Causes Of Drug Abuse Research Articles

The Prevention of Drug Abuse, Methods, Challenges and Researches

Drug use is one of the most dangerous problems of human societies in the modern era, which, in addition to numerous health problems, put also the cultural-social foundations at risk, and unfortunately, the youth are the most vulnerable age group for drug abuse. Nowadays, the emphasis is to cooperatively and coordinately prevent drug addiction and because this principle is superior to drug abuse treatment, there have been numerous training methods for preventing drug abuse for different age periods. The present study is aimed to review these methods and also the causes of drug abuse and the researches done in this field.

DRUG ABUSE AMONG WORKERS ADMITTED TO MENOUFIYA POISONING AND ADDICTION CONTROL CENTER

Background: Drug or substance abuse reefers to the use of illicit (illegal) drugs and to the misuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs. It is recognized as a serious risk to the health and safety of the user. Screening for substance abuse in workers is very important in the field of prevention and management of the problem of drug abuse. Objectives:This work aims at studying drug abuse among workers admitted to Menoufiya Poisoning and Addiction Control Center to illustrate the socio-demographic data of the drug abusers, the prevalence of drug abuse in different occupations and the impact of drug abuse on health and work. Methods: A total of seventy six worker patients admitted to Menoufiya Poisoning and Addiction Control Center throughout the year 2007 (out off the total number of admitted patients) were included in this study. The control group comprised one hundred and fifty two matching male subjects not knownto be drug abusers. They were selected from volunteer blood donors in Menoufiya University blood bank. The studied population was divided according to occupation into professionals, skilled and unskilled workers. All participants were subjected to a predesigned questionnaire stressing on circumstances of drug abuse, clinical examination and investigations including chest x-ray, ECG, blood analysis for serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C antibodies (HCAb). Results: Most of the studied individuals were skilled workers (46 persons, 60.5%), followed by unskilled ones (22 persons, 28.9%) and the least were professionals (8 persons, 10.6%). Skilled workers had a significantly higher prevalence of basic education than the others, working more than 12 hours/day at night shifts and living in families of more than three members. Trial was the main cause of drug abuse, friends were the persuading personsnel, pharmacieswere the most prevalent sources of getting drugs and mixed types of drugs were taken by oral route during work shifts. Moreover, hepatitis C antibodies and abnormal X-ray films showing opacities and/or emphysematous chest were more frequent among drug abusers. Recommendations: As smoking is the first gate for addiction, smoking cessation is mandatory. Religious support and marriage are also recommended. Health education, counseling and effective employee assistance programs may help in preventing drug abuse in workplaces. Legislations for punishment of pharmacists selling these drugs without official prescription must be much more stiff.

A Practical Framework for Evaluating a Culturally Tailored Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Programme in Molokai, Hawaii

Objective. Successful substance abuse treatment requires many changes in behavior, attitude and skills. Culturally tailored approaches to substance abuse treatment have shown initial success, but are not yet accepted as best practice models. In order to document programme effectiveness of a new culturally tailored substance abuse treatment programme on the rural island of Molokai, Hawaii, the authors worked to develop a multi-level evaluation plan to measure behavior changes occurring after participation in activities targeting identified causes of substance abuse in the population of interest. Methods. The authors compiled interview results to develop a map of identified causes of substance abuse in the community studied. Strategic planning then identified the specific activities aimed at impacting identified root causes. A literature review was performed to document the effectiveness of such activities. An evaluation plan was developed to measure programme impact on antecedent conditions contributing to substance use in this community. Results. Prioritized causes of substance abuse in the target group included low self esteem, lack of self identity and life plan, and limited communication and conflict resolution skills. Activities targeting these conditions included cultural activities, group counseling, and individual counseling. Literature to support the benefit of addressing these factors was uncovered, and evaluation methodology was developed to measure changes in behaviors, attitudes, and practices, as a measure of programme success. Discussion. While programme evaluation data is still being collected, the authors have demonstrated a sound foundation for programme activities, and designed methodology for collecting meaningful data to measure programme effectiveness at changing important root causes of substance abuse in a rural Native Hawaiian community.

