Causes of Drug and Substance Abuse

Besides being able to locate scholarly sources of information, graduate students are expected to become information literate, which includes being able to evaluate information to determine if it is actually useful and valid for their research projects and if it is trustworthy and accurate. Generally, sources of information are evaluated on their purpose, timeliness, authority, reliability, and coverage. For example, it is understood that a source whose purpose is to sell something is more likely to either exaggerate or de-emphasize certain information to enhance its persuasive appeal. Sources that focus on a very narrow aspect of an issue may not be useful for supporting broader generalizations. Sources that refuse to acknowledge competing viewpoints can be quite biased.

Select one of the articles you are using for your essay and briefly evaluate it using the criteria listed above. Why do you find the article useful and valid for your essay? Now that you have looked at it more closely, do you find anything in it suspect or do you notice limitations? What are they?

The DQ response must be 150-200 words and cite and reference your article using APA format.

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HEALTH AND MEDICAL Antwanetta Boswell UNV-506 Mrs.Williams Grand Canyon University 3/16/2021 HEALTH AND MEDICAL 2 DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS Background Substance abuse is one of the plagues in modern society and a major global concern. Internationally and even regionally, drug abuse and alcohol abuse is an ever-expanding issue hitting all regions in the society found in rural and urban, men and women, rich and poor, including an overwhelming practice among the young in the community. Daily, substances and alcohol are becoming increasingly available in society, consequently leading to broader use of the substance (Chukwu et al., 2017). Addiction in society has turned out to become a common curse among adolescents. However, the effects do not only affect the user but directly or indirectly affect others. The healthcare industry, alongside the community, recognizes the practices as a threat with adverse effects on the young adults’ health and socio-economic welfare. Additionally, the current COVID-19 pandemic requires social distancing to contain the spread of the virus. Therefore, requiring people to change their daily routines has made people go through anxiety and fear. This peculiar situation has played a significant role in pushing more adolescents towards deviant behavior associated with substance abuse. However, similar to other mental health challenges, drug and alcohol abuse or addiction is not limited to a single risk factor. There are several risk factors, including biological (genetic transmission), psychological (depression, anxiety disorder, and schizophrenia), and social factors (unemployment, neighborhood gang, poverty, and addictive parents or guardian) (Dryden-Edwards, 2020). This essay will evaluate the impact of adolescents’ substance abuse and various prevention recommendations. HEALTH AND MEDICAL 3 Impact of drug and substance abuse Once drugs are taken through various means, including injection, sniffing, chewing, and alcohol through drinking, the substance directly enters the bloodstream and moves to the brain (Dryden-Edwards, 2020). Therefore, limiting the brain from performing its normal function. Apart from that, substance abuse and alcohol are associated with other effects. According to Chukwu et al. (2017), students using drugs tend to decrease their concentration ability and increase indiscipline cases, including truancy. Moreover, the students report a deteriorating performance in learning since they experience cognitive development impairment, consequently disrupting their academic progression. Causes of Drug and Substance Abuse

Additionally, excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks damages the endocrine system (Rachdaoui & Sarkar, 2017). Chronic consumption causes a hormonal disturbance, consequently disrupting the standard function system of the body. The disruption may cause an escalation in blood sugar, forcing the pancreas to overproduce insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. The situation may be primarily dangerous to people with diabetes or other drug prescriptions to lower blood sugar levels. Moreover, acute and chronic alcohol consumption may lead to various illnesses, including bone disease, immune dysfunction, loss of testosterone affecting the reproductive system in men alongside psychological impairment (Rachdaoui & Sarkar, 2017). Furthermore, substance abuse disorder also adversely affects family set-ups (Groenewald & Bhana, 2018). Adolescents’ drug abuse behavior affects family members because some situations are prone to occur, including disruptive relationships, intimidation, and family conflict. Therefore, guardian tends to experience a high level of anxiety, fear, and stress, which may compromise their general well-being. In some cases, family members may distance themselves to avoid the adolescents’ destructive behaviors. Moreover, drug abuse and alcoholism may result HEALTH AND MEDICAL 4 in death. Losing a family member of a loved one due to alcoholism is one of the most complex experiences people in the community go through (Valentine, 2017). Recommended prevention measures Implementing an effective substance abuse prevention strategy is essential in the modern world due to the public’s mental health and ensuring the whole community’s safety. Based upon the literature findings, various recommendations on the prevailing trend of drug and alcohol abuse are applicable. To curb the vice of substance abuse primarily in learning institutions, administrators should incorporate educational programs in the school curriculum alongside counseling sessions and motivational classes (Chukwu et al., 2017; Vinish & Prasad, 2018). Similarly, According to studies carried out by Hennessy, Tanner-Smith, Mavridis, and Grant (2019), in cases where college students are experiencing high alcohol use-disorder, it is practical to incorporate the use of brief intervention, primarily the BASICS method. Moreover, it is essential to educate the public on the risk associated with alcohol abuse. The passage of reliable information should impact the whole community; therefore, it should consider the community’s economic state, cultural values, and educational background (Natera Rey, 2020; Vinish & Prasad, 2018). Technological advancement also provides a conducive environment for intervention programs to reach young adults primarily after undergoing sobriety treatment (Nakumbe, 2020). Causes of Drug and Substance Abuse

