Introduction
The problem of illegal substances being consumed by an increasingly large number of Australian young people has gained substantial weight in Australian society. According to recent statistics, as there are factors evidencing that a certain percentage of residents might have addictive behaviors (Addiction Center, 2018, para. 2). Therefore, rethinking the current approach toward the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and the prevention of drug misuse should become the priority of the Australian authorities (Coyne, 2019; Spoth, Trudeau, Redmond, & Shin, 2016). It becomes a critical task of the healthcare sector as the reconsideration of the attitude to addictive substances is one of the factors needed to improve the quality of people’s lives and guarantee their well-being. For this purpose, one will have to use an all-embracive approach, changing attitudes within the society, altering the existing legal standards, and encouraging health literacy.
Thesis Statement
By focusing on the creation of drug rehabilitation facilities, introducing harm minimization approaches, promoting active awareness and health literacy, and shaping the current policy toward rehabilitation of drug addicts rather than their punishment, Australian authorities will be able to mitigate the drug issue and create a safer space for citizens.
Situation
The problem of drug addiction and the spread of various substances which have a negative impact on the state of people’s health is not new, and there are many regions in the world that experience this problem. As for Australia, there is a negative tendency towards the increase in the number of people who uses drugs. Reports show that about 43% of the whole population have tried using these substances at least once in their lives (“Drug trends and statistics,” n.d.). Herein lies one of the main reasons for the issue to have made such a strong and persistent impact on the Australian population. The lack of preparedness and, therefore, the absence of the approach that could potentially prevent the drug crisis from taking place was missed dramatically (Anderson, Geyer, Cailor, & Chen, 2019; Gryczynski, O’Grady, Mitchell, Ondersma, & Schwartz, 2016). As a result, a substantial number of Australian citizens have been affected by the drug issue. If to compare with other states, the situation might seem not so threatening, as numbers remain lower than in the most problematic areas. However, there are still some sophisticated aspects that affect populations and that should be considered to ensure that the situation will improve.
Problem
At the moment, cannabis remains the most commonly used drug in Australia. Statistics state that about 16% of all students from 12 to 17 years have tried it, and 7% continue using it every month (“Drug trends and statistics,” n.d.). It becomes a significant challenge to both educational and healthcare sectors as there is a need for effective intervention and improvement of the situation. Additionally, surveys show that the use of ecstasy or similar illicit substances remains low, as about 3% of respondents reported such experience; however, it still becomes higher if to compare with previous years (Drug trends and statistics,” n.d.). As it comes from the given information, predominantly young people become affected by drugs and face the high risk of acquiring the addiction. It means that there is a set of some common reasons that make people use these substances.
The improved understanding of the factors that cause growth in the number of addicted people is also important for the introduction of an effective solution. Thus, one of the primary perquisites for the evolution of drug abuse in Australia is the low level of health literacy and poor understanding of the real consequences that might be associated with illicit substances and their use. The majority of young people state that they associate cannabis or ecstasy with fun, relaxation, and other positive emotions (Coyne, 2019). However, few of them realize the negative effects that these substances have on them.
Another idea that impacts citizens’ attitudes to drugs and their inability to stop using them is the poor understanding of the rehabilitation process, its peculiarities, and the fear of punishment that might be provided to them. The bigger part of the population affected by drugs is sure that rehabilitation practices remain expansive, ineffective, stressful, and painful for them (Coyne, 2019). That is why they might prefer to avoid consulting with specialists because of the given fear or multiple misconceptions that are related to rehabilitation practices.