Self-reflected causes of substance abuse among Hong Kong young addicts

Hong Kong is a place with an exceptionally low prevalence rate of youth substance abuse. Whether the low rate is attributable to the zero-tolerance policy promulgated by the government there is worth investigation. The manner of the investigation involves a contest of theoretical explanations of substance abuse among young people. For the zero-tolerance policy to claim success, formal regulation of substance availability and substance abuse would be a prominent inhibitor of substance abuse. This expectation receives support from a study of young substance addicts in Hong Kong. The Q methodology used in the study reveals that the lack of regulation would leave an opportunity for young people to attempt substance abuse. The availability of opportunity was more influential on substance abuse than were the calculation of costs and benefits and other factors. Hence, the zero-tolerance policy is justifiable for its higher effectiveness for deterring youth substance abuse.

Reviews: Drug Abuse and Dependency: Understanding Gender Differences in Etiology and Management

To review the etiology, consequences, and treatment needs of drug abuse and dependency, especially in women. Original studies and literature reviews published primarily since 1990. Many studies, conducted mostly during the past 10 years, are providing new information regarding the genesis of two separate drug problems: willful abuse (misuse) of drugs and pathological drug dependency. Recent studies have also highlighted important differences between the sexes in the causes, consequences, and management of drug abuse and dependency. The neurobiologic and genetic contributions to the pathological disease of addiction provide important directions for future treatments, as a supplement to existing self-help and structured behavioral therapies. Pharmacotherapy also has an important role in reducing drug craving and relapse in addicted patients. Although the precise causes of drug abuse and dependency continue to challenge researchers, important differences have been identified between men and women in terms of how drug use begins, how it progresses, and effective methods of treatment. Pharmacists and other health care professionals need to understand gender differences in the etiology and management of drug abuse and dependency and develop the capacity to recognize and refer women who may be abusing or dependent on drugs.

The intimate connection between antisocial personality and substance abuse.

There is a powerful association between antisocial behavior and substance abuse. What is still uncertain is whether the association between the two is causal, so that one disorder leads to the other, or is explained by shared symptoms or shared risk factors, or suggests that the two disorders are not distinct, but are actually variants of the same underlying disorder. Each of these hypotheses is shown to be plausible. The paper considers four criteria for causality: precedence, coherence with existing knowledge, dose-related liability, and understandability of mechanisms. Problems are noted with each of these criteria. Conduct disorder as a cause of substance abuse fulfills these criteria more obviously than does substance abuse as a cause of antisocial behavior, but both have plausibility. A similarity is noted between the tasks of deciding whether one disorder causes another and deciding whether early symptom patterns predict the later course of a single disorder. The dearth of information about effect of the early symptom profile on the later course can be overcome with careful study design. Such studies promise important gains in patient management. The necessary data are outlined and instruments to collect such data are noted to be newly published or in development.

The drug abuse problem in Peninsular Malaysia: parent and child differences in knowledge, attitudes and perceptions

A survey was carried out to gather information on knowledge, attitudes and perception of parents and their children in relation to drug abuse matters. Significantly more teenagers knew more of the causes of drug addiction, as well as places for treatment and rehabilitation. Both teenagers and parents were also aware of reasons why drug addicts find it difficult to change their habits, mainly lacking motivation to stop taking drugs and that drug addicts do not have the power to control themselves. Teenagers were significantly more aware of effects of negative parental attitudes contributing to drug abuse, apart from school factors. Personal experiences before abusing drugs such as knowledge of pleasurable effects of drugs and where to obtain them has also a role to play in leading to drug abuse. There was also agreement that unfulfilled needs such as ‘not being respected or recognised for ones capabilities’ and ‘not being loved or treated fairly by parents’, were causes of drug abuse. Significantly more teenagers knew of the ways of abusing drugs, mainly by injection, smoking and sniffing, and also sources of information via the mass media, social clubs, rehabilitation centres and schools. However, both the parents and teenagers were relatively ignorant of the long term effects of abusing drugs.

