Substance Abuse Treatment & Prevention

Substance abuse is a major social problem in the United States, and a costly one. Many adults however, see the use of illegal and destructive drugs among youth as little more than a rite of passage. One major job of prevention initiatives is to educate the masses on both the destructiveness of some controlled substances, plus the truth about how many teens and young adults actually use them. The substance abuse treatment process, which deals with people who already have drug problems, also deals with prevention education as it relates to relapse prevention; however, the best solution to the drug problem is still to prevent drug abuse from occurring in the first place.

Risk & Protective Factors

• Risk factors are those that place youth at high risk of developing substance abuse problems later in life, while protective factors are those that reduce that same risk. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that research has shown both risk and protective factors to be sensitive to particular stages of development. For instance, aggressive behavior is a common risk factor for elementary school children, but it can be altered through family, school, and community interventions (protective factors) that work to develop positive and constructive habits in the youth before substance abuse occurs.

Traditional Methods of Prevention

• Traditional methods of prevention, which include fear tactics, large group assembly school meetings, self-esteem building, values clarification, and simply providing information about drugs and their effects, have been found to be ineffective, according to the ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education, in Washington, D.C. While other prevention approaches have been more successful, it is important to understand that no one prevention strategy or technique is going to work for all people. Prevention strategies must be as diversified as the populations whom they serve.

Normative Education

• Many young people, and adults, believe that the majority of youth abuse drugs. Normative education prevention strategies help teach young people, and their parents, that most young people do not use drugs. Normative education addresses the misconception that most young people use drugs, through use of student surveys and opinion polls, many of which are available via the Internet. Such strategies are effective in teaching young people who do not wish to experiment with drugs that the behavior is not necessary in order to fit in with most groups of their peers.

Drug Refusal Skills

• A popular prevention strategy within many prevention groups is the development of drug refusal skills for young people who lack assertive social skills. These groups involve the selection of one group member to role play himself, while others role play friends, family, or acquaintances who attempt to persuade the drug refusal person to abuse or experiment with drugs or alcohol. The drug refusal person obtains experience in saying no to drugs, as well as suggestions from the group leader of effective ways to refuse drugs from his or her peers. It is worth mentioning that this technique is not affective for young people who desire to use drugs for social or physical reasons.

Relapse Prevention Skills

• Relapse Prevention Skills Training is training provided for individuals who already have substance abuse issues or addictions. These skills teach alcoholics and addicts how to avoid relapse through appropriate dealing with cravings, old using friends, drug use environments, and other drug use associations that might cause the recovering individual to be vulnerable to relapse tendencies. Relapse Skills Training Groups help former drug abusers learn how to avoid "old playmates and playgrounds," while allowing them to learn, and role play, methods of dealing with drug associations that cannot be avoided.