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SUMMARY: Australian youth harm minimisation drug policies increased substance use and harm and were inferior to American abstinence polices. When Australia adopted abstinence polices, substance use and harm reduced
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Firstly, no credible individual on the planet concedes that recovery is better than prevention – However, prevention is always – always better than cure.
Three major demographics that must not only be considered but given highest priority in all drug policy and drug policy interpretations.
This better status of prevention is so because it considers and prioritises the following,
1. Citizens – Communities and their families
2. Children
3. Recovered and Recovering Alumni
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The 2024 United Nations World Day Against Illicit Drugs & Trafficking theme is “The evidence is clear: invest in prevention”. The internationally backed Declaration of Oviedo assiduously affirms that prevention must be the priority for our communities. This Asia-Pacific hearing saw commentaries from regional voices on the absolute need for prevention and demand reduction.
and Watch the presentations
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Learning is Education that Transforms:
Education changes behaviour, but what ‘kind’ of education does this?
Whilst we will examine key aspects of the Harms done by New/Novel Psychoactive Substances, what we don’t want to do is waste your time simply inventorying descriptive data about types and variants and impact, that may or may not give you some facts about this subject matter that you don’t already know.
We will attempt in this presentation to open a more proactive focus on the reducing of demand and diverting from NPS use.
One key framework for a behaviour transitioning educative process.
- Aware – Information (Whilst a starting point of contemplation, giving ‘facts’ in a vacuum has little traction in behaviour change)
- Move – Education (This is where knowledge is added giving facts some context for application and a potential direction)
- Change – Learning (This is where knowledge is applied in a sustained direction with purpose, under tutelage for a specific outcome – This helps create new behaviours)
It is important to understand that teaching and learning mechanisms and modes have many elements and both the cognitive, (but more specifically) the affective domain education pedagogies are enhanced by both evidence-based practice, as well as, by practice based evidence.
This is no more evident than in indigenous cultural settings, and of growing importance in sub-cultural ‘tribal’ settings too.
Evidence-based Practice & Practice-based Evidence?:
Efficacious pedagogies in the Affective Domain education arena include imperatives such as the contextualised sharing of relevant earned resiliency and lived experience with the learning audience. This is one a few vital components of an education strategy, that seeks to develop proactive and protective behaviours in the child and emerging adult. Lived experience alone (i.e. substance user) is only valuable in a protective context when it is paired with the earned resiliency that empowered them to exit and stand from substance use and its harms, that proves valuable in the behaviour change education process.
“One with lived experience is seen by the client/student as an authentic knowledge holder.”
Gemma Khodr – Indigenous Health & Alcohol CRE Forum September 2020
Contributing to the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats (office.com)
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Recent research has unveiled a concerning facet of college life, one that directly impacts the wellbeing and future of our students. Engaging in the exploratory world of latent profiles of alcohol and cannabis use among college students, the findings are not only insightful, they are also forewarning.
Substance use in the collegiate landscape is not a one-size-fits-all narrative. It is mosaic, painted by the diverse patterns and intensities of alcohol and cannabis consumption. Recognizing such unique impressions leads to a critical juncture in our approach to student health and well-being—a juncture we cannot afford to ignore as it delineates those at highest risk for consequential lifepath deviations.
The pioneering look at latent profiles is more than just a study; it’s a ground-breaking framework, dissecting the fabric of subgroups within the college demography. This article will probe into the critical findings and articulate the imperative need for a nuanced intervention strategy.
A Differentiated Convergence of Use Profiles
Traditionally, substance use studies have often bundled students into homogenized categories based on surface-level consumption data. But here lies a disparity—within these cohorts, individual behaviours stand distinct, with some venturing into territories of high-risk consumption at an alarmingly high rate.
The latent profile analyses (LPA) distinguished these subgroups through an incisive classification involving alcohol and cannabis use frequency, alongside the quantum of consumption. The revelation was stark: four profiles emerged. The bulk of students, representing 'light, infrequent' use, painted a picture of moderation that seemed heartening at first glance. However, this halo-effect shrouded the fact that a noteworthy 10% fell into ‘high-risk’ categories where the pendulum swung to ‘heavy’ and ‘frequent’ usage trends.
Profiles three and four harbored grim warning signs, predominantly of simultaneous use (SAM), and an indisputable accentuation of substance-related calamities. The correlation between heavier consumption and increased likelihood of severe alcoholic or cannabis-related incidents is a troubled path that these profiles seem to tread.
Unveiling the Demographic Tapestry
Deeper analysis unraveled a relationship between these consumption patterns and certain demographics. Male, White non-Hispanic, and Greek-affiliated students were more predisposed to nestle within the profiles characterised by spiked drink and smoke statistics. This alignment of demographics with consumption significance urges for a bespoke approach that accounts for these demographic nuances when devising campus-specific intervention strategies.
A Nexus of High-Risk Profiles and Severe Consequences
The crux of the matter is that these high-risk profiles dictate a bleak narrative of adverse, potentially life-altering repercussions. SAM, often a silent catalyst for amplified substance use, emerges as a red flag in Profiles 3 and 4, reflecting a confluence of alcohol and cannabis to a concerning degree. The students confronting their realities within these profiles not only witnessed an uptick in simultaneous usage, but also a starkly higher prevalence of associated consequences, wielding an alarmingly direct correlation between consumption and repercussions.
Understanding these depths is not merely an exercise in academic curiosity; it's a beacon for policy and resource allocation. The findings anchor an unyielding case for proactive interventions that acknowledge the individual nuances within the campus culture, directing targeted support to those most at risk.
Pathways to Proactive Intervention
The onus thus falls on collegiate administrations to forge forward with initiatives that are sharp, targeted, and, most significantly, pre-emptive. These initiatives must unravel the complexities of individual patterns and offer a collaborative ecosystem of frameworks—ranging from educational programmes to community support networks—that bolster students against the undertow of substance-abuse risks.
The call to action is resounding. We have the knowledge, the tools, and the obligation to foster an environment that not only appreciates diversity in all its facets but also unceasingly works towards ensuring the safety and success of our students. Colleges and universities must stand as bastions of advocacy and education, where no student's future is preordained by the profile they are defaulted to.
In conclusion, this thought leadership article is more than an exposé of risk; it aims to galvanize institutions towards a more informed, targeted, and compassionate form of intervention. The onus lies upon each of us to heed these findings, to redefine our roles as custodians of the collegiate community, and to collectively ensure that the campus environment is one that not only fosters growth but safeguards the very potential it helps to nurture.
References:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460322003021?via%3Dihub
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07448481.2023.2237599
- Drug Policies Contravening International Drug Conventions & Rights of the Child
- Building Resilience in Children Aged 9-13: A Most Effective Method of Illicit Drug Use Prevention
- World Drug Day 2023 #WWD2023 “People First: Promoting Prevention – Preventing Stigma.”
- Protective Factor Number One in Drug Use Prevention Science