Australian+Adolescents+and+the+Normalisation+of+Illicit+Drugs

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“Loser” – 3 Doors Down

Breathe in right away. Nothing seems to fill this place. I need this every time So take your lies, get off my case. Someday I will find A love that flows through me like this This will fall away, this will fall away.

[Chorus]

You're getting closer To pushing me off of life's little edge 'Cause I'm a loser And sooner or later you know I'll be dead You're getting closer You're holding the rope and I'm taking the fall <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Cause I'm a loser, I'm a loser, yeah.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is getting old. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I can't break these chains that I hold <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My body's growing cold <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There's nothing left of this mind or my soul. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Addiction needs a pacifier, the buzz of this poison is taking me higher. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This will fall away, this will fall away.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[Chorus: x3]

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Artefact- **__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The artefact that has been selected is the song “Loser” by the band 3 Doors Down, released in July 2000 as part of the bands’ debut album ‘The Better Life’. “Loser” was written by the lead singer Brad Arnold about a friend from his adolescence that was addicted to cocaine. It was written in an attempt to display the perspective of an addict, of self-doubt and internalised feelings with the chorus describing the physical act of taking drugs. This song differs from many other drug-related songs, as most are from the personal prospective of the singer/songwriter taking the drugs and the highs or lows that accompany drug-use; whereas, Brad Arnold chose the perspective of an average teenager suffering from drug addiction in society.

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Name the public health issue central to your analysis- **__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Substance abuse and addiction in the form of illicit drugs is the overarching public issue that represents the song. The greatest percentage of the population that uses drugs is males aged between 14 and 19 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), 2010). Unfortunately, most users become addicted to the drug after the pleasure stimulus gradually wears away and results in compulsive negative patterns due to withdrawal where the addict will do almost anything to get the next hit, even commit crimes (Koob & Volkow, 2010). The angle to be focussed on is the social identity that accompanies illicit drug use and the growing public health problem of drug addiction in Australian adolescents.

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Literature Review- **__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Illicit drug use affects all Australians - whether directly or indirectly - irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity, education or socioeconomic status. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2011) conducted a household drug study of the population, where a demographical analysis from this study shown in Table 1 provides the percentage of the Australian population that has used an illicit drug in the previous 12 months (see appendix). Within the Australian population 38% have used an illicit drug in their lifetime and 15% had used an illicit drug in the preceding 12 months. The most commonly used illicit drug is cannabis with one in three people using it in their lifetime; the next most common drugs include meth/amphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine and hallucinogens (AIHW, 2011). Illicit drug use can be attributed with many mental health problems with 32% of reported users seeking professional help for problems including depression, anxiety, panic attacks and others (AIHW, 2007). In addition to mental health problems are the psychological and social problems that illicit drugs such as cannabis have been known to cause, leading to psychological health problems, increase and experimentation of illicit drug use, lowered educational performance and antisocial behaviour (Macleod et al., 2004). As well as the social and psychological aspect, illicit drug use can cause physical health issues such as the increased risk of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and AIDS in injecting drug users, and the higher chances of overdose occurring in frequent and heavy users (AIHW, 2007).



<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The age group with the most problematic use of illicit drugs in its most common forms is 14 – 19 year olds, where social identity and adhering to social norms within peer groups means everything. The Premiers’ Drug Prevention Council (PDPC) reported that with an increase in the availability of cannabis, amphetamine and cocaine from 2001 onwards substantiates the increase in drug use among 14-19 year olds (Duff, 2003). Duff (2003) researches not only into the prevalence of illicit drug use in adolescents, but also the attitudes and behaviours of young person’s towards illicit drug use. Studies conducted in Australia about the attitudes and behaviour of adolescents reported that drugs are increasingly considered an ordinary and uncontroversial part of the teenage experience leading to a ‘normalisation’ of illicit drug use. In a later study conducted in Melbourne, (Duff, 2003) surveyed 379 bar and nightclub patrons found that 56% had reported a lifetime use and 32% - just under one third - of the persons surveyed had used illicit drugs within the month prior to the survey. From the data obtained it was conclusively stated that illicit drugs, typically in the form of cannabis, ecstasy and meth/amphetamines, are becoming increasingly normalised among the youth of Australia and that the current methods and services provided to educate and reduce illicit substance abuse are being rendered ineffective (Duff, 2005).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The patterns of substance abuse in adolescents are generally static, although they can be predictors to chronic use, morbidity, and mortality in later years (Toumbourou, Stockwell, Neighbors, & Marlatt, 2007). Toumbourou et al. (2007) conducted a systemic review and analysed the effectiveness of interventions specifically designed to reduce harm in adolescents, such research involved developmental prevention interventions and regulatory interventions. Developmental prevention interventions aim to avoid the onset of harmful substance abuse patterns in environments that leave an adolescent susceptible and exposed to illicit drug use, as well as universally reducing the attractiveness of illicit drug use to the youth populations of Australia. The risk factors that are the focus for this type of intervention when relating to adolescent substance abuse and antisocial behaviour include the community and its cohesiveness, family and peer attitudes towards substance abuse and anti-social behaviour, commitment to academic studies and the presence of family conflict (Bond, Toumbourou, Thomas, Catalano, & Patton, 2005). On the other hand there are the protective factors that influence and moderate the exposure to risk, and these can include a positive social orientation and interaction, resilience to ‘peer pressure’ and set standards of behaviour. The second type of intervention that is commonly used is regulatory interventions, the purpose of these is to raise the supposed cost of illicit substances and reduce how available and accessible these substances are to adolescents. As the regulatory method is not fool proof, due to an adolescent’s ability to obtain illicit substances through a multitude of channels, harm reduction strategies are used in its stead and are deemed very effective for young persons involved in high risk and injecting substance use (Toumbourou et al., 2007).



