It’s best to start drug prevention efforts early

From 2019 to 2020, the number of drug overdose deaths increased nearly 38%, according to the Colorado Health Institute. Most drug addictions start in the teen years and last throughout a person’s life, as noted by the article “Age of onset of substance use and psychosocial problems among individuals with substance use disorders,” on the National Library of Medicine website.

Because drugs have become such a prevalent problem, many communities are stepping up their research, and figuring out ways to help prevent teens from starting drugs. Throughout all of the research one thing has stayed consistent, and that is if we address drug abuse and prevent it at a young age in schools, the number of deaths will go down significantly. Most teens start using because of their home life, and they use it as an outlet. If schools provided better counseling and support, students could turn to them instead of drugs.

Fentanyl is becoming a major problem. The overdose rate in Colorado increased by 70% between 2020 and 2021. In the last two years there were more than 900 deaths in total, as reported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin because of how easily it passes through the fat in the brain. This increases the risk of an overdose significantly. Another fact is teens’ access to these kinds of drugs is growing. If we continue down this path, the number of deaths will continue to increase. This means we need to address the problem now.

We do this by amplifying our drug preventions in schools. By teaching kids the effects of drugs it will likely reduce the amount of drug abuse. According to Officer Douglas, the school resource officer at Silver Creek High School, “I truly believe that the more someone knows about drugs, the more likely they are to not abuse them or at least make educated decisions on usage.” He went on to say, “I don’t honestly think there is a way to control it. If someone wants to abuse a substance, they will find a way to do so. I think the only way to address it is to get ahead of that abuse with education.”

Being honest with kids is the best way to get their respect and their trust. Openly talking about drugs with teens will make them more likely to respect boundaries and rules about substance abuse. Knowledge of drugs can help teens make better educated decisions surrounding abuse. If we address drug abuse within schools, it will likely help teens make better decisions in the future which will result in fewer deaths.

Preventing drugs in the community, and especially within schools, will help the community have safer work environments and more motivated teams, and will change patterns in behaviors. Schools will be safer and become a safe place for children to talk about their problems. Workspaces will become safer, and the streets will be safer. There will be fewer DUIS and overall deaths. By preventing drug abuse within schools, it will make everyone in our community more safe.

Overall, drug prevention needs to be addressed within schools so kids know the effects of using drugs. There needs to be a safe place where kids can come to talk about their problems. If we address these issues it can change the course of many people’s lives, hopefully saving lives with it.