opioid overdose prevention programs
michaelApril 25, 2019comment (0)

How Can Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs Benefit Young Adults?

In the United States, more than 6 out of 10 overdose deaths is caused by an opioid.

The United States is facing a major social crisis, as evidenced by the rising number of opioid overdose deaths. Reports state that in 2016, approximately 11.5 million American citizens dabbled with prescription opioids and more than 42,000 died due to an opioid overdose.

More than 115 deaths are caused due to opioid overdose every day in the US and it costs approximately $78.5 billion per annum to fund opioid overdose treatment, healthcare, and more.

Opioid Abuse Affecting Young Adults

Opioid overuse is not only limited to the adult population as it has taken a heavy toll on children and young adults as well. A significant portion of the responsibility to keep the children away from such bad practices falls on the parents as well as on the school administration.

Most students at-risk of opioid use and overdose are living with a guardian or a parent, who is also struggling with opioid addiction. Orphaned children living with their grandparents or in foster care homes are also at risk of taking up this habit to cope with and survive through the trauma and pain that they undergo. Even children with responsible parents at home may get hooked on opioids due to peer pressure at school. It falls on the school administration to look out for such kids and support them in order to facilitate opioid overdose prevention.

Why is it Critical to Avoid Addiction to Opioid and Other Drugs During Adolescence?

When a person uses opioids or any other addictive substance from an early stage of their life, the chances of getting addicted to the substance increases manifold. Drugs change the way our brain functions and this addiction can lead to serious health problems and can even cause death in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent children and adolescents from using opioids from an early age, as this can reduce the risks of addiction in the future.

The risk of using and getting addicted to drugs rises exponentially during times of transition. For children, this is the time when they hit puberty and their body undergoes a sea change both physically and mentally. In addition to this, if there is a divorce in the family or the family moves from one place to another, and a change in schools, then he/she may be more likely to develop opioid addiction to cope with the domestic, social, and academic changes.

When children hit their adolescence, they are faced with new challenges, both social and academic. It is during this time in their life that they are first exposed to substances like alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes. As we all know, risk-taking is looked upon as something cool among adolescents, which pushes them to try out new and different things which might include experimenting with opioids and drugs.

The part of our brain involved in decision-making and control judgment develops fully by the time a person is in their early or mid-20s, limiting a teenager’s ability to accurately assess the risks associated with opioid use. This also makes young adults more vulnerable to peer pressure, leading them to opioid abuse and possible overdose.

Getting addicted to opioids during adolescence can affect brain development and functioning by disrupting critical areas like behavior control, motivation, judgment, learning, and memory. Therefore, it has been seen that teenagers who get addicted to drugs and alcohol often experience social and family issues, physical and mental health problems, poor academic performance, and other such issues.

Can Research-Based Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs Help Young Adults?

Yes, it is possible to help at-risk young adults and keep them from developing opioid addiction with the help of research-based opioid overdose prevention programs. These programs can be implemented in the school and can also be carried out by community coalitions to have the maximum effect. Scientific studies have proven that research-based programs have been quite effective in decreasing the chances of early use of opioids, drugs, alcohol, and other substances.

Things that Must be Included in a High-Quality Opioid Overdose Prevention Program

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to designing an effective opioid overdose prevention program. Therefore, schools and communities must consider a number of factors to come up with a program that suits their needs and would address the issues that the children are facing.

Here are some features that you must look out for in opioid overdose prevention programs:

1. The Protective Factor:

On the basis of a number of studies, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that there are certain protective factors that can help young adults avoid substance abuse and other self-destructive behavioral patterns that can put them at risk. Among these, one of the most important is to feel connected with the school, making the students believe that their peers and teachers actually care about them as people and would understand the situations they are in.

2. Standard Health Education Classes:

It is essential to provide quality health education complying with the National Health Education Standards to the students so that they can get a better understanding of their health and the factors which affect it. Apart from informing the students about the effects drugs have on our body, they must also be made aware of the laws pertaining to opioid abuse. Core life skills like goal setting, decision making, bystander intervention, and self-management must also be a part of a quality health education class.

3. Quality Teaching Resources:

For the best results, use program materials created by reputable sources like SAMHSA and their partners. One such reputable source is Real Prevention, which provides different opioid overdose prevention programs for middle and high school students.

4. Collaborate With Professional Training Services:

Teachers must be given proper training to achieve their desired goals. Organizations like Real Prevention offer training services for teachers so that they can carry out the keepin’ it REAL (kiR) program with the utmost confidence and integrity. Training is needed to implement these opioid overdose prevention programs effectively.

In Conclusion:

It makes sense to start opioid overdose prevention programs at an early age so as to nip the problem in the bud. The young adults will have the knowledge that they can use to grow and learn without succumbing to the temptation of drugs. Currently, many school districts have already undertaken such steps to fight opioid overdose and educators believe that more school districts should follow suit to completely eradicate this problem.

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Alcohol Prevention Among Adolescents
michaelApril 24, 2019comment (0)

Alcohol Prevention Among Adolescents: An Overview

The abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol among adolescents continues to be a major global problem, faced by countries all over the world including the US. It is estimated that every year, more than 2.5 million people die due to alcohol-related complications. Excessive alcohol consumption is a growing problem in many countries of the world.

Problems Caused by Alcohol Abuse

The number of people who die because of alcohol abuse is several times more than the number of people killed by the consumption of cocaine, heroin, and other class A drugs. Apart from causing death, alcohol abuse can also have several long-term consequences for the addict as well as for their family and friends. This is because alcohol addiction can lead to violence, criminal behavior, accidents, and many more personal and societal issues.

Alcohol addiction is also hard to treat and quite expensive, which creates a financial burden on society. Due to the cost, a relatively small minority of addicts ever receive treatment for their condition, which further exacerbates the problem.

