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Advocacy Campaign for People Suffering from Substance Abuse

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Course Name: Course Number

Supervisor’s Name

Due date
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Substance abuse has been a source of concern for decades, and the Surgeon General has

just declared it a public health problem (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018).

The disease's stigma is at an all-time high. With an ever-increasing number of people taking

substances, treatment options for substance misuse sufferers have historically been limited.

Between 1979 and 1990, total healthcare spending on mental health and substance abuse services

increased by 11 percent, while for-profit and nonprofit services increased by 604 percent and 80

percent, respectively (Mignon, 2015). This paper aims to look at present drug abuse treatment

alternatives, identify current support and advocacy groups, and offer a policy solution and

campaign to give substance abusers the ability and equitable treatment to seek addiction recovery

services without discrimination.

Reducing the stigma in line with substance abuse and expanding treatment options

Substance addiction treatment choices have been limited in the past because it was not

considered an illness. Now that the Surgeon General has issued a call to action and is raising

public awareness about the substance abuse crisis (U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services, 2018), we can begin a conversation about the problem and expand treatment options to

make them available to anyone seeking addiction recovery, as well as remove the stigma that has

long surrounded this disease. To reduce harm and restore health in this group, policies at the

healthcare system level are critical (World Health Organization, 2017).

Population Health Issues and Affected Populations

Substance abuse has no boundaries. This sickness affects people of all colors and

genders, including the wealthy, the poor, the young, and the elderly. It also affects celebrities and

blue-collar workers. Populations of minorities, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental
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Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), have a greater incidence of substance abuse

because of limited access to health care, more inferior financial status, and poor environmental

circumstances. Nevertheless, individuals aged 12 to 25 were more likely than those aged 26 and

up to misuse prescription medicines (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration [SAMHSA], 2018). Although substance misuse is one of the goals for Healthy

People 2020 (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, n.d.), the United States only

invests in public health research and goals once every ten years; thus, health care advocates must

continue to work to make a difference (Kindig, Asada, & Booske, 2008).

Researched Advocacy Programs

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy commenced the AWARxE

Prescription Drug Safety Program to help raise education and awareness about the misuse and

abuse of prescription medications (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, 2018). The

campaign provides instructional materials in the form of films, paper, and images and links to

valuable resources to combat prescription drug abusers.

Faces and Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) is a campaign dedicated to assisting individuals

in their recovery from substance abuse, reducing discrimination against those seeking treatment,

and participating in local, state. National policy platforms to raise awareness about drug and

alcohol addiction and treatment (Faces and Voices of Recovery, 2018).

The Programs' Effective Attributes

Through media platforms, these campaigns strive to raise awareness and educate about

substance misuse as an illness and provide hope that recovery is possible and practical for

individuals seeking treatment. Having a central location where a person can obtain information
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for each step of the treatment and recovery process removes some of the hurdles that prevent

people from getting the care they require. According to Wakefield, Loken, and Hornik (2010),

using mass media for awareness campaigns can significantly affect beneficial changes in health

behaviors for a broad group of individuals in a short period.

Campaign for Health Advocacy

The absence of insured treatment and the fear of repercussions from an addict diagnosis

are two key reasons why substance abusers do not seek help. Another issue is that therapy

programs are now based on a one-size-fits-all model, which does not work for everyone. It is

critical to creating a campaign to address these issues to increase the number of people who seek

treatment and eventually recover. The campaign will need to harness social media's reach to

reach as many people as possible. Many public events will be held and well-publicized to

accommodate as many people as possible. Booths will provide information on treatment

alternatives and resources, as therapy varies by individual, and education on substance abuse as a

disease to help reduce the stigma associated with addiction. Fundraisers will be arranged to help

fund recovery and treatment facilities for people who cannot afford such services. The purpose

and aim of the organization will be to offer drug abuse victims the ability and fair treatment to

seek addiction recovery services without prejudice, remove barriers to such care, and achieve

progress in substance abuse prevention.

Issue Concerning Public Health

According to the Surgeon General, substance misuse has been classified as an epidemic

and one of America's top chronic disorders (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

2018). Substance misuse has ramifications not only for the addict but also for the entire
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community. Substance addiction has been connected to various public health issues, including

teen pregnancy, infectious diseases, STDs, crime, and motor vehicle accidents (Office of Disease

Prevention and Health Promotion, n.d.).

Policy Alternatives Proposed

According to Russo (2015), existing programs must influence people's behavior to boost

their odds of selecting healthier choices. The justification for modification is the present policy

42 CFR Part 2-Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Record. The policy stipulates

that a person's health records related to substance misuse cannot be used against them in any

legal case (SAMHSA, 2018). Lowering the fear of reprisal for confessing addiction helps lay the

groundwork for increasing the utilization of treatment services. With the foundation in place, the

new proposed policy would force all employers to offer health insurance policies that include

mental health and substance abuse treatment and recovery services and education on how to

transform the addiction-related thought process through treatment.

Implementation objectives for the policy

The suggested policy's aims are as follows:

 By 2020, all businesses will be obliged to carry medical insurance coverage coverage and

mental health and substance misuse treatments. Patients will be treated on a case-by-case

basis, as not everyone benefits from the same type of treatment.

 Mental health practitioners will follow the new policy and accept insurance for people

seeking treatment.
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 Substance abuse workshops and educational sessions will be provided free of charge to

people impacted by the condition to aid in understanding addiction, treatment, and

recovery.

