Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use - Research Proposal Example

DRUG ABUSE Student’s Name Institution Introduction Hay, et al, 2004 argues that there are numerous contributing factors for teenagers to engage in drug and substance abuse. This research seeks to identify and discuss the key issues driving teenagers to get involved in substance abuse around Scotland. The ethic, moral and cultural beliefs will be assessed to identify how they can impact teenagers in their engagement in substance abuse. Consequently, the government policies will be addressed, and whether the implemented policies in Scotland are effective and efficient. It will also discuss the role of health and social workers in fighting drug and substance abuse among teenagers. Related academic literature books, journals, and sources from the internet will be used to support the information provided. Rationale According to the survey conducted by Scottish Executive, 2004, use of cannabis and alcohol consumption by teenagers registers the highest percentage. For instance 23% of teenage Scots at the age of 13 and 14 years and 58% at the age of 15-17 years engage in alcohol consumption on a weekly basis. On the other hand, one out of ten in every 13 year old has participated in the use of cannabis while 31% of the youth between the ages of 15-17 years reported to have used cannabis in the past year (Alcohol Concern, 2006; Scottish Executive, 2004, 2005; WHO, 2004). The underlying principle for carrying out this research is due to the fact that young people in Scotland make up the highest percentage of healthy citizens in the country. However, there are also an increased number of teenagers engaging in substance abuse in recent years. According to the survey carried out by Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use (SALSUS), most teenagers who are involved in substance abuse, are assumed to come from families that have members with a history of alcohol and drug abuse. Data collected by SALSUS, indicate that most parents are unaware of the risks their teenage children are exposed to when it comes to substance abuse. SALSUS is an organization that was established and is funded by the government to monitor drug and substance abuse among young people. The organization studies how health, social factors and lifestyle of individuals contribute to substance and drug abuse among young people. The organization’s main aim is to conduct a survey on smoking, drinking, and drug use among young people after every four years that will assist in fighting the war against drug and substance abuse among young people. Aim: This project aims to examine the reason why young people aged 11  to 17 indulge in drug misuse and effectiveness of the current government policy in reducing drug misuse among this age group in Scotland. Objectives: There are three main objectives that this project seeks to achieve. These objectives are as follows: To investigate the prevalence of drug misuse among young people aged 11 - 17 years in Scotland to identify factors leading to the increased use of such drugs among this age group To explore the health effects of drug misuse among this age group, including the psychological, social and economic impact To identify government policies and legislations aimed to preventing drug misuse among this age group in Scotland and to critically analyse their effectiveness Inclusion and Exclusion Data collected and used in this research are based on information from reliable source. The information compiled is gathered from studies by the University of Glasgow. The Centre for Drug Misuse Research, University of Glasgow, and SALSUS, have been used to gather information on the prevalence of drug and substance abuse in Scotland. Key words such as ‘drug misuse’ and ‘how to prevent drug misuse’ have been used to search for related journal articles around the web. Additionally, websites such as The Scottish Public Health Observatory, has been used to provide an in depth analysis and evaluation of the nature of drug abuse among young people. This research incorporated information that was only gathered between the years 2003 to 2014. Nonetheless, the research did not involve any information from blogs, Wikipedia or yahoo answers. This is due to the fragile nature of the information provided on these platforms which can be altered by anyone at any given time. Consequently the information shared on these online platforms is unreliable since it solely relies on a person’s opinion as opposed to the facts at hand. Ethical considerations The multicultural and diversity nature in the modern day Scotland has brought hundreds of people together. This amalgamation of people has led to the interaction of people with different beliefs, values and religion (Zador et al., 2007). Therefore the treatment of drug and substance abuse in Scotland focuses on cultural and ethical sensitive options. Additionally, the General Register Office of Scotland, states that the major groups living in Scotland from south Asia reported low levels of drug and substance abuse due to their religious and cultural beliefs. Ethnicity and religion is a relevant aspect in understanding the issue of drug and substance abuse. Drug and substance abuse among teenagers According to a survey done by Borham and Shaw (2006), among the 2318 teenagers interviewed between the age of 13-17years in Glasgow and Newcastle, 30% of them reported to have been exposed to substance and drug abuse. On the other hand 3.9% of them had actually indulged in the use of illegal drugs. Both cities marked the use of cannabis as the most abused drug among teenagers followed by heroin, cocaine and LSD (National Records of Scotland, 2013). However, The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, 2013, noted that there was a slight difference in the number of teenagers taking drugs in the two cities. The research found that 60 of the teenagers in the survey project who indulged in the use of heroin came from Glasgow city while those from Newcastle were 34 of them. 5.1% of the teenagers from Glasgow confessed to have participated in drug abuse in the past while 1.7% of them reported to be indulging in drugs in recent times. Newcastle however registered a slight difference whereby 2.7% of the teenagers had past use of drugs while 1.3% had recently indulged in drug abuse. 