According to various studies, a high correlation exists between adolescent alcohol abuse and long term addiction and alcoholism during adulthood. This points to the fact that many adult alcoholics started quite early on the path of substance abuse. Adolescent alcohol abuse may also lead to academic under-achievement, teenage pregnancy, depression, and delinquency.

The Need for Prevention and Intervention

Mentioned above are some of the major risk factors associated with adolescent alcohol abuse. Alcoholism is also a leading cause of suicide in teenagers and young adults. Therefore, alcohol prevention programs that minimize the risk factors leading to addiction, through school, family, and community intervention, are the need of the hour. Such school-based prevention programs can play an instrumental role in saving future generations from the ruinous clutches of alcoholism.

Identifying Risk Factors

The first step towards preventing teenage alcoholism is identifying the factors that usually push youngsters towards substance abuse. Many of these factors are modifiable or entirely preventable. Some risk factors associated with adolescent alcohol usage are:

  • Early exposure to alcohol and other addictive substances.
  • Poor parenting or proximity with alcoholic family members.
  • Influence of friends and peer groups.
  • Socioeconomic status of the family and the community as a whole.
  • Biological or genetic predisposition towards addiction.
  • Mental illness among family members or guardians.

Knowing about these risk factors and being aware of their effects on an adolescent is essential for effective alcohol prevention. Schools, community workers, family members, and healthcare professionals can then work together to identify and help at-risk youth as well as trying to minimize the risk factors in their environment. It has also been found that adverse childhood experiences such as abuse and neglect can significantly enhance the risk of teenage alcohol abuse.

Alcohol Prevention Programs

Drug and alcohol prevention programs in schools are extremely essential in the modern world. However, there are certain key factors that need to be present in order for these programs to be effective. Some of the factors that can enhance the effectiveness of an alcohol prevention program have been mentioned below:

  • Program coordinators must proactively identify and address risk factors. Students who are thought to be at risk of alcohol abuse or addiction should be counseled and their situation assessed on a one-on-one basis. Then, personalized help and guidance should be provided to these individuals to help them overcome the lure or substance abuse.
  • Program coordinators must also provide accurate and developmentally appropriate information to the adolescents, in accordance with their age and maturity levels. No alcohol prevention program can be successful without transparency and the dissemination of accurate and relevant information, as there would be a lack of trust between the teenagers and their mentors.
  • Moreover, young adults must be made aware of the various pressures that they might face when it comes to alcohol and drug consumption. Therefore, the alcohol prevention program must help teenagers recognize and resist peer pressure promoting substance abuse. They must be taught how to effectively handle potentially risky situations without succumbing to peer pressure.
  • Another important factor when it comes to alcohol prevention is personal and social skill development. Teenagers must be taught how to handle their own negative emotions, such as fear, insecurity, loneliness, anxiety, and depression, without resorting to alcoholism. Moreover, they must be taught effective social skills that will help them avoid alcohol consumption and seek help for any problems that they might be having.

In Conclusion

A successful alcohol prevention program must incorporate all or most of the above-mentioned characteristics. Such a program might be delivered to adolescents through schools, community centers, healthcare facilities, etc. According to a 2010 study, both family and community intervention can play a pivotal role in minimizing the risk of adolescent drug and alcohol abuse.

An effective school or community-based alcohol prevention program can change the destiny of individuals and communities as a whole, which makes such programs a very valuable investment in the future of the country and the world.

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Community Coalitions Help Prevent Drug Abuse
michaelMarch 27, 2019comment (0)

How Community Coalition Can Help Prevent Drug Abuse Among Adolescents?

Repeated use of drugs over time can change the way our brain functions, which in turn makes the habit of occasional drug use transition into a compulsive one. This is how addiction begins is both adolescents and adults. despite knowing that the drugs are harming their physical and mental health, the affected person finds it extremely difficult to exert control over the impulse to use the drugs.

One of the many ways of controlling drug abuse among adolescents and young adults at school and at their homes is by forming effective community coalitions. It has been observed that community coalitions have the power to prevent substance abuse from taking place in a community. These coalitions also collaborate with private and public organizations to bring in effect several policies that keep adults and adolescents from trying out drugs. They also provide rehabilitation facilities for addicted individuals.

What is a Community Coalition?

A coalition, as the term suggests is primarily an alliance between organizations and/or individuals, who are working towards a common goal. Community coalitions form to address the concerns of a particular community and find solutions for the same. While the main function of a community coalition remains the same, the purpose, procedures, and governance can differ from one alliance to the other.

Community coalitions are formed around a single event or issue – in this case, the rising incidence of drug abuse among young adults and adolescents. However, the coalition can also take up secondary issues as its agenda which are directly associated with the main problem of drug abuse. These might include keeping the streets of the neighborhood free of drug peddlers, improving the living conditions of families, providing the children with a safe place to talk, providing state-of-the-art rehabilitation centers, and much more.

When it comes to preventing drug abuse among growing children, many communities not only organize drug prevention programs but also take the help of the school district to keep an eye on the at-risk children at all times.

Benefits of Building a Community Coalition for Preventing Drug Abuse Among Young Adults

Some of the benefits of forming a community coalition and working together to achieve a common goal have been discussed in detail below.

  • Enhanced Effectiveness and the Collective Voice of the Community:

A band of people working together has the potential to exert more influence than a single individual working alone. A well-formed and governed community coalition generally has more power and influence to bring about changes than a lone crusader. Moreover, members of a community coalition, while working within a well-formed structure, can usually reach out to many other support groups to bring about the desired outcomes.

  • Access to Resources:

A community coalition is made up of various individuals, who individually have access to varied resources that can be brought together and utilized for preventing drug abuse among adolescents. Operating within a coalition allows individuals to share valuable resources with the other members. This can help the coalition bring about the desired results effectively within a short span of time. Some of the common resources that are often shared among community coalition members include of the following:

1. Research Capability,
2. Personnel,
3. Funding,
4. Expertise in Strategies,
5. Technological Support,
6. Experience,
7. Access to Relevant Networks.

