse Statistics”, 2022). From vistas online data counseling organization, their data support the high misuse of opioids prescription among college students.
For instance, according to their statistics, approximately seven percent of one hundred and eighteen colleges enrolled in the USA report misuse of opioids in the last annual year. In comparison, approximately twelve percent give a data report of twelve percent. Data by the national institute of drugs abuse reported eleven percent approximate in 2018 of admitted Adderall college scholars users (“Stats & Trends in Teen Drug Use | NIDA for Teens,” 2022)
College and even high school is usually a vulnerable period for scholars as most of the students are away from most of their significant families and support from most of their essential friends and advisers. From this, they are always at risk of indulging in wrong and destructive behaviors which might be immorally wrong. The influence of substance abuse among most of the USA students is from the individual peers, friends, the levels of the society, and the surrounding community individuals (“NCDAS: Substance Abuse and Addiction Statistics [2022]”, 2022). According to the USA today, as the timely blog describes substance abuse, the commonly abused drugs among college students are Alcohol, Marijuana, OTC medications, opioids, and drugs like cocaine and heroin. Other drugs that college students and matriculate through K-12 schools in the United States of America include prescription medications, hallucinogenic drugs, Adderall, Ritalin or amphetamines, and other diverse arrays of drugs. They usually face pressure both socially and academically, leading to substance abuse. Scholars mostly use hallucinogens within the age of 18 to 25. The other increasing drug commonly abused is opioids and painkillers, while the obvious among scholars are usually alcohol and tobacco. as per the National drugs institute, the marijuana prescription is increasingly high and increasing (“Stats & Trends in Teen Drug Use | NIDA for Teens,” 2022)
Many factors usually cause these college students in the USA to enter into drug addiction, like peer pressure, anxiety, Greek life, curiosity, academic success, and coping with mental health illnesses. These college students usually like to try new things and meet new people in an overview of peer pressure. They can make new memories (“Statistics and Signs of Substance Abuse in College Students – TimelyMD” 2022). Doing so means they have a higher risk as it increases their chances, hence entering in because of peer pressure. Due to the cultural diversity that usually exists in campuses, the scholars are usually within people from different ethnicities and backgrounds and are usually surrounded by other scholars and friends that usually use the drugs; hence they end up choosing to do what others around them are doing to find a sense of belonging. The subsequent factor under consideration is social anxiety, as socializing with a new environment usually indices anxiety o mos of scholars, like introverted students, as they usually genuinely want to find a sense of belonging. For this kind of student, the consumption of drugs is usually seen as the best and calm way of losing the nerves, and in the end, it usually leads to drug abuse. According to the data by the national institute of health is that individuals who have anxiety are that their risk of developing substance abuse is usually high (“Stats & Trends in Teen Drug Use | NIDA for Teens,” 2022)
In the k-12 enrollment in the USA, most students meet new people and are usually in a new place. One of the best ways to fit in the diverse culture is usually drug abuse, as the usage of alcohol in Greek life on college campuses. Other reasons include the urge for academic success and curiosity, where most of the scholars in the K-12 system in the USA want to experiment with drugs like marijuana or alcohol. By doing so, they may end up in the substance abuse category because they usually have new freedom that they do not usually have away from their homes. In terms of academic success, as there is consistently increased pressure on their academic performance, school life becomes very stressful. They want to balance their social life and academic life, and rugs like Ritalin are usually used. As per the data by the Texas medical association, most young adults who experience mental illnesses always have an increased risk of indulging in substance abuse by using stimulants and no prescribed medication like cannabis to cope with the psychological illnesses symptoms. The usage of such drugs as cigarettes or even the abuse of alcohol usually helps them to be able to cope with stressful situations and relieve the symptoms in shorter (Didarloo & Pourali, 2016).
