Role of Nurses in 

the Prevention of Drug Abuse

Dr. Bhartendra Sharma
Associate Professor
Amity University Haryana
Introduction
• Nationally, about 14.6% of the population (between 10 and 75 year of
age) uses alcohol. In terms of absolute numbers, there are about 16
crore persons who consume alcohol in the country.
• After Alcohol, Cannabis and Opioids are the next commonly used
substances in India. About 2.8% of the population (3.1 crore
individuals) reports having used any cannabis product within the
previous year.
• About 1.08% of 10-75 year old Indians (approximately 1.18 crore
people) are current users of sedatives.
• Over 8.5 lakh people inject drugs into themselves and are addicted.
NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAMME
• To ensure the availability and accessibility of minimum mental
healthcare for all in the foreseeable future, particularly to the most
vulnerable and underprivileged sections of the population;
• To encourage the application of mental health knowledge in general
healthcare and in social development; and
• To promote community participation in the mental health service
development and to stimulate efforts towards self-help in the
community.
The District Mental Health Program
(DMHP)
• The DMHP was based on ‘Bellary Model’ with the following
components:
• Early detection & treatment.
• Training: imparting short term training to general physicians for
diagnosis and treatment of common mental illnesses with limited
number of drugs under guidance of specialist. The Health workers are
being trained in identifying mentally ill persons.
• IEC: Public awareness generation.
• Monitoring: the purpose is for simple Record Keeping.
Risk Factors & Protective Factors
Risk Factors & Protective Factors
• For young Children already exhibiting serious risk factors,
delaying interventions until adolescence will likely make it
more difficult to overcome risks. By adolescence, children’s
attitude & behaviours are well established and not easily
changed.

• An important goal of prevention, then, is to change the

balance between risk and protective factors so that
protective factors outweigh risk factors.
What are the early signs of
risk that may predict later
drug abuse?
 In the Family
Risk Factors
• lack of mutual attachment and
nurturing by parents or
caregivers;
• ineffective parenting;
• a chaotic home environment;
• lack of a significant relationship
with a caring adult; and
• a caregiver who abuses
substances, suffers from mental
illness, or engages in criminal
behavior.
Protective Factors
• a strong bond between children
and their families;
• parental involvement in a child’s
life;
• supportive parenting that meets
financial, emotional, cognitive,
and social needs; and
• clear limits and consistent
enforcement of discipline.
 Outside the Family
Risk factors
• inappropriate classroom behavior,
such as aggression and impulsivity;
• academic failure;
• poor social coping skills;
• association with peers with
problem behaviors, including drug
abuse; and
• misperceptions of the extent and
acceptability of drug-abusing
behaviors in school, peer, and
community environments.
Protective factors
• age-appropriate parental monitoring of
social behavior, including establishing
curfews, ensuring adult supervision of
activities outside the home, knowing the
child’s friends, and enforcing household
rules;
• success in academics and involvement in
extracurricular activities;
• strong bonds with prosocial institutions,
such as school and religious institutions;
and
• acceptance of conventional norms
against drug abuse.
What are the highest risk periods for drug
abuse among youth?
• Research has shown that the key risk periods for drug abuse occur
during major transitions in children’s lives. These transitions include
significant changes in physical development (for example, puberty) or
social situations (such as moving or parents divorcing) when children
experience heightened vulnerability for problem behaviors.
• Risks appear at every transition from early childhood through young
adulthood; therefore, prevention planners need to consider their
target audiences and implement programs that provide support
appropriate for each developmental stage. They also need to consider
how the protective factors involved in these transitions can be
strengthened.
When and how does drug abuse start and
progress?
• Some children are already abusing drugs by age 12 or 13, which likely
means that some may begin even earlier. Early abuse includes such
drugs as tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, marijuana, and
psychotherapeutic drugs. If drug abuse persists into later
adolescence, abusers typically become more involved with marijuana
and then advance to other illegal drugs, while continuing their abuse
of tobacco and alcohol.
• Studies have also shown that early initiation of drug abuse is
associated with greater drug involvement, whether with the same or
different drugs.
How the nurse assess the level of risk for
drug abuse:
Is the community ready for prevention?
 How can the nurse motivate community to
implement research-based prevention programs?

• Research has shown that prevention programs can use the media to
raise public awareness of the seriousness of a community’s drug
problem and prevent drug abuse among specific populations.
Drug Abuse Prevention Programs
• Universal programs are designed for the general population, such as
all students in a school.

• Selective programs target groups at risk, or subsets of the general

population such as children of drug abusers or poor school achievers.

• Indicated programs are designed for people who are already

experimenting with drugs.
Comprehensive Approaches

The Behavior Health Continuum of Care Model

Other measures:
• BEING POSITIVE.
• BE SPIRITUALLY INVOLVED.
• SPARE TIME WITH FAMILY & VENTILATE.
• INVOLVE IN THE FAMILY & SOCIAL ACTIVUITIES.
• CONTROL ANGER
• DON’T PRESSURISE CHILDREN YONGER/SUBORDINATES.
• MAKE FUTURE TARGETS AS PER YOUR CAPACITY & WORK FOR IT.
• PAY HONEST & LOYAL TOWARD WORK, FRIENDS, FAMILY.
• SLEEP PROPERLY.
Conclusion
• Prevention is an important and integral component of efforts to
reduce substance use and its related consequences. Prevention
efforts with sufficient quality and reach can effectively prevent
substance use. Using evidence-based prevention approaches is likely
to have benefits that extend beyond reductions in substance use, and
also contributes to lowering the incidence of other related risky
behaviours and conditions, such as mental health issues, domestic
violence or social marginalization, yielding important public health
savings.
THANK YOU