  • Legitimate Action:

The presence of powerful individuals both within and outside of a community coalition for a common purpose commands more respect and garners more attention as compared to an individual acting alone. Thanks to the enhanced visibility, the coalition, its members, and the goal they are all working for also comes under the spotlight in a positive way, bringing in more allies and resources to the coalition.

  • Improves the Community and Associated Relationships:

Apart from preventing substance abuse among adolescents, a community coalition brings together different individuals who till date may not have collaborated with each other to achieve a common goal. This creates opportunities for networking, building long-term relationships, and forming friendships among the members.

This also a strengthens the overall community by establishing bonds between its many members, strengthening the sense of loyalty among the coalition members, and more. Coalitions bring together persons from different strata of society and help to establish long-term bonds across age, race, gender, and other traditional dividing factors.

Successful Community Coalition Case Study for Drug Prevention

Page Alliance for Community Action Counter Prescription Drug Abuse Among Young Adults

In 2017, the Page County in Virginia had to grapple with the issues of rising prescription drug abuse in the area. To counter with this, the members of the community came together to form the Page Alliance for Community Action in Luray, Virginia.

This community coalition hosted an outdoor movie night for free to bring the members of the community together while also addressing the drug abuse problem and educating the attendees about drug safety.

According to the community’s needs assessment, it was found that most reported cases for opiate abuse came from young adults between the ages of 18 to 25 years. Therefore, the coalition members decided to screen the movie ”Invincible” to bring in the family crowd. With an attendance of 170 people, the event was deemed a huge success.

The coalition, apart from providing free entertainment, educated the attendees about prescription drug safety and also distributed Deterra bags to dispose of prescription medications safely.

In Conclusion:

Community coalitions not only expand the support base for a particular agenda but also help create relevant connections and networks. The sheer number of people in a coalition can help in achieving the desired results quickly and in an effective manner.

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Life Skills Training Program
michaelMarch 22, 2019comment (0)

How a Life Skills Training Program Can Help Kids Say No to Drugs

Substance abuse and drug addiction are a major problem plaguing societies around the world. While this problem affects all sections of society to an extent, young people such as teenagers and young adults are particularly susceptible to the lure of substance abuse. There are many reasons why age-restricted and illicit substances such as alcohol, opioids, and cigarettes have such an attraction for young people. These substances provide a sense of adventure and rebellion, helping them stand out while at the same time prompting acceptance and admiration from their peers.

Young people, such as middle and high schoolers and college freshmen, crave the acceptance of their friends and peers and dread being rejected. This makes teenagers especially vulnerable to peer-pressure induced substance abuse. Partying and nights out are a part of youth culture and they can often lead youngsters to consume intoxicating or addictive substances in order to appear cool and interesting to their friends. This can create a pernicious circle of peer pressure, substance abuse, and addiction, which can prove almost impossible for a young person to get out of.

The Role of Life Skills Training Programs

For these reasons, communities and educational institutions should ensure that teenagers receive high-quality life skills training at school. A good life skills training program can have a profound and positive impact on the future of these teenagers, by helping them say no to drugs and escape the peer pressure that might otherwise ruin their lives. A school-based life skills training program can also help teenagers and adolescents learn essential coping mechanisms and social skills early in life, which would, in turn, help them succeed in other areas of their life such as in their future jobs and relationships.

The Social Context of Drug Abuse

Like most social issues, substance abuse is not a problem that exists in a vacuum. There are very real social and psychological factors that cause youngsters to resort to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. Some of these include dysfunctional family dynamics, toxic friend circles, and the inability to deal with academic stress. Social isolation and the rejection of friends and peers may also lead teenagers to try drugs, either as a way to gain acceptance or as an escape route to cope with the stress and anxiety caused by these issues.

Another major social risk factor when it comes to the use of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco among adolescents is the influence of mass media. Movies, television shows, and commercials often tend to depict substance abuse as cool, interesting, or even a harmless way to have fun. This can cause children to use drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol due to their desire to emulate their celebrity role models or favorite movie characters. Without the proper education and training, youngsters may never learn how to critically evaluate and interpret the harmful messages disseminated by mass media.

Elements of a Good Life Skills Training Program

There are three major elements or components of a life skills training program, namely resistance skills, self-management skills, and social skills. All three together can go a long way in helping adolescents say no to drugs and thereby avoid addiction.

Resistance Skills

Drug resistance skills are integral to any life skills training program geared towards reducing the incidence of substance abuse among teenagers and adolescents. Drug resistance skills help youngsters to understand and critically analyze the social influences that might prompt them to use age-restricted or addictive substances. Students are encouraged to understand the possible long-term consequences of drug and alcohol consumption, which would then motivate them to push back against peer pressure.

The young adults are also taught ways and techniques to avoid drugs and stay away from situations which might lead to substance abuse. This involves teaching adolescents how to refuse drugs or alcohol offered by their friends and peers, without compromising their own safety or risking physical harm.

Self-Management Skills

Self-management skills are very important because they help youngsters learn to cope with the complexities and problems of life in a healthy and safe manner, without resorting to self-destructive behavior and drug abuse. Academic stress, relationship problems, and social isolation are some of the chief reasons why adolescents resort to substance abuse.

Growing up can be hard, and teenage is a challenging phase of life for most people. Therefore, adolescents facing these challenges must be taught the necessary decision making, problem-solving, goal-setting, and critical thinking skills that will help them deal with their negative emotions in a productive, healthy, and safe manner.

Social Skills

The importance of social skills is often underestimated in relation to the effect it can have on substance abuse. Social skills are important because they help young people form healthy and mutually supportive interpersonal relationships while avoiding friendships that are toxic, abusive, or codependent.

