Alcohol, tobacco and other drug use is the biggest community health issue in the US. People that choose to use drugs pose a significant threat to society in the form of economic liability, loss of productivity, unnecessary drain on the healthcare system and mental health services. Drug use and potential for addiction is determined by environmental factors as well as possible inheritance. Genetics, home and family life, school and peer groups, and the sociocultural environment are the factors that effect drug and alcohol use.
Drug use is a non-evaluative term referring to drug taking behavior in general. Drug misuse refers to inappropriate use of legally purchased prescription or nonprescription drugs. Drug abuse can mean taking a prescription or nonprescription drug for something other than what it was intended for, taking a legal drug after being aware that it's detrimental to your health, and use of any illicit drug.
Drug abuse is prevented by first off teaching kids and adults about the dangers about using drugs as well as taking any measures that deter people from buying the product such as raising prices/taxes on products, arresting/ stopping drug dealers, and destroying crops before that ever end up on the market.
Secondary prevention programs are usually implemented in high school when users are not chronic users yet.
Tertiary prevention is designed to provide drug abuse treatment and aftercare.
More of the prevention strategies that we're implementing in this country need to be toward primary prevention considering that everything rolls down hill. If there were more programs that stopped kids from starting use, then we would have more money saved from unnecessary healthcare expenditure.
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