Finally, problems with local authorities that might be caused by the use of drugs also remain a factor that distracts people from the employment of existing approaches to rehabilitation and engagement in healthy lifestyles. For this reason, there is a critical need for the consideration of these factors, as one of the most important issues shaping the given problem in Australia. At the same time, while the issue of drug abuse is currently recognized as a nationwide concern, the lack of a cohesive program that could help eradicate the problem from Australian society is glaring. Despite several attempts at establishing new policies toward the management of needs of people with drug misuse health issue, the recent advances in handling the situation have not been stellar (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019). Dissecting the problem, one may realize that the lack of efficacy in the proposed solutions lies primarily in their one-sidedness and the lack of perspective. Instead of embracing the concern as a health issue, a social problem, and the product of loopholes in the existing legislation, recent measures have been restricted solely to the health domain.
Solution
As explained above, in order to manage the threat to which the Australian youth is exposed presently, one will need to adopt a multidimensional perspective. The reasons mentioned above should also be taken into account as they impact the current situation with drugs in Australia and directly affect the effectiveness of the proposed solution. Because the majority of individuals do not correctly realize all consequences associated with illicit substances’ use, the proposed solution should be flexible and broad enough to include all aspects that are needed to provide assistance to influenced populations and achieve significant improvement.
Apart from the health management framework, the legal concerns have to be handled at the respective level. The affordability of drugs and the lack of control over the issue are truly devastating, which means that the legal standards for its purchase will have to be reinforced. Accepting the fact that the spread of drugs is hard to control because of the existence of the developed scheme of distribution that provides people with demanded substances, the given task might be extremely complex and require significant resources to establish a new environment characterized by the improved monitoring of drug market and the ability to respond to the emerging threats effectively. Finally, drug misuse and the resulting crisis in Australia have to be managed on a legislative level (Sobesky & Gorgens, 2016). Specifically, the policies toward addressing the cases of drug possession and illegal use should be shaped to be more lenient toward people that are victims of substance misuse. For people with substance misuse issues and addiction to drugs, the emphasis should be placed on rehabilitation rather than their punishment (Rome, McCartney, Best, & Rush, 2017).
Moreover, as it has already been stated, the solution should also presuppose some education to eliminate existing gaps in knowledge peculiar to people using drugs. The fact is that the low level of health literacy among populations is one of the primary causes for the appearance of serious health problems, including drug addiction. The incorrect understanding of all possible impacts, along with the fear of rehabilitation, might precondition the appearance of unwillingness to engage in practices that will help to stop using illicit substances. For this reason, the offered solution also focuses on the provision of desired information to residents with the primary goal to eliminate existing gaps or misconceptions that promote the further spread of drugs and their massive usage. In such a way, the combination of these aspects is expected to become a basis for the introduction of a flexible, relevant, and comprehensive solution. As a result, the current concern associated with the management of the Australian drug crisis will most likely be addressed successfully.
Evaluation
Assessing the effects of the proposed management technique, one will have to acknowledge some of its problematic aspects. The most evident and concerning one is linked to one of its strengths, which is the focus on the multifaceted nature of the problem. While it is important to provide a full view of the issue and introduce the authorities to the entire spectrum of the concerns associated with drug misuse.
The legal and health-related perspectives from which the concern regarding drug misuse is going to be addressed are, perhaps, the main strengths of the proposed comprehensive approach. Apart from creating premises for better treatment of the people that are, in all actuality, not criminals but mostly victims of this horrible affliction, one will launch the process of making the Australian community healthier. With a new perspective on the problem of drugs, Australian citizens will attain the levels of health literacy that will be required for further self-directed education (Khusid & Vythilingam, 2016). The enhanced awareness related to the use of drugs is one of the critical factors that might precondition the success of offered strategies and ensure that people will reconsider their attitudes to illicit substances. As a result, the problem of the stigma that people with substance misuse have in most cases will be removed from the context of managing the problem of drug misuse. In addition, the social support that patients with drug misuse issues will receive will create the atmosphere in which faster recovery and rehabilitation will be possible.