When students learn effective social skills in a life skills training program at school, they can communicate clearly and effectively when they need help, hold deep and meaningful conversations to avoid loneliness and isolation, and also assertively refuse unreasonable requests and stand up for their beliefs. This can make them much less vulnerable to peer pressure, thus helping them stay away from drugs and alcohol.

In Conclusion

Mentioned above are some of the ways in which a school-based life skills training program can help adolescents and teenagers say no to drugs, alcohol, and other types of addictive substances. Therefore, communities and educational institutions should work together to incorporate a life skills training program within the curriculum of every school, to ensure that future generations can be free of the bane of addiction and substance abuse.

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How Alcohol Media Literacy Can Help Prevent Alcohol Abuse
michaelFebruary 27, 2019comment (0)

What Is Alcohol Media Literacy and How Can It Help Prevent Alcohol Abuse?

Did you know that three out of every four students have already tried alcohol even before completing high school?

Alcohol consumption is not uncommon in adolescents or high-school students. Media messages and advertisements repeatedly expose students to appealing portrayals of alcohol consumption, which causes them to want to try alcoholic beverages. This is known to be a major cause of alcohol abuse, illness, injury, poor grades, and bad behavior in adolescents.

Although many factors influence the use of alcohol, media communications and portrayals contribute to a great extent. This makes alcohol media literacy a necessary part of any curriculum of school-based alcohol and drug prevention programs.

In this article, we will evaluate how media can influence adolescents to consume alcohol and what educational institutions can do to stop or minimize such influence.

How Media Encourages Alcohol Abuse?

From movies and television shows to advertisements and commercials, every type of media communication can have a profound effect on young and impressionable individuals. This is especially true when they involve the use of alcohol. The appealing setup and popular actors enable youngsters to perceive alcohol consumption as a necessary and desirable part of their lives.

Here are some factors which encourage young people to abuse alcohol:

  • Young adults who regularly watch television or movies are more likely to start consuming alcohol at an early age. The reason behind this is the glamorization of alcohol use in movies, which encourages youngsters to believe that alcohol use can make them look attractive and confident.
  • In 2009, research revealed that alcohol companies spend USD 1.7 billion on advertisements. That amount has only grown over the decade that has passed. All the money spent on alcohol advertisements is used to provoke adolescents to start alcohol consumption.

One effective method for reducing alcohol consumption among adolescents, by encouraging them to think critically about portrayals of alcohol consumption in the media, is alcohol media literacy. If these programs are successfully implemented in schools, a reduction in substance abuse and unhealthy habits can be observed.

What Is Alcohol Media Literacy?

Alcohol media literacy is evaluating, analyzing, and understanding the motivations behind digital media communications and messages. It helps adolescents assess the quality and authenticity of the media they are consuming. Some aspects of alcohol media literacy are:

  • What is being propagated by the media?
  • Whether or not it is true?
  • Why media messages are constructed in a certain manner?
  • Who is the target audience?

Understanding and analyzing these questions helps young adults to better process the context of messages propagated by the media. This reduces the chances of underage drinking and other unhealthy behaviors.

How Alcohol Media Literacy Helps in Preventing Alcohol Abuse?

Many studies carried out on the effectiveness of alcohol media literacy revealed that it could improve the critical thinking abilities of children and teenagers. This helps them become more resistant to messages promoting the use or consumption of alcohol. In fact, the effects can be seen even years after attending a program that taught alcohol media literacy. This long-term impact also eventually enables students to resist peer pressure and other types of coercion and persuasion with regards to alcohol consumption.

A particular study meant to find the relevance of alcohol media literacy programs explained that these sessions can lessen the desire for alcohol consumption in children. The students from 3rd grade were resistant to alcohol use after attending the intervention and they were less likely to rate alcohol-related media as positive.

It was further explained that regular intervention by parents paired with alcohol media literacy can reduce the impact of late-night parties, sports, shows, and music on the incidence of underage drinking. This also highlights the importance of parental involvement in delivering and promoting alcohol media literacy.

In yet another study, 14-19 year olds from two clinics were analyzed. The students were analyzed for covariate-adjusted bivariate relationships, alcohol use measures, expectancies, and health literacy. In total, 293 children were studied and 45 percent of them had consumed alcohol in the past six months. The study concluded that students who received alcohol media literacy training were less likely to try alcohol than their peers. It enabled adolescents to understand and process information delivered through the media.

Key Aspects of Alcohol Media Literacy Programs

Alcohol media literacy helps young adults to evaluate, analyze and process information shown on the media. Studies even found that early exposure to media literacy can make children less vulnerable to self-destructive behaviors when they grow up.

Let’s discuss the key aspects of implementing alcohol media literacy:

  • Assess and Evaluate

Educational institutions should find relevant data for developing students’ trust in the program. This information should be thoroughly checked for quality and relevance. The point of view of the data should be checked in accordance with the audience to have maximum impact.

  • Reflect and Act

Parents should be taught to reflect the practices of the media literacy program in real life. Considering the impact alcohol abuse can have on youngsters, the teachings of an alcohol media literacy program should be practically followed for increased impact.

Lastly, educators and parents should work in collaboration to reduce underage alcohol consumption. Problems at home and school should be analyzed and a solution should be offered to students through two-way communication.

In Conclusion

Underage consumption of alcohol can make youngsters aggressive, distracted, mean, and unhealthy. Furthermore, alcohol consumption can also promote risky behaviors such as drinking and driving or unprotected sexual intercourse.

Alcohol media literacy is an effective means of reducing alcohol abuse as it teaches students about the importance of thinking critically about advertisements and movies that glamorize alcohol consumption. This can help teens avoid alcohol and build strong personal belief systems. However, for maximum effectiveness, the program should involve active communication, query resolution, and frequent follow-ups.

