The article "Prioritizing alcohol prevention: establishing alcohol as the gateway drug and linking age of first drink with illicit drug use, reports the findings the research study. Several lecturers conducted the research. The goal of these lecturers was to examine data obtained from a sample population of 2835 12th grade students in the United States. Firstly, the research aimed at determining the first substance youth use. Secondly, the research aimed to determine the sequence followed by these young people in their use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. Thirdly, the study sought to examine the effect of user’s initial use age on his or her lifetime as well as how his initial use age influences the frequency of use. The authors make it clear from the article that the early onset of substance initiation either alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, or other kinds of drugs, inflicts powerful influence and control over future health risk behaviors (Barry, King, Sears, Harville, Bondoc, & Joseph, 2016). For instance, the authors indicate that students who used drugs at age eleven reported having engaged in several health risk behaviors such as carrying a knife, or a gun, fighting, and had suicide plans than students who started using these drugs at age twelve. In addition, students who reported to use only alcohol at an early age reported to have unprotected sex, have multiple sexual partners, drive under the influence of alcohol, and suffer from alcohol dependence. This article reveals that alcohol is the most commonly used substance, and many of individuals have consumed alcohol before marijuana or tobacco initiation.
Apparently, the authors indicate that most respondents initiate using alcohol at sixth grade continued to use illicit substances more frequently even in their adult life. The findings of this article, therefore, should be considered in combination with some limitations that the authors encountered. Firstly, the data used was cross-sectional, and hence the authors could not ascertain the casualty or temporality. Additionally, when analyzing the secondary data, the authors were restricted to the variables and methods used in the primary data collection, and hence, the limitations of the primary data. One inherent limitation concerning the article is that the sampling frame did not include high school dropouts. Since illicit and licit drug, use is likely to be high among this age group. When considering the findings, the authors agreed uniformly with the conclusions from the previous research. The following are the significant implications for the school and clinical setting. To start with, the school setting, the results highlighted two essential factors (Barry, King, Sears, Harville, Bondoc, & Joseph, 2016).The first factor, was since the authors had given the average grade at which alcohol initiation was documented in their research. It is therefore expected that the prevention program to start at the elementary school. Research shows that the fifth graders are around ten to11 years in the United States. It seemed adequate for the authors to begin their studies in the third grade where students are between 8 and 9. Secondly, this research supported previous work that discussed alcohol as a substance that young people initiate in the sequence of substance use. Lastly, concerning clinical settings, this study underscored the significance and necessity for the screening of substance use among patients that were enrolled in middle and elementary school, such as between 9 and ten years of age. Since the article has highlighted the increased health risks connected with early onset of substance, it is vital to screen for substance use with young people in a medical environment.
References
Barry, A. E., King, J., Sears, C., Harville, C., Bondoc, I., & Joseph, K. (2016). Prioritizing alcohol prevention: establishing alcohol as the gateway drug and linking age of first drink with illicit drug use. Retrieved on February 2, 2017 from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cynthia_Sears/publication/286539270_Prioritizing_Alcohol_Prevention_Establishing_Alcohol_as_the_Gateway_Drug_and_Linking_Age_of_First_Drink_With_Illicit_Drug_Use/links/56741d5108aebcdda0de1d01/Prioritizing-Alcohol-Prevention-Establishing-Alcohol-as-the-Gateway-Drug-and-Linking-Age-of-First-Drink-With-Illicit-Drug-Use.pdf
