Essay on Substance Misuse: Women at Higher Risk for SUD & Health Complications

Introduction

Misuse of substances and abuse of drugs is mainly influenced by economic and social-cultural conditions (Association of Women's Health, 2020). Substance misuse primarily results in Substance use disorders (SUD), a chronic relapsing disease with unique risks, especially on women. The biological, social, and psychological factors of women make the experience more significant risk for SUD compared to men. The women with SUD have a higher risk of experiencing long-term health complications. On the other hand, availability, and exposure to alcohol, especially on children, has led to health issues. Mothers should ensure they abstain from substance abuse, especially when they are pregnant. More so, they should not expose children to alcohol.

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SUD Implications

SUD has implications, especially in pregnant women, for instance, exposure to violence and lack of prenatal care. There are multiple legal implications for substance use, which vary depending on the state. For example, according to the District of Colombia, healthcare providers are expected to report any suspected prenatal use of a substance (Association of Women's Health, 2020). Other measures include the threat of arrest and prosecution to pregnant mothers and threats with criminal penalties. Nurses should ensure respectful, equitable, and nonjudgmental care to every person. They should be competent in screening approaches to identify legal and illegal substance abuse, especially in pregnant women.

Effects of Increased Alcohol Availability

According to various evidence, exposure to alcohol through a reduction in minimum ages leads to increased risks of alcohol use disorders, binge drinking disability pension, among other complications. Research has also indicated that having a lower legal minimum age for consumption of alcohol results in a rise in cases of preterm birth and fetal losses. However, according to Thern et al., (2018), concerning the long-term health consequences of alcohol exposure, there was no significant risk of alcohol-related health issues to exposed children compared to those that are exposed. However, the findings indicated that there is an exposed risk of alcohol-related problems on the children of young mothers.

Policy Recommendations

Policy implementation at the institution level is necessary for any organization. The decisions should be governed by goals that are centered on the welfare of the patients. Institutions should commit to health care as the primary function. There is a need for community-based treatment of substance use to increase the accessibility and more therapy to women with SUD. The criminal justice system should be used to control substance abuse across the states. More so, the federal policy that ensures funding to community-based treatment and screening for the mothers is very crucial. The national policies that advocate for further research for the prevention of substance abuse among pregnant women are essential.

Conclusion

Abuse of both legal and illegal substances lead to multiple problems, especially on women. Children are also at risk of abusing drugs when their mothers expose them to those substances. Therefore, parents should be cautious when it comes to taking either legal or illegal drugs. More so, both the federal government and the healthcare institutions should ensure that public awareness on problems related to substance abuse is done widely. Any cases of pregnant mothers abusing substances should be reported so that they can be prosecuted. The screening to expectant mothers should also be prioritized in any hospitals or healthcare organizations. More so, any parent exposing the child to the drug should be arrested and prosecuted.

References

Association of Women's Health, O. (2020). Optimizing outcomes for women with substance use disorders in pregnancy and the postpartum period. - PubMed - NCBI. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 4 April 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31590725.

Thern, E., Carslake, D., Davey Smith, G., Tynelius, P., & Rasmussen, F. (2018). The effect of increased alcohol availability on alcohol-related health problems up to the age of 42 among children exposed in utero: a natural experiment. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 53(1), 104-111.Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29053772