Prevention of Drug Abuse - 3826 Words

Drug abuse Compulsive, excessive, and self-damaging use of habit forming drugs or substances, leading to addiction ordependence, serious physiological injury (such as damageto kidneys, liver, heart) and/or psychological harm (such asdysfunctional behavior patterns, hallucinations, memoryloss), or death. Also called substance abuse. Drug 1. Natural or synthetic substance which (when taken into a living body) affects its functioning or structure, and is used in the diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of a disease or relief of discomfort. Also called legal drug or medicine. A legal or medicinal drug (such as amphetamines), however, can be harmful and addictive if misused. 2. Habit forming stimulant or narcotic substance†¦show more content†¦Signs of Drug Use Signs of drug use vary depending on what drug the individual is using. However there are some general signs one can evaluate if they suspect that someone they care about is using drugs. Here are some general signs of drug use that pertain to almost every drug: †¢ An abrupt change in the individual s work or school attendance, the quality of their work, how much work they produce now compared their past production †¢ Unusual outbreaks of temper, sudden changes in their mood (verbally and physically abusive) †¢ Acting paranoid or confused †¢ Not taking responsibility for their actions †¢ A general, overall change in their attitude †¢ Withdrawing from family and friends †¢ Drastic change in their physical appearance and grooming habits †¢ Associating themselves with known drug users †¢ Frequent / unusual borrowing of money or always seeming to have a lot of money †¢ Acting secretive about their actions and possessions ââ€"Å  Signs of Drug Use: Alcohol †¢ Alcohol odor on the individual s breath or person †¢ Intoxication (drunk) †¢ The individual has a hard time focusing and has a glazed look †¢ Either uncharacteristically passive behavior or combative and argumentative behavior †¢ Deterioration in the individual s personal hygiene †¢ Becoming dysfunctional, especially with it comes to their job performance or academics †¢ AbsenteeismShow MoreRelatedDrug Abuse and Prevention1510 Words   |  7 PagesOur society’s idea of prevention is to limit the availability of drugs (Hart Ksir, 2011, p. 400), but this is not essentially the best way. Addiction affects everyone. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), substance abuse cost our nation â€Å"more than $484 billion dollars (The National Institute on Drug Abuse ).† So although you might not be directly impacted by drug abuse, as a whole your tax dollars are spent on fighting the war on drugs. Currently there are several differentRead MoreDrug Abuse Prevention And Control888 Words   |  4 Pagesmessage that was given to Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control. During this he declared drug abuse public enemy number one (Nixon, 1971). In the message to Congress Nixon states that the United States should dedicate more federal resources to â€Å"the prevention of new addicts, and the rehabilitation of those w ho are addicted† (Nixon, 1971). This part did not receive equal public attention as the term war on drugs. This where the term â€Å"war on drugs† was popularized by the mass media, evenRead MoreAbuse Of Opioid Drug Prevention1174 Words   |  5 PagesAbuse of opioid pain relievers (OPRs) continues to increase in the United States. Opioid-related overdose deaths since 1999 have quadrupled, correlated with quadrupled dispensing of prescription opioids (Rudd et al., 2016, CDC, 217). Among these deaths, prescription opioids have been involved approximately half (CDC, 2017). According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the central issue is elevated prescribing rates of physicians and the solution to this problem is safer prescribing practicesRead MoreDrug Abuse Prevention Programs3138 Words   |  13 PagesRunning head: DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION Drug Abuse Prevention Programs: Effectiveness of DARE and Project ALERT Drug Abuse Prevention Programs: Effectiveness of DARE and Project ALERT Although drug use among secondary school students appears to have leveled off during the late 1990s, US adolescents continue to use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana at unacceptably high rates. Among eighth graders, 52% have tried alcohol, 41% have tried cigarettes, and 20% have tried marijuana. By 12th grade these ratesRead MoreDrug Abuse Prevention And Control Act2194 Words   |  9 Pageswaged the  War on Drugs.   This war has cost hundreds of billions of dollars to fight and has given our country many mixed results. We have seen fluctuations in the numbers over the years, which are, can be linked to different social fads and political agendas. Despite the enormous amount of money we have spent to rid our country of illegal drugs, we still have four million Americans addicted today. Stricter drug laws have caused there to be an overflow of prisoners convicted of drug charges and haveRead MoreAlcoholism and Drug Abuse: Roots, Effects, and Prevention1057 Words   |  5 Pages Ivette Molina 1/7/08 AP Psychology Essay Test â€Å"Alcoholism and Drug Abuse: Roots, Effects, and Prevention.† Alcoholism and drug abuse has existed for as long as we can remember. For teenagers its something cool to do and numb whatever pains they have. For adults it’s a way to get away from everyday stress and avoid conflicts in life. To everyone it’s a way to feel free and as if they are in charge of the world by altering their moods,Read MoreDrug Abuse Prevention Program Within The United States745 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"D.A.R.E† is an international nonprofit organization. It is the most prevalent drug abuse prevention program in the United States, which is often referred to as the most prevalent drug prevention program in the world! The original D.A.R.E. program was developed in 1983 as part of a joint effort between the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Unified School District to break the generational cycle of drug abuse, related criminal activity, and arrest. The original curriculum consisted ofRead MorePreventing Substance Abuse940 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Preventing substance abuse involves developing numerous strategic partnerships. Substance abuse is a multidisciplinary issue, and requires a correspondingly multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach. The strategy for drug abuse prevention must begin with segmenting the market, or analyzing the needs of the community. Is the greatest proportion of abusers in the community youth? If so, what kinds of drugs are most commonly used in the community? Are seniors in the community abusing prescriptionRead MoreBenefits And Limitations When Prevention Providers Are Looking For Successful Programs Essay1722 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many benefits and limitations when prevention providers are looking for successful programs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, provides a large research-based guide of the most effective prevention programs. This research should be the number one tool when looking into different types of programs, although it does not include every single progra m. A common problem in the prevention field consists of registries missing important strategies, including environmental approachesRead MoreA Society Without Drugs1263 Words   |  6 PagesA Society without Drugs Have you ever wondered of how wonderful our society would be, if we are able to get rid of Illegal Drug Usage in our community? Despite having tough anti-drug laws, the U.S. has the highest level of illegal drug use in the world. As per the World Health Organization s survey of legal and illegal drug use in 17 countries, U.S report the highest level of drug usage (CBS news). The second-most abused category of drugs after marijuana among young people is the usage of prescription