How Data Will Be Disseminated to Different Stakeholders

The information must be communicated to stakeholders so that they regard the facts and

the decisions they make as valuable (Rutter, 2018). Building the campaign in a way that aligns

with their objectives will assist ensure stakeholder cooperation. The good results of having

access to therapy and eliminating stigma will be demonstrated through graphs and charts of the

data collected. Starting the fundraising process will help cement the data acquired by establishing

the amount of dedication and support from the community and those directly affected by

substance misuse.

Demonstration of the Campaign's Effectiveness

As previously stated, each person is unique, and treatment must be personalized to them.

Treatment that is effective for one individual may not be effective for another. Tuchman (2010)

shows a significant difference in treatment efficacy between men and women, claiming that

women experience more impediments to obtaining and completing therapy than males.

Stigma surrounds drug addiction problems more than other health illnesses, and it has

been demonstrated that alienating people reduces the proportion of people who seek and

complete treatment. (Livingston, Milne, Fang, & Amari, 2012; Livingston, Milne, Fang, &

Amari, 2012). Poor mental and physical results and treatment delays, non-compliance, and

involvement in risky and criminal activity result from this. (Livingston and colleagues, 2012).
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There are other reasons why people refuse to get help. In one poll, respondents said they

didn't seek therapy because they couldn't afford it (48 percent), didn't know what options were

available (25 percent), were concerned their information wouldn't be kept confidential (10

percent), and the issue was stigmatized (10 percent).

The primary focuses of effective prevention programs employed in families, schools, and

communities are protective and risk factors, intending to build new and strengthening current

protective factors and reversing or reducing risk factors in adolescents. The majority of

prevention programs are designed to contact target populations in their natural habitat.

Because adolescents spend so much time at school, schools are crucial venues to provide

knowledge and resources to help them avoid and reduce drug use. They offer an ideal setting for

implementing preventative programs to reduce the risk factors for substance abuse and potential

delinquency among teenagers while increasing the protective factors. There have been numerous

studies and evaluations of school-based drug prevention programs.

Some approaches, such as information dissemination programs that teach primarily about

drugs and their effects, fear arousal programs that emphasize the risks associated with drug use,

and moral appeal programs that teach about the evils of service, are largely ineffective for

reducing substance use. Affective education programs that emphasize self-esteem, responsible

decision-making, and interpersonal growth are also available.

Programs that integrate diverse techniques, on the other hand, appear to be more effective

in reducing substance use: they mix information distribution about substances and their

consequences with self-esteem building, responsible decision-making, and interpersonal growth

and resistance-skills training, which teaches students about societal forces that lead to substance
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abuse as well as specific methods for effectively rejecting these pressures, either alone or in

tandem with broader-based life-skills training.

Teachers must carry out drug education programs professionally; programs should also

be conducted and customized to local drug priorities. It has been proven that young people use

drug prevention information to be factual, honest, and provided by someone they trust. School

prevention programs must be attractive, youth-focused, and participatory. Successful school-

based programs are frequently adopted as part of a more significant community-wide effort to

address drug problems.

Research-based preventative programs have shown to be beneficial in recent years. Structure,

content, and delivery are the three most important aspects of successful research-based programs.

 The structure of each program refers to how it is organized and developed. The design

takes into account the type of show, the target audience, and the environment. Several

programs are beneficial in preventing drug use, but school-based programs have emerged

as the most effective way to reach all children.

 The way information, skills, and tactics are conveyed referred to as content. Information,

skill development, procedures, and services are all part of the content. Facts concerning

drugs and their effects and drug laws and policies are examples of information.

 Delivery refers to how a program is chosen, adapted, and executed and how it is assessed

in a specific community. The selection or adaption of a program and its implementation

are all part of the delivery process. Communities aim to match effective research-based

programs to their community needs during the selection process.

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In conclusion

With as much as one in every four Americans at risk of substance misuse, it is critical

that the public's perception of the condition alter (Committee on the Science of Changing

Behavioral Health Social Norms, 2016). Stigmas have surrounded substance misuse for so long

that it hasn't been recognized as a health crisis or disease. Please increase the number of people

who seek and complete treatment through educating the public, providing appropriate services

and treatment alternatives, and allowing substance abusers to believe that their sickness can and

should be treated. This will lessen the burden of public health issues while also allowing the

substance-abusing population to improve their overall health and wellness.

Work Cited
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Committee on the Science of Changing Behavioral Health Social Norms. (2016, August 03).

Ending discrimination against people with mental and substance use disorders. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK384915/

Faces and Voices of Recovery. (2018). Faces & voices of recovery: About: Mission & history.

Retrieved September 18, 2018, from https://facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/about/mission-

history.html

Kindig, D., Asada, Y., & Booske, B. (2008). A population health framework for setting national

and state health goals.JAMA, 299(17), 2081-2083. DOI: 10.1001/jama.299.17.2081

Livingston, J. D., Milne, T., Fang, M. L., & Amari, E. (2012). The effectiveness of interventions

for reducing stigma related to substance use disorders: a systematic review.Addiction (Abingdon,

England),107(1), 39–50. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03601.x

Mignon, S. I. (2015).Substance abuse treatment: options, challenges, and effectiveness.

Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.comNational Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

(2018). AWARxE |

National Association of Boards of pharmacy | NABP. Retrieved September 18, 2018, from

https://nabp.pharmacy/initiatives/awarxe/

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (n.d.). Healthy people 2020. Retrieved

September 18, 2018, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/

Russo, P. (2015) Population Health. In J. R. Knickman & A. R. Kovner (Eds.),Jonas &

Kovner’shealth care delivery in the United States(11thed., pp. 79-97). New York, NY: Springer

Publishing.
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