How might your suggested solution be affected by social policies or government regulations?
The implementation of educational program can immensely improve handling of substance abuse in adolescents. The purpose of social policies and governmental rules is to control substance abuse and stop its spread.
How would you address potential obstacles to the implementation of your solution?
Financial costs: For implementing such programs there are heavy financial costs that must be sustained by the community. However, these financial costs are much lesser than the costs that arise from real damage.
There are financial costs that the community pays for the abuse of children. The primary costs that taxpayers bear are for the upkeep of the welfare and social justice systems that investigate child abuse, the judicial systems that are in place to prosecute the crimes against and the crimes at the hands of the abused. The production of programs to house and to incarcerate victims of abuse are taken out of the tax dollar. Additionally, billions of dollars per year go to treat the physical and mental health of the victims.
An under-reported cost is that of loss of productivity in society for people who are mentally incapable of being gainfully employed, special education programs for students who have been abused and the use of the health care system to care for injuries related to child abuse. These costs are estimated at “$69 billion per year.” (NCCANCH, 2004)
What new programs or services might be needed to implement your suggested change?
“Both these approaches will lead to a comprehensive solution to the issue that is more towards the human psychology, behavioral science and need more human interaction to solve problems. The social influences model teaches skills for resisting drug use. The personal and social skills approach expands the social influences model to include skills in problem solving, decision-making, assertiveness, and conversation as well as strategies for reducing stress.. Two main elements essential that for this strategy are parents and teachers, whom with teenagers spend maximum time apart of their friends and gathering. Therefore, to helping teenagers at early stage they will develop such skills that are needed to avoid drug abuse” (Barrett, N.D.)..
Educational Programs:
Different educational programs and workshops can be conducted to bring awareness among the teens about health hazards of drugs. Detailed programs can be carried out to educate teens about the disastrous effects of diseases and how consequently their life can be threatened. Bringing awareness among the teens about the risks and threats involved, governmental policies and rules associated with drug abuse.
Teens can be informed in details about following:
- Health Hazards related with substance abuse
- Drugs Addiction/misuse and ongoing problems
- Mental illness and psychological problems
- Ulcers
- Liver problems
Workshops
Various workshops at school and colleges or in community can be carried out to inform kids about the awareness of drugs abuse.
Volunteering Programs
Teens can be encouraged to volunteer their time in community to help out those with substance abuse. They can also be encouraged to promote preventive measures in drug abuse. This practice can motivate them to keep away from drugs and also keep society away from this.
Case studies
By informing teens about real case studies of the adolescents who passed through these phases of addiction and its bad consequences can have remarkable impact on teenagers. When they will study and know about their own age people who were on drugs and how miserably they suffered from these diseases and ailments arising from drug abuse, they will definitely change their attitude.
Publicizing these strategies can have profound effect on the control of drug abuse in teens. Not only these can help eliminate current problem but it will help government to regulate its policies more effectively.
Conclusion
The inability to be employed leads to an increase in poverty and dependence on the welfare system. Often people who are impoverished live in areas that have high crime rates and in homes that have hazards to the children living there. While poverty has little effect on the likelihood of being abused, there is a higher percentage of abused children who are impoverished due to the stresses involved for the parents who live in such conditions. (NAIC, 2001)
References:
- Barrett, Joan – Drug Abuse: Prevention Strategies for Schools http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-925/drug.htm
- Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse – Prevention Strategies
- Drug prevention. Chapter 3.
- National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect.(2004) What is Child Abuse and
- Neglect? Retrieved October 28, 2005.