Alcohol misuse programs’ effectiveness depends on the programs usually put in place and their intensity to attain the given health outcomes. Many schools demand drug addiction and reduction and mitigate drug abuse’s social and health consequences. Most schools’ staff and staff members have a significant role in preventing drug abuse. This intervention requires working between the educators, families, and scholars involved in the process. Teachers always work together to ensure that they can prepare the scholars for the success that is to come in the future as drug abuse undermines the students’ success. Many recommendations are usually in place to intervene drug abuse like the safety and an environment that is healthy around the school, early intervention programs which include health relationship promotion, and even school policies that require the given students within the school environment to adopt and follow plus outreach programs that include parents. One of the primary essential factors in drug abuse intervention in schools is drug-based education for both parties. Drug-based education involves the provision of different guidelines and information resources and even skills related to substance abuse, including both medical and no medical information.
Drug education is an essential intervention. It is very beneficial to promote anti-drug abuse within those individuals from diverse backgrounds who matriculate through K-12 schools in the United States of America. The main goal of drug abuse education is usually focused n is the effectiveness of peer resistance to the scholars in the education system, hence offering the required skills so the students can say no to the drugs. Drug-based education is usually based on different principles, which are the main concepts and values that are effective and can support effective drug education strategies and practices within the schools in the USA. All those principles are usually based on ensuring that effective programs aid in drug education and research on the role of social environment and resilience, hence determining the health of those young scholars. Those school-based approaches are supposed to be interrelated in that they overlap and inform each other on the best education programs. The education offered to the peers should be broad generic and is focused on school-based interactions and interventions which are embedded within a broader view to ensure that there are Wellness and health promotion (Schools, 2004)
School-based education programs need to be based on what usually works best, determining the appropriate students and staying informed on the effective curriculum to be in place. Drug education in schools should be embedded within a comprehensive approach as this will promote health in the individuals undergoing the college education of the K12 education system of the USA. Those education programs in schools are also supposed o offer an inclusive environment for the scholars who aim to seek and prevent the harm related to drug abuse. This takes a climate that I support within and outside the class environment. By this, all the students, the community, and the educators should connect in a perspective where the families or the gutters are included. By doing so, a collaborative relationship will be built between both parties in offering drug education. In providing drug education, the scholars should acknowledge both the negative and the positive risks, including all those factors that impact health education outcomes hence influencing the choices of rugs among the scholars. By this, the drug education will be focused on the understanding of the risks that are involved in the protective factors that affect the teenager’s health or their education (“Good Policy and Practice in Health Education: Education sector responses to the use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs,” 2022)
In providing education on drug abuse, it is essential to ensure that it is consistent policy practice within the school in informing and responding to the drug-related incidents that happen in the school. Drug education is supposed to acknowledge the risks and the factors that impact the education health outcomes influencing the drugs choices within the scholars. Application of the student-centered strategies in drug education is an essential practice. It can aid in developing knowledge and skills or attitude and values among the scholars, a critical component in the drug education programs in schools. These strategies end up helping the student to be able to develop the drug-related knowledge that is critical in decision making and assertiveness, and they can be able to make informed choices regarding drug abuse. One factor is that the teachers are supposed to offer resources and support in delivering drug education programs, essentials the scholars can be influential in professional development.
Guiding principles in drug education are essential as they guide drug abuse prevention and express different concepts among policymakers, drug educators, teachers, the student, and even the parents of guiders f the students. These principals convey a given sense and hence offer given direction and guidelines in given circumstances. Based on these principles, education can prevent drug abuse and addiction in drugs like tobacco, alcohol, and other related drugs consumed. This is based on the fact that emphasizes are also criticized on the outcome of learning environmental factors and collaborative partnership essential for school-based education success for drug prevention. This education plays different roles like self-esteem and positive concept or self-identity of those involved in drug addiction and abuse. The central concept of abstinence is also brought in through this education, and alternatives are offered o the addicts. Enjoyment of the different teaching experiences brings in the enthusiasm worthwhile for the personal learning experience.
