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If only we could prevent substance abuse. The problem is that it has become such an all-encompassing crisis that affects millions in our country alone. It is amazing to think how far substance abuse has come and how big of a problem it has become. We need to do more to prevent it.
Avoiding Addicting Substances
Preventing addiction is possible, but it involves complete abstinence from the addicting substances. The only way to keep from feeling the intense, uncontrollable cravings is to never experiment with the substance in the first place. Without that first taste, that first high, that first feeling of euphoria, we don’t really know what we are missing. Or, rather, maybe we do know what we are missing – the pain, the struggle, and the feeling of helplessness when the substance abuse takes over our lives.
Prevention through Education
Real prevention techniques involve several components that take into account what kind of people the prevention is geared toward. The main form of prevention is education. Subjects need to know all about the dangers of substances. It’s not enough to tell them to “just say no”, because the unknown sometimes is what draws people in. Most young people that start getting involved with drugs or alcohol do so just to see what it’s like. But if we educate people enough about the risks and dangers, they will be more likely to avoid them.
Prevention should be tailored toward the age group or demographics of the subjects. While education should be broad enough to cover all forms of substance abuse, it should focus on higher risk areas for the target audience.
Prevention should also be carried on long-term, as people tend to forget what they’ve learned. Everyone needs to be reminded about the risks and why they should say no. Prevention techniques have a way of motivating and empowering people to stay away from drugs and alcohol. But they can quickly be lured into trying drugs once the information is not fresh in their minds.
Another way to make prevention methods more effective is to make them available to a group of people, such as a classroom of children. There is power in numbers and if a group of peers all vow to abstain from drugs and alcohol, they will be able to positively encourage each other.
While prevention techniques should be made available to everyone, it is most effective to target high-risk individuals for extra support. These are the people that have a family history of substance abuse, or are part of a high-risk age group or demographic. These individuals should receive more education more frequently in order to help them stay clean.
