Substance Abuse And Low Education

There are some barriers or weaknesses common to most interventions that target addictive behaviors in the community. Heterogeneity in the population and cultural barriers has contributed to the lack of knowledge regarding substance use and its effects. Issues related to taboo, denial and loss of face mask understanding of the extent of the problem. Institutional barriers and lack of community infrastructure make treatment efforts difficult in serving a diverse population (Ja, 1993). In addition to the psychological barriers, other physical problems also exist. Most primary care physicians do not feel competent to treat alcohol and drug related disorders. Physicians generally do not like to work with patients with these disorders and do not find treating them rewarding. There is substantial evidence that physicians fail even to identify a large percentage of patients with these disorders (Miller, Sheppard, Colenda, & Magen, 2001). Financial barriers include inability to access treatment services by addicted individuals as indicated in various studies. There is also a competition for resources that has to be considered. Local governments allocate some part of their funding for specific issues and there is a competition among several stakeholders to ensure that their cause is represented. Research shows that prevention programs in the community on the issues of substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, school failure, juvenile delinquency and violence have to be

There is no doubt that there is a prevalence of substance abuse throughout several age groups. To a certain extent, a society is faced with the reality of controlling substance abuse. Or allow it run rampant throughout the community. Often times, we hear and read about the level of substance abuse among teen, young adults and mid-aged

There have been several news coverages on TV and social network about drug overdose of different cases recently and they have risen people’s concern about the problems of drug abuse national-wide. The drug abuse and opioid epidemic is not a new problem to the American society, actually it has been a serious problem for many years. So what is the situation of drug epidemic now, and how can we find effective ways to deal with this problem? A few writers who ponder this question are Nora D. Volkow, Dan Nolan and Chris Amico.

The Appalachian region is one of the most valuable areas of the United States. It is rich in many natural aspects and is home to some of the hardest working citizens in this country. Unfortunately, Appalachia is also home to a variety of harsh social problems including severe drug abuse and a gripping poverty facing a large portion of Appalachian citizens. The two of these issues seem to go hand in hand in many cases, so the solution of one could also lead to the solution of the other. Appalachians have always had a history of handling their own problems, these drastic social problems are no different.

When the info-graphics site Visually was hired to put together information related to drug abuse in the state, one could only imagine the startling information that was discovered. To begin with, drug is considered the #1 cause of accidental deaths with 11 people dying everyday from a drug overdose. Each year, an estimated 40,000 emergency room visits are drug related, and 3 of every 10 auto accident fatalities are as a result of drug use. Sadly, only 15% of the state's addicts are said to ever receive treatment. These numbers point out the need for educating residents about the availability of outpatient and inpatient addiction treatment services (drug and alcohol rehab) throughout the state and other parts of the country.

Substance abuse is a topic most prefer not to discuss; it destroys lives, relationships and families all over the world. Native Americans seem to have suffered immensely by it. Since the coming of the Englishmen and the introduction of new knowledge and tools Native people have been trying to hold on to their own culture and their own way of life. Unfortunately with them came new items for consumption, alcohol was one of the main ingredients to the internal downfall of Native populations. Native American populations suffer greatly due to the ongoing epidemic of substance abuse and dependence; some things are being done about the problems people are having but in the end will it be enough to heal a nation? To open this paper I will look at

Substance abuse issues within Appalachian have been addressed by several fields of study including social services, criminal justice, and health services. This issue is defined similarly in all fields even though it