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life skill training
michaelFebruary 21, 2019comment (0)

4 Reasons to Implement HPV Prevention Programs in Schools

Did you know that most forms of cervical cancers are related to or originates from human papillomavirus (HPV)?

Most adults or individuals, who have been sexually active experience HPV infection at some point in their lifetime. Although there are approximately 150 types of HPV, most of which heal on their own, sometimes, the infection can result in severe health issues. Every year, on an average 14 million people suffer from HPV and some don’t even realize that they are suffering from an infection. When the infection doesn’t heal naturally, it causes genital warts, cancer, and other health problems.

HPV prevention programs and vaccination reduces the impact of the virus significantly. Young adults or teens should receive the vaccine for enhanced immune response toward HPV infection. Additionally, proper HPV prevention school sessions should be delivered to ensure proper understanding of HPV-related health issues and encourage students to suffering from it to come forward and seek medical attention.

Who Should Attend the HPV Prevention Programs?

According to The American Cancer Society, boys and girls of the age of 11 to 12 years are at the ideal age for receiving the HPV vaccination. This is also the right age for them to get enrolled in the HPV prevention program. However, The American Cancer Society believes that vaccination can also be initiated or received at the age of 9.

Apart from young adults, HPV vaccination is suggested to:

  • Males and females of the age of 13-26, who have not received the vaccination or the full course of HPV.
  • 26-year-old or younger males, who are sexually active with other males.
  • Individuals, who have a weak immune system – if they have not been vaccinated previously.

Ideally, children of the age of 11 to 16 should participate in HPV prevention programs. The intervention should be focused on educating young adults about the causes and adverse effects of the HPV infection, how it can be treated and healed. The parameters of how the infection spreads and who is susceptible to its negative impact should also be explained.

How Does the Infection Spread?

Since most of the people experience HPV infection once in their lifetime, it is essential to deliver knowledge of how HPV spreads. Here are the common ways through which HPV infection spreads:

  • Skin-to-skin contact which occurs when in contact with an infected body part of the individual.
  • Sexual contact with an infected individual.

The infection doesn’t spread through food, swimming pools, or toilet seats.

4 Reasons to Implement HPV Prevention Program

Knowledge of both HPV prevention program and vaccination can help individuals, who do not have any sexual experience. Even people who are already sexually active or have suffered from HPV infection in the past can take precautions from preventing it in the future with vaccination. Though the vaccine and prevention program won’t help in alleviating the symptoms of an existing HPV infection, it can strengthen your immune system response to future HPV attacks.

We have listed out a few reasons why every school or educational authority should implement an HPV prevention program.

1. HPV Infection is Common

An HPV infection is extremely common. People, who have been in skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or have had sex with an infected individual can receive the virus easily. Most of the times, the infection will cure in due time and the individuals won’t even realize the presence of the virus. However, at other times, it leads to severe reactions or health issues such as vaginal, cervical, or vulvar cancer in women, penile cancer in men, and throat or anal cancer in both men and women.

2. Vaccination Can Prevent Infections

The vaccination for HPV was introduced more than 10 years ago. Since then, the occurrence of HPV infection has decreased in young adults to a great extent. Vaccination can boost our immune system to fight the infection and stop it from converting into a dangerous or fatal illness. HPV vaccination additionally helps in protecting the individual from meningitis, whooping cough, and other such illnesses.

3. Vaccination Can Prevent Cancer

In the US, HPV alone is the reason for over 33,700 cancer cases and vaccination can reduce the count by approximately 90%. In fact, the risk of all the types of cancers originating from the HPV virus can be reduced with HPV vaccination.

4. Long-Term Safety

The United States alone accounts for 100 million HPV vaccine doses. It decreases the risks of fatal HPV-related health problems and boosts the functioning of the immune system to fight infection. However, there are some side-effects of the vaccination, which should be explained to students during HPV prevention programs. This is necessary to ensure medical guidance in case any child suffers side-effects.

What Does Research Say?

A study or program carried out to spread awareness about human papillomavirus infection involved secondary school children of 16 years. In total, 832 students or young adults were invited to attend the intervention, of which 751 showed up. Of the 741 that completed the study or interview showed signs of improvement.

To all these students, nurses dispersed the knowledge regarding HPV infection, how it spreads, how it leads to cancer and other illnesses, and how it can be prevented. During these sessions, the students were also taught about the importance of using a condom for preventing HPV infection. As a result, significant improvement was seen in form of increased condom use with a new partner and many girls from the intervention group got vaccinated for enhanced protection against HPV.

In one of the research, 51 individual intervention studies were evaluated and divided into two groups- 31 environmental studies and 18 behavioral studies. The environmental studies were found to be more effective in increasing access to HPV vaccination. These studies reached a wider set of audience.

The behavioral studies were successful in a small community or group, where the preventive and safety measures were promoted along with knowledge on HPV vaccination.

Conclusion

To enable young adults and students to receive HPV vaccination and use preventive measures, proper educational intervention is required. Without the necessary knowledge, it is unlikely for young adults or teens to seek optimal prevention methods. Hence, school authorities can play a major role in implementing HPV prevention programs in order to promote safe sexual behavior and proper vaccination.

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The Many Benefits of Forming a Community Coalition
michaelJanuary 25, 2019comment (0)

The Many Benefits of Forming a Community Coalition

68 percent of young adults studying in the 12th grade have tried alcohol.

21.3 percent of 12th graders and 16.6 percent of the 10th-grade students have smoked marijuana in the last month.

Almost a quarter of high school students in the US use at least one type of illicit drug like opioid painkillers, Amphetamines, Vicodin, and many others.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), 2.14 million individuals over the age of 12 have been diagnosed with opioid abuse in 2016, which also includes 153,000 young adults between the ages of 12 and 17 years.

