Substance Abuse Rising: Adolescence & Young Adulthood at Risk - Essay Sample

Introduction

Substance abuse is significantly rising globally, and Canada is no exception. Adolescence and young adulthood is a phase of biological and psychosocial development. The experimentation with drugs often begins during adolescence. For some, the abuse is experimental, while others, it leads to harmful implications such as adverse health effects. In some cases, there is overdose, which results from the excessive use of illicit substances. Overdoes can either be temporary discomforts such as hangover or severe overdoses such as permanent brain damage or death. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2018) conducted surveys that indicated that drug abuse is more prevalent among young people as compared to older people ("Drugs and Age," 2018). The reports suggest that the peak level of drug abuse occurs among youths aged between 18 years and 25 years.

Background Information

Adolescence is a fundamental life stage when there is the establishment of lifelong behaviors. During this phase, there is an increase in experimentation with substance use. From the community health nursing perspective, it is essential to examine the issue of substance abuse among adolescents in Canada. It is reported that an estimated 25% of the youth in Canada in the seven grades to twelve grades have participated in high-risk drinking (Tam, 2018). The last five years have seen the hospitalization of youths between the ages of 14 to 24 years with opioid-related issues (Tam, 2018). The majority of the adolescents who abuse substances point out that they do it to feel good while others what to feel sociable. Others indicate that substance use helps them relieve stress and deal with adverse situations. The issue of substance abuse among adolescents cannot be attributed to a single cause but a myriad of factors such as family and peer relationships, social factors, experiences of abuse and trauma, availability of drugs, and marketing of psychoactive substances, among others (Tam, 2018). The substances that are mostly abused by teenagers include alcohol, cannabis, and opioids, among others.

Target Audience

The section of the population that will receive substance abuse and overdose education is the high school students. In Canada, these include students receiving secondary school education and usually aged between 12 and 18 years and in grades 7 to 12. The phase of life development is marked by the establishment of lifelong behaviors. It is characterized by an increased need to experiment with substance abuse, and the result is harmful to self and others (Tam, 2018). A study was conducted by the Centre for Addiction, and Mental Health in 2007, referred to as the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey provides some insights on substance abuse among the population in grades 7-12. It reports that 64.7% of the population had experimented with alcohol, 29.9% with cannabis, 4.3% with cocaine, and 4% with other substances such as methamphetamine and heroin (Leslie, 2008). Also, a study by the United Nations Children's Fund indicated that Canadian adolescents had the highest rate of cannabis abuse among the 29 developed countries. It reported that approximately 28% of the adolescents had used cannabis at least once yearly (Spithoff & Kahan, 2014). The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that youths in the street are eleven times more life to overdose. Substance abuse is a critical threat to the health and wellbeing of adolescents in Canada and the rest of the world. It is, therefore, essential to provide awareness to the target population about substance abuse and overdose. It includes substance abuse and overdose prevention and how to reduce the health implications of substance abuse.

Current Prevalence

The prevalence of substance abuse among adolescents in Canada has been on the rise. The pattern of abuse has been predicted by many factors that are continually changing. In the late 1990s, alcohol followed by tobacco and cannabis is the drug abused most by high school students between the age of 12 and 19 years (Roberts et al., 2001). It was reported that one in every three students used these substances. The fourth substance abused was hallucinogens and used by 9% and 14% of the students (Roberts et al., 2001). Other substances such as inhalants were less used by Canadian students, with 5% and 10% being reported.

Statistics indicate that the prevalence of illicit substance use among youths aged between 15 to 24 years in Canada has reduced between 2004 and 2014 from 37% to 26% ("Evaluation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy", 2018). However, the extent of drug abuse is still great for the youth compared to adults. A study by the United Nations in 2013 indicated that Canadian youths had 28% cannabis use prevalence among the developed economies. It is also one of the only six nations with Cannabis use rates above 20% among the youths ("Evaluation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy", 2018). It is indicated that the prevalence of substance abuse is relatively high among the street and indigenous youths. A 2015 study conducted by Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs Survey indicated that cannabis use is more than 2.5 times higher in adolescents between the age of 15 and 19 years compared to those between the 20 to 24 years ("Evaluation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy", 2018). The use of cocaine, heroin, speed, ecstasy, or hallucinogens is five to nine times higher among age 15 to 19 years compared to those between 20 and 24 years ("Evaluation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy", 2018). The prevalence of cannabis use is at 19% for grade 7 to 12 students.

