Drug abuse and drug addiction are hard terms to define. Drugs are substances that change or alter the body and mind’s natural responses. Drug abuse is referring to a habit an individual has with continual use of addictive drugs or substances. As defined by World Health Organization (WHO), “addiction can be defined as a state of periodic or chronic intoxication detrimental to the individual and society, which is characterized by an over-whelming desire to continue taking drug to obtain it by any means”(World Health Organization [WHO], 1964, p. 9-10). There are a number of reasons why a person becomes addicted to drugs, and explains why not every person does drugs for the same reason. Different substances can cause different responses in our
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It’s important to realize that there are risk factors that put individuals at risk for drug abuse. Risk factors include: “poor social coping skills, chaotic home environment, homes where parents abuse drugs or have mental illness, ineffective parenting, individuals who have inappropriate shy or aggressive behavior, failure in school, deviant behaviors, and lack of parent attachments.” (Hanson, Venturelli, & Fleckenstein, 2015, p. 579). It’s important to look at other countries drug abuse prevention programs. The harm reduction model that involves society it’s practiced in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Westermeyer says that the harm model connects with the addicted community, by having an open door policy that welcomes addicts to take part in services, regardless of level of motivation for change, goals or personal ideology” (Westermeyer, n.d.). This model is important because it does not display judgment towards those who do not want to change or are unmotivated to change no one is denied assistance. Westermeyer believe that the Dutch “have a 80% connection rate with the addicted population, whereas, in the United States we are 80% disconnected for our addicted population” (Hanson, Venturelli, & Fleckenstein, 2015, p. 584). Hanson states that the time that we are the most connected with the addicted population is when they’re jail. If this statement is true, then more research
It’s important to realize that there are risk factors that put individuals at risk for drug abuse. Risk factors include: “poor social coping skills, chaotic home environment, homes where parents abuse drugs or have mental illness, ineffective parenting, individuals who have inappropriate shy or aggressive behavior, failure in school, deviant behaviors, and lack of parent attachments.” (Hanson, Venturelli, & Fleckenstein, 2015, p. 579). It’s important to look at other countries drug abuse prevention programs. The harm reduction model that involves society it’s practiced in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Westermeyer says that the harm model connects with the addicted community, by having an open door policy that welcomes addicts to take part in services, regardless of level of motivation for change, goals or personal ideology” (Westermeyer, n.d.). This model is important because it does not display judgment towards those who do not want to change or are unmotivated to change no one is denied assistance. Westermeyer believe that the Dutch “have a 80% connection rate with the addicted population, whereas, in the United States we are 80% disconnected for our addicted population” (Hanson, Venturelli, & Fleckenstein, 2015, p. 584). Hanson states that the time that we are the most connected with the addicted population is when they’re jail. If this statement is true, then more research