Dr. Sandra Morgan and Dave Stachowiak discuss substance abuse. They talk about the physiological causes of drug abuse, and what situations are most likely to lead to addictions. They wrap up by discussing how the solution is not in tougher laws against drugs but by local people creating drug-safe communities.

Key Points

• Children who have a history of being abused are significantly more vulnerable to human trafficking.
• The number one risk factor that leads to using drugs is having a family member with a substance abuse problem.
• The US consumes more than 80% of the world’s opioid supply and 21 million people across the US are abusing a substance.
• Understanding the brain helps us understand addiction as a physiological issue and not a moral one.
• For many children, their first introduction to a drug is from a prescription drug in a parent’s medicine cabinet.
• If you start experimenting with drugs as a teenager it astronomically increases your chances of addiction.
• Harsher drug laws don’t seem to help prevent drug abuse.
• We need to have neighborhood initiatives for a drug-free environment.
• Making a community a drug-safe environment is going to take everyday people who care enough to do something right in their own backyard.

Resources

• https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/prevention/treatment.html
• Video: What is Addiction?
• 109: Prevention – Saving up for a Rainy Day
• Sign up for the Ensure Justice Conference which takes place March 2-3

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