In America, both prescription and illicit drug abuse are on the increase, but Houston is particularly affected. On a national level, Houston has been noted as a city where drug abuse is on the increase as well as a place where many illicitly obtained prescription drugs come from. (Herzberg, 409). This demonstrates the severity of Houston's substance abuse issue and the necessity of taking remedial action. Because of this, the goal of this proposal is to offer a possible solution to the drug abuse issue in Houston.
Drug abuse in the United States
Other than being a serious problem in Houston, drug abuse is also a menace in the United States as a whole. In 2015, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that about 22.8 million Americans had used an illicit drug or abused a prescription medicine in June that year (Volkow, 56). This means that about 8.9 percent of the American population was affected by the drug abuse problem in that month. Just like in the other states, illicit or prescription drugs are abused in Houston in various ways by people of different walks of life. Most of Houston residents have been affected by drug abuse either directly or indirectly. The abusers harm themselves, as well as their family members and the community. For this reason, the cost of drug abuse in the community is astronomical, not only personally but also financially, professionally, socially, and emotionally. Despite the fact that most people voluntarily take the drugs in the initial stages, with time, the repeated drug use causes changes in the brain that can affect an individual’s control and the ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time increase the need to take drugs. Most individuals who abuse drugs develop a chronic condition called addiction. Once an individual is addicted, it is challenging for the person to turn around.
The drug abuse problem in Houston
This proposal provides plans and strategies that can potentially solve the drug abuse problem in the city of Houston. Comprehensively understanding the cause of the problem lays a crucial foundation for solving the problem in the city. As such, this proposal emphasizes on dealing with the potential causes of drug abuse in Houston and preventing such problems in the future. The information in this proposal is mainly from secondary sources in the University library and other peer-reviewed books and journals from the Internet. The proposal also draws a portion of the information from the community in Houston and the writer’s experience and observation from the location. As such, the scope of this proposal is wide, encompassing various aspects involved in the drug abuse problem in Houston. The first task of the plan will be contracting a marketing firm, then followed by creating opportunities in events and activities in learning institutions, developing a social media strategy, distributing posters and brochures, and finally offering free medical treatment in the final week of the plan to the affected people in Houston.
Defining drug abuse and the current situation in Houston
This proposal defines drug abuse as the use of any chemical substance including alcohol, inhalants, cigarettes, and others. The proposal the position that drug abuse is not a character flaw but rather a medication condition that has developed over time. The problem can affect any individual regardless of his or her age, social group, or ethnicity.
Current situation
The abuse of prescription and illegal drugs has been a significant problem in the city of Houston for years. In a survey carried out in 2016 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 7% of Houston’s population had abused prescription drugs or used illegal drugs in 2015 (Edlund, 136). In a span of three years, there has been approximately 1,300 overdose deaths in the city of Houston (Edlund, 136). The United States’ drug czar has identified the city as a hub for diverting prescription pills. The czar has pinpointed the location as one of the “pill mills” in the United States. There are many fake doctors in Houston that establish face offices to write illegal prescriptions of the drug abusers. This situation has made drug abuse one of the fastest growing drug problems in the city.
There are many reports of accidental overdose and drug abuse around Texas, and particularly the city of Houston. The most directly affected people by the problem in the city are the young population and the youth. The drug abusers in the community not only prescription and illicit drugs, but also mix different types of pills and mix them with alcohol. This mode of abuse creates numerous problems including severe side effects and greater risks of overdose and death. As such, anyone with drug addiction problems in Houston should seek immediate treatment to prevent severe health implications of the practice.
There are multiple causes of the drug abuse problem. In Houston, the major causes of the problem include individual personality characteristics, genetic vulnerability, social pressures, and environmental stressors. The substances regularly abused in Houston include; marijuana and prescription drugs. Illegal narcotics such as heroin and cocaine are also common in the city. Environmental stressors are the primary causes of the indulgence into drug abuse in the city. This is because many youth and grown-ups in the location and the neighborhoods indulge in the illicit drug use and trafficking, influencing the younger generation to carry on with the practice. The social pressure in the location also influences the youths to get involved the drugs problem in one way or another. Children in the city are also not left behind. For instance, in one case, sheriff’s deputies were called to a school in Houston to handle a case where a 12-year-old child was passing out methadone pills to another child. Upon interrogation, the child confirmed that swapping such prescription pills was common in the school. This indicates the seriousness of the problem in Houston. Authorities, teachers, and parents need to understand that any illegal drug in the hands of a youngster is a potential threat to his or her life. As such, appropriate action should be taken immediately to solve the deadly problem.
