Prevention is a key tool in the fight against substance use and addiction.
There’s an old saying that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. When it comes to addiction and risky substance use, this saying cannot be more true.
- Youth are 6.5 times more likely to become addicted if they use drugs before age 21.
- Risky substance use and addiction is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
That’s why is so important to delay and limit the use of drugs in young people.
- Research shows the average age of first-time use of drugs is 13-14. If first-time use is delayed by 12-24 months, the likelihood of addiction drops dramatically.
- 9 out of 10 people with an addiction started their drug use in their teens.
- Youth are less likely to use addictive substances if their parents talk early and often about the risks, establish clear rules and consequences, and regularly monitor their activities. Learn how to have a conversation with your child here.
The longer the delay between first time use, the lower the risk of addiction.
What can you do to prevent drug use and addiction?
The research suggests that minimizing risk factors and strengthening protective factors is the best way to prevent addiction.
According to SAMSHA:
Risk factors are characteristics at the biological, psychological, family, community, or cultural level that precede and are associated with a higher likelihood of negative outcomes.
Protective factors are characteristics associated with a lower likelihood of negative outcomes or that reduce a risk factor’s impact. Protective factors may be seen as positive countering events.
- In relationships, risk factors include parents who use drugs and alcohol or who suffer from mental illness, child abuse and maltreatment, and inadequate supervision. In this context, parental involvement is an example of a protective factor.
- In communities, risk factors include neighborhood poverty and violence. Here, protective factors could include the availability of faith-based resources and after-school activities.
- In society, risk factors can include norms and laws favorable to substance use, as well as racism and a lack of economic opportunity. Protective factors in this context would include hate crime laws or policies limiting the availability of alcohol
Strategies for prevention.
Family:
If you are a parent, one of the best things you can do is talk about the risks of drug use with your children. Parent who talk to their kids about the risks have children that are up to 50% less likely to use drugs than those who don’t.
For ways to have these conversations with your kids, click here and here.
Social Connectedness:
Young people that participate in meaningful activities such as extracurricular clubs, hobbies, athletics, and academics are less likely to participate in risky behaviors such as drug use.
The more connected young people are to religious activities, band, the arts, sports, and other pro-social activities, the lower the risk to use drugs and alcohol.
Your time. Your choice.
Resources
SAMSHA Risk and Protective Factors
These programs are funded and supported by the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County
Unison Health: Dedicated to the Prevention of Opioid Addiction
The heroin epidemic has devastated communities across the nation, and Northwest Ohio is no exception. Addiction has burned its way into every segment of the population, regardless of age, race, education or income. It can strike anyone, from Bowling Green, Perrysburg and Sylvania, to the East Side and North Toledo, and its effects are always the same.
- In 2018, 67,367 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States.
- Opioids were involved in 46,802 overdose deaths in 2018 (69.5% of all drug overdose deaths). Two out of three (67.0%) opioid-involved overdose deaths involve synthetic opioids.
- Ohio Department of Health announced illicit fentanyl was involved in the majority of overdose deaths.
Know the Signs
Unison Health has a team of licensed professionals dedicated to helping people break free of addiction — and do what we can to prevent people from getting addicted in the first place.
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The Root Cause of Heroin Addiction: Prescription Opioids
Four out of 5 heroin users started with legal, often times medically prescribed painkillers, before switching to heroin. The reason? Most addicts give the same answer: it’s cheaper and easier to get. In 2012, Ohio had more opioid prescriptions than people. But in recent years, obtaining opioids has become more difficult and more expensive.
Because they are so often prescribed by a physician, many people assume prescription pain relievers like OxyContin, Vicodin and Demerol are safer than illicit drugs, but these drugs, called opioids, are almost molecularly identical to heroin. They are still extremely addictive and can lead to overdose and death.
One way to avoid the pitfalls of opioid addiction is to be very careful to limit — or avoid — consuming opioids in the first place. To control pain after a wisdom tooth extraction or a sprained ankle, ask your doctor about non-opioid pain relievers. They can be just as effective without the hazards of opioids.
Know the Warning Signs of Opioid Overdose
Recognizing the signs of heroin, OxyContin, fentanyl or carfentanyl drug overdose can help prevent death. Here’s what to look for:
- Blue coloring in fingernails and lips
- Clammy, pale face
- Limpness in the body
- Vomiting or gurgling noises
- Inability to speak or wake up
- Slow breathing and heartbeat
- No response to rubbing knuckles on sternum or under nose
If you suspect that a person has overdosed on narcotics such as heroin or fentanyl, call 911 before or while administering Narcan.
If you or someone you know is facing an addiction, please know they don’t have to face it alone. Call Unison Health at 419.214.4673