The illegal or harmful use of drugs is a major threat to the world and to future generations. Drugs are substances that are becoming more common in our communities as each day goes by. The demand for drugs is also increasing daily. People need to act and play a part in the combating of drugs starting in their own homes. Every individual needs to be aware of the consequences of drug abuse and to help spread the word starting at young ages. All parts of local and world communities need to unite the strengths of professional expertise, generational wisdom, and individual commitment to combat the drug problem as they strive together toward a healthier world.
Communities can take part in the effort to put a stop to drug abuse by organizing groups of prevention experts and community volunteers whose mission is to help assure a healthier and safer world through drug prevention efforts by providing statistics and accurate information on the abuse of substances. There should also be a higher number of organizations that provide expertise on drug strategies. Everyone who seeks help against drug abuse should be able to find it regardless of where they are located.
There also needs to be enforcement in stronger laws and meaningful legal penalties that hold users and dealers accountable for their actions. Firmer laws would make some of those who traffic, deal, or consume drugs think twice before they act. The fear of facing the consequences might even prevent some of those who planned to handle drugs. Organizations against drug abuse need to support efforts to prevent availability and use of drugs, and oppose policies and programs that accept drug use. They also need to support international treaties and agreements, including international authorizations and penalties against drug trafficking, and oppose attempts to weaken international drug policies and laws.
Higher support in organizing efforts for a drug-free environment is needed in every community. Students need to be offered a higher number of extracurricular activities in which to participate. This would help keep children and teens off of the streets. In their free time they would still be able to hang out with their peers and have fun, yet they would be safer being held under adult supervision. Society needs to support healthy drug-free attitudes, environment, and activities, while reinforcing non-acceptance toward the presence of drugs and destructive behavior.
A higher amount of adult volunteers and organizations are needed in order to provide the children with these extracurricular activities without cost. This is where these organizations can ask for state government help in order to provide them with the sufficient money to provide these after school activities. Parents should also be encouraged to take a part in these programs with their children whenever they can. That way the bond between the parent and child can grow and there will be a higher comfort level when parents talk to their child about drug abuse.
Many drug consumers are introduced to drugs at an early age when they are young and nave and become addicted from there on. If children have more knowledge about drugs and its consequences there is a better chance for them to making a wiser decision when it comes to drugs. According to an article from the National Center on Addiction and Substance abuse at Columbia University (CASA), only one in four teens in America lives with hands-on parents. These are parents who have established a household culture of rules and expectations for their teens behavior and monitor what their teens do, such as the TV shows they watch, the CDs they buy, what they access on the Internet, and where they are evenings and weekends. These teens are at one quarter the risk of smoking, drinking and using drugs as teens with hands-off parents, according to a new survey of one thousand American teen ages 12-17 released by CASA.Mothers and fathers who are parents to their children rather than pals can greatly reduce the risk of their children smoking, drinking and using drugs. They can counter negative media influences and the prevalence of marijuana and other drugs in a teens world. Drug prevention teams can also counter the messages sent by media about drugs and help children realize that consuming drugs is much more dangerous than cool.Parents need to be responsible and aware of what their children do and where they are at all times, and spent more time with them in order to educate them properly and have better relationships with their children.
It is important to provide drug education beginning with prospective drug users, essentially children and teens. The desire to belong, peer pressure, drug media messages and the desire for sophistication are all part of adolescence and that is why it is important to educate our children at a young age and help them be prepared. In order to accelerate turning public opinion against drug use, drug education should be focused in large part on educating non-drug users how other peoples drug use affects them. Drug prevention enforcement should begin at home and should continue on at school and after school. Drug abuse prevention is the most effective and humane way of addressing the consequences of illegal, harmful, and mind-altering drugs in our society. Prevention works and needs to be reinforced, enhanced, and expanded.