The Appalachian Region stretches from the northern part of New York, through Pennsylvanyia, all of West Virginia, the West side of Kentucky, Mississippi, and the southern parts of Maryland, S.Carolina, N. Carolina, and Alabama. The immigrants who settled in the Appalachian Region were made-up of three main ethinic backgrounds; Scot-Irish, English, and German. “Appalachian people are considered a separate culture, made up of many unique backgrounds—Native Americans, Irish, English and Scotch, and then a third descendants of German and Polish immigrants—all blended together across the region”(“Appalachian Culture”, 2015). The immigrants came to the Appalachian Region either in search of land at cheaper prices or to get away from the Quacker Leaders. The Appalachian Region has proven to create a hard way of life for those who settled the region. “The people who settled in the Appalachian region were known as hearty people who lived in an often difficult environment”(“What is Unique”, 2015). Those who live in the Appalachian Region today may not face the same challenges as his or her ancestors who settled the region, but there is no doubt the Appalachians still brings a set of challenges. However, no matter the challenges there is one thing those who live in Appalachia share, tradition. It is these traditions that assisted the first settlers, our ancestors, in living life and are still getting present day Appalachians through.

The people of Appalachia are often characterized as ignorant, lazy, uneducated, drug addicted, and incestuous. Many believe that this impoverished area is full of hicks, hillbillies, and rednecks, but when examining the truths one might find an enriched culture with generous people who are hardworking, artistic, and family oriented with a strong religious faith.

Appalachia may be the most misconceived region in the United States. To many Americans, Appalachia has been thought of as a poverty stricken, backwards, violent region, and to some it still is perceived as such. Often it has been labeled with titles such as hillbilly, redneck, moonshiner, and feudists. Appalachia?s residents are seen as lazy, non-trusting, drunk, illiterate, and in need of a savior to pull them out of the darkness into the light. This research paper will seek to challenge the myth of a violent Appalachia by describing documented proof that violence in Appalachia is not, as most thought, a product of its geographical location, or because its people are isolated. Violence in Appalachia was, just as in other areas of America, a result of tensions and frustration that was deep seeded in the fabric of all American society.

Addiction to prescription drugs has remained an ongoing problem for residents of West Virginia. In 2014, 26.2% of all drug rehab enrollments in West Virginia cited other opiates as their primary reason for entering treatment. The category known as other opiates includes non-prescription use of methadone, codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, opium, and other drugs with morphine-like effects. Coming in a close second as the most commonly reported substance of abuse among West Virginia drug rehab centers was alcohol addiction. 25.4% of the person’s entering treatment in the state during 2014 listed alcohol as their primary substance of abuse.

This article starts by stating that substance abuse is a significant problem in Oklahoma, to tackle this Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services aimed to handle these problems using the Strategic Prevention Framework to empower local communities and help in implementing prevention strategies based on epidemiological data by establishing the Regional Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (REOW) network. Seventeen REOWs across the state assist to identify and use community resources for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting epidemiological data to calculate the burden of substance abuse problems and the associated intermediate variables. The concerns identified among various public health areas can help different community sectors define their strategy and focus on key problems in their areas. The REOW network brings awareness more effectively and efficiently to communities about eminent dangers posed by different health-related problems and behaviors. (API Ikkada PETTU Bharre)

Shannon, Havens, Mateyoke-Scrivner, & Walker, (2009) reviewed the various types of substances used by women going into treatment who were of the rural Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas of Kentucky. Shannon et al. sampled 2,786 women who were going into treatment in Kentucky. The state of Kentucky sponsored the drug abuse program. The participants were evaluated for their use of opiates, alcohol, stimulants, cocaine, sedatives, and tranquilizers over 12 months as well as lifetime use. Findings showed that rural Appalachian women going into drug treatment had higher use of opiates than non-Appalachian women did.

“Factors contributing to substance abuse in rural America include: Low educational attainment, poverty, unemployment, high-risk behaviors, and isolation”

In and around most large cities in America, the rising substance abuse epidemic has brought about a renewed interested in determining the root cause of substance abuse, the effects of substance abuse on individuals and societies, and the substance abuse treatment modalities that achieve the best outcomes. In reviewing the current research on substance abuse there seems to be no one clear cause of substance abuse disorders, although there is strong evidence that a number of life circumstances may predispose an individual to a substance abuse disorder, as well as a number of protective factors that may reduce an individual’s risk of developing a substance abuse disorder. One important risk factor that is commonly associated with substance