1. Substance Abuse Among Today’s Youth: Creating Effective
Prevention
Danielle Olson
ABSTRACT
The age of the addict is younger than ever
before. Children are coming into contact and
experimenting with illegal drugs at an
alarming age and substance abuse is a huge
problem among children and teens in
today’s society. Although there are
educational prevention programs currently
being used in today’s public schools, the
number of young adults suffering from
substance abuse is on the rise. Working with
children of all ages, from grades K-12, to
educate on substance abuse and addiction is
essential in reversing this new and alarming
trend.
The standard prevention programs
that are presented at the junior high and high
school levels are simply not addressing this
new issue: that children at the elementary
and middle school level are coming into
contact with illegal drugs. Creating more
effective programs and intervening at a
younger age to help reduce the number of
young adults that are suffering from
addiction is necessary in helping to treat and
educate our youth. If children are beginning
to experiment with and use drugs and
alcohol at a younger age, then education
based prevention programs need to be
presented at a younger age.
The purpose of this paper will be to
identify the current needs for all school-aged
children in reference to substance abuse
prevention. Evaluating the current systems
and educational programs that are being
used, and implementing new ones to further
increase effectiveness will also fall under the
scope of this research. A program that

2. involves larger community involvement in
addiction education and substance abuse
prevention, as well as youth input, will be
proposed.
CURRENT DATA &
STATISTICS
Drug use in children (ages 12 to 18) has
been steadily on the rise for several years,
with the highest rise in the middle school
age range. (Johnston, O’Malley, Miech,
Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2014) It is
imperative that if we wish to lower the
number of youth suffering from drug use
and addiction, a special emphasis must be
placed on educating at younger age than
before. Not only are the ages of children
being exposed to illicit drugs steadily
decreasing, but the type of drug being used
by youth is also changing. While alcohol is
still one of the most widely used drugs
among adolescents, harder drugs like heroin
are becoming more common among school
aged youth. (National Institute on Drug
Abuse, 2013) An assessment done by
Glenbeigh Hospital found that “Indicators
point to increasing rates of Heroin Addiction
due to the ease of accessibility and relative
low cost compared to other drugs.”
(Holleran, 2013). The attitudes that today’s
youth have concerning these harder drugs is
not only alarming, but also contributing to
the increased number of adolescents
experimenting with these drugs. “Heroin
was previously viewed as one of the ‘hard
drugs,’ but it is now considered more
mainstream like Alcohol or
Marijuana...Heroin is easier to get than
Alcohol is for a teenager.” (Holleran, 2013)
This statement can be cause for concern for
several different reasons. Not only are more

3. serious and life-threatening drugs affecting
our youth, but the drugs like marijuana, that
have been viewed as harmless by many
adolescents, are evolving. As can be seen in
the following images, not only is marijuana
use on the rise, and perception of harm
falling, but marijuana is also much more
powerful now than ever before.
(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2013)
(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2013)
CURRENT GAPS & PROPOSED
NEEDS
Children today are faced with peer pressure
at a much younger age compared to previous
generations. Substance abuse was not
previously a viable threat to kids at an
elementary level, so preventative programs
for this age group didn’t exist. However,
today’s children in grades K-5 are faced
with situations that involve illegal drugs and
therefore programming is needed to address

4. this issue. Studies have shown that
traditional preventative programs like
D.A.R.E., an educational program taught in
public schools most often presented by law
enforcement, are perceived by students to be
an effective form of substance abuse
prevention and education. (Lisnov, Harding,
& Safer, 1998) This program, however, is
primarily targeted towards the junior high
and high school levels.
Researching elementary school-
based prevention programs was difficult,
due to lack of existing plans. The theory is
that if children are educated about substance
abuse before they come into contact with
illicit drugs, refusals will increase due to
students being able to make a more
informed decision. “To make informed and
rational decisions, adolescents should be
taught about the effects of substance abuse.”
(Tze, Li, & Pei, 2012)
This means not only teaching
children to say no to drugs, but what can
happen if they accept the offer. While
programs like D.A.R.E. are an effective way
of teaching about substance abuse, it could
also be beneficial to create programs that
help to build self-esteem and engage in peer
dialogue. Programs like “…Captain Clean
(an intensive live theater program
coordinated with student participation),”
were perceived by students to be more
successful in preparing them for situations in
how to handle peer pressure. (Lisnov,
Harding, & Safer, 1998) Another aspect of
substance abuse prevention that needs to be
explored and addressed is the way in which
students are receiving the educational
information. “In the context of school-based
substance use prevention programs, the
instructor is the source of the message, and
message content is the persuasive argument
used to try to change students’ beliefs about
drug use. Both the source and the message
are critical components that contribute to the
effectiveness of the program in reducing