The rising numbers of teenage alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse is a growing concern of the country. Anti-drug community coalitions are being formed to face these issues and create drug-free neighborhoods and school districts.

What is a Community Coalition?

A coalition is a type of partnership or alliance between organizations or/and individuals to work together towards a common goal. When such alliances are formed among individuals belonging to a particular community to address the short and long-term concerns of that group, it is referred to as a community coalition. These community coalitions can be formed for various purposes, including anti-drug coalitions. Although all community coalitions are collaborative efforts, they can vary from one another in various ways in terms of procedures, purposes, and governance.

Community coalitions can often be formed to tackle a single issue like opioid abuse, drug abuse, or alcohol abuse in the neighborhood or school district. For example, concerned individuals of the community can come together to form strategies and apply them in the neighborhood to make it an anti-drug environment. However, to address this single issue and accomplish the set goals, the advocates of the community and other members in the coalition might need to address a number of associated issues like mental health, lack of life skills in members of the community, lack of quality mental support systems, lack of trauma care, proper guidance, and many more.

Throughout the US, anti-drug community coalitions are being formed and many have created a significant difference in the local communities. Local coalitions have and will continue to help many American communities face and respond to issues of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use among adults as well as teenagers. If the entire community, including the teachers, parents, law enforcement forces, corporates, faith communities, health care providers, political leaders, etc. come together, the neighborhood, as well as numerous lives will be transformed.

Benefits of Forming Anti-drug Community Coalitions

1. More Effective Actions:

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

As rightly said by the late Helen Keller, a well-formed anti-drug community coalition can exert much more power and influence than a single organization or an individual working towards the goal of preventing substance abuse. Moreover, the organizations and individual community members working within the purview of a structured coalition usually have access to more support, data, and resources than a single entity, to help them achieve the desired results efficiently.

2. Legitimate Claims:

Compared to individual efforts, when the power and influence of several prominent members of a community and different organizations come together for the fulfillment of a common goal, it attracts more attention to the coalition and by extension, to the goal that it is trying to achieve. As a result of which the overall coalition, as well as the individual members associated with the movement, greatly benefit from the increased visibility. A well-organized coalition not only carries more credibility but also has the power to attract useful alliances and ward off potential threats to the movement.

3. Access to Resources:

Forming a coalition and working within its structure presents the members with opportunities to access valuable resources, which otherwise would not have been available to individuals. Using the expertise, influence, and power of different members of the coalition will help pool resources to enhance the effectiveness of the strategies for drug prevention.

4. Improves the Community:

Community coalitions also improve the relationship between the individual members and/or organizations, who had never before had the opportunity to collaborate. Apart from fulfilling the short and long-term goals, such collaborations also strengthen the community as a whole. Working in a coalition establishes alliances that can continue to thrive and strengthen even after the coalition breaks down or ends.

Effective Anti-drug Community Coalition Strategies

  • Provide Information:

Providing pertinent information in an effective manner can help in achieving the desired results in the community. For example, educational anti-drug presentations, seminars, and workshops can be conducted in local schools to make young adults aware of the adverse effects of drug and alcohol abuse. Beyond the school premises, the community as a whole can also organize for meetings and forums at town halls, to address such addiction-related issues that are faced by both adults and children.

  • Offer Support:

One of the best strategies an anti-drug community coalition can undertake is to create opportunities for the people to seek out support from members of their community, which would not only reduce the risk of drug abuse but also enhance the sense of belonging in youngsters and teenagers. Support can be offered by organizing Narcotics or Alcoholics Anonymous support groups, youth clubs, parenting groups, and also referrals for such services.

  • Skill Training:

Seminars, workshops, and activities designed to enhance the skills of members and participants can help as an effective anti-drug campaign. Technical assistance, training, strategic planning, and retreats can help addicts stay busy and do something useful with their life. This will help them kick the addiction and lead a healthy lifestyle while also regaining their self-esteem.

In Conclusion:

A community coalition does not form in a single day. Therefore, the members of the community will need to sit down together on a regular basis and form a set of goals that all agree upon, before formulating the strategies. A well-organized and structured anti-drug community coalition can help create a drug-free environment for the youth to grow up in.

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Importance of School-Based Drug Prevention Programs to Stem Substance Abuse
michaelJanuary 14, 2019comment (0)

The Importance of School-Based Drug Prevention Programs to Stem Substance Abuse in Students

For decades, governments and private organizations have been creating campaigns to warn people about the dangers and consequences of substance abuse. Some of these campaigns and programs have been more successful than others. Furthermore, different campaigns and programs are designed keeping in mind a different type of audience. Substance abuse prevention programs designed for adults need to be different from those designed for children and young adults. Likewise, different prevention programs have been designed keeping in mind the ethnic background, financial status, and other attributes of the participants.

Prevention Programs for At-Risk Students

Teenagers and adolescents are part of the demographic that is most at risk of substance abuse. This is doubly true when it comes to children and teens, who hail from dysfunctional families or financially poorer communities. This is because individuals are impressionable and vulnerable to outside influences during their teenage years.

Without proper guidance, therefore, they are quite likely to resort to drug and alcohol abuse to deal with the stress and anxiety of day to day life. Children coming from broken or abusive homes are even more in danger of substance abuse because of the daily struggles that they have to live through on a regular basis.

The Need for School-Based Prevention Programs

Due to the above-mentioned reasons, schools and other educational institutions must organize drug prevention programs to stem substance abuse in at-risk students at the most nascent stages. School-based programs serve a number of important functions.

  • They provide a safe space for children and young adults to talk about their problems with their friends and peers.
  • They allow teachers and school administrators to identify at-risk children and take the necessary steps to help them avoid drug-related problems.
  • School-based programs allow for regular intervention and supervision of at-risk children, as kids spend a significant amount of time each day at school.

