Alcohol and other
psychoactive drug use, abuse and related problems have been part of human
society for thousands of years. Many people are able to use drugs
recreationally with no significant problems. Others, however, develop
abusive or addictive use patterns leading to an array of personal and
societal problems, resulting in enormous costs to society in the form of
heath problems and health care expenditures, loss of productivity, crime
and criminal justice expenditures, social welfare, and loss of life.
Substance abuse
prevention is a relatively new field in which practitioners are
developing, implementing and evaluating programs and strategies designed
to prevent and/or reduce the illegal use and the abuse of alcohol, tobacco
and other drugs (ATOD). This is not an easy task, as many factors
contribute to substance use and abuse, including individual,
interpersonal, societal and environmental influences.
This section will provide
an overview of the course, some key definitions such as use, abuse and
addiction, a look at the various factors that influence peoples’ decisions
to use or not use, and a brief review of ATOD and society. This
information will serve as a foundation for studying prevention theories
and applications.