5. drug use…a poorly designed message or an
instructor who lacks credibility will at best
have no effect and at worst have the
opposite effect to that intended.” (Stephans,
et al., 2009) Taking this into account when
creating a program will help to create a more
receptive response from the students.
Building social skills is another aspect of
substance abuse prevention that is lacking in
current programs. “Provided with social
skills training, adolescents develop (a) self-
management skills (e.g., networking with
non-drug users), and (b) assertiveness (e.g.,
skills in resisting social pressure to use
drugs)…Hence, when adolescents develop
appropriate social skills, they are more
likely to refuse and reduce drug use after the
intervention and in the years following.”
(Tze, Li, & Pei, 2012)
EVALUATION & PROGRAM
PROPASAL
 Program Description – Create a
community/school based program
focusing on substance abuse
prevention and building social skills
through education, awareness, and
student involvement
 Target Audience – Students in
grades K-12
 Types of Volunteers or Employees
needed – At least two volunteers
from each school district to distribute
and receive assessments. All
volunteers will meet to create report
and introduce new program to
schools and communities
 Major Issues/Challenges – Getting
approval from necessary Boards to
work with public schools for in-
school prevention programing,
getting approval to work with law
enforcement for new prevention
planning, and gaining community
acceptance and involvement to
implement new program

6. The first step in creating a new prevention
program is to take time to thoroughly
evaluate all current programs and their
effectiveness. Since taking genuine
evaluations of local prevention programs
was outside the time and scope of this paper,
research that has been found on the subject
and hypothetical analysis will be used. The
method used to evaluate current programs
would be to first contact all school systems
in Ashtabula County, Ohio to request
information on what substance abuse
programs are currently be used in the public
school systems. Second would be creating a
questionnaire assessment asking all students,
educators, law enforcement associated with
schools, and parents to give their evaluation
of current systems being used. Topics that
would be included in the assessment are
perceived success in: educating the students
on the effects and consequences of using
drugs and alcohol, encouraging self-esteem
and improving/developing decision making
skills, reacting to peer pressure, student
participation in education, developing
refusal skills, instructor effectiveness,
educating on addiction stigmas and how to
receive help for addiction, and creating a
school and community attachment for
students to feel safe and accepted.
Questionnaires would be distributed
via public schools systems for students,
teachers, and take home assessments for
parents. Questionnaires for law enforcement
would be distributed via Ashtabula County
Sherriff’s department. After assessment
questioners are completed and collected, all
data will be reviewed and a report created.
Based upon data received, program(s) will
be created to address issues that could be
made more effective. For purposes of this
paper, hypothetical results/issues are as
follows and need addressed: social skill
building, active student participation and
creation of programs, education provided to

7. parents and teachers on new/evolving drugs,
substance abuse use and effects.
In-class education
Classes offering enrichment in social skills
will be presented to grades K-3 to build
solid foundation for self-efficacy and self-
esteem. “The first big transition for children
is when they leave the security of the family
and enter school. Later, when they advance
from elementary school to middle or junior
high school, they often experience new
academic and social situations, such as
learning to get along with a wider group of
peers and having greater expectations for
academic performance… Prevention
programs aimed at general populations at
key transition points, such as the transition
to middle school, can produce beneficial
effects even among high-risk families and
children.” (National Institute on Drug
Abuse, 2013) Classes could be presented
once a week for a certain amount of time
decided upon between school administration
and program director.
Grades 4-8 receive classes about
different substances and the consequences of
taking them. Introduce students to this type
of learning earlier than traditional programs
to help students deal with earlier exposure to
drugs and alcohol. Refusal skills, self-
assurance, communication skills and
continuing education from K-3 will also be
taught. Basis for this tier of education is
focused on peer pressure and refusal skills.
Classes held once a week as previously
stated.
Classes for grades 9-12 receive
education primarily based on specific drugs
and the mental and physical consequences
for each drug. Students at this level are
required to create peer based awareness
presentations and programs. This is
supported by research stating that programs
with student involvement are perceived as
most effective by the students. (Lisnov,