The need for a school-based drug prevention program arises because most children spend a significant number of their waking hours within school premises every day. Many of the children most in need of help do not have the required support system at home, as they either come from broken or dysfunctional families. Thus, the responsibility of providing them with guidance and helping them avoid self-destructive habits falls to their teachers, therapists, and school administrators.

When at school, children are ensconced within a safe space, away from the influence of toxic family members, drug-addicted peers, etc. At school, they are in the company of trusted teachers and friends. Thus, school is the best place where an effective drug prevention program can be launched to prevent drug-related experimentation in children.

Characteristics of a Good School-Based Drug Prevention Program

Drug abuse in teenagers is a pervasive problem faced by nations around the world. This phenomenon happens for a number of reasons and there is no single factor that can prevent it. However, there are certain things that most effective drug prevention programs have in common. Some of these have been listed below.

  • Connection: A good drug prevention program must make students feel connected to their teachers, instructors, friends, and peers. Students must feel a connection to the school as a whole. A child or an adolescent who believes that his teachers and friends care about him, his education, and his wellbeing, is less likely to resort to drugs and alcohol as a means of escape from his problems. This connection also encourages children to open up and speak their minds in class, which allows teachers to identify the at-risk students early on and take preventive steps to help them avoid addiction.
  • Health Education: In order to have maximum effectiveness, a drug prevention program must also provide health education that is in line with the National Health Education Standards. These are the expectations for what students must be taught so that they can help promote their own personal health, as well as that of their family and community. As part of the health education, children should be taught, in developmentally appropriate ways, the proper use of certain substances and about the laws (both local and national) concerning substance abuse. Part of this health education should involve the development of decision making and self-management skills in the participating students.
  • Teaching Resources: In order to get the message across, the teachers and instructors involved in the drug prevention program must make use of the world-class teaching resources at their disposal. Resources created by reputable and trusted organizations such as SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) and other associated establishment can be relied upon to provide favorable results for the instructors and the students alike. Some of the best teaching resources offer a full toolkit for teachers leading drug prevention programs at the school level. Such a toolkit may include lessons and material appropriate for every grade level, aligned with the National Health Education Standards.

In Conclusion

These are some of the things that you need to know about the need and efficacy of school-based drug prevention programs. You can learn more by visiting the website of a reputed company offering effective drug prevention programs for children, adolescents, and young adults.

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Key Life and Healthy Living Skills Children Must Be Taught At School
michaelJanuary 2, 2019comment (0)

Key Life and Healthy Living Skills Children Must Be Taught At School

“In a constantly changing environment, having life skills is an essential part of being able to meet the challenges of everyday life,” Macmillan Education.

The physical, intellectual, emotional, and social capabilities of adolescents are very high. Despite that, the children fail to utilize these capabilities to their maximum potential due to several reasons. Children face many issues such as poverty, bullying, depression, drug abuse, alcoholism, sexual abuse, and many more, that can inhibit their capability of learning core healthy living skills and can have an adverse effect on them.

In a data and technology-driven world, educators put most of the focus on developing a comprehensive STEM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum so that it can prepare the students for their courses and also help them pursue promising careers in the future. However, healthy living skills also play a major role in the overall development of a young adult.

Life skill education trains the students to make wise and good decisions and solve problems in their academic as well as professional lives. Therefore, it plays a critical role in the overall education and development of a child. Researchers have found that a quality life skills education program bridges the gap between a person’s capabilities and performance. This, in turn, helps the individual to meet the demands and needs of the society and his/her personal life.

What is Healthy Living Skills Education?

Life skills, or healthy living skills, can be considered as the building blocks that enable a student to apply the knowledge that he/she gained in school, to real-life situations and problems. Basically, life-skills training equips a student with the ability to approach an issue from different angles for finding a solution. Apart from practical problems solving skills, healthy life-skills education also teaches a young adult on how to communicate effectively with juniors, peers, and adults. Therefore, this knowledge is as important as academic knowledge, which is why all schools must introduce healthy life-skills education in their curriculum.

Life skills are not just restricted to impressing a potential employer or choosing what you want to major in. It goes well beyond that as it equips children to be independent thinkers and survivors. It helps them to socialize, make friends, and take practical decisions to resolve or escape any trouble or dangerous situations, even when teachers or parents are not around to intervene or help. Some examples of essential life-skills include:

Decision-Making Skills: In a comprehensive healthy life-skills education program, students learn how to assesses a risky situation and follow a systematic process of decision making in order to mitigate the danger or escape it altogether.

Drug Resistance Skills: It has been seen that most adolescent school students are pressurized into taking the drug by their peers in an attempt to “fit in” or be a part of the cool kids’ group. While learning drug resistance skills, the young adults are taught how to avoid, refuse, and leave a situation where they are being pressurized into using drugs or alcohol.

General Social Skills: In here the students learn how to communicate effectively in order to avoid misunderstandings, and also how to acquire help from their neighbors and community when needed.

Self-Management Skills: As we grow up, our anxiety and stress increase due to the various pressures of life. Young adults, who would have to step into such real-life situations in a few years, must be taught how to cope with and manage anxiety and stress, personal and professional challenges, and effectively manage their emotions. All of these fall within the purview of self-management.

Critical Thinking Skills: This is one of the most important life-skills all students must learn. Critical thinking skills help a person to go in depth and analyze a situation or impulse to determine its veracity and long-term consequences. This particular healthy living skill helps adolescents challenge common misconceptions regarding alcohol, drug, and tobacco use and how media portrays them to the consumers.

Benefits of Healthy Living Skills Education in School

Given that children spend a majority of their time at school for many years of their life, every school must introduce a healthy living skills program along with the regular academic curriculum. This training, over time, will help young adults develop sound decision-making skills along with good habits for long-term stability, success, and well-being.

