Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention in Tennessee

Definition of the Health Problem 

Alcohol and drug abuse are a challenge to most of the residents of Tennessee. Abuse of drugs and alcohol affects all levels of society. No gender is left free. The implications are many, including children's school drop-out and an increase in the number of divorces. Some factors put certain people in the community at a higher risk of alcohol and drug abuse than others. One of the elements is age. The young and millennials are at a much higher risk of taking part in alcohol and drug abuse than the older. The main contribution is peer pressure from friends. 

History of Health Issue and Current Status 

The history of alcohol and drug abuse in the community can be traced back to the 1992s. The main drink in most of the occasions and events was liquor. However, there are no limitations to the amount of alcohol that an individual can consume, thus indulging in abuse. At the moment, several changes have taken place mainly after the creation of the Dram Shop Act. The act aims and limiting the amount of liquor that an individual can consume (Alonso and Faley, 2020). The bartenders are expected to limit the amount of alcohol that a person consumes if they are intoxicated. Otherwise, they will pay for the damages caused by the drunken individual to a third party. 

Statistics indicate that in 2010, 11,717 individuals were admitted because of drug abuse in Tennessee. Out of the amount, 67% were males, while 33% were females. The numbers show that the problem is affecting both genders. According to the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Service, there were 195 fatalities in Tennessee in the year 2006 that is a result of alcohol abuse. 75% were private non-profit, and 18% were private for-profits (Recovery Connection, n.p). The amounts are high and have been increasing since then. Those admitted for drug abuse alone have risen from 18% in 1992 to 41% in 2016 (Recovery Connection, n.p). However, there has been a decrease in the number of admitted for both drug and alcohol abuse from 45% in 1992 to 28% in 2006. 

Population Affected 

The mainly affected population is the Millenials. Most of the affected people are in college, where they have the freedom to party most of the time. Most of the college teens join campus while they are not drunkards. However, due to pressure, they end up being victims of alcohol and drug abuse, which go hand in hand. The issue of alcohol abuse is not a problem for many people, especially those who know the value of drinking responsibly. A key challenge is to the teens between 18 and 28 who are not drinking responsibly. The teens are the most affected because they have reached the legal age to buy alcohol. Also, there is an aspect of vulnerability among teens. Most of them are away from their parents for the first time and have the freedom they have been longing for. They are likely to try drinking and substance abuse for the first time. 

Challenges Presented by the Issue 

Problem and Obstacle to Solutions 

The main problem presented by alcohol and drug abuse in Tennessee is infections. The youth are the most affected by the situation, and when under the influence of the drugs, they engage in reckless sexual intercourse. Most of them have unprotected sex and increase the chances of contracting HIV/AIDS. Also, due to the lack and unavailability of resources, they share needles while injecting the drugs. The most abused drug in Tennessee is Cocaine and Crack. Some contact infections such as Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. There has been a decrease in the number of newly diagnosed HIV patients in Tennessee. In 2017, 713 people were diagnosed with the infection, which is a 9% decrease from 784 in 2013 (Tennessee Department of Health, 2019). However, a huge concern is the high number if those diagnosed with HIV in 2017 that abetween 19 and 34. The outcome indicates there is a massive gap among youths due to alcohol and substance abuse. Lack of resources is the main challenge to the implementation of a solution to curb the problem. There is a limited number of rehabilitations centers in Tennessee. 

Policy Challenges 

Alcohol and drug abuse cause problems for the entire society. The health care system, criminal justice, and the economy are all affected by the crisis. Policies in the United States aim at controlling the production and distribution of illegal drugs. In the past, the main focus of alcohol and substance abuse was on preventing the actions. However, changes have taken place, and the concern is on responsible drinking. A total of 67% of Americans prefer that the United States government focus more on rehabilitation treatment (American Addiction Centers, 2019). Thus most, of the policies in Tennessee have been focusing on the rehabilitation of the affected. However, the critical challenge to the system is the cost of operation. The national government has resources worth $1.7 billion to facilitate programs that will rehabilitate the affected (American Addiction Centers, 2019). But the number of states that need help are too many, and the amount is not sufficient. Thus, policies to curb alcohol and drug abuse in Tennessee are in place and use, but there is lack of resources from the national government to facilitate and implement the policies. 

Administrative or Technical Challenges 

A key administrative and technical challenge to managing the problem is the lack of a useful coordination model. Several agencies deal with alcohol and drug abuse in Tennessee. Some of the agencies include the rehabilitation centers, the health care system, and the local government that provides the resources. The three agencies do not have a communication model, and in most instances, they tend to operate as independent bodies. Lack of a communication model has made some of the processes implement the policies a challenge. There are no defined roles and duties that each of the agencies should conduct, posing a challenge to the execution. Technical challenges arise from the lack of experienced individuals to the affected individuals. There is low staffing of health care providers in Tennessee, making it a challenge to meet the community's demand. Technically, the service provision is inadequate as the patient to nurse ratio is meagre. One healthcare provider needs to deal with several patients, making it challenging to deliver rehabilitation services effectively. 

Proposed Solution 

Federal Level 

The role that the federal government can play in solving the problem is the allocation of funds. The government needs to increase funds distribution towards alcohol and drug abuse rehabilitation centers in various states. The prominent role is to bring the service closer to the people. They need to oversee and make sure that the rehabilitation centers are operating effectively. Another critical part of the federal government is to create an implemented policy that will improve service delivery and the quality of the rehabilitation centers. 