8. Harding, & Safer, 1998) Another focus for
students in this tier is awareness and
education for addiction and substance abuse
treatment. Students need to be aware of what
options are available when a substance
abuse problem exists as well as educating
them on treatment options to help remove
stigmas associated with addiction. The goal
of this class would be to make students feel
comfortable asking for help, rather than
feeling embarrassment or shame. Classes
held once a week.
Community-Based Education
For the community based aspect of the
program, volunteers would help to create
social events that all three tiers could
participate in outside of school. Examples
could include fundraising, awareness,
community theater events, etc. The goal is to
create a comfortable and safe atmosphere for
students not only in school, but also in the
outside community. Studies have shown that
students who have a strong attachment to
their school and community are more likely
to exhibit positive behavior, while students
with a weak attachment exhibit high-risk
behaviors such as drug use. (Tze, Li, & Pei,
2012)
Adult/Instructor Education
The final part of the program would be
continuing education for parents, teachers,
and law enforcement. With new drugs
becoming available every day, staying
informed is a vital part of keeping today’s
youth safe. If instructors are not aware of
new drugs that students may come into
contact with, then they certainly could not
educate them on the negative effects of
those drugs. “Another point worth keeping
in mind is that there tends to be a continuous
flow of new drugs onto the scene and of
older ones being rediscovered by young
people… Organized efforts to reduce the
grace period experienced by new drugs
would seem to be among the most promising
responses for minimizing the damage they

9. will cause.” (Johnston, O’Malley, Miech,
Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2014)
FUTURE RESEARCH & PROGRAM
CREATION
Although implementing this assessment in a
real world setting was beyond the scope of
this paper, further research will be done to
expand prevention services for Ashtabula
County’s adolescents. Plans have been made
to request informational interviews at some
of Ashtabula counties public school systems
to see what substance abuse programs are in
place and how well the administration feels
these programs are serving the students and
community. There are also intentions to
contact Ashtabula County Board of Health,
and Ashtabula County law enforcement to
see if there are any regional programs being
implemented throughout the county and how
these programs are viewed by those
delivering them.
Further research will also be done to
see what requirements/restrictions currently
exist in order to implement a new program
into the public schools system, as well as the
various communities. Contact would also
like to be made with any local treatment
facilities specializing in substance abuse and
addiction to see what, if any, community
outreach programs exist in the area for
students. It is vital to the future of our
students that we continue to educate them
and ourselves on the various aspects of drug
use and addiction, as well as dedicating time
to making sure that there are treatment and
support options for those in need.
Through education, commitment,
and communication we can make sure that
our students are properly informed about the
various drugs and alcohol they may
encounter and feel confident that they have
received the tools they need to deal with
such situations.

10. References
D.A.R.E. (2014, June). Retrieved June 2014,
from D.A.R.E. Teaching students good
decision-making skills to help them lead
safe and happy lives: www.dare.org
Holleran. (2013). Glenbeigh About Us.
Retrieved 2014, from Glenbeigh
Community Health Needs Assesment:
http://www.glenbeigh.com/community-
health-needs-assessment
Johnston, L. D.,O’Malley, P. M.,Miech, R. A.,
Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E.
(2014). Monitoring the Future national
results on drug use: 1975-2013:
Overview, Key Findingson Adolescent
Drug Use. Ann Arbor: Institute for
Social Research,The University of
Michigan.
Lisnov, L., Harding, C., & Safer, L. K. (1998).
Adolescents' perceptions of substance
abuse prevention strategies.
Adolescence, 33(130),301-312.
Retrieved 2014
Luoma, J., Nobles, R.,Drake, C.,Hayes,S.,
O'Hair, A.,Fletcher, L., & Kohlenberg,
B. (2013). Self-Stigma in Substance
Abuse: Development of a New Measure.
Journal of Psychopathology and
Behavioral Assesment, 35(2),223-234.
doi:10.1007/s10862-012-9323-4
National Institute on Drug Abuse.(2013).
Retrieved from Monitoring the Future
2013 Survey Results:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/related-
topics/trends-
statistics/infographics/monitoring-
future-2013-survey-results
Stephans, P.,Sloboda, Z., Grey, S., Stephans,
R., Hammond, A., Hawthorne,R., . . .
Willimas, J. (2009). Is the Receptivity of
Substance Abuse Prevention
Programming Affected by Students'
Perceptions of the Instructor? Health
Education & Behavior, 36(4), 724-745.
doi:10.1177/1090198107304388
Tze, V. M., Li, J. C.-H.,& Pei, J. (2012).
Effective Prevention of Adolescent
Substance Abuse - Educational versus
Deterrent Approaches. Alberta Journal
of Educational Research, 58(1),122-
138.