The program will be able ti minimize the rate of relapse alongside test the effectiveness of the intervention used. Additionally, while some individuals understand the adverse impacts of substance abuse, an insignificant number receive treatment due to many factors, including stigmatization. Therefore, according to Hammarlund et al.’s (2018) study, it is essential to address stigmatization issues against people with drug and alcohol abuse disorders which often creates a barrier to them HEALTH AND MEDICAL 5 seeking medical intervention. Similarly, it is also necessary to be empathetic to individuals who lose their loved ones to alcoholism or drug abuse disorder. Intervention methods should ensure society understands this group in the community is undergoing a grief process and needs support to cope with the substance-related demise (Valentine, 2018). Conclusion It is evident that drug and alcohol abuse is a crisis affecting every section of society and no region is immune to the behavior. Substance abuse is increasingly becoming a severe problem affecting and deteriorating many young adult’s lives in society. Additionally, it has multiple inherent problems causing several severe effects, including morality, family separation, violence, poor academic performance, and disruption of the endocrine system. Therefore, it is essential to implement an evidence-based intervention to correct the situation before establishing a conducive and healthy society for the young population. Some interventions identified include introducing counseling sessions and motivational classes, using the technology after sobriety treatment, and introducing approaches that address stigmatization associated with substance abuse and grief of losing someone with substance-use disorder. HEALTH AND MEDICAL 6 References Chukwu, E. O., Pius, V. T., Fiase, T. M., Haruna, H., Terkuma, C., & Evangeline, A. C. (2017). Effects of substance/drug abuse on the academic achievement of secondary school students in Mkar Metropolis, Gboko, Benue State. Int J Psychol Brain Sci, 2(2), 40-5. Causes of Drug and Substance Abuse

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/TerkumaChia/publication/317848026_Effects_of_SubstanceDrug_Abuse_on_the_Academic_Achi evement_of_Secondary_School_Students_in_Mkar_Metropolis_Gboko_Benue_State/lin ks/594e790e0f7e9be7b2da7ebb/Effects-of-Substance-Drug-Abuse-on-the-AcademicAchievement-of-Secondary-School-Students-in-Mkar-Metropolis-Gboko-BenueState.pdf Dryden-Edwards, R. (2020, July 14). Drug abuse, addiction symptoms, facts on health effects and treatment. Retrieved from https://www.medicinenet.com/drug_abuse/article.htm Groenewald, C., & Bhana, A. (2018). Substance abuse and the family: An examination of the South African policy context. Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy, 25(2), 148-155, doi: 10.1080/09687637.2016.1236072. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09687637.2016.1236072 Hammarlund, R., Crapanzano, K. A., Luce, L., Mulligan, L., & Ward, K. M. (2018). Review of the effects of self-stigma and perceived social stigma on the treatment-seeking decisions of individuals with drug-and alcohol-use disorders. Substance abuse and rehabilitation, 9(1), 115. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc6260179/ Hennessy, E. A., Tanner-Smith, E. E., Mavridis, D., & Grant, S. P. (2019). Comparative effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions for college students: Results from a network HEALTH AND MEDICAL 7 meta-analysis. Prevention Science, 20(5), 715-740. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11121-018-0960-z Nakumbe, C. (2020). Capitalizing on Technology Use to Assist Young Adults in Their Alcohol Abuse Recovery (Doctoral dissertation, Grand Canyon University). https://search.proquest.com/openview/cfe6ae598686c34cc310a16b1626ad15/1?pqorigsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y Natera Rey, G. (2020). Alcohol and drugs. Salud mental, 43(4), 147-149, permalink: http://ref.scielo.org/9pdyf3 Rachdaoui, N., & Sarkar, D. K. (2017). Pathophysiology of the effects of alcohol abuse on the endocrine system. Alcohol research: current reviews, 38(2), 255. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5513689/ Valentine, C. (Ed.). (2017). Families bereaved by alcohol or drugs: Research on experiences, coping and support (First Edition). New York: Taylor & Francis. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=xkwrDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA90& dq=Valentine,+C.+(Ed.).+(2017).+Families+bereaved+by+alcohol+or+drugs:+Research +on+experiences,+coping+and+support+(First+Edition).+New+York:+Taylor+%26+Fra ncis.&ots=ySshHnDSMx&sig=XdYFmRr8MnC2EoHyXiUyJt4IhGs Vinish, V., & Prasad, V. (2018). Knowledge of Effects of Substance Abuse among Adolescents: A Descriptive Study. Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, 9(1), 232-237. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?