The Objectives of Drug Prohibition - Essay Example

Introduction The acquisition of skills and information essential for surviving in a world where substance abuse is common is known as drug education. Unfortunately, we are surrounded by millions of people suffering from drug addiction and the fact that addiction is no longer limited to “typical addicts” is the single most important reason why drug education has become essential for survival in today’s addiction prone world. Surprisingly, a large number of teenagers consider the use of drugs as a “harmless bit of fun”. Therefore, it has become essential than ever before to educate teenagers about the deadly effects of illicit drugs on the human body. Drug addiction is a threat to community and poses tremendous dangers to the sufferers of substance dependency therefore, it is necessary to completely remove illicit drugs from the society. The process of removal of illicit drugs from a society is known as drug prohibition. The key principles governing drug prohibition are power, control, and contradiction. The objectives of drug prohibition are defined on the basis of rationality and scientific evidence which have a goal of improving the society. Contemporary anti-drug and anti-alcohol movements have a long history extending from the drug prohibition period of Quakers in the 1650s to modern day anti-drug programs. (BLACKMAN, 2004, P. 7, 9). Fortunately, drug control has matured over the last decade. Government of countries like Great Britain and United States of America are devising policies which are more responsive to the needs of drug addicts. Affected countries are now drawing on expertise from the International community to tackle the problem of drug addiction that has been plaguing modern society since the last few decades. Modern drug prohibition policies have a more balanced approach, and are able to scrutinize the problem of addiction more realistically than ever before. Their main objectives are to provide security, justice, and health facilities to drug addicts and their families. Moreover, they are actively participating in tracking down and eliminating illicit drug flows. (World Drug Report, 2010, p.7). The aim of this paper is to compare and contrast the approaches utilized by FRANK campaign and Healthy Child Program in promoting the establishment of good health foundation. The paper also critically analyses both programs. At the end, the paper attempts to predict the effectiveness of both programs. The Extent and Nature of Drug Use According to the UNODC World Drug Report 2010, globally the number of individuals that used illicit drugs at least once in the year 2009 was between 155 and 250 million which accounts for approximately 3.5% to 5.7% of the global population. The largest number of illicit drug users is the cannabis addicts which, according to UNODC, are between 120-190 million individuals. The second most commonly used illicit drugs are the Amphetamine-type stimulants. The third and fourth commonly used illicit drugs are the opiates and cocaine respectively. According to drug induced harm, opiate users are the most severely affected. The number of individuals involved in injecting drugs is 11-21 million with an age group of between 15-64 years. The number of “problem drug users” within the same age group is between 16-38 million people. Furthermore, the total number of drug users in 2008 was 4396 million individuals. Out of the total number of drug users, 10% to 15% or 16 to 38 million individuals are problem drug users. (World Drug Report, 2010, p.123-125). Over the years, the rise in the problem of drug addiction has accelerated and it has impregnated elite society. Does this indicate the failure of the government in stopping illicit drug flow into the countries? Or is it the failure of healthcare programs in intervening and preventing the surfacing of healthcare issues? The FRANK Campaign The FRANK campaign was launched in 2003 and since then it has made rapid progress. The FRANK helpline instantly became popular because it targeted the root of the addiction problem by offering information related to drug issues in a friendly and confidential manner. The FRANK helpline and their website talktofrank.com work in a more targeted and effective way to provide useful information not only to drug users but also to individuals who are under peer pressure to use drugs. Over the years, the FRANK campaign has been successful in influencing the drug taking choices of young individuals by providing a platform for them to have an open and honest dialogue about harmful effects of drugs. Media has been playing a major role in increasing inclination of young individuals to drug use by normalizing and glamorizing the use of drugs. This mass problem has been targeted and eliminated by FRANK campaign through the provision of accurate information about negative and detrimental effects of drugs on the human body. The website talktofrank.com provides an easy way to talk to experts about any drug related issues. Keeping in view, the fact that more than half of the young individuals receive information about drugs through leaflets, the campaign regularly distributes its pamphlets to music shops and local newsagents. This way the campaign is directly providing accurate information to the most susceptible individuals of the society. The campaign displays its messages in places where young individuals indulge drug abuse such as near notorious night clubs. Since