In the past, there have been attempts to solve the drug abuse problem in Houston with moderate success. There are several treatment centers in Houston with experienced professionals offering help to those struggling with drug addiction in the city. The presence of these drug treatment facilities create the hope of beating the addiction habit, getting sober, and staying clean while living a healthy and normal lifestyle. There are also several private and public Houston drug rehab centers in the city. Some of these rehabs are non-profit while others are for-profit, all established with the objective of meeting the needs of the increased use of prescription drugs and abuse of drugs in Houston. These facilities offer mental health treatment, substance abuse care, and a combination of both types of care. While these facilities have played significant role in providing inpatient care, more effort is needed to provide outpatient care. According to Herzberg (409), the opportunity to stay with loved ones is a motivator to succeed with drug treatment. From this point, many drug users feel more comfortable staying with friends or family members at home for the emotional support. For this reason, this proposal emphasizes on the outpatient encounter and intervention.
Immediate action needs to be taken to solve this problem in Houston. The negative consequences of drug abuse and the use of prescription drugs not only abuse the people who abuse the drugs but also their friends, family members, various businesses, and government resources. As such, if this problem is not handled with the urgency it requires, then the Houston community will continue facing the negative consequences of the increasing level of drug abuse in the city.
The Plan
The abuse of prescription and illegal drugs in Houston is a serious problem that calls for the immediate action of all the stakeholders involved. The residents who abuse prescription or illegal drugs are more likely to be incarcerated for crimes activities, have a higher co-occurrence of mental disorders, and engage in risk-taking behaviors. As such, the burden regarding trauma, costs, and the influence on the residents’ youth is substantial. If this problem is left unsolved, it will negatively impact on the various social and economic aspects of the city of Houston. The friends and relatives or the drug users are the hardest hit by the problem. For instance, in families where at least one member is addicted to drug abuse, there is likely to arise patterns of drug abuse in the family. Some of these factors include denial, parental inconsistency, negativity within households, and negative criticism. As such, Efforts should be directed towards curbing the increase of the problem and treating the affected individuals. In this context, this proposal lays down a strategy to mitigate the drug abuse problem in Houston beginning from the source of the problem.
To make Houston a drug free city, the proposed plan is creating awareness on the negative impacts of drug abuse and treating the drug-addicted individuals. The purpose of creating the awareness will be informing and educating the residents about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle free form drug abuse. It will also inform them on the steps to take and how to seek assistance in circumstances where there is a threat of engagement in the drug abuse. There are inadequate social education programs in Houston dedicated towards enlightening the residents about drug abuse. Most of the drug users in the city of Houston do not understand the dangers of abusing drugs. As such, creating awareness will form a crucial ground for dealing with the drug abuse problem in the city. Treatment of the affected individuals will improve the lives of those affected and create hope for the community as a whole.
The first part of the plan is to contract a marketing firm to handle the communication issues of the one-month strategy. The firm will then liaise with the local administration to hire some personnel such as resident assistants and peer health educators to help in raising awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Using the local community in implementing the plan will encourage the residents’ participation and minimize hostility. Personnel from the community also understand various aspects and cultures of the area that are crucial community’s perception of prescription drug abuse.
This plan will also seek the assistance of any willing and qualified governmental or non-governmental organization to offer free treatment for the drug-addicted residents in Houston in the last three days of the plan. The volunteering organization will then be expected to follow up the intervention for all the treated patients for another six months after the completion of the plan. According to Lev (34), treatment is one of the most cost-effective methods of reducing drug abuse and related crimes among the youth and adults. Furthermore, treating the guardians and parents of the Houston’s youth will reduce the number of children drug abusers in the city. Children drug abuse is the leading risk factor and indicator of the use and subsequent addiction to drugs, tobacco, and alcohol by the youth (Lev, 32). For this reason, the volunteering organization will need to ensure that every drug abuser in Houston receives the appropriate treatment.
The second task of the plan will be creating opportunities around specific holidays and events in schools and social meetings to talk about prescription drug abuse. This will be an effective way of meeting many drug users because many students who abuse prescription drugs take them with alcohol which is common in some of these school events. In this task, the plan will involve the contracted marketing firm to create awareness around events in learning institutions such as The University of Houston, Rice University, and Texas Southern University. This task will take place in the first week of the awareness month were the residents will also be informed about the existence and necessity of the plan.
