Case Study: Opioid Substance Use Among Youth

The widespread feeling today is that there are more troubled teenagers than it was in the past, the increase of gangs, drugs, and guns will continue to be a social problem. Youth gangs are increasingly becoming a minority problem, and this trend is likely to increase in years to come, the drugs choices of juvenile may change in the future but that don’t mean it will be less of a problem than it is now, their choice of drugs today is cocaine and methamphetamine. Juveniles will continue to drink alcohol, and there is no reason to believe that the use of alcohol will be less of a problem than at present.

The key values and principles of youth work are to educate, empower, encourage participation and promote equality of opportunity and social inclusion. The principles of youth work are about offering services in places where young people can choose to participate, they encourage young people to be critical in their responses to their own experiences and to the world around them. Youth work is also about making young people more independent and helping them to make informed choices about their personal responsibilities within their community. These values and principles provide youth work with a purpose as well as

According to current statistics released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, “In the United States in 2011, there were an estimated 25.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17. In the past year, more than one quarter of adolescents drank alcohol, approximately one fifth used an illicit drug, and almost one eighth smoked cigarettes” ("A Day in the Life of American Adolescents," 2013, para. 1). Substance abuse is major problem amongst adolescents. Some are experimenting, but some adolescents may become dependent on a particular substance. If one becomes dependent on a substance as an adolescent it could be detrimental to their future health and success as an adult. Spear (2003) stated in an article titled Alcohol’s

Young teens all get a bad rep when it comes to drinking alcohol. Especially college students that are considered “binge drinkers”. When in reality a nation wide survey of students at 168 colleges and university’s found some interesting things about the underage corrupt youth. 93% of all students have never received a lower grade in a class because of drinking too much. 98% of all college students say that they have never gotten into trouble from an administrator from excessive drinking. While the media continually gives the under twenty one community a bad rep, in reality they are continually practicing safe drinking habits and in some cases not drinking at all. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse by the Institute

Opioid abuse is extremely prevalent in today’s society. Many public health professionals are calling it the worst drug crisis in the nation’s history. (DeGarmo, 2017) Opioid abuse and addiction is an issue that goes beyond adults, it is plaguing juveniles as well. Juveniles are feeling the negative effects of this issue in many different ways. Some are watching their friends or family go through addiction, some have lost loved ones, and some juveniles are addicted themselves. I volunteered at the EB HOPE drop-in center which is located in East Bridgewater. The mission of the drop-in center is to provide resources to those affected by opioid addiction. They have an abundance of resources including retreats, rehabilitation centers, support groups, as well as faith based healings. They also have various support groups for family and friends of those addicted to opioids.

1Executive SummaryTo determine the best way of supplying naloxone (Narcan) to victims of opioid overdoseat Mason Public Schools, I first confirmed that naloxone administration might benecessary on school grounds. By surveying the public, researching news articles, andconducting personal interviews, I have determined that opioids are being useddangerously or illegally by Mason students and visitors to our schools. It is possible thatsomeone will need emergency treatment with naloxone after overdosing on schoolproperty.Local teens and young adults are suffering from opioid addiction. Some studentsexperiment with drugs and end up hooked. Others are prescribed opioid pain medicationand their addiction begins more innocently. Local students have

It might be surprising to many but over the recent decades there has been an increasing amount of opioid use among adolescents. Thus, increasing the likelihood of addiction and recently it has become a major health care epidemic. Pursuing this further, such problems often occur because well-meaning doctors, eager to make patients more comfortable, repeatedly increase a drug’s dose, inadvertently increasing risk. Furthermore, although opioids can be dangerous experts believe that patients using opioids are at a lower risk when patients are monitored closely to make sure they are still benefiting from the drugs in terms of pain relief and physical function.

A​ ​recent​ ​government​ ​study​ ​found​ ​there​ ​was​ ​a​ ​400%​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​the​ ​abuse​ ​of​ ​prescription​ ​drugs

*In today’s world people are selling opioids as if though they were selling pizza if you call they will deliver.

Hi John, great information. Opioids have been used for managing acute and chronic pain in individuals for many decades. Though these drugs can improve a person’s quality of life, their use should be cautioned due to their addictive ability. Opioids use are rampant in the U.S. and the community. According to the CDC (2016), over the last fifteen years, opioid deaths have quadrupled. The use and misuse are responsible for destroying families across the nation. It is important to seek treatment help immediately. There are many prevention programs available today. Some family-based approaches have proven to be successful in helping adolescents overcome their addiction (National Institute of Health, 2014).

Tupac “Shakur once said “What I learned in jail is that I can't change. I can't live a different lifestyle - this is it. This is the life that they gave and this is the life that I made.” Many adults cannot learn or change during their time in the jail. But this is different for youth. Youth are still growing and their minds are still developing. Youth are more vulnerable to the negative aspects of society and hence have to be helped. The Youth Criminal Justice Act was created by the Canadian Government in 2003 to do just that. The act protects and enforces the rights and freedoms that a youth has. The act helps and provides guidance for youth in the trial process. Finally, the youth is protected in the sentencing and rehabilitation process.

Youth should know what would be best for them and they would

Adolescent substance abuse is a major problem in society. There are many risk factors that can contribute to adolescent substance abuse. One of the main risk factors is peer pressure. When adolescents start at a young age there is an increase in health problems, addiction, and over all poor social outcomes. Parental influence has substantial effect on adolescents because the adolescent sees their parents and they learn by their example. Media plays a role in the use of drug and alcohol use among young people. Many school systems have implemented programs that teach adolescents about the problems of substance abuse that is funded

* Try to create a sense of community where the students feel more comfortable in front of each other. One suggestion made was to have the students sit in a circle.

Most of the problems facing today’s youth are not restricted to any one ethnic or religious group, but affect young people generally. Most discussions on youth have focussed on issues such as drug abuse, crime, violence, sexuality and poverty. In addition to these, today’s youth are afflicted by new challenges.