State Level 

The state-level has the responsibility of ensuring there is coordination between the federal and the local government. Their role consists of ensuring a flow of resources from the Federal government to the local level to assist the alcohol and drug abuse victims. There is a need to ensure the funds allocated to medical health are used appropriately and not assigned to any other activity. Availing the resources means an increase in service delivery, and the outcomes in the various rehabilitation centers will be pleasing. 

Local Level 

The local level represents the contribution of the Tennessee government in solving the problem. In 2019, the Tennessee court-ordered alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers to have a program that will ensure the abuser's life gets back on track (Vertava Health, 2019). Thus, the local government's role is to make sure that the rehabilitation centers not only focus on the detoxification of the individual from using the drugs. Instead, a key focus should be on integrating the individual back to society and preventing him or her from getting back into alcohol and drug abuse. 

Private Sector Involvement and Perspective on the Issue 

The private sector has a huge role in curbing the problem. The main challenge to the issue of alcohol and substance abuse in Tennessee is the cost of treatment. The rehabilitations are very costly, and to the low-income earners, they are not affordable. The private sector includes the insurance companies that offer medical coverage to the people of Tennessee. The insurance companies need to extend their medical coverage to have rehabilitation services. In the community, there is inpatient rehabilitation care. The insurance coverage is only for the inpatient rehabilitation facility or unit (Medicare.gov, n.p). Some of the components of the cover include acute care rehabilitation care and IRF. There is not alcohol and substance abuse coverage in medical care. That poses a significant challenge for those who will afford to seek rehabilitation services. The private sector needs to step-in and perceives the issue like any other medical condition. At the moment, the perception is that an alcohol or drug user is not sick and can care for themselves. However, that's not the situation as they suffer a great deal when intoxicate and can cause harm. 

Proposal for Handling the issue 

What I Foresee About the Problem 

In the future, there will be challenges on how best to handle the situation, and the number of victims keeps increasing. Action needs to be taken at the moment to mitigate the risk in the future. However, with proper measure and implementation strategies is foresee a decrease in the number of victims. There will be the creation of an alcohol-free generation if some of the policies are successful. It might be challenging to stop the youths from alcohol and substance abuse, but it is possible to create a responsibly drinking society. 

Suggestions to Address the Problem 

A good suggestion is to have a focused implementation play. The most affected population are those in high school and colleges. Thus, the implementation of solutions should specifically target them. There is a need to create awareness' in school. The youth need to understand the danger that they are putting themselves in. Some alcohol and drug users are aware of the risks, but it is because of the problems they go through in life that make them get into substances abuse. A strategic solution will be to position counselors in each school to address some of the personal issues that the students are facing before it is too late (Sinba and Aman, 2017). The strategies aim to attack the problem before the impact is felt. 

Also, it is essential to have standardization of prices in some of the rehabilitation centers. The aim is to assist those affected in the community and not to make profits. Since the rehabilitation facilities equally need to run, the standardization should be done based on the type of services and individual needs and the number of days they will spend in the facility. Standardization of the price means having a shared cost. The family or supports of the affected individual will pay a portion of the cost, and the insurance cover will take care of the rest. There will be an increase in the number of people seeking services and success to curb the problem. Also, it is essential to focus on the support system of the affected person. The support system includes the close family members and friends that can hasten the recovery process. The centers' activities need to focus on the reintegration of the person back into society as a changed individual. 

Challenges with the Suggestion 

A key challenge to the problem is behavior change. Alcohol and substance abuse are a behavior that people learn from others. If the individual is not willing to change the friends or the action source, then the effort at the rehabilitation centers will be irrelevant. Despite the standardization of the services, their process might still be costly because of the medicines. The insurance companies might be willing to cater to the treatment, but the medication will be the individual's responsibility. Hence there is a need to have communal support to make the process easy and effective. The availability of resources might still be challenging as the building of the rehabilitation centers might take time. 

References 

Alonso, A., & Faley, K. (2020). The Dram Shop Act: An update. New York Law Journal. Retrieved from https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2020/10/14/the-dram-shop-act-an-update/?slreturn=20201014063625 Accessed 14 November 2020. 

American Addiction Centers. (2019). Drug abuse policy. DrugAbuse.com. Retrieved from https://drugabuse.com/addiction/drug-abuse-policy/ . Accessed 14 November 2020. 

Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Impatient rehabilitation care. Retrieved from https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/inpatient-rehabilitation-care . Accessed 14 November 2020. 

Recovery Connection. (n.d.). Tennessee drug abuse statistics. Lake View Health. Retrieved from https://www.recoveryconnection.com/substance-abuse-statistics-by-state/tennessee/ . Accessed 14 November 2020. 

Sinba, E., & Aman, M. (2017). Addressing the high prevalence of smokeless Tobacco use in Pastoralists communities of the Ethiopian’s adults: A call to Action. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 1 (1), 1003. 

Tennessee Department of Health. (2019). Tennessee HIV epidemiology profile. Retrieved from https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/program-areas/hiv/2017_HIV_Epi_Profile.pdf . Accessed 14 November 2020. 

Vertava Health. (2019). Tennessee court ordered alcohol and drug rehab centers. Rehab Centre. Retrieved from https://www.rehabcenter.net/court-ordered-rehab-centers/tennessee-court-ordered-rehab-centers/ . Accessed 14 November 2020.