the likelihood of drug addiction increases with age and is more rational with teenagers falling in the age group of 16 to 18. Therefore, FRANK messages are different for those who have not tried drugs than for the ones who have. FRANK campaign is making a valuable contribution in supporting Drug Action Teams due to its accessible and confidential approach in providing information about negative effects of drugs on physical as well mental health of the users. During the years 2004-2006, FRANK messages advertised on TV have helped spread the word about the effects of drugs to 4 million 11-18 year olds. The advertisements on TV and radio stations along with online advertising helped FRANK campaign in targeting a wider audience. As a youth worker, I am overwhelmed by the fact that in the UK, every young member of society is now aware of FRANK because of online and TV advertisements, bathroom posters, urinal stickers, mirror stickers, and their messages in every other unexpected place. (FRANK Review, 2006, p.2, 12, 14, 15, 21). Healthy Child Program Healthy Child Program is an early intervention and prevention public health program which targets and provides healthcare facilities to families and children who are in dire need of additional support. HCP provides all the services that families and children need to embark on a healthy life journey such as immunizations, screening tests, developmental reviews, and information regarding every aspect of health care. The major objective of HCP is to promote strong parenting to ensure that children get better social and emotional well bring. Moreover, HCP is carrying out the necessary measures to ensure that children receive care, healthy eating habits to decrease the risk of obesity, and receive breastfeeding. Furthermore, the healthcare program is determined to promote the use of screening tests in an effort to ensure early recognition of growth disorders and risk factors for obesity. HCP is also involved in the early detection of factors that can influence health and wellbeing in families. The healthcare program also addresses the problem of children prone to social exclusion. The foundations of future health and wellbeing are laid down the period of gestation and the first five years of life of a child. Through the provision of expert guidance to parents during this period of time, HCP ensures better physical and mental health outcomes of both the mother and the child. Research has revealed the detrimental impact of stress during pregnancy on the health of both the mother and the unborn baby. HCP aims to track down and identify the susceptible and suffering mothers through its intervention and prevention policies. Particularly, I am amazed by the contributions that intervention and prevention can make in establishing the foundations of good health in a society. The aspect of HCP that appeals to me the most is that their health personnel provide health care facilities through integrated services. These integrated services are the same that are used by Sure Start children’s centre staff, midwives, and nurses thus; it channels the combined efforts of trained health care providers towards areas which require their services the most. Another striking aspect of HCP is that they have devised various levels or criteria for receiving care. This allows the program to provide intensive care and co-coordinated support packages to vulnerable families thus it ensures that each family seeking care receiving support that is appropriate for their needs. As a youth worker, I am aware of the changing scenario and I am glad to see that HCP is making changes in its packages to adapt according to modern health issues such as childhood obesity and behavioral changes. (Shribman & Billingham, 2009, p. 7-9). Discussion Upon its establishment, the FRANK campaign initially targeted susceptible and suffering teenagers through two routes; the 24 hour free helpline and their website talktofrank.com. Currently, FRANK has employed new strategies to deal with the increasing problem of drug addiction. The campaign now targets individuals by advertising on TV and radio stations. FRANK has developed two new TV and for new radio station advertisements that have targeted a large number of individuals falling in the age group is 11-18 years since October 2005. The campaign utilizes the strategy of public relations to target and provide services to a wider community. FRANK utilizes national, regional press and lifestyle magazines to provide guidance to parents regarding the prevention of addiction. FRANK continues to provide resources and campaign materials to youth workers. The campaign has also devised a new support pack for healthcare personnel working with vulnerable young people (VYP). The utilization of online advertisements has attracted a large number of young individuals. Currently, the stakeholder support team is working with FRANK to provide services to 30 high focus areas. The success of FRANK is due to the fact that it provides a confidential and friendly platform for teenagers to interact. Moreover, the trained personnel are aware of that the slightest hint of “parental tone” will alienate the teenager therefore; they are trained to interact in a cordial manner. Usually it has been observed that one of the major problems of drug addiction prevention is that teenagers consider drugs to be a harmless bit of fun. FRANK addresses this issue by providing information about negative aspects