Note:  This is the seventh and last in a series of articles on prevention.In the mission to prevent addiction parents and teachers play crucial roles. Parents can employ various skills and approaches to prevent addiction among their children like spending quality time with their children, having regular family meals and engaging in shared activities as it strengthens family bonds and provides opportunities for open communication (Kumpfer, 2014). Research shows that children who regularly eat meals with their families are less likely to engage in substance abuse (Kumpfer, 2014). Parents should also engage in active listening during conversations with their children, ...

Note:  This is the sixth in a series of articles on prevention.Driving against substance abuse, prevention has been marked as a primary strategy in leading towards healthier behaviours. What makes some prevention strategies effective while others fall short? Strategies can vary widely in their effectiveness, depending on various factors. This ARTICLE will dive into what has distinguished effective strategies from ineffective ones.Evidence based Approach In today’s society research has been completed to provide evidence based strategies for building and implementing effective prevention strategies. Effective strategies are designed with consideration of scientific evidence, they are not simply implemented without proof. Programs have ...

Note:  This is the fifth in a series of articles on prevention. What makes you behave the way you do? What influences your actions? People’s behaviour is influenced by a combination of factors including their environment, cultural upbringing, personal beliefs, experiences, peer pressures, media influences, and societal norms (Berkowitz, 2005; Dempsey, 2018). These factors undeniably interact together in a way that influences our actions and decisions whether that be positive or negative, therefore understanding human behaviour is essential. Social factors play a major role in the initiation of early stages of drug, alcohol, and tobacco use (Berkowitz, 2005). Prevention is better and ...

Note:  This is the fourth in a series of articles on prevention.IntroductionWhen trying to solve a large problem, it is important to think about ways to tackle it from a variety of directions. For example, when building a tower with blocks, it can be a good idea to stack blocks one on top of the other. For some types of blocks, this is a great method. However, for other types of blocks, the tower may fall over when stacked too tall. For this, it may be a better idea to stagger them.Just like the blocks, it can be important to ...

Social norms theory states that people tend to overestimate the occurrence of negative behaviours and underestimate the occurrence of positive behaviours. By misperceiving that these negative behaviours are the ‘norm’, people are more likely to engage in them, but in reality, the negative behaviours are occurring much less than people realize.What does this mean for substance use prevention education? Here is a good example. Ask yourself, among United States high school students (17-18 years old), what percent have EVER used an illicit substance? First, pick a number in your mind. Ready? Ok, about 10% have EVER used an illicit substance, which means, ...

Note:  This is the third in a series of articles on prevention.Why is prevention important for adolescents?The best addiction prevention strategy is not necessarily the one that aims at eradicating the problem of addiction among adults. What many adults have become in their adulthood is more likely to be the product of the lifestyle in their youth. Implementing alcohol or drug prevention strategies to tackle the adulthood addiction problem is a good prevention strategy, but not the very best move when the main aim is to fully eradicate the problem of addiction in our world today. Adolescent substance consumption not ...

Note:  This is the second in a series of articles on prevention. Introduction  Addictive substances might offer a temporary escape, but the harsh reality is that they are causing serious damage. While these addictive substances present themselves as quick fixes for life's challenges they take a devastating toll on individuals, families and communities alike (Lander et al, 2013). We will be diving in to explore the physical, psychological and social consequences that accompany the temporary highs from addictive substances.   Physical  Substance abuse can impact almost every organ in the human body. The consequences vary depending on the substance abused, as well as the ...

Note: This is the first in a series of articles on prevention. Introduction Addiction is a silent predator, lurking in the shadows of our society, claiming countless lives every year. When it comes to fighting addiction and substance abuse, it is more efficient to stop them from happening in the first place than trying to fix them later on. Do you know that the socioeconomic and health harm caused by addiction to drugs and alcohol costs around £32 billion (€37 billion) in the UK (Ulrich et al., 2020), about €147 million in Ireland (Dillon, 2022) and about $510 billion (€474 billion) ...

This classic cocktail, originating in Cuba, is refreshing and flavourful! Virgin Mojito: Virgin mojito   2 oz (60 ml) fresh lime juice 2 teaspoons of sugar 6-8 fresh mint leaves Ice cubes Soda water Lime slices and mint sprigs for garnish Instructions: In a fancy glass, muddle the mint leaves and sugar to release the mint's essential oils. Add lime juice and stir. Add ice cubes and top up with soda water. Garnish with lime slices and mint sprigs. Options: add fresh fruit such as berries or peaches. For more citrus flavour, add grapefruit juice1

Addiction is a devastating mental illness that affects families, communities and society as a whole. In the UK alone in 2017, addiction cost the country over 12 billion Pounds per year in lost productivity, healthcare costs and crime. This doesn’t even include the human cost of addiction: the physical and emotional devastation of the individual who is caught in the depths of addiction, the havoc that’s wrecked upon families, and the destruction of the communities affected by this disease.  Since addiction most often begins in youth, our company’s mission is to reduce and prevent the use of alcohol, nicotine, and ...