The role of drug education individuals from diverse backgrounds who matriculate through K-12 schools in the United States of America is diverse. First,, it is essential in providing the knowledge, and the peers can avoid those risky scenarios and hence can be able to make personal choices that are healthier and better for their health and well-being. This is also essential in creating personal strategies. The scholars can avoid net peers that influence them negatively from social pressures and substance abuse hence evading the complications that might arise from drug addiction like liver cirrhosis from alcohol addiction (Carson & Lane, 2022).
There is a need for drug education as it plays an essential role as drug education plays a role in the student well being by seeking to reduce the use of drugs by the students based on the fact that programs usually focus on drug issues in a broader health context and this reinforces the peer’s health and learning based on a multifaceted approach. Based on the approach that drug education is focused on understanding the broad set o factors its impacts the health and well being of the peers hence paying a role in solving the mental health issues that the students usually face, this is based on an aggressive approach that is usually taken which understands and addresses the issues that are related to the context of health promotion. One of the essential roles is that on a broader scale, drug education is helpful as it determines the community and individual well-being and health factors that aim in the usage of drugs; hence a comprehensive approach is taken in action for drug prevention. Incorporation of drug education should provide the students with good informational sources by giving the different facts of effects of drug abuse and the different dangers. By dong s the peers can make the informed choices (Midford et al., 2002).
In conclusion, most of the students in the USA are faced with the issue of drug addiction, which ends up implicating their social state, the psychological mind, and the body health environment. These scholars are faced with complications like addiction, school dropouts, hallucinations, and even activities like theft of groups that endangered their health. Drug education in schools and a curriculum that supports drug education because more than five million USA students are affected by drug abuse are essential. Drug education will play a critical role in offering different approaches and groups’ awareness. Through this, the students can be able to avoid drugs, an essential role education will have played, as the health and well being of their peers will be maintained, they will be able to evade drug-related diseases like cancer, liver diseases, and those who are implicated can be helped health-wise. The mental health of the students is also dealt with through psychiatric education.
References
75 College Drug Abuse Statistics. https://research.com/. (2022). Retrieved 13 March 2022, from https://research.com/education/college-drug-abuse-statistics.
(2022). Retrieved 14 March 2022, from https://www.unodc.org/pdf/youthnet/handbook_school_english.pdf.
Arria, A., Caldeira, K., Allen, H., Bugbee, B., Vincent, K., & O’Grady, K. (2017). Prevalence and incidence of drug use among college students: an 8-year longitudinal analysis. The American Journal Of Drug And Alcohol Abuse, 43(6), 711-718. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2017.1310219
Carson, D., & Lane, E. (2022). A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of a School-Based Prescription Opioid Misuse Education Program. Journal Of Drug Education, 004723792110728. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472379211072857
Didarloo, A., & Pourali, R. (2016). University Students’ Views Regarding Reasons for Drug Abuse Among Youths. International Journal Of High Risk Behaviors And Addiction, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.5812/ijhrba.24778
Good Policy and Practice in Health Education: Education sector responses to the use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Who.int. (2022). Retrieved 13 March 2022, from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789231002113.
Midford, R., Munro, G., McBride, N., Snow, P., & Ladzinski, U. (2002). Principles That Underpin Effective School-Based Drug Education. Journal Of Drug Education, 32(4), 363-386. https://doi.org/10.2190/t66j-ydbx-j256-j8t9
NCDAS: Substance Abuse and Addiction Statistics [2022]. NCDAS. (2022). Retrieved 13 March 2022, from https://drugabusestatistics.org/.
Statistics and Signs of Substance Abuse in College Students – TimelyMD. TimelyMD. (2022). Retrieved 13 March 2022, from https://timely.md/blog/substance-abuse-in-college-students/.
Stats & Trends in Teen Drug Use | NIDA for Teens. NIDA for Teens. (2022). Retrieved 13 March 2022, from https://teens.drugabuse.gov/teachers/stats-trends-teen-drug-use.
United Nations. (2004). Schools (1st ed.).
Whitesell, M., Bachand, A., Peel, J., & Brown, M. (2013). Familial, Social, and Individual Factors Contributing to Risk for Adolescent Substance Use. Journal Of Addiction, 2013, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/579310
write