Drug Prevention and Education

GOALS FOR DRUG PREVENTION  TO PREVENT DRUG USE FROM BEING INITIATED  TO MINIMIZE THE RISKS OF DRUGS TO THE USER  TO REDUCE THE RISKS OF DRUG USE TO SOCIETY  TO PREVENT DRUG DEPENDENCY

GOALS FOR DRUG PREVENTION  TO TEACH RESPONSIBLE DRUG USE  TO STOP DRUG USE PATTERNS  AFTER HAVING BEEN ESTABLISHED  TO DELAY THE ONSET OF DRUG USE

DRUG PREVENTION  PRIMARY: TO PREVENT DRUG USE FROM BEING INITIATED (EDUCATION)  SECONDARY: RESPONSIBLE DRUG USE  TERTIARY: REHABILITATION

IDENTIFYING HIGH RISK YOUTH  HIGH RISK BEHAVIORS INCLUDE DELIQUENT BEHAVIOR, SELF- DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIORS, AND DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL  RISK FACTORS INCLUDE INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIORAL FACTORS, INDIVIDUAL ATTITUDINAL FACTORS, INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS, FAMILY FACTORS, AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

RESILIENCY ABILITY TO RESIST CHARACTERISTICS OF RESILIENT CHILDREN  RESPONSIVE  POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS  CARING  SKILLFUL PROBLEM SOLVERS

RESILIENCY  EDUCATIONALLY MOTIVATED  ACTIVE  ADAPTABLE  GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR  SUCCESS-ORIENTED  DISENGAGES FROM FAMILY ENVIRONMENT

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR FACTORS  ACADEMIC FAILURE  EARLY ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR  EARLY DRUG EXPERIMENTATION  EARLY DRUG USE

INDIVIDUAL ATTITUDINAL FACTORS  REBELLIOUSNESS AGAINST AUTHORITY  LACK OF COMMITMENT TO SCHOOL  ATTRACTION TO DEVIANCE  FAVORABLE ATTIUDES TOWARD ADULT BEHAVIOR

INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS  LOW SELF-ESTEEM  LOW SELF-EFFICACY  SENSATION SEEKING  LACK OF SOCIAL SKILLS

FAMILY FACTORS  FAMILY HISTORY OF DRUG USE OR ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR  FAMILY MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS  PARENTAL TOLERANCE FOR DEVIANCE  FAMILY DISORGANIZATION

COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT FACTORS  ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEPRIVATION  COMMUNITY DISORGANIZATION  COMMUNITY NORMS FAVORABLE TO DEVIANCE  AVAILABILTIY OF DRUGS  FRIENDS/PEERS WHO USE DRUGS

PREVENTING HIGH-RISK BEHAVIOR  EDUCATION  INVOLVEMENT OF PARENTS  COMMUNITY EFFORTS

FACTORS THAT PREVENT AGAINST DRUG ABUSE  SMALL FAMILY WITH LITTLE CONFLICT  HIGH INTELLIGENCE  BEING A FIRSTBORN CHILD  COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION  REGULAR CHURCH ATTENDANCE  BELIEF IN THE EXPECTATIONS, VALUES, AND NORMS OF SOCIETY  HIGH ACHIEVER

PRIMARY PREVENTION: WHAT WORKS?  VALUING AND MAINTAINING SOUND PERSONAL HEALTH AND UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS ON HEALTH  RESPECTING LAWS AND RULES THAT PROHIBIT DRUG USE  RECOGNIZING AND RESISTING PRESSURE TO USE DRUGS

PRIMARY PREVENTION: WHAT WORKS?  PROMOTING ACTIVITIES REINFORCING A POSITIVE, DRUG- FREE LIFESTYLE

CURRENT APPROACHES TO DRUG EDUCATION  PERSONAL AND SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING  RESISTANCE SKILLS TRAINING  DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAMS  DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION (DARE)  JUST SAY NO!

PROBLEMS WITH DRUG EDUCATION  TEACHERS OFTEN DO NOT KEEP UP WITH LATEST INFORMATION  STUDENTS SOMETIMES KNOW MORE ABOUT DRUGS THAN THE TEACHER  SOME TEACHERS ARE JUDGMENTAL OR MORALISTIC  GOALS OF DRUG EDUCATION ARE OFTEN UNCLEAR  GOALS OF DRUG EDUCATION ARE OFTEN UNREALISTIC

EFFECTIVENESS OF DRUG EDUCATION  EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS INCLUDE CURRICULA BASED ON AN UNDERSTANDING OF THEORY AND RESEARCH IN DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION  INFORMATION IS DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE  CURRICULA EMPHASIZES SOCIAL RESISTANCE SKILLS

EDUCATION  TEACHERS RECEIVE TRAINING AND SUPPORT  AMOUNT OF TIME DEVOTED TO DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION IS SUFFICIENT  PROGRAMS ARE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE  SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND MEDIA  EVALUATION IS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM

EDUCATION  Low self-esteem, low self-efficacy, sensation seeking, and lack of social skills put one at higher risk of substance abuse  Education, involvement with parents, and community efforts together help to prevent high-risk behaviors

EDUCATION  Drug education can be effective if it meets specific criteria

Summary  Drug prevention can be primary, secondary or tertiary  High-risk youth exhibit self- destructive behaviors and deliquent behaviors  Resiliency is a key concept to preventing drug use, misuse, and abuse among youth