Zero-Tolerance, Always

This weeks topic was addiction and I feel that this is a very heavy topic that I am about to touch on that unfortunately effects millions of people every year. Simply said, addiction is the habit of repeatedly using a substance or engaging in an activity because it was (and may still be) enjoyable, useful, or both, even while it is currently causing significant harm. Numerous lines of study indicate that substance use is influenced by genes, even though pinpointing the exact genetic explanation is difficult. Based on meticulous research, scientists approximate that 40–60% of an individual’s risk is attributed to their genetic makeup. Addiction is influenced by a combination of gene differences in each individual. In a school setting you wouldn’t think to see much of students facing addiction because it’s hidden so well, but once again as educators we need to be aware and helpful even outside of the classroom doors.

One of the major addictions that I have come across as my time as a student is Vaping. According to the video, Vaping in Schools: ‘Juuling’ is Popular Among Teens Despite Health Risks, over 2 millions students use electronic cigarettes (vaping) and many of these same kids believe there are no health risks. While going through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website I saw that they have a portion on Tobacco, E-Cigarettes, and Vaping and the damage that it does to a human body. Smoking is currently the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Additionally, smoking damages almost every organ in the body, including the heart and blood vessels, the lungs, the bones, eyes, teeth, gums, fertility, and pregnancy. It also causes cancer almost everywhere in the body. The body is at risk from even smoke. The smoke from commercial tobacco contains around seven thousand compounds. This contains roughly 70 compounds that can cause cancer in addition to hundreds other hazardous substances. There isn’t a secondhand smoking exposure threshold that is safe. Even in nonsmokers, secondhand smoke can lead to lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Kids have been especially at risk. After learning this makes it even more important for educators to make students aware of these health risks that come with the topic of Vaping.

Flannery, Mary Ellen. “Vaping in Schools: 3 Million Students and Counting | NEA.” Www.nea.org, www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/vaping-schools-3-million-students-and-counting.

It’s easy for people who don’t struggle with addiction to say “Just say no” but in reality it is much harder for kids who are already struggling to get themselves out of this deep whole. Now does the D.A.R.E. “just say no” actually work? According to the National Public Radio, there are still groups that support drug abstinence education, and teens who get messages from the US Drug Enforcement Administration are still encouraged to stay “drug-free.” However, a number of studies that were released in the 1990s and early 2000s found that initiatives like D.A.R.E. had no appreciable effect on drug usage. A research conducted on suburban students revealed a marginal increase in drug usage following their involvement in D.A.R.E. It is hard to completely prevent students to stop using drugs, so the second best thing we should be able to do is teach safety measures for when student do decide to use. The National Public Radio continues and gives a list of safety measures, for instance, the healthiest course of action for drug users is to either quit using them completely or drastically reduce their dosage and frequency of use.