Week 2 Discussion Response to Classmates

This project will discuss the Drug Epidemic that is affecting the community, especially the youth in the community. Substance Use Disorder is a disease that is affecting all communities near and far. Drug use involves the use of substances ranging from alcohol, tobacco, stimulants opiates, opioids, and marijuana. These substances impact individuals of various ages, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. This includes the overachiever who has to use prescription medication to manage the daily stressors, the youth that needs alcohol to get up and attend school, the adolescent that smokes marijuana or takes pills to be accepted by their friends, and the athlete that requires pain medication to manage injuries that come with playing sports. This project will address the issues of Substance Use in the community, current measures that have been utilized, and prevention positively affect this issue.

[Insert Title of Social Change Project here]

The target problem for this community is the effects of substance use on the community, specifically the youth in the community. Substance use disorder is a disease that begins innocently in individuals during the adolescent years. The statistical rate for youth in Virginia that are participating in binge drinking is 6%. The National average for alcohol dependence for for individuals 12 and over is 6.7%, which is slightly higher when compared with Virginia’s average of 6.49%. Locally, the rate for alcohol dependence is 5.19%. That is almost 70,000 youth between the age of 12-17 that abuse alcohol in this region. The rates for illicit drug use is expressively higher nationally and for the State of Virginia, at 9.27% and 7.71% respectively. The rate for illicit drugs as it relates to the community is 7.03%. That is about 95,000 people in the area 12 and over that abuse drugs. The rates for marijuana use for individuals 12 and over are 12.34% nationally, 9.77% for the state of Virginia, and 9.79% for the region that includes this community. Finally, prescription drug use is highest in the region that includes this community at 5.24%. Virginia’s rate is 4.58% compared to the national rate of 4.51%. Based on these rates for substance use, it is important that awareness be provided to the community, especially the youth and young adult to bring attention to the effects of substance use on the developing minds of our adoloescents. Moveover, it is vital to teach how these early practices can lead to negative lifelong habits. The goal of this portfolio is to introduce awareness to the youth on the dangers of substance use and how its destructive nature to the individual.

[Insert Title of Social Change Project here]

[Insert the content for this section here. See the instructions for the Social-ecological Model section in Week 3 and follow the instructions this section closely. Be sure to attend to all bullet-points for this section found in the “To Prepare” area in week 3. Please write in full sentences using APA style].

[Insert Title of Social Change Project here]

[Insert the content for this section here. See the instructions for Theories of Prevention section in Week 5 and follow the instructions this section closely. Be sure to attend to all bullet-points for this section found in the “To Prepare” area in week 5. Please write in full sentences using APA style].

[Insert Title of Social Change Project here]

[Insert the content for this section here. See the instructions for the Diversity and Ethical Considerations section in Week 6 and follow the instructions for this section closely. Be sure to attend to all bullet-points for this section found in the “To Prepare” area in week 6. Please write in full sentences using APA style].

[Insert Title of Social Change Project here]

[Insert the content for this section here. See the instructions for the Advocacy section in Week 7 and follow the instructions this section closely. Be sure to attend to all bullet-points for this section found in the “To Prepare” area in week 7. Please write in full sentences using APA style].

Resources

Virginia Biennial Report on Substance Abuse Services Per Code of Virginia § 37.2-310, October 2015