by Kevin Nelson

Image by: Community and Institutional Ministries

The third article in a series on substance-abuse issues for National Recovery Month focuses on young people.

When I discovered alcohol, everything changed. I took my first real drink my first night at college. I attended what was to be the first of many, many fraternity parties. I didn't care for the beer, so I went to the vat of innocuous-looking punch. I was told it was laced with grain alcohol. I don't remember how many drinks I had, and my recollections of the rest of the night are fuzzy, but I do remember this much: When I was drinking, I was okay. I understood. Everything made sense. I could dance, talk, and enjoy being in my own skin. It was as if I had been an unfinished jigsaw puzzle with one piece missing; as soon as I took a drink, the last piece instantly and effortlessly snapped into place.

I blacked out almost every time I put alcohol in my system. After drinking for less than six months, I was almost a daily drinker.

Those poignant reflections on alcoholism were from an anonymous female, who was featured in The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (4th edition). Since that first drink of alcohol, it took ten years for this young woman to get her life back on track.

Young adult years are marked by life transitions and exploration. Young people move out of their parents' homes. Many go to college and maybe graduate school. They begin embracing adult responsibilities: finding a full-time job and supporting themselves and possibly a family. It's often a time when they ask profound questions about themselves and seek answers to who they are and how or where they fit in the world.

With life transitions, exploration, and testing limits come increased opportunities for exposure to alcohol and drugs. Young adults aged 18 to 25 have a higher prevalence of alcohol or drug use than any other age group, reports the US Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT).

On a global scale, a 2008 World Health Organization (WHO) report warns that harmful drinking among young people is a rising concern in many countries. In the US, alcohol is readily available at parties and social functions, and, upon turning 21, young adults reach the legal drinking age and can purchase alcohol themselves. Globally, alcohol age limits vary from country to county.

Today, drug use and abuse among young people not only involves cocaine, methamphetamines, heroine, or nicotine but also common substances such as inhalants (paint, glue, etc.), prescription narcotics, sedatives, and stimulants.

During young adulthood, drug use and abuse, binge drinking, and heavy drinking carry serious dangers because of the effect these substances have on human brain development, which still takes place into the young adult years. In addition, substance abuse creates a public health threat due to the increased risk of traffic accidents, a leading cause of death among teens in the US.

Moreover, unsafe sexual practices are often accompanied by the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, including sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancies, and physical/sexual assault, which may cause long-term emotional, mental, and physical trauma for the victim and arrest or jail-time for the perpetrator. These can be devastating at any period of life, but particular dangers are associated with them during young adulthood.

For young people, this newfound exposure to alcohol and other drugs creates an environment for frequent misuse and abuse of substances--conditions that are favorable to the development of addictions.

It is important for young people, their caregivers, and the community to know that:

• Addiction is a deadly disease. People die from it around the world every day.
• Addiction cannot be controlled through sheer willpower. The disease, if powerful, impacts the mind, body, and spirit. Treatment and recovery support such as 12-step fellowships are critical to becoming and staying clean.
• Addiction, if not death, yields other severe consequences, including: a decreased motivation and interference with normal life activities and relationships; withdrawal symptoms; unsafe sexual practices; or taking the life of another through drunk driving or other effects of drugs on perception and reality.
• Parents and friends should look out for warning signs, express their concerns, and take action by seeking help for treatment and recovery. Silence will not help!
• In addition to the addict or alcoholic, addiction hurts everyone. Addiction hurts family members, friends, and the community.

Prevention is one of the most important and effective tools in combating substance abuse. When done effectively, it can save lives and spare the lifelong struggles and tragedy that often accompany addiction.

The links below highlight prevention programs targeting young people supported by the United Methodist Special Program on Substance Abuse and Related Violence (SPSARV) and suggestions for congregations to take in preventing substance abuse among young people.

Related Resources

>> Alcohol and Other Addictions, 2008 Book of Resolutions, pp. 210-217.

SPSARV's Global Programs Offer Young People an Alternative to Substance Abuse

>> SPSARV Networks

The United Methodist Church policy encourages abstinence from alcohol and illegal drugs and supports educational and prevention programs to fight substance abuse. The United Methodist Special Program on Substance Abuse and Related Violence makes prevention a priority and supports compassionate responses to combat this rising problem among young people in Africa, Europe, and the United States.

