Early exposure to drugs increases the chances of a young adult of getting addicted to substance abuse. Keep in mind, drugs change the brain and this can prompt addiction and other severe health issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 700,000 Americans died from overdosing on a drug from 1999 to 2017. Moreover, over 21 million Americans suffer from at least one type of addiction, yet only 10 percent of this population receives the necessary treatment. So, before it gets too late, it’s important we thought of drug prevention.

Studies have demonstrated that research-based projects, as described in NIDA’s Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention for Early Childhood: A Research-Based Guide study and Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders study, can essentially decrease addiction to tobacco, liquor, and other drugs in the early years of an individual’s life. Also, while numerous social factors influence drug use patterns when young adults see drug use as destructive, they frequently reduce their degree of usage.

How can Schools and Communities Help Young Adults Fight Drug Addiction?

Here’s how the school authorities can help the students avoid drug use.

1. Help then Learn How to Handle Everyday Pressure

   The failure to manage ordinary life pressures is one of the significant reasons that drive individuals to use drugs and liquor. For some individuals, drugs and liquor usage works as an escape route to get away from the harsh realities of life. Planning ahead and confiding in people who can help you or just provide a patient ear can be used as a drug prevention approach.

School authorities must, therefore, arrange for special classes that aim at increasing communication between the students as well as the teachers to help them understand that there is someone who can help them handle the pressure they are unable to cope with.

2. Help Young Adults to Deal with Peer Pressure

   The most compelling driving factor for young adults to start using drugs is because that their friends put pressure on them to try substance to fit in with the group. Everyone wants to be accepted and young adults end up doing things they ordinarily wouldn’t do, just to fit in. In these cases, teaching these adolescents some core life skills and the power of saying “no” will work well as a drug prevention method. Many drug prevention programs have been developed on these lines that help adolescents understand that all the things done under peer pressure is not right and sometimes they have to back off even if it means not be included in the popular group.

3. Break the Boredom

   Most smokers say that they smoke not because they’re addicted to cigarettes but because they have nothing to do. If this is true for cigarettes, no argument can say that it’s not true for drugs.

   Involvement in creative and challenging tasks can combat the need to rely on drugs and substance for amusement. Therefore, school authorities and communities together and separately can come up with activities to keep the young adults engaged from indulging in drugs.

Sweat it out. Try to find some time for at least 30 minutes of exercising. As per an examination at the Mayo Clinic, exercise decreases stress, reduces depression and tension, improves sleep, and uplifts the mood. Those new to exercise shouldn’t feel scared. The research recommends a basic energetic walk is sufficient to receive these rewards and act on drug prevention.

4. Eat a Balanced Diet

   Following a good, balanced eating routine and practicing every day is another method for averting drugs and alcohol addiction. Being healthy and dynamic makes it simpler for individuals to manage life stresses. This, thus, lessens the compulsion to depend on drugs to manage pressure. A sound eating routine and normal exercise every day promote the release of happy hormones in the mind and body.

5. Help Young Adults Seek Help for Mental Illnesses (if any)

   Mental health is still a taboo among many and is still considered as one being mad. Given that there are no physical symptoms of mental health conditions like fever or a rash, people often do not even understand that they are sick and need medical help.

Mental health conditions such as anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and bipolar disorders go hand in hand with substance abuse frequently. It is more likely for teenagers to develop addiction due to mental health issues and the responsibility of guiding them to seek medical help falls on the school authorities and the community as a whole.

Final Thoughts

While these are only a few ideas that can help ensure drug prevention, it’s significant for an individual who has effectively built up a dependence to look for drug and alcohol addiction recovery treatment. Numerous dependable drug prevention programs may come out to be massively valuable in such cases. All one needs to do is to embrace it wholeheartedly.