Understanding Drug Prevention and Support

This essay discusses different theories and models of drug prevention and education for school-based or adolescent individuals. It explores the challenges in educating addicted adolescents and provides an overview of theoretical models of prevention and education. The importance of family support in drug and alcohol abuse is also highlighted.

Running head: UNDERSTANDING DRUG PREVENTION AND SUPPORT
UNDERSTANDING DRUG PREVENTION AND SUPPORT
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1UNDERSTANDING DRUG PREVENTION AND SUPPORT
Introduction
Besides physiological diseases, mental disorders and several financial and environmental
concerns, substance abuse has c=become one of the most crucial challenge for the world
population now-a-days. As per the World Health Organisation (2019), more than 3.3 million
people die of severe substance abuse and majority of the drug consumers around the world
belong to teenage or adolescent group as they consume 6.2 litre of pure alcohol every year
(World Health Organisation). Further the statistics also mentioned that throughout the world
more than 31 million people have drug related disorder as well as 11 million cases of drug
injections were registered within which majority of them suffered from HIV, hepatitis and other
critical viral disorders (World Health Organisation 2019). However, the primal concern of the
entire world in growing substance abuse among school children or adolescents which are
affecting their growth and developmental phase (Milkman 2016).
School based drug prevention is the most accurate drug prevention method which is
utilized by governmental and non-governmental organisations so that teenagers and adolescents
affected with drug abuse conditions could be provided with interventions (Van Ouytsel et al.
2017). These interventions are educational, skill based and social influencers so that existing
cultural and social belief associated with drug and its consumption could be modified and
prevented (Winters et al. 2018). This is an important preventive strategy as majority of the
people affected with substance abuse thinks a specific section of drugs are ‘normal’ and
consumption of them is safe than alcohol or smoking (Milkman 2016).
Therefore, the objectives of this structured essay is to critically discuss different theories
that influences drug prevention and education for school based or adolescent people as well as

2UNDERSTANDING DRUG PREVENTION AND SUPPORT
understanding the challenges in educating these approach to addicted adolescents. Further,
theoretical model of prevention, model of education, principle of adult and community
education, emergence of prevention and education in national and international settings and
current prevention and education provisions within formal and non-formal settings would be
provided in this assignment. Finally, a brief overview of theoretical models of family support in
a drug and alcohol and drug education and prevention guidelines would be provided in this
paper.
Theoretical model of prevention
There are several theoretical programs develop and utilized by governmental and non-
governmental organizations so that application of these could help the adolescents and teenagers
affected with substance abuse to overcome their addictive habit. As per Vadrucci et al. (2016),
the theoretical model which was used for the substance abuse in teenagers, was named as
‘Unplugged’ which was one of the school based program developed by European researchers
and was tested in the EUDAP (European Drug Addiction Prevention). Using this theoretical
model different aspect of substance abuse such as problematic behavior, social norms regarding
drug abuse, modifying the health belief and action and resulting attitude of school based
teenagers were targeted (Vadrucci et al. 2016). It was seen that application of this theory on the
drug abused European community helped to reduce the use of cannabis, drunken episodes and
smoking habit among adolescents effectively. The model was applied in 12 sessions, one hour
each and through several games, presentations, play, group work, discussion, quiz and feedback
sessions, engaged them in the sessions for prevention of drug abuse (Vadrucci et al. 2016).

3UNDERSTANDING DRUG PREVENTION AND SUPPORT
Another paper by Sigfúsdóttir et al. (2008), mentioned a theoretical approach namely the
Icelandic model of prevention, which also targeted the adolescent substance abusers. This
theoretical model was created by policy maker’s behavioral scientists and the community
residents, and they collaborated with the field based practitioners. The primary aim of this
theoretical model was empowering the parents, school and community protective factors so that
with their help and collaboration, risk factors associated with substance abuse could be reduced
(Sigfúsdóttir et al. 2008). Further, while determining the effectiveness of this theoretical model
for substance abuse prevention, it was seen that this theory was able to make positive changes in
the adolescent substance abusers and prevented their consumption (Sigfúsdóttir et al. 2008).
However, while formulating new preventive programs for the prevention and controlling of
substance abuse interventions, it is not easy to formulate the program and hence predicting their
effectiveness could provide superficial and inaccurate results, hence while analyzing these
models mentioned above, their application was noticed (Sigfúsdóttir et al. 2008).
Theoretical Models of Education including Adult and Community Education
Community is a place where people are able to behave and act as their own self without
pretending or mocking any exterior behavior (Kraus and Nociar 2016). It was seen through
researches that community education is the tool which should by governmental and non-
governmental organizations that try to make difference in the society by changing the typical
thinking, orthodox behavior. Community education helps to provide educational sessions to the
people, who share common ideas, beliefs and needs and hence through educational session, the
entire community is provided with effective learning action and reflection opportunity
(O’Gorman 2016). The theoretical model which could be used by public health workers for the
education related to drug abuse among teenagers and adolescent individuals are youth and

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community work theory and community development and education. In both these theories
informal and formal education about the substance they are using, its adverse effect on them as
well as on the society would be provided so that my modifying their thoughts and ideologies,
effective education could be provided. Further, Kraus and Nociar (2016) mentioned that through
educational sessions to parents, school workforce, community healthcare providers and other
authorities of local governing body would help to facilitate the preventive program for substance
abuse. Hence, this program along with the theoretical model of prevention should be applied for
the adolescents affected with drug abuse addiction (Haase and Pratschke 2010).
Principles of Adult and Community Education
As per Khong et al. (2015), the educational sessions for adults should be different from
the child education as the educational sessions for adults should be dependent on the effective
communication and discussion so that they could take part in the session. As per Brown (2018)
adult learning is termed as Andragogy and the theories of Andragogy was developed by Malcolm
Knowles and this learning theory was based on the soft skill to engage majority of the
participants in the educational sessions. There are seven principles of adult learning process and
through these principles, the difference between the child education and adult learning methods
were mentioned. The first principle of adult learning is including participants in learning process,
when they want to learn about the process, as they would not be able to learn if they are forced to
attend any session. Further, they should be provided with accurate and statistical values while
providing any information as they require evidence for each fact provided in such sessions (Vella
2016).

