Essay Sample on Indiana Teens: Substance Abuse & Mental Health Risk

Introduction

The drug and alcohol problem in Indiana is a constant problem with about 10 percent of teenagers in the State reporting use of alcohol, marijuana, heroin, prescription painkillers, or cocaine (Balio & Greene, 2017). While the drug problem recorded a significant decline in recent years, cases of alcohol abuse have increased. A positive correlation has been established between substance use and mental health problems. The most affected groups in the drug and alcohol problem are teenagers and young adults, most of whom may not be prepared to handle their mental health issues and may drown in drugs which could have community-wide effects. Over the years, the problem has been inherited and passed on from one generation to the next, with later generations getting introduced to alcohol and drugs at an early age. Since parents play a significant role in the formative year of the child, the curriculum alone is incapable of warning children on the dangers of alcohol and drug use.

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What Is the History of the Problem in the United States

Alcohol production is part of the history of Indiana. As early as the 1800s, the state had put up laws on alcohol. In 1919, it passed prohibition laws against alcohol and was an active supporter of Prohibition in the 1920s (Balio & Greene, 2017). However, this approach became counterproductive not only in the state but the nation as a whole. The positive gains achieved at the start of the restrictions backfired, and alcohol continues to be a social challenge to date. As regards drug use, the 1970s and 1980s saw the introduction of drug culture in Indiana. The drug trade has remained immune to legal restrictions. Social problems including crime, deaths, and mental health issues have continued to increase over the years.

The many years of struggle with the problem imply that it has acquired a generational perspective. Family history remains one of the leading causes of alcohol and drug addiction among young people. In addition to a history of drug use, the lack of family involvement in preventing alcohol and substance use among children makes it continue. The criminal justice system, while putting punitive measures against drug users and traders, does not provide a holistic rehabilitation program for ensuring full recovery which would trickle down to other users.

What Are the Various Theories About the Causes of the Problem?

To understand the causes of the drug and alcohol challenge requires the consideration of the failed attempts to regulate their use. Individuals, families, and communities have been unable to acknowledge the need for a shared approach against alcohol and drug use (Balio & Greene, 2017). The failure of the Prohibition laws can be attributed to the lack of willingness by the community to be proactive about the problem. Additionally, sustained drug trade indicates the failure of the community to participate in policing and the inability of the police to genuinely coordinate with the community. At the individual level, the leading causes of alcohol and substance use include a family history of drug use, peer pressure, lack of involvement by the family, drug and alcohol use at an early age, and availability of addictive drugs to young people.

Lack of community-wide approach in the fight against drug and substance use is another cause for the recurrence of the problem. Whereas there exist policies that target to rehabilitate and prevent young people from accessing drugs and alcohols at an early age, formal frameworks for achieving this goal are lacking (Choice Recovery, 2019). In addition to this lack of a community-wide structure that involves the various stakeholders, the school curriculum does not stress the dangers of these drugs and their association with mental health problems. This problem is partly because, at an early age, parental involvement is critical but appears to be lacking.

References

Balio, C., & Greene, M. S. (2017). Substance Abuse Trends in Indiana: A 10-Year Perspective. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.iupui.edu/bitstream/handle/1805/16578/Substance%20Abuse%20Trends%20in%20Indiana%20-%20A%2010-Year%20Perspective%202017.pdf?sequence=1

Choice Recovery. (2019). Drug and Alcohol Problems in Indiana and the United States. Retrieved from https://crehab.org/addiction/indianas-drug-and-alcohol-problems/