SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND PREVENTION

Learning Objectives:

 Understand substance use and misuse

 To identify risk factors and protective factors
 Learn about the strategies in the prevention and control of substance use and misuse

SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION

1. Understanding substance abuse and addiction

2. Risk factors and protective factors
3. Prevention strategies and education
4. Early intervention and treatment
5. Community and support systems

1. UNDERSTANDING SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION

 What are the Difference between Substance Use and Substance Misuse?

Substance use refers to any use of mind-altering substances like illegal drugs, cigarettes,
inhalants, and anything else that significantly alters the way we perceive the world.
Substance use can be recreational and casual or a regular part of daily life.

When someone uses legal substances in an improper or unhealthy way, that’s referred to as
substance misuse. For example, if you occasionally have a casual drink with a friend, that
is considered casual or recreational alcohol use. If you regularly seek out alcohol to deal with
stress or to numb negative emotions, that’s substance misuse.

Misusing substances can have serious effects on your physical health and emotional well-
being, and can even change the way your brain functions. But with treatment and support, it
is possible to recover from a substance use disorder.

2. Risk Factors and Protective Factors

Risk factors are characteristics at the biological, psychological, family, community, or
cultural level that precede and are associated with a higher likelihood of negative outcomes.

Protective factors are characteristics associated with a lower likelihood of negative

outcomes or that reduce a risk factor’s impact. Protective factors may be seen as positive
countering events.

• In communities, risk factors include neighbourhood poverty and violence. Here, protective
Factors could include the availability of faith-based resources and after-school activities.
• In society, risk factors can include norms and laws favourable to substance use, as well as
racism and a lack of economic opportunity. Protective factors in this context would include
hate crime laws or policies limiting the availability of alcohol.
Persons Risk Factors Protective Factors
Individual  lack of behavioural self-  mastery of communication and skills
control  ability to make friends and get along with
 anti-social behaviour others
 early substance use  good peer relationships
 depression  emotional self-regulation
 high self esteem
Family  cold and unresponsive
behaviour
 parental modelling of drug/
alcohol use
 parent-child conflict
 harsh discipline
 lack of adult supervision
 responsiveness
 opportunities to resolve conflict
 language based, rather than physical,
discipline
 family provides structure, limits, rules, and
monitoring
 supportive relationships with family
members

School, Peers,  school failure  healthy peer groups

Community  peer rejection  school engagement
 peer attitude towards drugs  positive teacher
 substance using peers  positive partnering between schools and
 violence in the family
neighbourhood  connectedness to adults outside of family

3. Prevention strategies and education

 INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

This strategy provides awareness and knowledge of the nature and extent of alcohol,
tobacco, and other drug use, abuse, and addiction and their effects on individuals, families,
and communities, as well as information to increase perceptions of risk.

 PREVENTION EDUCATION
This strategy aims to affect critical life and social skills, including decision making, refusal skills,
critical analysis, and systematic and judgmental abilities.

 ALTERNATIVES
This strategy provides for the participation of targeted populations in activities that exclude alcohol,
tobacco, and other drug use by youth. Constructive and healthy activities offset the attraction to, or
otherwise meet the needs usually filled by, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.

 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND REFERRAL

This strategy calls for identification, education, and counseling for those youth who have indulged in
age-inappropriate use of tobacco products or alcohol, or who have indulged in the first use of illicit
drugs. Activities under this strategy would include screening for tendencies toward substance abuse
and referral for preventive treatment for curbing such tendencies.

 ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH
This strategy sets up or changes written and unwritten community standards, code, and attitudes–
influencing incidence and prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use problems in the general
population. Included are laws to restrict availability and access, price increases, and community-wide
actions.

4. Early Intervention and Treatment

What is Early Intervention?

Early intervention means identifying and providing effective early support to children
and young people who are at risk of poor outcomes. Effective early intervention
works to prevent problems occurring, or to tackle them head-on when they do,
before problems get worse.
 Early intervention approaches often focus on supporting four key aspects of child
development
 Physical
 Cognitive
 Behavioural
 Social
 Emotional development

Why is early intervention and treatment important?

Early intervention services can change a child's developmental path and improve outcomes for
children, families, and communities. Help your child, help your family! Families benefit from early
intervention by being able to better meet their children's needs from an early age and throughout
their lives.

What is an example of early intervention?

Speech therapy, physical therapy, and other types of services based on the needs of the child and
family.

6. COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS

 What Is a Healthy Addiction Support System?

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines
recovery as “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and
wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.

1. Health —becoming informed and actively involved in making decisions that support all
facets of your wellbeing. Your physical, mental, emotional, and social health, by allowing
you to heal from or manage health conditions and symptoms.

2. Home—Finding and settling into stable, safe housing that facilitates your ability to
maintain the other dimensions of recovery support.

3. Purpose—Building the resources necessary to participate in society .The independence

and income to care for oneself after an inpatient program. Purpose also entails
completing the meaningful daily activities required to gain resources like independence
and income, such as keeping up with a medication or therapeutic program and managing
your household responsibilities.

4. Community—Discovering and cultivating the connections that provide you with a strong
social circle that includes familial relationships, friendships, community membership, etc.
Community encompasses finding a sense of belonging, love, hope, and internal
motivation for sustaining recovery.