Drug Prevention

Drug abuse, also called chemical abuse, is a disorder that is characterized by a destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to significant problems or distress. It affects more than 7% of people at some point in their lives. Virtually any substance whose ingestion can result in a euphoric ("high") feeling can be abused.

Drug use affects every sector of society, straining our economy, our healthcare and criminal justice systems, and endangering the futures of young people. This article examines the effectiveness of drug prevention programs in preventing illicit drug use. Research shows preventing drug use before it begins is the most cost-effective, common-sense approach to promoting safe and healthy communities. Prevention results in better academic performance among teens that don't use drugs, fewer auto accidents from reduced drugged driving, and more productive workplaces due to lower absenteeism.

Almost everyone has seen ads on television, billboards, and subway signs for drug rehabilitation programs and the dangers of drug use. Many teens and children of all ages have been in some type of drug education program like D.A.R.E., or participated in some school sponsored anti-drug seminar. Parents, teachers, and police all think that these programs have some type of impact, however they do not.

In most cases parents have no idea that their children are experimenting with drugs, and it is usually not the parents' fault. Parents and D.A.R.E. officers can't be with kids every second of the day, and can only hope to have some influence, if any. The best medicine against drug use among teens is trust between them and their parents. The problem is that real trust doesn't always exist between parents and kids. A mother or father should sit down with their teen and honestly tell them what they know about drugs, and whether or not they have experimented with them. This honesty will bring the teen closer to their parents, and a trust will be made that will be hard to break.

Many teens do drugs and drink because it is what the most popular kids do, and they think doing drugs will make them more popular too. They even do not think about their future. Drug prevention use also lowers HIV-transmission rates due to decreased injection drug use, creates safer home environments for children previously considered drug-endangered, and revitalizes neighborhoods due to coalition-based efforts.

"Good news in the field of drug prevention indeed"

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