Database search results
The state of any community is a concern that should be given great importance by the government as it impacts the health of the nation and contributes to the improved quality of peoples lives. For this reason, there are numerous programs aimed at the monitoring of the most nagging problems peculiar to society. These are an integral part of the modern healthcare sector as they are preconditioned by the creation of the database that is needed to provide the essential information for the comprehensive assessment of the state of health and creation of a certain set of actions to improve it. The databases of this sort could also be used when analyzing the current state of a community, its topical needs, problems and other essentials. In this regard, the given paper provides the detailed analysis of the most informative databases and their assistance in the evaluation of a community. Bergen beach, Brooklyn is chosen as the background for the research. It might help to describe the practical use of databases and conclude their efficiency.
Yet, Healthy People should be considered one of the most credible and informative sources of this sort as it provides the relevant statistics that is collected by the governmental institutions and agencies all over the state. Additionally, the information about the most topical health programs run by the government is also offered. Healthy People database could be used to investigate the state of substance abuse in Bergen Beach. The database shows that by the year of 2015 the problem remains topical and needs some interventions to mitigate the negative impact of drug abuse (“Substance Abuse” par. 1). Statistics state that more than 15 percent of residents have tried drugs in their life (“Substance Abuse” par. 5). Additionally, this very research states that the number of drunk drivers also reduced compared to the previous years.
At the same time, the situation with drugs remains complicated as the number of addicted people remains high. The database also provides a description of the main social determinants of health that impact the quality of peoples life in a certain community. These are defined as the conditions under which we live (“Social Determinants of Health” par. 4). Moreover, the leading health indicators that are described by this database show that there is a tendency towards the improvement of certain aspects, though there are still no changes in some aspects, which means that the situation is complex throughout the state and community. Center for Disease Control and Prevention also provides credible statistics related to the use of substances and smoking. It shows that the situation in the community remains complex. New York is not the most smoking state; however, from 13 to 17 percent of its residents are addicted (“Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States” par. 5).
New York City Department of Health website offers another portion of data related to smoking. It states that the topicality of the problem and the threat posed by smoking precondition the introduction of prevention programs that will reduce the number of people who have this habit and assist them in the improvement of their health significantly (“Tobacco Facts” par. 4). New York City department of health and mental hygiene also supports this idea and proves the topicality of the problem. According to the statistics provided by it a significant part of population (18%) uses tobacco cigarettes (“Substances Use” par. 5). The source offers credible and relevant data that describes the current situation in New York and local communities. King Countys department of health suggests the data that emphasizes the problem with substance abuse in the area.
According to the report, tobacco and drug use are among the most important preventable causes of deaths peculiar to the community (“King County Community Health Needs Assessment” par. 6). Finally, CMS also tends to provide a viewer with factsheets that prove the above-mentioned problem and emphasize the great necessity of some actions to alter the existing situation. When speaking of the databases explored for the research, one should admit the credibility and relevance of the information provided by them. However, it is also obvious that some of the databases were more helpful due to understandable design and provision of most relevant statistics. Altogether, Healthy People could be considered the most informative one. It provides us with the detailed description of the most nagging problems that exist in New York and in Brooklyn. Moreover, the site has convenient search tools that help to choose the region, showing, aspect, etc. Therefore, New York City department of health and mental hygiene website should be considered the least helpful because of the limited amount of information related to the issue and complicated interface.
The main issue
Besides, the above-mentioned web sites were looked through and analyzed to obtain the relevant information related to the question of substances abuse and smoking. There are several facts that predetermined the choice of this very concern. First of all, the paces of spread of the given problem are dangerous. More and more people use drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. to satisfy their need for substances. It could not but impact their health and result in the decreased quality of life. Furthermore, the increase in the number of people who use various substances contributes to the rise of crime and appearance of other problems.
