Overview
- In Miami-Dade, people receive health care depending on their needs
- However, people with alcohol/drug addiction are underserved
- Many drug/alcohol-dependent persons live in Miami
- Campaigns to address their needs are required
- One campaign – discourage people from becoming addicts
- Another campaign – help those who are addicted
- Effectiveness of campaigns will be assessed afterward
Problem Identification
Alcoholism and Drug Use Pose a Problem in Miami
- Adults with special needs exist in Miami
- E.g., many young people suffer from alcoholism
- Alcoholism poses health challenges and worsens lifestyles
- Alcoholics often suffer from other addictions
- Often, they take drugs such as marijuana
- Facilities addressing such needs are lacking
- Additional programs for such people are needed
Background Information
Availability of Health Care Services for Individuals Abusing Drugs or Alcohol
- Miami has several clinics providing medical services
- Vaccination, dental care, pregnancy-related services are available
- Medics can support various needs of the population
- However, alcoholism still remains not addressed
- Drug dependency response is also inadequate
- Existing programs do not meet the population’s needs
Some Problems Faced by Individuals Abusing Drugs or Alcohol
- Miami has an increasing number of alcoholics
- Numbers of drug abusers are also increasing
- Abusing alcohol/drugs is associated with homelessness
- Drug addiction discourages people from economic activities (Murphy, Hart, & Moore, 2016)
- People addicted to alcohol often lose hope
- These people often stop pursuing their goals
- Thus, alcoholism can adversely impact one’s life
The Severity of the Problem in Miami
- Alcoholism – a major problem in communities like Miami (Owolabi, Adelabu, & Oyelana, 2016)
- Alcoholism and drug abuse often remain unnoticed
- Screening for alcoholism/drug addiction is lacking
- People addicted to alcohol/drugs are ignored (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2013)
- Many victims of alcoholism have comorbid disorders
- These people require the support of medical specialists (Murphy et al., 2016)
Community Resources
The Availability of Health Care Facilities
- Miami-Dade has numerous resources to support citizens
- These include healthcare facilities and pharmacies
- Medics can provide inpatient and outpatient care
- There are also mental and counseling centers
- Clinics focus on problems different than alcoholism
- Therefore, shifting focus to alcoholism is needed
Plan of Action
Campaign to Avert Alcoholism
- Inform citizens about the effects of alcoholism
- Powerful health promotion campaign – first step (Bazzo, Marini, & Black, 2014)
- Teaching campaigns about alcohol and drug addiction
- Campaigns will include teaching sessions and meetings
- These will inform youths about addiction problems (Choate, 2015)
Campaign to Help Those Who Are Affected by Alcohol and Drug Addiction
- People with alcohol/drug addiction will be identified
- Joining focus groups will be encouraged
- Information for changing behaviors will be supplied
- Professionals will be invited to provide support
- They will treat persons with alcohol/drug addiction
Plan of Assessment
Assessing the Effectiveness of the Campaign for Helping Those Suffering From Addiction
- The plan is expected to be effective
- Its effectiveness will be assessed during implementation
- Individuals receiving therapy will be monitored
- The gathered data will be analyzed
- Comparisons to desired outcomes will be made
Assessing the Effectiveness of the Health Promotion Campaign
- The health promotion campaign will be assessed
- Using additional windshield survey can be helpful
- It will permit determining challenges and improvements
- The observations will then be analyzed
- This will help determine the effectiveness of the campaign
- Decisions about further actions will be made.
References
Allender, J., Rector, C., & Warner, K. (2013). Community & public health nursing: Promoting the public’s health (8th ed.). New York, NY: Wolters Kluwer Health.
Bazzo, S., Marini, F., & Black, D. (2014). An international campaign to raise awareness of the risks of drinking in pregnancy. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 3(1), 113-116. Web.
Choate, P. W. (2015). Adolescent alcoholism and drug addiction: The experience of parents. Behavioral Sciences, 5, 461-476. Web.
Murphy, D. A., Hart, A., & Moore, D. (2016). Shouting and providing: Forms of exchange in the drinking accounts of young Australians. Drug and Alcohol Review, 36(4), 442-448. Web.
Owolabi, O. O., Adelabu, O. A., & Oyelana, A. A. (2016). Alcoholism and drug abuse in higher institutions of learning. Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology, 7(3), 132-143. Web.