Promoting Education on Substance Use Disorders

Across all the essays received, our judging panel found plenty of students that chose to highlight the need for new approaches to substance abuse education in America. From having people in recovery from addiction speak in classes, to educating the populace about addiction in other innovative ways, these essays offer a variety of potential new approaches.

The five submissions in the second section of our Education Resources present a wide range of new ideas, from offering better early education resources, to creating new spaces in our communities for addiction education and treatment options. Without giving too much away, our judging panel felt many of these ideas could be implemented in the short term, and would help create a groundswell of support for addiction education in the United States.

1. A.S. (University of California – Santa Barbara)

Growing up surrounded by addiction in the form of drug abuse, my opinions on addiction, to be quite frank, were low. Growing up, I surrounded the term “addiction” with blaming, negativity, and believed it was a choice; now as an adult, I see the world around me also places these false connotations upon those who struggle with the disease that is addiction.

The Life Altering Effects of Addiction

One thing stayed true for me as I grew: addiction is life altering for everyone involved in them and everyone around it. However, many things have also changed: I’ve learned that addiction isn’t a means to push people out, a reason to hate people for what they suffer with, or a cause to give up on people when they need a friend, family member, or complete stranger to lend a guiding hand.

In the United States of America, it is no secret that wealth is increasingly unequally distributed throughout the country – affecting socio-economic features including: education, resources, and unemployment. Many studies (ex:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30592998/) have demonstrated the completely devastating relationship between low-income communities and substance abuse as a result of this lack of basic resources.

In my personal opinion, one of the best ways to reduce the number of people with addiction is to reinvent the education system in America – without the opportunities to grow and learn at a young age, many young adults are damned from the start.

Opening Lines of Communication to Underserved Populations

Without the open communication, the area to grow up with supportive mentors and tutors, and a basic proper education, America is failing many of its people. Likewise, these communities also lack much in the healthcare department. According to Common Wealth (https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2018/healthy-low-income-people-greater-health-risks ) the lack of basic resources in such areas has caused a link in increased health problems – both physical and mental.

However, these increased health issues are also met with a decrease in hospitals and rehabilitation companies. Because of this, those fighting addiction in this area have little to no measures that can help them fight off this disease. The conversation of addiction starts at home: people must teach their children to look at people struggling with addiction in a supporting and caring way, rather than teaching their kids to shun and avoid the issues of other human beings.

Making Rehabilitation a Welcoming Experience for All

If addicts were met with love and upliftment in society, rehabilitation would be much more sought out by those fighting affliction as it would no longer be seen in a negative light. To reduce the amount of future rates of addiction, the United States government needs to fight for their low income communities and the children growing up in them – without reform to these areas, the same pattern of dependency and fixation will continue for generations

Educating the Populace About Addiction, as shown by a picture of Utah Valley University campus

2. K.O. (Utah Valley University)

When I was seven, my uncle Gabe struggled with a drug addiction that led him, desperate for money, to rob his brother. Gabe went to jail and lost the trust of his brother, who doesn’t talk to him to this day.

A guest speaker recently came to my health class who is a former and current drug addict. It started on the high school baseball team and slowly took over his life. His wife has almost divorced him multiple times, and his children and family have been deeply impacted by the financial struggle his need for drugs has caused them. The biggest commonality between these people is the negative impact that addiction has had on their life, changing it forever.

It’s likely that in some way or another, each of these people had some knowledge of the negative effects of drug usage – whether it was through school education, religious beliefs, parents, or friends.

Using Our Education to Create Change

What can we do to reduce the impact of addiction in our country? As a Health Education major at my university, the natural answer that comes to me is to educate as both a preventative and recovery method. As educators, parents, religious leaders, or friends, we can share the knowledge we have of drugs and addiction in a way that is informative and thorough in order to aid in addiction prevention and recovery.

My personal drug education growing up was very shallow and limited. Drugs were always something I was taught to fear and avoid. As a health teacher, I hope to expand students’ knowledge by helping them understand as much as possible about the nature of drugs and alcohol, as well as instill hope in them of change and addiction recovery, rather than a fear of making mistakes.

However, this isn’t just a responsibility of educators. It also takes the involvement of educational faculty and staff, families, and the community to prevent addiction and aid in addiction recovery. A positive step our country could take is to outline a more rigid curriculum for the education system surrounding drugs, so that educators are better equipped to teach the subject matter.

Educating the Populace About Addiction: Getting Local

Local or state communities could also oversee addiction recovery programs to help those seeking help. The government could also enforce stricter laws for overprescribing and disposing of medications to prevent overdosing and addiction. Drug and medication users should be taught by their prescribers how to read labels and correct usage of medications. These steps can help educate properly, and harness drugs to be used for their proper purposes rather than a recreational activity. Because of the effects I’ve seen in the lives of the two individuals mentioned (and many more), I know that there is no way to officially put an end to addiction. However, there are measures that can be used to educate, prevent, cure, and give hope to a world with ever-increasing addiction.

3. D.R. (School Unknown)

My first introduction to drugs began long ago, as far back as I can even remember. Family members smoking cigarettes or cigars, drinking beer or hard liquor, taking prescribed medication, the list goes on and on. It was common to see, and I didn’t really understand why my loved ones would say, “Hopefully, you don’t start this” while gripping a can of Colt 45 or pinching a Newport cigarette.

I couldn’t help but wonder if it was so bad, why were they doing it? When I asked them, their answers didn’t help much: shoulder shrug and “I don’t know, it’s just something grown-ups do.” But that wasn’t true. And as helpless as they portrayed themselves to be, I know that each of them were and still are capable of overcoming such a destructive habit but with the right tools.