For instance, passive smokers also suffer from the negative impact of tobacco. Additionally, reproductive system is also affected by the excessive use of substances of this sort. In this regard, society might face significant demographical problems and decrease of the quality of health of the nation. The combination of these facts gives rise to the necessity of the precise investigation of this aspect with the help of databases that could provide relevant and feasible information. Bergen Beach, Brooklyn is used as the area for the investigation. The choice of the community is preconditioned by some personal preferences and the demonstrative character of the majority of problems peculiar to it. Being a part of New York City, the community uncovers the problems peculiar to it.
Patients perspective
Analyzing the above-mentioned databases from the patients point of view, they could hardly be taken as useful. The fact is that they mainly provide the statistics and information about the number of people who use substances. It is obvious that it could help a person who just wants to get to know about the current situation with smoking and its negative impact on the state of the health. However, in case a drug addicted person wants to give up this habit he/she could hardly find information that could help him/her to make steps in the needed direction. Only the New York state department of health website provides the list of projects that are aimed at the assistance to people. For this reason, it could be considered as the helpful one.
Moreover, DrugAbuse.com could also be considered significant for people who tend to give up drugs, smoking, and other substances. It suggests patients a number of Drug Abuse treatment programs in Brooklyn and describes numerous centers that might help people to recover (“Brooklyn Drug Abuse Treatment Programs” par. 3). The site also tends to educate people to improve their comprehending of the pernicious impact of this habit on their health. Phoenix House website offers to the visitor a list of opportunities and sources that could be used to guarantee his/her recovery and further rehabilitation (“Brooklyn Community Recovery Center” par. 2). These two sources seem the most efficient from a patients perspective.
Potential social determinants
Furthermore, as stated above, there are certain social determinants that impact the appearance and evolution of certain problems. Healthy People defines them as the conditions under which people live and which impact their habits, health, etc. Speaking about the appearance of the problem of substance abuse and its spread, there are several determinants that should be minded. First of all, it is the exposure to crime, violence, and social disorder. It is a well-known fact that the spread of drugs results from the disregard of laws and complex crime situation. Additionally, access to educational, economic and job opportunities also influences the state of the problem.
In case a person is deprived of an opportunity to find a job or improve the state of his/her finances, he/she could be related to the group risk characterized by an increased probability of substance use. Availability of community-based resources in support of community living and opportunities for recreational and leisure-time activities is another important aspect (“Social Determinants of Health” par. 7). A person should be provided with an opportunity to spend his/her free time in a meaningful and interesting way that will contribute to the evolution of his/her personal and professional qualities. In case there are no activities to fill in free time, an individual might use drugs or alcohol as an alternative to entertain himself/herself and find joy. These social determinants could be considered the most significant when talking about this very problematic issue.
Measures and solutions
In this regard, the problem is rather topical for Bergen Beach, Brooklyn. There is a tendency towards the further rise of this problematic question as the number of people who are addicted to various substances is high. For this reason, there is a great need for a certain course of actions to mitigate the negative aftermaths of smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse, etc. First, it is crucial to improve the current criminal situation in the area and provide people with an opportunity to spend their free time in the way they need. It will contribute to the significant decrease of the amount of free time that was previously devoted to substances. Additionally, it is crucial to create the monitoring system that will contribute to the collection of the relevant data related to the state of this problem and to the creation of an appropriate solution. The monitoring system will also help to evaluate the efficiency of the applied approach and to state whether it could be considered successful or not. The efficient solution is crucial as it could help to improve the current situation and result in the reconsideration of some approaches used in the healthcare sector.
Works Cited
“Brooklyn Community Recovery Center.” Phoenix House, n.d., Web.
“Brooklyn Drug Abuse Treatment Programs.” DrugAbuse.com, n.d., Web.
“Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States.” CDC, n.d., Web.
“King County Community Health Needs Assessment.” CHI Franciscan Health, 2015. Web.
“Social Determinants of Health.” Healthy People, n.d., Web.
“Substance Abuse.” Healthy People, n.d., Web.
“Substances Use.” NYC Health, n.d., Web.
“Tobacco Facts.” Department of Health, n.d., Web.