1. Substance Abuse
By: Stephanie Becker

2. What is Substance Abuse?
Substance abuse refers to the overuse of harmful psychoactive substances.
These substances include alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other illicit drugs.
Substance abuse can lead to several physical, behavioral, and cognitive problems.

3. Who is affected?
Illicit drug use is a growing problem, affecting all ages.
In 2013, nearly 24.6 million Americans had used illicit drugs in the past month. This is roughly 9.4 percent of the US population.
These users spanned the ages of 12 and older.

4. Costs of Substance Abuse:
Health Care Overall
Tobacco $130 billion $295 billion
Alcohol $25 billion $224 billion
Illicit Drug s $11 billion $193 billion
Substance abuse costs our Nation approximately $700 billion annually in relation to crime, workforce, and health care.

5. What are the risk factors?

6. Individual Risk Factors:
Lack of education
Lack of self-esteem
Lack of self-control
Aggressive behavior
High stress lifestyle
Personality disorders

7. Individual Interventions:
Improve overall self-control and self-esteem by talking to a guidance counselor or therapist.
Workout, adopt a hobby, or join clubs/support groups to reduce stress and aggressive behavior.
Educate yourself on substance abuse and how it can negatively impact ones health.

8. Interpersonal Risk Factors:
Peer pressure from friends
Childhood maltreatment
Family history of substance abuse
Poor family relationships
Lack of parental supervision
Violent peers/friendships

9. Interpersonal Interventions:
Family counseling
Improving communication among family members
Showing loving, caring, and nurturing relationships in the home

10. Organizational Risk Factors:
Lack of educational classes about substance abuse
Lack of opportunity to build better communication skills
Lack of anti-bullying programs in schools
Drug availability in schools

11. Organizational Interventions:
Creating after-school programs in schools
Creating drug awareness classes
Provide classes that will help improve students’ communication skills
Enforce a zero tolerance act for bullying in schools

12. Community Risk Factors:
Lack of community organizations on substance abuse
Lack of safe neighborhoods in low-income communities
Poorer neighborhoods have more availability to drugs
Lack of positive media in relation to drug use

13. Community Interventions:
Provide support groups for individuals struggling with substance abuse
Support anti-drug behavior through community awareness and programs
Provide resources and information related to substance abuse
Create job opportunity to get individuals off the streets, and out of poverty

14. Public Policy Risk Factors:
Regulations on illicit drugs are more relaxed in certain areas
Legalization on illicit drugs
Lack of harsh punishments in special areas
Pregnant women
Repeat offenders
Workplace

15. Public Policy Interventions:
Create harsher consequences for individuals who abuse drugs and alcohol
Stricter (zero-tolerance) alcohol and driving laws
Introduce new laws and regulations to help the substance abuse cycle

16. References:
Nationwide Trends. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from
Risk and Protective Factors. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from
Trends Statistics. (n.d.) Retrieved March 22, 2016, from
The ecological framework. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from
What are risk factors and protective factors? (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from