To Form an Addictionless Society

In fifth grade, there was a program called D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) that every kid sat through. We did activities and workshops, watched videos and listened to personal anecdotes, all to steer us away from recreational drug use. At 11 years old, I was educated on the different drugs and their effects and how to get help. Those who used the drugs were villainized and painted as “bad” people.

My first year of high school, we didn’t have D.A.R.E. Instead we had TOP (Teen Outreach Program) Lifeguard, and it covered more than just substance abuse and went deeper into the aspects of adolescent life. The information was similar but more complex and relatable to 14- and 15-year-olds. These were preventative measures with good intentions, but the solution cannot stop there. The correct way, in my opinion, to reduce drug addiction is to provide full comprehensive knowledge about it–not just prevention like most programs aim for.

Eliminating Stigma in Addiction Education Efforts

We do that by first, getting rid of the stigma surrounding it. Society has been taught to dehumanize people who struggle with this sickness. Most may not even consider addiction a true health concern, and instead it is framed as one “bad choice” right after the other. Only then can we create more programs to support and encourage people struggling with addiction to ask for and receive help.

This progress in acceptance will lead to better interpersonal interactions with those struggling with addictions. Addiction may always be around, but that doesn’t mean we’re defenseless against this battle. With the right weapons and the right strategy, humanity could win this war and put a stop to this epidemic. It is important to cover all bases and leave no stone unturned as we fight the good fight.

We should also remember that oftentimes, ignorance is the enemy, and a little empathy can go a long way.

4. A.V. (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

Addiction is a horrifying thing that is, unfortunately, something I have witnessed firsthand. In those moments of sadness, anger, and grief for those suffering, I can’t help but wonder what, if anything, could have prevented that addiction in the first place. Of all the possibilities, I believe the first step to combat addiction in the United States is to increase the quantity and quality of substance abuse education.

Education as Stepping Stone to a New Beginning

As a student, I believe education is the most important step in new beginnings. Education is the backbone of your life; it affects your personality, job, who you interact with on a daily basis, as well as your decision-making ability. And in turn, where you live as well as your mental, emotional, physical, and financial circumstances. All of which are important when making the decision to use addicting substances or not.

To go more into the educational aspect of this idea, children begin school at an early age for a reason. Children’s brains have yet to develop fully and have more open neuron pathways than adults. Meaning, a child is able to understand things quicker and with more complexity than adults. So, to prevent an addiction epidemic, early childhood education against addiction should be mandated in the U.S.

However, this shouldn’t only be a lesson for a day or two that’s pushed to the sidelines. It should be taught as its own class where children are taught about the various aspects of drug abuse as a community. In other words, this community that’s being fostered is built on education. Another note is that this education must maintain high levels of quality. A simple presentation on a PowerPoint is not enough to show the severity of drug addiction or get that message across. Instead, school districts, with the help of federal funding, should look towards providing in-depth examples, bringing those with addiction experience and recovering to the present, etc.

Improving Early Childhood Addiction Education

Any form of hands-on example often works best for children as it’s more likely something they’ll remember. In summary, one of the best ways that I personally believe will reduce the number of people struggling with drug addiction is to increase education. This newfound educational practice must be high quality, in high quantity, and start off with children as they’re more impressionable and able to be educated more with adults. This, in theory, would start off with a generation of mindful individuals, paving a way for a better future.

Education to Curb Addiction, as shown by the University of Arizona campus center

5. Christina Tellez (University of Arizona)

When someone’s life is affected by addiction, whether it is alcohol, drugs, food, or even addiction to another person, their whole world is thrown upside down along with their loved ones being affected as well.

In my life, I have seen what alcohol addiction can do to a family firsthand. I have seen addiction break up a family, and I have seen the regret and pain that the addict went through after the damage had been done.

A Helping Hand for Addiction

I believe that if my family member had proper help, a good rehab center, and a helping hand to lead him through rough times, he would have lived a healthy life with less regret and grief in his life. Addiction in the United States is a severe issue that needs to be evaluated and fixed across the world.

I truly believe that if we work together to stop the disease called addiction, real change will happen. Addiction is something that can happen over time, or it can start from the very first sip of alcohol you take. We can start the process to reduce addiction by educating students from a younger age. Students do not hear about the effects of addiction unless it is in their own personal lives, their homes, or on a TV show.

The education system needs to educate students, specifically teenagers of the effects drugs and alchol can have on the brain and body. A course in middle school, high school and even college that has hands-on learning classes that leave a safe space for students to ask questions and learn about substances without feeling like they are being scolded.

Creating Safe Places for Addiction Education

Another way to reduce the number of struggling addicts is by giving another safe place for current addicts to be able to seek help without fear or pain, heartbreak and rehab which can be scary and expensive to most addicts. To build communities to have struggling addicts go to when they have no one else is an important step to helping those who tend to already have no one.

Homes that have strict rules to help addicts drop their bad habits, and trained doctors, nurses and caretakers who have been taught to help with withdrawal and the pain that addicts experience. I think that giving them a home to heal and get better in can ease them into rehab slowly, to help them feel like they are accepting help willingly to get better.

An addict might not want to always get help, but to show them that there are people in this world that wish to help them, and not hurt them, they might consider the idea of attending rehab and getting help. If we want to truly help the future generation, educating them is the best bet to seeing better results in the number of substance addicts in the world. Asking for help should never be as scary as it sounds, and by working together we can make it a safer place.