ALCOHOL-ABUSEAMONG LEARNERS IN HIGH SCHOOLS

By Z Ganyaza and J Khoza

ALCOHOL ABUSE;Introduction:

• Alcohol, is any organic compound in which the hydroxyl function group (-OH) is bound to a saturated carbon atom.

• It is originally referred to the primary alcohol ethanol (ethyl alcohol), the predominant, alcohol in alcoholic beverages (Reece, J.B.2011)

• Drug is a chemical substance that has known biological effects on humans or other animals (Emmet, 1986).

• The primary breakdown product of alcohol, acetaldehyde, rather than the alcohol itself (i.e., ethanol), may have a key role in brain changes produced by chronic alcohol consumption

INTRO. CONTINUED

• Alcohol is a drug it self, used by many people with different reasons which vary from

• Avoiding pain (physical and emotional)• Forgetting problems• And sometimes just for fun.

ALCOHOL ABUSE;

Alcohol is classed as a depressant which slows vital functions resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movements, disturbed perceptions and inability to react quickly

As a drug, its use activates the dopamine pathway of the brain’s reward system, that an intake of a certain drug will bring pleasurable effect.

Effects of Alcohol Abuse

Ethanol within this substance inhibits the release of the signaling molecule (i.e neurotransmitter) which is Acetylcholine from the cortex.

More neurotransmitters are inhibited from moving through the synaptic cleft of the neurons.

This takes place when the large quantities of alcohol is consumed in the short period of time.

Alcohol has the ability to move upstream through the blood to the brain and interfere with the neural system.;

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE

Individual will then start to experience slow functioning of the body to react to any provoking situation.Activities like thinking, ability to make choices, Co ordination and balance are affected.Further dependence on the mixture of drugs, without intervention lead to social problems like school dropout which:Gives chance to engage individuals in crime to support hard dependency of substance use.

Brain damage if under influence of substance

Aim of Advocacy

• Advocacy in this regard aims to alienate this alcohol abuse among teenagers in school and out of school.

• Teaching about alcohol and drug abuse in schools• Launch educative programs to teach community

members about alcohol and its effect to children. • Inform individuals lacking knowledge about this

effects on the society.

SUPPORT BY STAKEHOLDERS TO BE INVOVLED

•Funding Proposal to the National Institute on Drug Abuse to support launching of programs

•Usage of community halls, resources like chairs and speakers, food parcels for the audience.

•Speakers invited to the event like social workers, teachers, police, parents and NGOs working against drug and alcohol abuse.

Media

• Young people (especially high school learners) through media are exposed from an early age to a plethora of advertising which is associates stress relief with the use of drugs.

• These platforms has the ability to reach the masses with information that can build their live in the same way that it reaches them about the negatives.

Utilise Media

The family

• Such risks would include family disruption, ineffective supervision, criminality and drug use in the family.

• Risk is involved if a young person (especially high school learners) is homeless or does not have a secure family environment.

Peer networks; paradigm shift

• The most important reference group for a young person in the community is often his or her peer

• Because the peer group is seen as such a vitally important support mechanism for the adolescent, he or she may go to great length to maintain acceptance and status in it, this means resort to taking drugs to impress friends if they too are taking drugs as well.

Peer networks; paradigm shift

The individual: youth learner

• Individual factors include low self-esteem, poor self-control, inadequate social coping skills, sensation seeking, depression, anxiety and stressful life events

• When one is young, one is constantly struggling to define and affirm identity.

• The cause of this process young people often start experimenting as part of their search for an identity.

The individual: youth learner

The social and environmental milieu:

• Having a few or no opportunities for education or demonstrating poor school attendance have been shown to contribute to a higher risk of using drugs

• Availability of drugs:Another risk factor would include the widespread availability of drugs where laws and regulations intended to discourage or prevent illicit drug use are not stringent or not enforced. This involves under age youth to buy alcohol and cigarettes in bar lodges, and the shopkeepers allowing that.

The social and environmental milieu:

Availability of drugs

Crime:

Media

• website, Facebook, radio stations, Television

ACTIVITIES;

• We will use media to engage learners and help them according to their different needs:

• Website:- this is where the learners can interact with other people having the same challenge as themselves, because there are links to certain organizations dealing with drug abuse. There is also information about drug abuse, motivational writings and referral to rehab organisations.

• Launch a Page on Facebook:- this is another platform to help interact with the learners having pressing issues regarding drug abuse.

IDENTIFICATION AND MOBILISATION OF REQUIRED

RESOURCES;• Media (website, Facebook, radio stations,

Television); for communicating with the drug abuse victims, learners.

• Police; to help with inspection at the schools for any drug smuggling.

DRUG ABUSE WEBSITE

MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE CAMPAIGN’S PROGRESS;

• This is where will be able to determine if our intervention is succeeding or if there is a need for us to adjust our strategies.

• We will be able to do that through the interaction with the learners and seeing recording their progress.

• We will also work with police to keep on inspecting for drugs at the schools.

• Including two important parties, the parents and teachers to also report on learners’ healthy progress.

PREVENTION;

• Prevention is a powerful medicine than cure, individuals need to be taught information that is familiar to their situations.

• Skills to survive is of particular important to be included in educational curriculum.

• Keeping learners busy with skills that is ought to benefit them socially and financially won’t give them an opportunity to think about stealing and time to participate in drugs

PREVENTION; continued

Basic guidelines for effective prevention (Coalition):• Involve young people in the programme design and

implementation• Involve parents and guardians• Build life skills among the youth• The importance of schools in prevention work

COMPAIGN;

• The life skills approach (peer counselling)• Media: Facebook, radio stations, Television• Education on drugs.

References

• Reece, J.B., Urry, L.A., Cain, M.L., Wasserman, S.A., Minorsky, P.V. and Jackson, R.B. (2011). Campbell biology. San Francisco: Pearson Education, Inc.