A Case Study on Substance and Drug Abuse

Running Head: DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE 1
A Case Study on Substance and Drug Abuse
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SUBSTANCE AND DRUG ABUSE 2
A Case Study on Substance and Drug Abuse
For each year, students in Australia gather in specific places to celebrate the end of the
school curriculum. This is more of a rite of passage and a celebration for having gone through
the school program to completion. The pattern of behavior has been raising concern, with
increased cases of drug and substance abuse over the past few years. (Lam, et al, 2013)This has
been an avenue for indulging in illicit and licit drug consumption due to the fact that there are
less supervision and a lot of drinking hours. Some of the abused substances include;
Alcohol use
Alcohol is one of the substances that will be highly used by senior students in the leavers’
week party. Alcohol will be used for recreational purposes, social use, frequent use on the same
day and circumstantial use. While alcohol use is widely supported by some parents and
guardians, some highly condemn it. This is because of its harmful effects.Therefore, some of the
attendees of the party would be confined to take alcohol in an effort to fit in due to peer pressure.
This is done for social reasons in order to be deemed as being ‘cool’. (Hutton, & Cusack, 2013)
Such youths tend to take advantage of such opportunities in their life to experiment with alcohol.
Experimental use of alcohol is done out of curiosity. For some that are at liberty to have alcohol
at home would most likely be addicted to it and thus engage in the frequent use of it.
Considering the span of time for the leavers’ week party, there is excessive intake of alcohol.
The most common negatives effects of alcohol use at leavers’ week party include the
physical and psychological effects; vomiting, hangovers, blackouts (memory loss), unprotected
casual sex, rape, and violence. The above effects are short term in nature, yet prolonged use
results to long term effects such as liver cirrhosis. (Rehm, 2011).Liver cirrhosis is as a result of

SUBSTANCE AND DRUG ABUSE 3
inflammation of the liver due to persistent and excessive intake of harmful substance into the
body. The short term effects are interconnected. Blackouts may lead to unprotected casual sex.
Unprotected sex contracts sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Rape cases have increased,
unfortunately, the rape victims are left depressed and in a state of memory loss. Blackouts make
it difficult for justice to be executed. Cases of violence are not uncommon. This leads to severe
injuries and unfortunately, innocent people become casualties of violence by bullies. The
Western Authorities are highly committed to ensuring that such offenders are not left to go
unpunished.
The use of Cannabis
A large proportion of the youths who attend the school leavers’ celebratory event engage
in illicit use of Cannabis. Most of the youths that attend are in their adolescent stage of life which
is characterized by restlessness, search for self, need for a much activity due to increased energy
and so forth. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug substance in Western Australia. It has
its subspecies as Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica. (Freeman, & Winstock, 2015)It is
normally taken in several forms.
In the form of herbal Cannabis also called Marijuana, this is made by drying the leaves
and flowers of the plant. It is considered as the most subtle form of cannabis. (Winstock, &
Barratt, 2013) Cannabis can take the form of hashish which is the dried resin of the cannabis
plant. The last form which has the strongest effects of them all is hashish oil. It is extracted from
resin and can be used in food. The effects of Cannabis are quite severe. It is a depressant of the
Central Nervous System and alters the perception of the sensory nerves. It produces health
effects of hallucinations, inaccurate judgment including time distortion, panic and paranoia,

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increased heart rate, reddened eyes, dizziness, and impaired balance and coordination. Long term
use may result in more severe effects such as physical dependence, respiratory tract cancer, ill
mental health, and depression. Most of the adolescents using cannabis and engaged in the school
leavers’ event are most likely to experience emotional outbursts, accident and injury, stealing
private or public property and vandalism. These acts have legal consequences and chances of
arrest are inevitable.
Harm reduction and demand reduction policy approaches to drug and alcohol abuse
Harm reduction refers to the measures and strategies put in place to minimize the harm
caused by drugs and substance abuse to individuals and the community. (Lubman, et al,
2014).It’s a move that seeks to reduce the health, social and economic effects of drug abuse
pioneered by Health Reduction Australia (HRA).
Safe Zones
Harm reduction for the leavers’ week party would be tailored towards the social and
environmental factor which can be designed into the events. These sites are safe havens that offer
a respite from the event. They’re mostly used by the patrons in events. Such zones are quiet,
comfortable, and calm and meant for relaxing. Such zones can also be used to offer food and safe
water for the students. The ideas are to have a place convenient for counseling, health education
and administration of first aid. Peer education on interventions is a quick way of reducing harm
to the high schooler leavers’ festival. Most importantly is to have such safe sites stand out from
the other partitions in the venue. One way of ensuring easy and quick access to the safe site is by
giving them a signpost and a clear mark. The services being provided by such sites should be
well communicated through the promotional materials and program contents.