The third step of the plan will be developing a social media strategy to support substance misuse prevention efforts. Contemporary, the social media is one of the easiest and fastest way of reaching the youth and the younger generation. With the advent of social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, many people increasingly interact online. As such, creating a social media strategy will ensure that the plan meets as many people as possible in Houston. With such platforms, the Houston people will expect opportunities to collaborate, discuss, and share about drugs online.
The fourth task will involve distributing posters, brochures, and other materials around learning institutions and on the streets. The posters and brochures will bear educational materials about the severe consequences of prescription drug abuse. For instance, one of the brochures would bear the message, “Take Control of Your Life, Use Prescription Medicine Responsibly.”
In the final week of the plan, the task will involve offering free treatment services to all the drug addicts in Houston. A volunteer governmental or non-governmental organization will be expected to offer the treatment. The organization will also be expected to follow up the treatment for six months after the completion of the plan. Treatment improves the quality of life for all in the community. There are many people in Houston that require treatment for drug problems.
Below is the schedule that will be followed in implementing the plan:
Schedule
Tasks
Date of Tasks
Task 1: contracting a marketing firm
Week 1
Task 2: creating opportunities in specific holidays and events in learning institutions
Week 2
Task 3: developing a social media strategy
Week 3
Task 4: distributing posters, brochures and other materials
Week 4
Task 5: offering free treatment
2017 October
Qualifications
For the plan to succeed, it must employ qualified individuals and experienced organizations in carrying out the tasks of the plan. In the first place, the marketing company that will be contracted should have a previous experience in social service work. Dealing with the community for the sole purpose of improving its wellness is different from dealing with the customers with the purpose of making profits. The marketing company must understand that the purpose of this plan will be creating awareness on drug use and abuse, and it does not have immediate benefits. The company chosen should understand the basics of dealing with a community consisting of people from diverse backgrounds and divergent perceptions.
The personnel employed to work in this program should also have a basic understanding of the Houston community including their norms, likes, and dislikes. For this reason, most of the employees should come from the Houston community. This will enhance acceptability of the plan.
The organization that volunteers to offer free treatment should have adequate expertise and manpower to deal with the Houston community. The organization should have adequate experience in dealing with drug addicts. It must also have a good reputation of offering complete treatment services to people in need.
Costs and Benefits
The plan will not be expensive compared to the benefits it is expected to bring. The one-month plan is expected to have a budget of $100,000. The major cost drivers will be contracting the marketing firm, paying the employees such as resident assistants and peer health educators, setting up facilities for the free treatment, and procuring the printing of posters, brochures, and other media. The budget is as below:
The Budget
Description
Budget Amount in Dollars
Setting up an office for operation and public campaigns
$10,000
Contracting a marketing firm for one month
$50,000
Salaries for employees for a one month contract
$10,000
Procuring the design and printing of posters and brochures
$5,000
Setting up facilities for the free treatment
$25,000
Total
$100,000
The expected future return of this plan is much higher compared to the investment channeled in the plan. Furthermore, failure to take action is also very costly, regarding the negative consequences of drug abuse in the society.
Conclusion
Everyone desires to live a long and healthy life. A community where many people are affected by prescription drug abuse is likely to exhibit many other social ills such crime and irresponsible parenting. As such, it is necessary to intervene in such a community to ensure a drug-free environment for all the residents. Cases of substance abuse are on the rise in Houston city and action needs to be taken. For this reason, this proposal has a plan of increasing awareness on the severe impacts of drug abuse, and offering treatment for the affected individuals in Houston. Despite the heavy investments in this plan, the resultant benefits are worthwhile.
Works Cited
Edlund, Mark J., et al. "Opioid abuse and depression in adolescents: results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health." Drug and alcohol dependence 152 (2015): 131-138.
Herzberg, David, et al. "Recurring epidemics of pharmaceutical drug abuse in America: time for an all-drug strategy." American journal of public health 106.3 (2016): 408-410.
Lev, Roneet, et al. "Who is prescribing controlled medications to patients who die of prescription drug abuse?." The American journal of emergency medicine 34.1 (2016): 30-35.
Volkow, N. D. "America’s addiction to opioids: heroin and prescription drug abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse; May 14, 2014." (2016).