28.7% of these teenagers admitted to be environments whereby the use of drug was prevalent while 9.2% had actually been offered drugs (McIntosh et al., 2004b). Moreover 3.9% of them confessed to have experimented with drugs in the past whereas 1.5% of them had recently been involved in drug abuse. Table one below shows the prevalence nature of drugs among teenagers in the two cities. Table 1. Legal and illegal drug use among preteens (Glasgow and Newcastle) Drug N Past use n (%) Last month use n (%) Alcohol 2267 1377 (60.7) 476 (21.0) Smoking 2257 554 (24.5) 38 (1.7) Solvents 2318 38 (1.6) 19 (0.8) Cannabis 2318 76 (3.3) 28 (1.2) Magic mushrooms 2318 4 (0.2) 3 (0.1) Temazepam 2318 6 (0.3) 2 (0.1) Amphetamines 2318 6 (0.3) 2 (0.1) LSD 2318 7 (0.3) 6 (0.3) Ecstasy 2318 9 (0.4) 2 (0.1) Temgesic 2318 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) Cocaine 2318 5 (0.2) 2 (0.1) Heroin 2318 9 (0.4) 4 (0.2) Any illegal drug 91 (3.9) 34 (1.5) (Mckeganey, et al, 2005a) Factors associated with drug use among teenagers Parental influence Researches show that 39% of the youths in Scotland have been exposed to drugs whereas 3.9% of them have actually started using drugs. In addition to this, Hammersley (2008) affirms that once a young person starts taking drugs as a teenager high chances are that this person will suffer long term effects as a result of drug abuse. Family impacts on drug abuse among teenagers continue to play a crucial part. This can be in terms of neglect by parents or history of a family member having a past drug issue. Moreover 5% of children living with dysfunctional families, have low parental supervision or are living with step parents are associated with drug and substance abuse (McKeganey, Barnard & McIntosh, 2005b). 4% of the 13-14 year olds and 14% of the 15-17 years old reported to have indulged in drug abuse due to living with parents that are abusive and have a bad drinking problem. According to Mounteney, et al, (2012), unreasonable drinking habits among parents create a bad environment for teenagers to grow in, hence pushing them in engaging in illicit drugs and substance abuse. In addition to this, government policies also play a significant role in substance and drug abuse among teenagers. For instance the use of illicit drugs such as cannabis is enjoyed in both public and private settings although it is highly disregarded in many social settings. Table two below shows the trends in substance abuse among teenagers from dysfunctional families. Table 2. Illegal drug use and family structure Family structure Past use n (%) No use n (%) Biological parents 30 (4.0) 721 (96.0) Step family 12 (9.5) 114 (90.5) One parent 15 (4.9) 291 (95.1) (McKaganey, 2004c) Peer pressure among adolescents. About 46% percent of the teenagers approached by their friends to take drugs, 14% of them gave in and started taking drugs (Scottish Executive, 2005). Most of these teenagers, feel the need to please their friends and be viewed as ‘cool’ hence will start taking drugs as a result. Bradby (2003) argues that among the Asian community in Scotland, there are low levels of smoking and drinking among the youths particularly among girls. Moreover there is some religious affiliation that is associated with drug and substance abuse among young children. Research showed that 13-17 year old teenagers in the Asian community reported the least amount of indulgence in drugs as opposed to non Asians. 74% of the male and 81% teenagers attributed their abstinence behavior to their commitment to religion (WHO, 2004). Furthermore, cultural practices and behavior among young people also play a significant role in substance and drug abuse (Bhopal, 2004). For instance those teenagers who believe in the Rastafarian culture tend to think it is normal to indulge in smoking of weed. Therefore it is quite hard for such a teenager to divert from such a behavior. National policies on drug and substance abuse The government of Scotland estimates that between the years 2011 and 2012 there has been a slight decrease in the number of young people indulging in drug and substance abuse. With only 19.3% of young people abusing drugs and alcohol, the government aims at reducing the number of youths engaging in substance abuse and increases the number of people recovering (King, et al, 2004). The government is preventing young people from becoming drug addicts by banning the public use of certain substances by adults. Thus reducing the percentage of young people exposed to drug and substance abuse. Additionally the government has introduced curriculum activities in the school system that educates teenagers on drug and substance abuse. Head teachers have also been granted the power to take action against pupils who engage in drug and substance abuse. These policies and programs have been effective among young people as they create awareness on the dangers of drug and substance abuse. The government is also funding support systems that assist young people to recover from being drug users (Bird, 2010). The health care system and social works department in Scotland, seeks to identify the main cause for substance abuse among young people. The health care system, has established policies that assist teenagers in the recovery process from substance abuse. This department has advocated for the ban of selling cheap liquor that is easily accessible among young people. According to Wlliams (2009) this policy together with The Alcohol Minimum Pricing Scotland Act 2012 has paved way for the introduction of a more preferable minimum price for alcohol. Local councils in conjunction with public health workers, provide accessible information to teenagers on how to go about when tempted to abuse drugs. Health and social policies also offer counseling services to these individuals and educate them as a means to create awareness on the dangers of drug and substance abuse. The health care system has also established organizations such as SALSUS, which provide predictive literature that help social workers with effective strategies to manage and fight drug and substance abuse among teenagers (Currie, et al, 2003). Conclusion and Recommendations Although there is an increased amount of young people engaging in drug and substance abuse in Scotland, the most abused drugs happens to be alcohol and cannabis. This report shows that up to 5% of teenagers in Scotland are engaged in drug and substance abuse. Moreover, the drug and substance abuse among young people is mainly as a result of cultural influence and lack of proper parenting and monitoring. Additionally the level of drug abuse among young people in this decade is quite rampant as compared to previous decades. Young people are now more exposed and can easily access drugs if they need to. Scotland has been identified as one of the countries around Europe with the highest number of teenagers abusing drugs. Thus there is need for the government and the ministry of health to conduct campaigns that will create awareness and fight drug and substance abuse among teenagers (European Monitoring Centre for drugs and drug addicts, 2013). References Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). (2011). Hidden harm: Report on the children of drug users. Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. London: Home Office Bhopal, R. (2004). Glossary of terms relating to ethnicity and race: for reflection and debate, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 58: 441-445. Bird, S. (2010). ‘Banned drug may have saved lives, not cost them’ Retrieved from: Boreham, R. & Shaw, A. (2006). Smoking drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2005. London: The Stationery Office. Bradby, H. (2003). 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