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The third and fourth principle mentioned that adult learning should be included with
practical sessions, experiences so that participants while learning the process could perform them
and could feel the experience of attempting them in the given context (Khong et al. 2015).
Hence, as per sixth principle, informal learning method should be applied in educational sessions
and guidance should be included in those sessions as the seventh principles (Brown 2018).
Therefore, while providing education to adolescent population regarding prevention of substance
abuse, who is reaching adulthood, this adult learning principle inclusive education sessions
should be included (Vella 2016).
Overview of the Emergence of Prevention and Education work
Several research articles mentioned about the preventive as well as educational models
which are applied in different national and international context by local and national
governmental bodies so that the substance abuse condition could be controlled among the
adolescent population. In a research conducted by Sigfúsdóttir et al. (2008), a theoretical
framework namely Icelandic model was used to prevent substance abuse among teenagers of
Iceland. This model was applied with the help of local government and field workers who were
in the close contact with the substance abusers. This helped to spread the positive adult education
to the population of Iceland and then prevented their substance abuse using several social,
educational and medication aspects of the preventive program (Sigfúsdóttir et al. 2008). Hence,
by applying both, educational and preventive model the process was able to make positive
changes in case of individuals affected with substance abuse.
Another theoretical model was applied by Kumpfer (1998) and the program was named
as Strengthening Family Program (SFP) in which children of elementary level were provided

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with drug abuse related education. This educational theoretical plan was able to make effective
changes in high-risk and conduct disordered children so that those youth could be made
culturally competent. The primary target of this program was families affected with financial and
social issues and then by understanding their emotional, financial and social issues, effective
sessions could be provided to the patients. Therefore, study of these articles determined the fact
that several national and international organizations have organized or are in the process of
developing preventive and educational sessions so that addressing substance abuse in their
respective community becomes easier (Kumpfer 1998).
Formal and informal provisions to implement care prevention strategies
As per Culleton, Van Hout and Foley (2013), while implementing such educational and
preventive measures among adolescents and adult population, application of formal and informal
methods could provide extended and improved results immediately. This is because inclusion of
non- formal education and preventive strategies help to provide the subjects with the required
knowledge without any requirement of specific knowledge and educational skills. This informal
education could be based on games, play, quiz and other sessions so that with fun and adventure,
learning and interventions could be imposed in the care process.
Current Prevention and Education provision
As per the Van Hout (2011), the guidelines for current prevention and educational
provision of substance abuse should include the following aspects:
 Prior to application of the theoretical program for the substance abuse affected
individuals, the plan should be acknowledged, accepted reviewed and understood
by all the professionals who would be conducting the process.

7UNDERSTANDING DRUG PREVENTION AND SUPPORT
 Time of the theoretical and educational preventive program should be developed
within the planning committee meeting and the application, and implementation
should be based on the evidence based practice.
 The planning should be inclusive of parental and family centric as their
involvement in the sessions would increase its effectiveness and active
participation of the adolescents would be ensured (Khong et al. 2015).
 All the school, colleges and educational centers should be involved in the
implementation of theoretical process. This would help to provide a holistic help
to the adolescent.
 Further, prior to implementation of the preventing and educational sessions in the
community, the planning committee should be aware of the evaluation,
assessment and monitoring process to successfully complete the sessions for the
benefit of the subjects involved (O’Gorman 2016).
Family support in drug and alcohol abuse context
Several researches has been conducted to understand the effect of family and parents
while implementing the preventive and educational sessions for the substance abuse affected
adolescent individuals (Kumpfer 1998). While treating the individuals with substance abuse,
family pays the central role as they are aware of the need and requirement of the adolescent
individuals and could develop a pathway though which such treatment could be provided to them
to ensure their improvement and prevent their relapse (Duff 2005). They could play a source of
help to the professionals involved in the process, or could play a strong pillar depending on
which the substance abuse affected individual would undergo the interventions (Culleton, Van
Hout and Foley 2013). Hence, through systematic involvement and interaction with the people

8UNDERSTANDING DRUG PREVENTION AND SUPPORT
involved in the sessions, family and parents could play central role so their children affected with
substance abuse could be provided with effective care and relapse related conditions could be
avoided (Kumpfer 1998).
Conclusion
While concluding this essay, the spreading substance abuse and associated adverse
conditions within school based children and adolescents should be mentioned as the World
Health Organization indicated towards the growing risk in the reports. Hence, this structured
essay provided details of the type of preventive sessions depending on several theoretical and
educational model has been created by the governmental and non-governmental organizations so
that the issue of substance abuse could be addressed. In this case, it mentioned the principles of
adult education, overview of emergence prevalence if drug abuse around the world, the
educational session used around the world, and the role of family support and paternal education
so that patients with such needs could be addressed with the help of their family and parents.
Hence, through this discussion all the important aspects of substance abuse prevention and
educational sessions were provided appropriately.

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