Communal political action program against drug abuse
Step 1: if an adult suspects abuse, it is always better to ask once too often than too seldom. Because, even if you have misjudged the situation, the youngster will understand that you are interested and prepared to intervene. Inquisitiveness thus has a certain preventive effect.
Step 2: If it happens that drug abuse is discovered in the home, at school or at the leisure centre it is of utmost importance that the seriousness of the matter should be emphasized and the problem should not be hushed up or covered up.
The person who discovers abuse must always contact the parents and inform them of what has happened. At this stage it is important to make it clear to the youngsters that you are not going to tolerate a continued abuse. There are two reasons for this: partly that you like young people and care for their future, partly that you are afraid that the abuse will spread to their friends.
Step 3: In case the youngster should not understand the seriousness and realise the consequences of the abuse, the parents, the school or the recreational centre must contact the social authorities. They must help in this situation. It may be enough that the social worker together with the youngster and the parents analyse the situation and clearly state that the social authorities will be forced to take further measures if the abuse is not stopped.
By now most youngsters will probably realise the seriousness and the risks with a continued abuse and will break with the drug taking for good. Everybody will not. A few will continue in spite of the conversation and the warning.
Step 4: If the mentioned measures are ineffective, the social authorities shall appoint a contact person (supervisor). The person shall act, partly as support but also have a controlling function and assure himself that the abuse has ceased.
Nowadays there are also possibilities to check, by means of urine specimens, drugs in the body. Testing will give all parts involved specific information about what is going on.
Step 5: As a last measure the social authorities shall commit the abuser to public care. S/he can be placed in a foster home or a treatment centre. Here, also, the basic attitude must be that nobody has the right to continue her/his abuse. Experience shows that if the treatment centre works in co-operation with the parents, the chance to success increases.
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