Substance Abuse among Students - Report Example

Substance Abuse Among Introduction The fight against drugs and substance abuse has existed for decades. In fact, analysts argue that the fight has caused a controversy among policy-makers, governments, and individuals. It is due to the inability to bring to an end this vice that it has been passed to students. A scholar, RD Lennox, in his publication depicted that the dream to end drug abuse might be unrealizable. He further asserts that to school students, it is rendering the affected students less academically and economically productive. According to Perkinson (2003), drug abuse is the act of using illicit, prescribed, or over-the-counter drugs for functions contrary to purpose indicated or quantities other than prescribed. Drug abuse also means inappropriate consumption of drugs. Substance abuse on the other hand is the mode of using drugs for mood change or mood altering functions. In this paper, we review factors that trigger or lure students into drug abuse. What measures to undertake for an addict to cope up or stop substance abuse and policies to implement in order to inhibit drug and alcohol abuse in colleges. In short, the extent of alcohol and drug abuse is extensive in colleges. Alcohol and drug abuse, and the college student Drug and alcohol abuse in colleges is pervasive and more destructive to college students than the much people think. Parents and the society tend to enlighten their children on dangers of alcohol and drug abuse without further follow up, forgetting the numerous things that trigger college students into alcohol and drug abuse. They include; peer pressure, availability of drugs among the students, curiosity, stress related purposes, and lack of adequate information on hazards of drug abuse. Other issues that influence drinking habits among students are external factors like messages in the media, community believes and attitudes, institutional as well as economic. Most students who end up abusing drugs while in college have different concepts about them. They at times tend to ignore facts and believe in what they actually do not know only for them to live to experience the side effects. One of the growing trends of alcohol and drug abuse is the prescription drug abuse. College students are consuming these drugs in order to “get high”. They claim it helps them during cramming for exams for which it never happens as facts differ with that believe. They also say that it is a self-medicate for anxiety or depression. At some degree, this might be applicable since no one can feel depressed while he is high. Nevertheless, after getting back to their normal senses, students experience the same depression they try to evade. Those who engage in sports claim that it boosts their stamina not putting into consideration their side effects that may be notable after using them for sometime. Challenges of alcohol and drug abuse to college students Alcohol and drug abuse in college is as deplorable as a killer disease in the society as fact-findings report that, challenges of alcohol drinking are rampant and recurrent among college students. Alcohol drinking alone, results to not less than 1,400 deaths of students per annum. It also causes approximately 500,000 injuries that are not intentional per year. If alcohol consumption alone cause all that damage, how about those other incidents that go unreported due to abuse of other drugs! These incidents take place because college students drink and drive hence the possibility of an accident to occur is high. Alcohol consumption in colleges leads to poor academic performance, medical related issues, and legal problems just to mention a few (Perkinson, 2003). Other students who do not drink together with the surrounding population in general also face alcohol-related outcomes. For instance, the rate of crime increases, traffic woes prevails, sexual molestation and cases of rape increases, and property destruction. Alcohol and drug abuse challenges are also prevalent in other forms. College students drink alcohol in hazardous environments that may cause general harm to either their bodies or grades. Those who drink believing that they will cram hard and pass exams, only live to witness their dreams shuddered when ugly grades come knocking in their desks. This culture is a challenge to both the abusers and tutors. Some heavy college drunkards believe that, those students who are high-risk drinkers while in college reduce drinking after studies. However, others continue consuming it excessively leading them to alcoholism and other problems like chronic alcohol abuse (Craig, L., 2005). Keys to surviving drug abuse while in college Colleges and the nation at large are on their toes in order to launch keys or forms, strategies, and forums to successfully-address ways on how college students can survive alcohol and drug abuse while in campus. Before the move, tutors and ambassadors of change conducted necessary patterns that would help determine how students consume drugs. Analysis shown that most students drink while outside the school compound and at their common hangouts. In order for colleges to achieve profound victory in this battle, they should set the concrete strategies to endorse students who are already addicted to cope up with the habit. Evidently, drug abuse strategies previously set to effectively-curb substance abuse among college students are incomplete. Nevertheless, counselors urge addicts in colleges to-primarily accept that they have a substance abuse problem. They put across that; acceptance brings out the inner self that acts as the foundation for in cooperating value for change. Furthermore, relevant tutors, during counseling suggest that addicts should consider the importance of a college life without behaviors associated with alcohol and drug abuse. Discussions are taking place in view of effectively, help live and change addictive life. The scope of the discussion relies heavily on resolving drug abuse issues among college students. Counselors project long-term solutions for such a problem aiming at creating an alcohol and drug abuse free society hence the financial and time effort spent can be utilized in other projects. Getting help on Campus Campaigns to assist or help alcohol and drug abusers in college to quit are no optional. First, achieving dream of helping students quit drug abuse, college administrators and support staff should fight to stop alcohol consumption among students and drug peddling within colleges. Tutors and counselors should introduce traditional measures that focused on individuals. Although viewed intimidating to students, they intervene and provide vital education on alcohol and drug abuse. This enables students to resist peer pressure and opt to report those who break the law since individualism has more control and direct intensity than any other form of interaction (Karch, S. 2007). The individually related concepts help complement change and resolve to form long-term reductions in alcohol and drug abuse related issues. In addition, addicts receive treatments and intervention programs designed to target addicts at their highest hazard clinically identified as dependent on certain drugs like alcohol. This individual program is however unlikely to achieve sizeable volume of alcohol consumers and drug abusers hence its effectiveness limited to only a segment of population in contact with the service provider. Researchers claim that, drinking pattern of general population is not a reflection of addiction, but rather a psychopathological behavior. It results from social norms concerning drug abuse in our community and social policies. Students in campus, however, need not to ignore or assume information on hazards of drug abuse as if change is to be, seen concerted efforts of both the students and counselors. Conclusion In conclusion, alcohol and drug abuse among college students is proving a hard nut to crack. Luckily, the society is also playing a huge role in ensuring that college drinking and drug abuse is ending. Ideally, lecturers should establish severe means of punishing such offenders even if it calls for total expulsion. Restrict drug entry and into the campus and prohibit alcohol use within school and in public places as well. References Craig, L. and Wayne H. (2005). Ethical challenges in drug epidemiology: issues, principles, and guidelines. Panama: United Nations Publications. Karch, S. ( 2007). Drug abuse handbook. Florida: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis. Perkinson, R. (2003). The Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Patient Workbook. Austin: SAGE. Read More