Treatment of adolescent substance abusers: issues for practice and research.

Treatment of adolescent substance abuse poses difficult challenges to social work practitioners. Effective intervention requires awareness of assessment and treatment approaches and knowledge of individual, peer, and family factors that contribute to alcohol or drug use. Social work's emphasis on contextual factors in the etiology and maintenance of addictive disorders is an important contribution to substance abuse treatment. Practitioners are in an excellent position to implement interventions addressing multiple causes of substance abuse. This paper discusses the prevalence of alcohol and drug use among adolescents in the United States. Assessment issues are identified and promising approaches to treating adolescents with substance use problems are noted. Implications for social work practice and research are delineated.

Beliefs about the causes of substance abuse: A comparison of three drugs

Respondents were randomly assigned to one of three conditions and completed a questionnaire asking about their beliefs regarding the causes of alcohol abuse, cocaine abuse, or cigarette smoking, and about their humanitarian attitudes toward substance abusers. Three major findings emerged: (a) compared to the other substances of abuse, the disease concept was most strongly endorsed for alcohol abuse, the sin conception for cocaine abuse, and the habit conception for smoking; (b) for alcohol abuse only, endorsement of the disease concept was positively related to humanitarian attitudes; and (c) for all three substance types, the sin conception was negatively related to the expression of humanitarian attitudes. Implications of these findings are discussed.

New Priorities For The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

New Priorities For The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Why Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action in Libraries63;

The development and implementation of an equal opportunity/affirmative action procedure within libraries has many benefits, whether the libray is big or small, public or private. By striving for equal opportunity, libraries will become directly involved in creating an environment wherein differences are used for inclusion. All too often differences have resulted in exclusion, thereby ensuring that equal opportunity will never be reached. Affirmative action is one mechanism which will bring about equal opportunity. The creation of an equal opportunity environment within libraries has a tremendous ripple effect. By examining the debilitating effect of exclusion based on differences, library personnel could come to have a better understanding of the causes of drug abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, theft and many other aberrations of behavior which cause so much disruption within libraries. An equal opportunity environment within libraries can be related to the overall security program and can make sense on many levels.

Guilt is Soluble in Alcohol: An Ego Analytic View

Ego analysis, a version of Freudian theory, maintains that guilt is a sufficient cause of substance abuse. A cultural analysis reveals that self-negation is powerfully reinforced in technologically advanced societies by an unexamined moralistic belief system. In the field of alcoholism, the psychoanalytic perspective is opposed primarily by two arguments. First, researchers argue that psychodynamic factors cannot account for abuse because longitudinal studies demonstrate that symptoms of mental illness are not evident either before or after the abuse careers of many sufferers. Second, cognitive behaviorists maintain that the concept “maladaptive expectancies” explains addictions more adequately than psychodynamic theories. Freud's discovery that unconscious guilt can drive even normal people to antisocial behavior is the basis for disputing both arguments. The ego analyst's therapeutic alternative is contrasted with the conventional, abstinence-only approach and cognitive-behavioral treatment.

Can school-based educational programs really be expected to solve the adolescent drug abuse problem?

The recommendation of a 1984 Rand Corporation report that the most effective way to prevent adolescent drug abuse is through preventive education is reviewed within the context of theories related to the causes of drug abuse integrated with the PRECEDE model of health education program planning. It is concluded that many of the variables which influence adolescents to begin use of psychoactive substances are not within the purview of schools. Therefore, the Rand recommendation should only be accepted if three conditions are met: 1) there should be a consistent governmental policy toward drug education including funding for curriculum development, teacher training, implementation, evaluation and maintenance; 2) there should be special educational intervention programs for high risk children; and 3) specific strategies should be developed and implemented to elicit active support from social institutions besides schools.

