Reducing Alcohol Abuse in Mississippi
A school-based intervention is one of the best programs that the public health of Mississippi can use in combating alcohol abuse. This initiative targets young people in high schools mainly because, it is during high school years that many young people begin to indulge in alcohol (Frieden, 2005). This program includes both parents and teachers of students and targets many schools within Mississippi. The elements of the program include; teaching young people of the negative effects of alcoholism, disputing the perception that everybody else is taking alcohol, and teaching the youth on ways to say no to alcohol. The object of this program is to prevent alcohol abuse among young people and to push forward the age at which young people can take alcohol.
Alcohol abuse can sometimes begin at a young stage of an individual's life. Peer pressure is a huge factor in contributing to alcoholism amongst the youth. Many young people proceed with the abuse later into their adult years affecting them socially and health wise. This program will ensure that young people do not yield to the pressures of alcoholism and that they can make better decisions concerning alcohol consumption.
Alcoholism has become a major concern in today’s society. It has negative effects on productivity at work, family and social life and has negative consequences on a person’s health. Alcoholism is also associated with poverty, poor judgments, accidents and poor health. The sooner an individual discovers the dangers of alcoholism and refrains from it, the better the quality of life an individual is likely to have.
The school-based initiative is, therefore, likely to be successful because it exposes young people to more knowledge and information concerning alcoholism, such that a young person can make decisions knowledgeably. Moreover, including parents and teachers in the initiative allows for better guidance of young people both at home and at school (Frieden, 2005).
References
Frieden, J. (2005). School Programs Curb Substance Abuse in Teens. Internal Medicine News, 38(10), 31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s1097-8690(05)70760-5