The Magnitude of the Problem

The neglect of the substance abuse problem as a public health issue can lead to severe consequences in the community. For instance, there is increased stigma and discrimination linked to illicit drug use. The population affected by poverty and homelessness is highly stigmatized due to the multiple intersecting factors in the community ("Evaluation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy", 2018). The stigma and discrimination linked to drug abuse can potentially affect the ability of an individual to access health care services. The ultimate result is negative implications on an individual's health and wellbeing. The Problem of substance abuse also has social costs implications. A report conducted by Justice Canada indicated that yearly social and economic costs of substance abuse in Canada were approximately $8.6 billion in 2008 ("Evaluation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy", 2018). These included $5.3 billion in productivity losses, $1.3 billion in direct health care costs, and $2 billion in justice-related expenses.

Risk Factors

An intersection of factors increases the risks of adolescents or young adults to the Problem of substance abuse. The individual lives within society and affected by family and community relationships. The factors are determined through life experiences. For instance, adolescents experience peer pressure, which might prompt them to experiment. There is also a factor such as a strong parent-child bond that potentially reduces the risks of exposure and builds resilience (Tam, 2018). The risk factors can also be examined from the societal context in Canada. They include inequalities that are determinants of health such as poverty and affordable housing, which increase the possibility of adolescents indulging in substance abuse. It is also reported that adolescents from indigenous communities in Canada are more susceptible to substance abuse due to intergenerational trauma emerging from the eradication of culture and reduction of traditional family stability (Tam, 2018).

Teaching Strategies

There will be the utilization of two teaching strategies to impart knowledge to the adolescent group on the increasing prevalence of substance abuse, risk factors, and prevention measures. These include the use of group discussions and audiovisual means such as PowerPoint and recorded videos. The best way to interact with this population in an organized way is by visiting different schools in the country. Teaching will involve three stages. First, there will be discussions among the peers on what they about substance abuse and overdose. Secondly, there will be a presentation of PowerPoint and videos on the prevalence of substance abuse, implications, and prevention interventions. Third, there will be another group discussion that will seek to summarize their understanding of the Problem of substance abuse, risk factors, and consequences. It will, therefore, be possible to impart knowledge to the adolescent population, which can potentially reduce the prevalence of drug abuse. The information used in videos and the PowerPoint slides is collected from government agencies and other credible studies.

Evaluation

Evaluation is critical to essential that the information provided has been internalized. After the group discussion, videos, and PowerPoint presentation, I will engage the students with a simple oral question-answer assessment. It will be valuable in assessing their understanding and will also help in brainstorming about the issue of substance abuse and overdose. There will also be an opportunity for sharing experiences with substance abuse, and discussion of possible evidence-based interventions in the community.

References

Drugs and Age: Drugs and associated issues among young people and older people. (2018, June). Retrieved May 29, 2020, from https://www.unodc.org/wdr2018/prelaunch/WDR18_Booklet_4_YOUTH.pdf

Evaluation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy. (2018, April 27). Retrieved May 29, 2020, from https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cp-pm/eval/rep-rap/2018/nads-sna/p4.html

Leslie, K. (2008). Youth substance use and abuse: challenges and strategies for identification and intervention. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 178(2), 145–148. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.071410

Roberts, G., McCall, D., Stevens-Lavigne, A., Anderson, J., Paglia, A., Bollenbach, S., … Gliksman, L. (2001, January 3). Preventing Substance Use Problems among Young People: A Compendium of Best Practices. Retrieved May 29, 2020, from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-concerns/reports-publications/alcohol-drug-prevention/preventing-substance-use-problems-among-young-people-best-practices.html

Spithoff, S., & Kahan, M. (2014). Cannabis and Canadian youth: Evidence, not ideology. Can Fam Physician, 60(9), 785–787. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4162686/