Moreover, the change in the legal perspective will help to focus on the cause of the problem, specifically, drug peddlers. By drawing a line between the people that are addicted to drugs and those that work in this illegal industry, one will attack the core of the problem and create rigid laws for selling substances illegally. It is also crucial that the proposed changes to the current legislation should not complicate the access to opioids for people who actually need them but, instead, make it more difficult for people to access illegal drugs to use them as recreational ones (Strand, Eukel, & Burck, 2019). The given incentive might have a positive impact on the whole market of drugs in Australia as, at the moment, there is non-complicated access to opioids and other illicit substances that might undermine the health of people and precondition the development of undesired circumstances.
Additionally, there are multiple pieces of evidence proving that reconsideration of the current legal framework is critical for the achievement of positive outcomes and a decrease in the number of addicted people. For instance, reports show that in states where more effective legislation related to the field is accepted, the percentage of people who have a problem with illicit substances decreases significantly (Sobesky & Gorgens, 2016). It means that the proposed solution might be effective enough in the establishment of a new paradigm in relations with this cohort of citizens by providing them with particular protection and defending from negative the consequences of drugs’ use.
The problem with a substantial number of people using cannabis can also be solved with the help of the proposed solution. The fact is that one of the main causes for its popularity among students is the belief that marijuana has no negative impacts on the body and can be used as a natural relaxant to cope with the high level of stress all students might face during their studying (Anderson et al., 2018). Statistics show that 74% of this drug’s users are sure that it will not damage their health (Coyne, 2019). Additionally, its legalization in other states, such as the Netherlands, or Canada, also contributes to the creation of the misconception that the abuse of cannabis is a non-dangerous behavior that should not be avoided.
The given attitude can be considered as the undesired one as in combination with poor health literacy and awareness about the use of drugs, it preconditions the further spread of substances and their abuse. The strong aspect of the proposed solution is the focus on the reconsideration of the attitude to cannabis, as it should not be taken as one of the ways to relax. On the contrary, there is the need for a shift in mentalities to demonstrate the existing threat associated with marijuana smoking.
The focus on building awareness is, perhaps, the weakest aspect of the proposed measure since it does not suggest any innovative methods of conveying the essential information to young people yet. While a new approach can be developed to encourage Australian youth to abstain from taking drugs, the general message of drugs having a dire effect on one’s health is quite downtrodden and is unlikely to attract much attention. For this purpose, an innovative framework for communicating with young people should be developed to prompt a change in the current attitudes toward substances.
Conclusion
By shaping the current approaches toward managing the Australian drug crisis toward multidimensional frameworks, one will be able to resolve the existing concern. Specifically, people with a drug addiction have to be seen as victims and treated as patients with substance misuse issues as opposed to dangerous criminals. Moreover, a program aimed at educating Australian citizens and especially young people will need to be launched to build awareness about the seriousness of the issue and the severity of its outcomes. Keeping people informed is currently the top priority for Australian authorities since the lack of awareness and the persistence of prejudices that define young people’s choices is what constitutes the root cause of the problem.
Moreover, the effective solution to the outlined problem should consider the factors that affect people who use illicit substances and their fears associated with rehabilitation. For this reason, the introduction of a flexible and comprehensive approach that takes into account the existing background is the key to the successful alteration of the current situation in Australia. The offered statistics evidence the fact that the residents might have a wrong understanding of the nature of their problem, its impact on their health, and the possibility to get assistance. For this reason, the need for the proposed measures becomes apparent as it aims at the reconsideration of this negative situation.
Therefore, the multifaceted nature of the changes that will have to be made to the Australian community in order to handle the current concern will allow managing the drug issue. The fact that the program will be aimed at challenging social stereotypes and especially the image of a person with drug misuse issues makes the suggested change particularly compelling. By placing emphasis on the strategies for rehabilitation and assistance for individuals that have developed a drug misuse problem, one will create the basis for a healthier attitude toward the idea of taking drugs. As a result, drug misuse will no longer be seen by young people as an attribute of a particular culture or an act of rebellion but, instead, as a malady that affects their health drastically. Consequently, the levels of drug misuse and the instances of more people developing the described problem will be addressed respectively.
References
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