Preventing Drug Abuse Among Adolescents: School-Based Interventions

Introduction

There are various negative behaviors that have the potential to ruin the lives of young people. These behaviors include, but are not limited to, drug and substance abuse, violence, irresponsible sexual behavior, and gang membership. Some of these negative behaviors also present significant public health challenges, and this is especially true with regard to drug and substance abuse. To a large extent, this concern has a negative impact not only on the wellbeing of adolescents, but also on that of their families and the broader community. Furthermore, the health problems that drug and substance abuse presents — both mental and physical — carry a considerable social burden. Various interventions have been proposed to prevent drug and substance abuse among adolescents, and this paper investigates their effectiveness and practical application.

The Case for Early Intervention

There is no doubt that drug addiction among adolescents is associated with a number of negative outcomes. It is for this reason that various studies have sought to establish the most effective school-based educational strategies that could be deployed to address drug addiction in this age group. Welsh, Shentu, and Sarvey (2019) point out that available data clearly indicates increased illicit drug use in schools — specifically on college campuses — over the last several years. However, what is even more concerning is the finding that most young people are experimenting with drugs at an increasingly earlier age (Bonyani, Safaeian, Chehrazi, Etedali, Zaghian, and Mashhadian, 2018). According to Maina, Phaneuf, Kennedy, Mclean, Gakumo, Nguemo, King, and Mcharo (2020), "the age of exposure to an addictive substance such as opioids, alcohol and marijuana is between 6 and 11 years" (p. 8). The authors further indicate that early exposure to drugs often results in lifelong use.

To prevent lifelong use — which has been linked to a wide range of comorbid conditions — there is a need to limit early exposure by deploying various preventive measures. This is an assertion further advanced by Trujillo, Obando, and Trujillo (2019), who observe that measures should be put in place to delay the age of substance abuse onset. In their words, "one of the major goals of drug use prevention programs is to delay the age of onset of substance use" (Trujillo, Obando, and Trujillo, 2019, p. 23). The need for early intervention is also reinforced by the fact that dropout rates in treatment and recovery initiatives are rather high in this age group. Indeed, as Maina et al. (2020) further indicate, upwards of 70% of adolescents participating in treatment and recovery initiatives quit within the first year. It therefore follows that the relevance of early intervention cannot be overstated, and school-based educational interventions are particularly well placed to address this need.

Pistone, Bloomberg, and Sager (2019) point out that prevention efforts should be aimed at ensuring that individuals are sufficiently motivated to avoid drugs and substances that present a high risk of addiction. Some preventive efforts are also focused on creating an environment that is broadly supportive of healthy behaviors. According to Tahil and Aiyub (2021), adolescents are at increased risk of drug abuse onset, particularly as the risk appears to rise following a child's separation from parents and entry into a new social environment, as well as the development of a sense of independence. There are also studies indicating that some adolescents are at higher risk than others. For instance, Borloti, Garcia, Jimenez, and Sudbrack (2017) note that "adolescents living in vulnerable regions are exposed more and earlier to risk factors for drug use" (p. 47). It is for this reason that authors such as Edalati and Conrod (2019) argue there is a need to direct interventions toward the communities where they are needed most.

Benefits and Methodologies of School-Based Interventions

There are various benefits associated with preventive school-based and educational interventions. One such benefit is a delayed age of initial drug use (Borloti, Garcia, Jimenez, and Sudbrack, 2017). As noted above, early exposure to drugs often results in lifelong use, making it essential to delay the onset of use for as long as possible. Another benefit, as Borloti et al. (2017) further indicate, relates to the creation of "contingencies that strengthen protective factors and weaken risk factors" (p. 48). As Lin, Huang, Hsu, Liao, Lin, and Guo (2021) point out, adolescents can be predisposed to substance abuse by a combination of risk factors and the absence of protective factors. The protective factors that school-based interventions can reinforce include a desire to maintain optimal health and strongly held beliefs against drug abuse. Risk factors that such interventions can help eliminate or weaken include low perceived risk of drug use, impaired emotional regulation, and high impulsivity.

Various specific educational methodologies can be utilized in preventive school-based interventions. These include group and class discussions, video clip presentations, use of handouts, and traditional lecture methods (Bonyani et al., 2018). However, to further ensure effectiveness, there is also a need to embrace technology. Pistone, Bloomberg, and Sager (2019) indicate that there is sufficient evidence suggesting that technology-based interventions are more effective on the preventive front. In classroom settings, teachers and educators could deploy simulation-based learning — for instance, using role-playing exercises to project and explore the behavior of a person under the influence of alcohol, thereby raising student awareness of the harms of drug use. This approach is reinforced by Botvin, Griffin, Botvin, Murphy, and Acevedo (2018), who found that interactive teaching methods have proven effective in school-based preventive instruction.

Pistone, Bloomberg, and Sager (2019) also indicate that the effectiveness of preventive school-based interventions is limited in the absence of meaningful collaboration and coordination. More specifically, the authors note that experts agree "on the significance of internal and external support, as well as coordination and collaboration to produce an effective and quality program" (Pistone, Bloomberg, and Sager, 2019, p. 232).

Conclusion

In summary, as demonstrated throughout this paper, adolescents are at increased risk of drug abuse, and evidence indicates that most young people are experimenting with drugs at an increasingly earlier age. Studies conducted in the past indicate that preventive school-based and educational interventions can play a significant role in delaying substance abuse onset age and equipping adolescents with the life skills needed to avoid illicit drug and substance use. Effective implementation requires the engagement of multiple stakeholders, the adoption of diverse and technology-enhanced instructional methodologies, and a sustained focus on both weakening risk factors and reinforcing protective factors.

References

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