Substance Abuse. COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING APPROACHES (Essay Sample)

ADDRESSING SUBSTANCE ABUSE: COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING APPROACHES
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Substance abuse in the united states is a national health problem. It has been attributed to various effects, such as causing accidents, injuries, and death, among others. As such, prevention measures are needed to address the problem. Current strategies such as "war on drugs" mislead people and only address a part of the problem that concerns the supply of drugs. (Mathre 2019). Alternative measures that deal with the demand for drugs are needed in order to reduce the rates of substance abuse. Public health approaches that focus on individuals such as drug education and promoting healthy lifestyles are some of the approaches that a community health nurse (CHN) can use to prevent and reduce substance abuse prevalence.[Donnelly, Glenn, Arlene Kent-Wilkinson, and Alecia Rush. "Just another drunk: binge drinking--the need for competent nursing care." Medsurg Nursing 22, no. 6 (2013): 356.] [Mary, Mathre, Lynn. “Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Problems,” in Public health nursing: Population centered health care in the community (9th ed.), ed. Stanhope, Marcia, and Jeanette Lancaster, (Boston: Elsevier, 2019). pp. 804.]
A CHN has several approaches at his/her disposal that they can use to prevent substance use disorders in children, teens, and adults. For instance, educating people regarding drugs is one of the many strategies. A CHN can provide valuable information regarding drugs to people and their effects. In this case, the information would focus on the effects of drugs, which are harmful regardless of their source.