2. PREVENTION OF THE SPREAD OF NARCOTICS
Drug problems result from two factors: someone needs to take it (demand) and there is a drug to satisfy their needs (supply). The demand and supply are mutually supportive. Therefore, to solve this problem, the two aforementioned factors should simultaneously be dealt with: that is to reduce the demand as well as the supply. However, practically, people pay less attention to reducing the demand for drugs than reducing the quantity of drugs in the market.
The problems concerning drugs result from wrongly taking drugs in the expectation of getting some benefit from them or depending on them in any situation. Fundamental factors in the problem are drugs and the persons who take them. The most significant factor is “motivation”; if there is not any of the three, the problems about drug addiction do not occur.
Therefore, the problem of drug addiction can be prevented by looking into the personal behavior of drug users who depend on drugs. These persons are categorized into the following groups.
1) Those that have not yet taken or just started using it.
2) Those who do take drugs, divided into, the persons who used to take drugs and then stopped, the persons who occasionally take it, the persons who always take it but are not addicted to it and the persons who are already addicted to it.
3) Those who always take drugs or were addicted and underwent treatment and are not addicted to drugs anymore.
All three groups are possibly taking drugs and could be addicted to them in the future. The activities to solve these problems should cover all of them. The methods used depend on each target group.
Prevention can be divided into three levels:
- Primary Prevention
- Secondary Prevention
- Tertiary Prevention
1. Primary Prevention
This may be called basic prevention referring to any procedure to make teenagers immune from taking drugs permanently. Teenagers can make their own decisions about not taking drugs without trying the drugs. It is the best way to prevent most citizens from being involved in drug addiction.
Primary Prevention, therefore, is the most important step leading to successful prevention and solving of the drug addiction of the country. However, this is a rather complex process because it involves fundamental management for most of the people of the country, which must be established in youngsters first since they are young. And done before they graduate with the cooperation of many sectors.
2. Secondary Prevention
This step has two methods: one is to prevent people from taking drugs, which is different from primary prevention which keeps people from wanting to do drugs. This step covers the suppression, confiscation, destruction of drugs, inspection for narcotics in urine. Officers are sent to inspect schools and send drug addicts to get treatment or prevent drug users from spreading narcotics to non-drug users.
The other method is the process of assistance to the persons who have tried taking drugs, or persons who occasionally or often take drugs but are not addicted to them. Those persons are asked to change their behavior and to not take that drug anymore. This procedure separates addicts from drugs or persuades addicts to get advice and psychological treatment in order to prevent and stop taking drugs.
3. Tertiary Prevention
This step of prevention is to prevent relapse, which helps the addicts who underwent treatment to not become addicted to drugs again. This includes medical treatment so that the addicts can live safely away from drugs.
Tertiary prevention depends on many procedures to help addicts such as rehabilitation, psychological therapy, social counseling, group therapy and recreational therapy.
To prevent addicts from taking drugs again is a part of the prevention program aiming to reduce drug desire, which can prevent them from spreading drugs to others.
To sum up, Primary Prevention can prevent people from ever trying drugs, whereas, Secondary Prevention immediately takes the addict for treatment. In order to make the prevention effective, it is essential to understand the causes and factors of drug addiction. The factors of drug addiction are people, drugs, and other elements. Therefore, the plans to prevent it should be carefully managed in accordance with the root of the problems which are as follows:
1. General Prevention: emphasize to society as a whole the harmfulness of drugs. Reduce the need for drugs, and decrease their attraction to drugs using various procedures such as health development, moral support, law enforcement, social development etc. Three methods of prevention are as follows:
1.1 Education: transferring knowledge in order to educate people on how to have a good quality of life without depending on drugs. This emphasizes self and mental development, self-confidence, hygiene, and training for careers.
1.2 Giving information and reports: people in the community can analyze, select, and make their own decisions by using the information.
1.3 Preparing special activities: this is to provide suitable basic activities for each person and community in order to switch their attention from inappropriate behavior and also to help develop them both physically and mentally.
2. Specific Prevention: directly prevents some groups of people or some communities that are at risk of addiction. The procedures are as follows:
2.1 Training: group leaders and the population are trained how to prevent addiction and how to take proper medications for the purpose of applying this knowledge in the community and locality. These people then gain knowledge that is directly opposed to taking
2.2 Publicity campaign: this is too help spread information by using different media in a limited area, which can alert people to the harmfulness of drugs and encourage them to take part in solving the problem.
2.3 Social conduct: this method is used to get rapid changes such as getting rid of unlawful gatherings or drug producing places, etc.
3. Special Prevention: this is the most specific way to prevent addiction in persons who are at high risk as well as their families such as persons who are facing personal problems, persons from broken families, or addicts who have undergone treatment. This special prevention includes the following methods:
3.1 Problem analysis: for addicts to recognize their own behaviors and problems.
3.2 Counseling: for addicts to choose practical methods whenever they have problems in order to avoid taking drugs.
3.3 Family counseling: to reduce pressure on the family and give them advice in order to manage their problems.
3.4 Health education: to educate people about drugs and health to prevent them from taking drugs improperly.
3.5 Counseling: to encourage addicts while they are facing their problems.
3.6 Career training: to help people reduce economic pressures by earning their living with their own ability and talent, so they can spend their free time for their own benefit.
All of these methods can be used simultaneously either for prevention on whatever level or for prevention of drug misuse, or for prevention to be addicted to drugs, all of which are most important ways to prevent and solve the problems concerning addiction. Every sector involved should seriously take part in this process.