When United Methodist-related Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) in Spartanburg, South Carolina, recognized over a three-year period that incoming students had reportedly consumed alcohol, participated in binge drinking, preferred alcohol in social situations, had operated a vehicle under the influence, and felt SMC's strict rules on alcohol were inappropriate, college administrators knew that they must take action.

To curb drinking among its student population, SMC implemented the AlcoholEdu® program, an online alcohol prevention program specifically designed for college students. The program seeks to motivate behavior change, help students practice safer decision-making about alcohol, and engage students in creating a healthier campus community. With funding in 2008 from SPSARV for implementation, the program is now a required course for the incoming freshman class.

"The idea is that we engage students in alcohol education efforts before they matriculate into the college environment," said Stacey Mason, Director of Housing and Residence Life and the AlcoholEdu Administrator at Spartanburg Methodist College. "AlcoholEdu provides the necessary information while customizing the program based on each student's level of knowledge, experience, and use of alcohol."

After putting the program into practice, a SMC survey revealed 53% more student non-drinkers; 55% fewer student drinkers; 66% fewer heavy episodic drinkers; and 50% fewer problematic drinkers. And alcohol-related incidents are falling, especially among the classes participating in the program.

SPSARV's global programs are raising awareness about the dangers of using alcohol and other drugs and offering young people real alternatives to substance abuse and addiction.

In the Ukraine, youth camps led by missionary and deacon Rev. Helen Byholt-Lovelace, are giving young people, often street children, an opportunity to dialogue and learn about the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs in a fun, interactive setting. Byholt-Lovelace said young people often leave the camp saying "they do not want to try or use drugs anymore."

In Africa, almost all 12 United Methodist annual conferences have launched peer-counseling ministries to leverage the influence that youth and young adults have on each other to create positive behavior change. Developed by Methodist Church Bishop Joseph Kow Ghunney of Ghana, the peer counseling program equips young people with tools on making healthy lifestyle decisions as well as recognizing when their friends may need help.

All United Methodist youth can join together in taking a stand against substance abuse and related violence. "Had Enough," a global movement of United Methodist young people, seeks to inform, equip, and empower young persons to make a difference individually and as part of the global United Methodist connection in the fight against alcohol and other drugs. To join or receive more information, visit www.HadEnough.org.

Steps Your Church Can Take to Prevent Substance Abuse Among Young People

>> SPSARV Youth and Young Adults

1. Involve: Provide afterschool and weekend activities for young people in the church and community--sports ministry, music ministry, technology and other education programs, and annual lock-in programs. Such activities provide young persons with positive options for using their gifts and talents.

2. Educate: Hold regular discussions or forums with young people about alcohol, other drugs, and related violence issues. Beginning in 2010, use the United Methodist website, www.HadEnough.org, a web resource for young people, as a tool within your discussions.

3. Equip: Start a peer counseling program. Equip young people with tools to make healthy choices and recognize when their friends need help.

4. Support: Offer parenting/caregiver workshops and include information on how to talk to children about alcohol and drugs, general topics for building healthy self-esteem, and setting appropriate boundaries.

5. Advocate: Engage young people in local public policy advocacy and national efforts, such as Students Against Destructive Decisions www.sadd.org or Red Ribbon Week in October. Help young people understand they have a voice and can help change systems that allow alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and related violence to flourish.

>>Articles on National Recovery Month

Special Program on Substance Abuse and Related Violence (SPSARV)

Since its inception in 1992, SPSARV has galvanized the United Methodist connection to respond to alcohol, other drug and related violence issues. While the general church has made substance abuse and related violence a priority, this global health epidemic continues to rise dramatically. The Church is and must continue to be at the forefront of responding to this global crisis.

Worldwide, people in church pews are suffering silently because of their addiction or their loved one's addiction. They need their church community to be informed, compassionate and responsive to their needs. SPSARV represents the Church's commitment to replace the brokenness of the disease of addiction with the promise of God's hope, healing, health and wholeness. Join us in making a witness to God's promise.

Your support will provide SPSARV with the resources for an effective churchwide response to alcohol, chemical abuse and dependency and its related violence. Give to Response to Alcohol and Other Drugs Concerns, Advance #982598, equipping United Methodists around the world to respond to alcohol, drugs, and related violence.

	See Also... Topic: Communities |  Family |  Health |  Focus on Global Health |  Source: GBGM Mission News
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Date posted: Sep 18, 2009