The Analysis of Underage Drinking - Essay Example

Alcohol and Drug Use among Adolescents Alcohol drinking and drug use among adolescents are serious health issues. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) website, underage drinking is a leading public health concern in the U.S. due to the adverse consequences associated with it such as motor vehicle accident, homicide, suicide, drowning, burn, and fall. Likewise, drug use has become very rampant. In this regard, a number of interventions have been proposed to address the issues, including sending adolescents to jail. However, this solution could present more problems than solutions. Therefore, instead of sending youth to jail, authorities should consider addressing the problems from their roots; that is, to promote prevention by educating students, parents, and community as a whole. Educating Students Educating students about the adverse effects of alcohol drinking and drug abuse is a preventive approach to solve the current problem. The NIAAA reports that scare tactics have been ineffective for young students. Thus, instead of just scaring them, schools should employ other approaches such as teaching resistance to peer pressure. According to Botvin (895), the best interventions are those that target individuals at the beginning of adolescence by teaching drug resistance skills. However, it would be better to start when they are younger, before they get exposed to peer pressure. Thus, campaigns against alcohol and drug use should start in the primary levels, particularly at Grade 1. As early as this stage, teachers should teach the students the effects of alcohol and drug use on their health and relationship with the people around them. The program for students should continue until they graduate from high school. A clear and comprehensive program focused on prevention should be implemented and even made part of the school curriculum under community service programs. It is recommended to apply spiraling in designing the program. This means designing basic lessons or modules for completion in the lower years and advanced lessons for the higher years. Such would imply varied activities that would deepen the students’ understanding of the issues. In addition, community service should be conducted by high school students to promote prevention of drinking and drug use and help the community in its efforts to promote health and safety. Moreover, schools can support rehabilitation programs by establishing tie ups with relevant institutions. Rehabilitation programs would allow students to interact with people in the rehabilitative institutions. Interaction sessions, coupled with classroom discussions later on would allow students to gain a more extensive view of the problem. Educating Parents Educating parents is another step in the intervention. Gazzaniga, Heatherton and Halpern (173) report that most adolescents whose parents smoke habitually are prone to smoking and have positive reactions toward smoking. Thus, parent education regarding alcohol and drug use should be a part of the prevention campaign. Parents should be aware that their behavior at home could adversely affect the way their children view alcohol and drug use as well as smoking. Moreover, parents should set and enforce clear rules regarding drinking. They should discuss these issues with their children, clarify their views and misconceptions, and be firm in their beliefs. Furthermore, their presence at home and close monitoring of their children’s behavior are very important to help keep their children away from vices and other negative influences. Parent involvement in school programs should be encouraged. The school should request the presence of parents at community service, talks, and other important family events. Parents with direct connection with rehabilitation institutions may be tapped to give talks to parents and students, host programs, and arrange accommodations for community service at various institutions. Parent involvement may be monitored by the school by sending invitations and checking attendance during program events. It would likewise help to conduct surveys even annually to monitor parent behavior at home. Schools should make parents feel welcome to ask for assistance, should they feel the need for interventions. Furthermore, parent behavior should be monitored by interviewing students and following up on students whose parents are identified to have alcohol and drug addiction problems. Finally, schools should have posters along the school corridors to promote prevention or inform parents regarding health risks and interventions. Educating the Community There are many interventions available for educating the community. Among these is information campaign regarding the effects of binge drinking and driving while drunk. Educating the community is a common way to address the problem at the local level. However, success depends on a number of factors, and the most important of all is the willingness to resolve the problem. Basically, interventions should include strict implementation of the laws regarding speed driving, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, selling liquor to minors, and so on. Likewise, community leaders should inform the public of the harmful contents of some medicines, drinks, and other products that contain harmful ingredients and drugs such as aspirin, heroin, and cocaine (Gazzaniga, Heatherton and Halpern 168). Collaboration among institutions, whether public or private, is also very important. Government agencies should collaborate with schools and other non-government institutions to promote prevention and encourage the people to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The NIAAA documents the effectiveness of media in discouraging people from drinking and drug use. Additionally, community leaders should play as role models by maintaining healthy habits. Celebrities and other marked personalities should also present good examples because many young people get into the habit if they see people they admire practicing alcohol and drug use. Community programs should also include interventions that would monitor families, for instance, rescuing children from parental abuse, conducting census on drug use and banning binge drinking in bars, restaurants, and other areas within the community. In this regard, local officials should be strict in their implementation of rules and dedicated in their efforts to save young people’s lives. Conclusion The problem of alcohol and drug addiction is a serious health concern that students, parents, and communities should address right away. Like many health problems, prevention is still the best step to address the problem. Educating young people is very important in this kind of intervention. Students should be aware of the adverse effects on health and social life of drinking alcohol and using drugs even at minimal levels. Children as early as Grade One should be exposed to the issue and be aware of the factors that contribute to addicted behavior. As they grow up, they should undergo follow-up programs that would support them emotionally despite heavy peer pressure around them. Additionally, parent education is important to strengthen the values of children regarding health consciousness and self-worth. Furthermore, community leaders should work hand in hand with other organizations to ensure monitoring of media, business establishments, and other entities that provide access to liquor or drugs. The problem of alcohol and drug abuse can be resolved if stakeholders of communities will perform their roles efficiently. Works Cited Botvin, Gilbert J. “Preventing Drug Abuse in Schools: Social and Competence Enhancement Approaches Targeting Individual-Level Etiologic Factors.” Addictive Behaviors Volume 25, Issue 6 November-December (2000): 887-897. Journal. Gazzaniga, Michael, Heatherton, Todd and Halpern, Diane. Book Title. Place: Publisher, 2010. 164-175. Print. “Underage Drinking.” NIAA. 2006. Web. 15 October 2011. Read More