of drugs without patronizing the young generation. The campaign makes an extraordinary effort to use humor in a thought provoking way. The campaign has yielded exceptionally fruitful results as people have begun to trust FRANK. The HCP has responded to rapid scientific advances by stressing the importance of attachment and positive parenting during the five years of life. The new information on neurological development and child development has led to the inclusion of new packages that are better able to address the problems faced by today’s families and children. Moreover, the services provided by HCP are now more focused on promoting the health of the mother during gestation than ever before. Current HCP policies and packages are working to recognize the specific impact that parents have on their children in an effort to devise more effective packages. Simultaneously, HCP is also involved in incorporating interventions to build resilience and promote positive outcomes. The development of Family Nurse Partnership program is an example of such an intervention. In order to promote the foundation of good health, HCP is using new technologies such as new vaccination and immunization programs, new tests such as newborn hearing screening, and the utilization of improved data collection methods. The program is maximizing the potential of the internet, digital TV, help lines and text messaging service to provide services to a wider community. Both programs are very effective in promoting the establishment of a healthy society. The FRANK campaign is more effective in reaching the targeted individuals through its extensive advertisement strategies, whereas, the HCP is more effective in providing palliative care. The exceptional advertisement strategies utilized by these programs in targeting a wider community is the key to their success. Conclusion Health promotion is a process of equipping the susceptible individuals with appropriate skills that are necessary to increase control over their health. The major aim of health promotion programs is to reach an ideal state of well being and to better able to cope with changes that occur in the environment. Modern health promotion approaches utilize a number of theories such as social cognitive theory, theory of planned behavior and social development theory in order to influence the behavior of the individuals in a positive way. The positive change in attitude reflects a positive change in the well being of a society. (EMCDDA, 2010). The social setting provides favorable environment for the most illicit drug abuse. Usually, drug users maintain a social circle from where they obtain drugs such as heroine and cannabis. Today, it has become very difficult for parents to protect teenagers from the deadly clutches of addiction. The choice of lifestyle and type of social relationships determine the kind of peer pressure to take drugs, an individual faces in modern society. The effectiveness of modern drug prohibition and addiction prevention programs lies in the way they target the youth. (PLANT, 2011, p. 35-36). The HP and FRANK are two very effective health care programs that are working consistently in promoting better mental and physical well- being of individuals in modern society. Despite the effectiveness of these programs, the problem of drug addiction among teenagers and pregnant mothers continue to rise. In my opinion, the rising problem of drug addiction mirrors the failure of the government preventing the flow of illicit drugs in a country. It is inevitable that as long as teenagers and young adults have an easy access to drugs the problem of addiction can never be eliminated. Moreover, the government has not been able to stop the recreational use of drugs. On the other hand, the problem of drug trafficking has also not been taken care of. (HANSON, 2011, p. 3). The problem lies with the government strategies, they are busy in devising intervention policies but ironically, they have failed badly in preventing drug trafficking. Furthermore, the government has legalized the usage of tobacco and alcohol despite the fact that they have detrimental effects on the body. The FRANK and Healthy Child Program are taking a proactive role in preventing drug addiction in teenagers and promoting social as well as emotional development in children. The success of the programs is due to their exceptionally well advertisement and promotion strategies. The question arises, that why is drug addiction and poor child health outcomes still a major problem? The only logical answer to this question can be the failure of the government in inhibiting drug trafficking and that is the reason why addiction continues to plague modern society. References: FRANK Review 2006, 2006-2010. The World Drug Report 2010, UNODC. Blackman, S J 2004, Chilling out: the cultural politics of substance consumption, youth and drug policy. Maidenhead, Open University Press. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction 2010, Models and Theories. http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/perk/resources/step2a/theory#health. Hanson, G R, Fleckenstein, A E & Venturelli, P J 2011, Drugs and Society. Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. Plant, M A 2011, Drug nation: patterns, problems, panics, and policies. Oxford [England], Oxford University Press. Shribman, S, Billingham, K 2009, Healthy Child Program - Pregnancy and the first five years. COI Publications. Read More