<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Social implications and psychological issues aside, it is the criminal activity and health risks associated with illicit substance abuse that is the key public health issue that needs addressing. The most prominent health risk in injecting users is blood borne viruses, sharing needles leads to an exchange of blood and the greatly increased risk of contaminating disease. In the Australian Drug Trends survey, 7 % of injectors had reported sharing or borrowing of needles and over half had re-used the same needle (Illicit Drug Reporting System (IRDS), 2008). Crimes committed and arrests while under the influence of an illicit drug vary, but the most common forms of crimes are drug dealing, property crime, violence and on occasion fraud (IRDS, 2008).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> As the normalisation of illicit drugs is becoming increasingly accepted among the youth populations of Australia, so does the availability of illicit drugs and the likelihood recreational use. The greater exposure adolescents have to the culture of substance abuse the more likely they are to participate in it, this is the principle issue that must be focussed upon by health care workers and government organisations.

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cultural and Social Analysis- **__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The use of social and cultural theories is tantamount to the understanding of illicit drug use and addiction in adolescents. The role of peer groups and family has a direct impact on the likelihood of illicit drug use, this is due to the constant exposure with the attitudes and beliefs of the family and youth peer groups. In accordance with the social learning theory, the initiation of illicit drug use occurs in small, informal groups (Bahr, Hoffmann, & Yang, 2005). Bahr et al. (2005) state that social learning theorists place a greater importance upon youth peer groups in comparison to parents due to the significance and influence peer groups can hold over an individual. However, learning attitudes and behaviours towards illicit drug use is majorly influenced in the familial setting. Adolescents are more likely to engage in illicit drug use when immersed in an environment where peers or family members have favourable attitudes in regards to drug use (Bahr et al., 2005). Another environment that can predicate the chances of substance abuse among adolescents is the school setting and academic performance. Long-term studies conducted showed a correlation between poor school performance and delinquency, substance abuse, engaging in sexual activity, pregnancy, thoughts of suicide and weapons carrying (Isralowitz & Myers, 2011). One of the psychological theories associated with illicit drug use emphasises the mechanism of reinforcement whether it is positive or negative, the properties of which are independent to personality factors. Positive reinforcement is the release of a pleasure stimulant in the body, most commonly dopamine and serotonin (Isralowitz & Myers, 2011). The chemical release that becomes addictive is the feeling of pleasure experienced after sex, a good meal, or embracing a loved one, giving the user motive to use illicit drugs time and time again. Isralowitz and Myers (2011) state that negative reinforcement, however, occurs when a person is seeking relief or attempting to not feel pain and regain a sense of normality.



<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Adolescent males are the highest users of illicit drugs in Australia. As there is no significant difference across culture, race and ethnicity this is a public health issue that effects the Australian population as a whole. The theory of normalisation of drugs in the youth population is a growing matter that needs to be discussed, analysed and demolished. With the ever-increasing exposure adolescents have to illicit drug at younger ages through family, peer groups, media and school. Understandably, parents of teenage children who do not have favourable attitude and behaviours towards substance abuse would be the most affected and hence the most motivated to see adolescent drug use a smaller concern, but it does impact all the population in some manner. As a result public health expert’s focus should be directed to the younger population, in schools and within the community to spread awareness not only to adolescents but to the family and peer groups.