Teachers can employ different activities that can be used to impart life-skills training to the students. Some of the activities that can be undertaken in the classroom are:

  • Brainstorming:
    This activity enables the students to think spontaneously and quickly to come up with ideas. Students must be presented with situations that demand them to think creative and out-of-the-box. Once the students present their ideas on how to manage a situation, the class as a whole can discuss the pros and cons of the solution, to make improvements and verify ­how viable it is.
  • Discussions:
    Classroom discussions help students to bond with each other and practice working together as a team to solve problems. This helps in students learning critical thinking skills, to thoroughly and independently analyze and understand a topic and its related issues.
  • Role Playing:
    Role playing is an activity that offers two benefits rolled into one. It is a fun activity for the students to partake in and an excellent way to practice the life-skills they learned in class. Role playing can help the students handle potential real-life situations, feel empathy for others, and get an in-depth look into their own feelings in a safe environment among peers and friends.

In Conclusion

Healthy life-skills education is a core component of a student’s overall education and holistic learning, as it helps them acquire reasoning and problem-solving abilities for real-world situations. To provide an adolescent with a well-rounded education, schools must incorporate quality life-skills training programs in the classes from a young age onwards.

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Role of Life Skills Training in Substance Abuse
michaelDecember 31, 2018comment (0)

The Role of Life Skills Training in Substance Abuse Prevention Programs

Substance abuse is one of the major societal problems currently affecting many communities, families, and individuals around the world. In 2013, over nine percent of the American population had used some type of illicit drug in the past month. The numbers have only increased over time, making this a serious societal crisis.

Teenagers and young adults are the most at risk of being lured into the world of drug and alcohol abuse, as they tend to be more carefree and thrill-seeking than an average adult. They also have relatively less life experience, which means that they are often unable to comprehend the negative consequences of drug use until it is too late.

An Overview of Substance Abuse

Moreover, the phenomenon of substance abuse is not limited to the use of hard drugs alone. The excessive use of addictive substances such as opioids, OTC drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana also falls within the ambit of substance abuse. This types of addiction can have a negative effect not only on the individual but also on their family, community, and social circle as a whole.

Tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, as well as opioids and stimulants of various kinds, can affect the mental and physical health of an individual. These substances, being highly addictive, can also ruin a person physically, emotionally, and financially. Due to these reasons, schools, colleges, health centers, and communities must work together to ensure that teenagers and young adults are made aware of the dangers of substance abuse, and its potential consequences, as soon as possible.

Substance Abuse Among Teenagers and Adolescents

Teenagers and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the allure of addictive substances for many reasons. Moreover, as the teenage brain is still developing, drug use can have long-term behavioral and cognitive effects on adolescents. As of 2017, 16.6 percent of 12th graders have engaged in binge drinking and more than 10 percent have used traditional tobacco products such as hookah and cigarettes.

Some of the reasons why adolescents are more likely to consume illicit or addictive substances have been listed below:

  • Curiosity: Being younger, adolescents typically have less life experience and therefore have a greater amount of curiosity and naivety. They are curious about the world and are eager to try new things. They are also relatively unaware of the potential negative consequences of addiction and its associated problems. This is one of the major reasons why they can be easily lured into trying drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and addictive substances.
  • Peer Pressure: Adolescents crave acceptance and camaraderie within their peer group and are therefore more susceptible to the effects of peer pressure than adults. As a result, they may try drugs or alcohol just to impress their friends or avoid rejection, even when they do not personally enjoy the experience. Therefore, adolescents, who are surrounded by addicts, are more likely to succumb to peer pressure and try drugs and alcohol themselves.
  • Stress: The world is full of potential sources of stress and many adolescents have not yet developed the coping mechanisms to deal with stress in a healthy and productive manner. Stress caused by studies, exams, school, and relationships can all drive adolescents to try and seek relief in the form of drugs, alcohol, opioids, etc. Therefore, youngsters must be taught early on to effectively manage their emotions, in order to avoid such an outcome.

Life Skills Training for Substance Abuse Prevention

The above-mentioned facts and figures are some of the reasons why life skills training are such an important part of any credible substance abuse prevention program. Children, adolescents, and young adults need to be taught the essential skills needed for dealing with the problems and adversities of life in a healthy and productive manner, without resorting to drugs and alcohol as a crutch in times of hardship. Thus, life skills training can go a long way in helping youngsters deal with the aforementioned issues while avoiding destructive behavior like substance abuse.

Some of the core life skills taught to students at a good substance abuse prevention program include:

  • Resistance: Adolescents and young adults need to be taught the necessary skills needed for resisting the efforts and encouragement of their peers to make them use addictive substances. They need to be taught how to avoid such situations where they are pressurized to consume drugs or alcohol. They must also learn how to deal with such situations if they do happen to be caught up in them for some reason, in the absence of an adult or teacher.
  • Decision making: Teenagers need to be taught how to make crucial decisions within a short period of time, under stressful and dangerous circumstances. They have to learn how to weigh the pros and cons of every available option before making the choice that will be the most beneficial for them in the long term. This skill will help them say no to drugs even when it offers an easy short-term solution to their problems.
  • Self-management: A good life skills training program must teach students how to manage feelings of stress, anxiety, loneliness, rejection, and alienation. Such feelings are not uncommon during the teenage years and may drive adolescents to consume drugs and alcohol if they are not properly managed and channeled in the right direction.
  • Social Communication: Social and effective communication skills are essential for communicating in an effective manner and avoiding unnecessary misunderstandings. Effective communication and social skills can also help at-risk adolescents seek the necessary support and help from their community, that they need to lead a healthy and addiction-free life. Youngsters can also use their communication skills to share their feelings of loneliness, stress, and isolation with friends and loved ones.

In Conclusion:

These are just some of the reasons why life skills training is an essential part of most substance abuse prevention programs. Teachers and counselors must understand the role played by life skills training programs, in order to use them for the benefit of the students.

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