Low Self-Concept as a Cause of Drug Abuse

A study was done to determine if low self-concept is a common denominator as a causative factor of drug abuse among adolescents. An open-ended and forced choice sentence completion was the instrument used to question 37 adolescent members of a drug rehabilitation program. The results showed that 75.5% of the subjects considered low self-concept to be one cause of their turning to drugs and 91.9% felt that boredom and curiosity was another. 67.5% put the blame on peer pressure while 64.8% said they were pleasure seeking. It was concluded that boredom, curiosity and low self-concept were significant causes of drug abuse in many adolescents. The implications were for preventive programs aimed at keeping adolescents busy and interested in alternative activities and at enhancing self-concept and building self-esteem.

Attitudes Toward Appetite Suppressants

A sample of US physicians has been surveyed regarding their opinions about anorexigenic drugs and their prescribing of them. Most physicians see numerous overweight patients, although 22% of the general practitioners, 43% of the obstetrician-gynecologists, and 50% of the internists do not prescribe appetite suppressants for them. Even among physicians who prescribe these drugs, there is wide variation in frequency of prescribing and in opinions regarding their efficacy. Nonamphetamines appear more popular than amphetamines. Only 25% of physicians will prescribe anorexiants for longer than three months. Legitimate prescribing is not seen by US physicians as a serious cause of drug abuse, although they appreciate the hazards of illicit stimulant usage. Most physicians do not wish to see appetite suppressants eliminated from medical use.

State-Local Partnership against Addiction: A Report on a Drug Education—Prevention Pilot Project in Metropolitan New York

In 1969–70 the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene received $400,000 in state funds to conduct a drug education pilot program in Metropolitan New York. To provide technical support and promote citizen participation in such a program in high risk areas of Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Rockland County, contracts were made with seven local mental health and social service agencies, which then formed partnerships with community organizations and citizen groups. While drug information activities were not evaded, primary emphasis in each project was placed on dealing with drug-related social and economic problems and finding alternatives to drug abuse. Through site visits, meetings and reports, it was found that while the programs were not directly reaching large numbers of people, high risk groups were receiving intensive attention. Alternatives to drug abuse—employment, recreational, training, and counseling services—were better received than informational programs. Numerous problems and successful approaches were experienced and described. The question of the causes of drug abuse was discussed by each project director.

Preventing the Causes of Drug Abuse

This article develops a conceptual model of the causes of drug abuse and proposes an educational effort aimed at preventing those causes. It is the writer's contention that the goal of education should be to prevent dependency rather than focusing on deterring drug experimentation. This means that drug abuse prevention ought to deal with questions relevant to coping with behavior and mental health rather than with drug pharmacology or even a mere explanation of the causes of drug abuse. An example of this approach is presented as it was practiced on one Army post. The article is based partly on the writer's experiences as the director of a drug rehabilitation and education facility dealing mainly with heroin addiction.

Venn Diagrams in Drug Abuse Education

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> Lipinski's lucid article, "Motivation in Drug Misuse,"¹prompts my note concerning drug abuse education on this military base. Because of our interest in the epidemiology of viral hepatitis and drug usage, the command has asked us to contribute to the medical section (nine hours) of a 36-hour drug abuse course offered to higher-ranking enlisted men and officers. In the ten months of continuing education, two questions directed to the medical officer remain most urgent to our students: (1) What are some of the causes of drug abuse? (2) What are possible approaches to this problem? In an attempt to present lasting concepts in a brief period of teaching, I have used a model borrowed from set theory. Three sets are presented and illustrated by Venn diagrams: (1) the set of all men with unfavorable psychosocial factors predisposing to drug abuse; (2) the set of all men

Alienation and Drug Abuse: Synonymous?

Alienation from society has been cited by many as a cause of drug abuse among youth. The authors in this article describe their research to substantiate alienation as a cause of drug abuse. They conclude, however, that peer in fluence may account for young people's use of drugs more than does alienation.