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Analysis of the Artefact and Your Own Learning Reflections- **__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The selected artefact, “Loser” written and performed by the band 3 Doors Down, is a good portrayal of the topic of adolescent drug use as it was written from a second-hand perspective of a drug addiction and exemplifies the result of poor experiences leading to an addiction that is difficult to overcome. The music video is set in a high school and follows the perspectives of multiple students and workers in the school. The purpose of this is to show that drug addiction can effect anyone and just what a serious public health issue it is. Personally I think the song is sad, for lack of another word. To me it shows the turmoil of adolescence and how easy it can be to fall from the top just to get ensnared into the vicious cycle that is associated with a life of drugs. I have learnt so much about this topic that I never knew before this assessment piece and the drum panel assessment. As everyone does, I grouped and stereotyped all persons who took illicit drugs without any consideration as to their motivation for their actions. Now, with all the social theories I have researched and ideas that have coalesced about the topic, I have a greater thought process and can have an intellectual and fact based conversation about illicit drug use and addiction without any stereotypical presumptions taking precedence.

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Appendix- **__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Table 1- Percentage of population used illicit drug within 12 months
 * ||  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cannabis || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ATS || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ecstasy || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cocaine ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Age || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All 14+ || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10.3 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.1  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.0  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.1  ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">14-17 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">8.8  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.3  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.8  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1.3  ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">18-19 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">21.3  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4.0  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6.0  ||^   ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">20-29 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">21.3  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5.9  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">9.9  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6.5  ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">30-39 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">13.6  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.4  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.9  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.7  ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">40+ || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4.7  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.5  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.5  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.4  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gender || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Male || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">12.9 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.5  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.6  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.7  ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Female || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7.7  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1.7  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.3  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1.5  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ethnicity || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Indigenous / Torres Strait || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">18.5 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.6  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.0  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.9  ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Non-Indigenous || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10.0  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1.9  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.0  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.1  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Language spoken at home || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">English || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10.8 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.2  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.2  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.3  ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Other || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.6  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.5  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1.0  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.4  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sexuality || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Heterosexual || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10.0 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1.9  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.8  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.1  ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Homosexual / Bisexual || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">26.0  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7.1  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10.8  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4.4  ||
 * ^  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Other || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7.5  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.4  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4.7  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.4  ||

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reference List- **__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Adams, B. N., & Sydie, R. A. (2001). Sociological theory. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications Inc.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2011). Drugs in Australia 2010: tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. Drug Statistics Series, 27.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2007). Statistics on drug use in australia 2006 / australian institute of health and welfare

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bahr, S. J., Hoffmann, J. P., & Yang, X. (2005). Parental and peer influences on the risk of adolescent drug use. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 26(6), 529-551. doi:10.1007/s10935-005-0014-8

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bond, L., Toumbourou, J. W., Thomas, L., Catalano, R. F., & Patton, G. (2005). Individual, family, school, and community risk and protective factors for depressive symptoms in adolescents: A comparison of risk profiles for substance use and depressive symptoms. Prevention Science, 6(2), 73-88. doi:10.1007/s11121-005-3407-2

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Duff, C. (2003). Drugs and youth cultures : Is australia experiencing the 'normalization' of adolescent drug use? Journal of Youth Studies, 6(4), 433-446. doi:10.1080/1367626032000162131

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Duff, C. (2005). Party drugs and party people: Examining the "normalization" of recreational drug use in melbourne, australia. International Journal of Drug Policy, 16(3), 161-170. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2005.02.001

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Illicit Drug Reporting System (IRDS). (2008). Australian Drug Trends 2008. Australian Drug Trends Series No.19.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Isralowitz, R., & Myers, P. L. (2011). Illicit drugs. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Koob, G.F. & Volkow, N.D. (2010). “Neurocircuitry of addiction”, Neuropsychopharmacology 2010(35). 217-238. doi: 10.1038/npp.2009.110

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Macleod, J., Oakes, R., Copello, A., Crome, I., Egger, M., Hickman, M.,. . . Davey Smith, G. (2004). Psychological and social sequelae of cannabis and other illicit drug use by young people: A systematic review of longitudinal, general population studies. Lancet, 363(9421), 1579-1588. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(04)16200-4

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Toumbourou, J.W., Stockwell, T., Neighbors, C., & Marlatt, G.A. (2007). Adolescent health 4: Interventions to reduce harm associated with adolescent substance use. The Lancet,369(9570), 1391.

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