Should There Be Specialized Programs Offered By Schools to Aid Adolescents Who Struggle With Substance Abuse and Addiction Issues? Emily F. Pounds Product: Clayton High School “Drug Awareness Week”

Why did I choose this topic?  I chose this topic because, as a senior in high school, I have had several experiences with individuals in my peer group who were involved in substance use. As someone whose personal life has been impacted by people with drug abuse and addiction issues, the proliferation of substance use amongst peers alarmed me, and I became interested in researching what methods schools in the United States were implementing to combat this issue, and how available and successful these programs were.

Research:  Main triggers for substance abuse amongst adolescents:  pre-existing mental issues such as anxiety, stress, or depressive disorders  negative peer pressure and peer influence  harmful or scarring past experiences  lack of family stability The most commonly abused substances between grades eight and twelve:  alcohol  marijuana  prescription narcotics  anabolic steroids  cocaine  “club drugs” (i.e. ecstasy, speed, heroin)

Research:  The younger a person is when they begin using drugs, the more likely they are to develop a substance-abuse or addiction problem in the future, and the more likely they are to experience relapse when trying to quit an addiction. -Data collected by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research

Research:  Therapeutic programs have begun to take wing at some American high schools, striving not only to recognize and bring awareness to the amount and severity of teen substance abuse and addiction, but to provide specialized counseling for the teens and those who are indirectly affected as well, including family members.  These specialized programs offered by some schools consist of a variety of three major components:  early recognition,  early intervention  specific counseling.  When the issue of substance involvement is addressed at a younger age, there is an exponentially higher chance of preventing a dependence on a substance

Research:  Addiction treatment and early-intervention programs already existing have been studied to reduce the numerous health and social costs pertaining to substance abuse. Some of these adverse issues include:  healthcare  welfare  imprisonment costs  The adverse issues related to substance abuse collectively cost our nation one-half trillion dollars a year.  Benefits:  increase accessibility  decrease number of adolescents entering adulthood with substance abuse issues/addictions  prevent future cases of adolescent abuse/addiction  raise awareness

Obstacles:  Staying under length maximum  Deciding what information was the most important  Learning how to condense information and be more concise  Meeting deadline requirements

Successes:  Paper was entirely passed upon the first review  Effectively able to conduct the research  I learned how to manage my content and become a more concise writer  I became a more confident researcher, and feel much more comfortable about entering university- level courses.

Relevance of Product:  For my product, I host a “Drug Awareness Week” at Clayton High School, in correspondence with National Red Ribbon Week.  This product and my research are related because both brought attention adolescent substance use in schools, and raised awareness on the issue.  My research prompted the implementation of specialized programs in schools, and my product was an approach to aiding the issue of teenage drug use at my own high school.

My Product:

What I Learned:  I learned that I really enjoy talking to large groups of people and being involved with a variety of age groups.  I learned that I can improve upon my organization skills.  I learned how to manage my time more effectively.

Reflection:  I believe that, overall, the project was absolutely worthwhile. I learned a lot about what I was capable of, and gained several useful skills that have made me a more confident student. Now that I have completed a project of this caliber, I feel more prepared for college level research courses.

Future:  This project has made me realize that I really enjoy working with people, and that I would like to pursue some educational work while in graduate school.

Thank you.