Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Leicester

Question: Identify a topic of relevance to your degree discipline, review relevant literature on this topic, develop a research question and identify a suitable methodology for conducting a piece of research to answer this. Answer: The use and misuse of drugs and alcohol is one of the controversial issue in Leicester, UK and is also a source of conflict between all the generations and also between the different communities of the society. Alcohol and drugs are the substances that has a greater harm to the mankind. But its consumption is accepted part of many communities in Leicester. The risky part it is accepted normal by one group and to the other its not. In the later paragraphs the researches are explained in detail. The first research is about the recovery treatment of an addict of alcohol and drugs. Second research is about the perspectives of different people about the consumption of alcohol and drugs and their effect on coming generations. The third research is about the youth getting addicted to drug and alcohol and especially the medical students who are the highest victim of this issue. The fourth research is about ho minimum unit pricing can act as a way to lessen the consumption of alcohol and drug s. After that the analysis and the gaps in the above researches present are also been explained. At last a research question is raised on what is the prime thing that has to be done to resolve this issue. Literature review Alcohol and drug are the main area of research in every country as they are tha cause of major health crisis, crime among most of the youths, adults and the old ones. The usage of alcohol and drugs is classified into abstinent, controlled, impulsive, habitual, dependent. Among these abstinent and controlled are not a reason to worry but others are reasons to be worried. Recovery from the addiction is a major thing that is to be carried out now as the number of victims and the amount of consumption is increasing day by day. All the generations are consuming either alcohol or drugs in certain amount, so finding a way out for recovery could definitely be of great help. The people in UK and other countries have different perceptions on the drug and alcohol use. The different perceptions are so that in some consumption is normal but for some its a crime and an act of sin. So this is what to be done to change their minds. The habit of drinking and taking drugs is caused due to various fact ors. Stress, anxiety and personality are the features that are associated to alcohol and drug use . In UK and other countries it is seen that alcohol and drug are very much prevalent in young students and especially the university students who have not crossed the limit age of consumption. This has lead to provisions to provide better health Care and educational facilities in universities (Ghodse, A.H., Howse, K., 1994). There are positive links that has been found alcohol intake and experiences like missing schools, involving in a fight and arguments. There are also links between the personal characters like psychoticism and alcohol and drug intake. Research one along with its methodology A research was conducted to find out the recovery from drug and alcohol dependence. For this purpose the Inter Ministerial Group on Drugs requested ACMD to provide evidences to recover the victims of alcohol and drugs (Anglin, 1997). Upon this invitation a recovery committee was formed in Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. This recovery committee is aimed to perform research on drugs recovery and it is to provide evidence based advices to the government on recovery and independence of alcohol and drugs. It also provide best measures prevent the misuse and harms. This is done by the researched out 13 themes provided by ACMD that gives instant recovery (Chartered Institute of Housing, 2012). The main idea behind this is dependence and recovery which is gained by carers and the family, communication involving stigma and the media, criminal justice, providing education to the adult, schools and high schools, training, employment, housing, natural processes, recovery community, soci al care, substance misuse treatments and providing personal finances. In this the recovery of the capital was a bid issues that was found out. The results was that the recovery process was found out to be complex and rarely a process that is linear. The path to overcome dependence from the drugs and alcohol, reintegrating into society and achieving a level of well being and social status is highly specific to the individuals. The recovery is more dependent on the individual itself, the dependence severity, the individual capital of recovery, support gained from the treatment service, engaging in the mutual aid and the external atmosphere and the social circle in which the individual is living before and during the process of recovery (Livingston JD et al, 2011). The ACMD is still performing a lot of research to give the society practical and evidence based support and advises so as to improve the results of recovery particularly on the victims and the local systems. Research two along with it methodology A research was performed on the perceptions of drug use within a Bengali community in UK. The research was set up to identify the perspectives and knowledge of the usage of drug in the Bangladeshi origin population in the Leicester, UK. This study was performed in local mosque and communities and the resource center for the getting the subjects. Evidences say that the illegal drug consumption is increasing in this community. The main reason which was found out to be was the low education among these peoples. For this research a triangulated approach which utilized literature reviews, self administrated questionnaires and one to one interview (White, 2001). The written and self completed answers to the questions asked was found to be problematic but was seen to be a pragmatic way of gathering up the quantitative data. The local community, the academic agency and other professional advices were sought and the data was collected from the individuals so as to perform the study (Ford, 200 4). The participants were the Bengalis and the British Bengalis males and females. They were given the questionaries and the data was collected from them only.The result that came out was not that good. Only 16.5% that is 66 questionnaires were returned from 46 males and 20 females. The qualitative interview with few of the communities leaders tells that the drugs is a problem that is existing in their community and especially in the young and adolescent groups and other thing was that to gain support and help regarding this was a big problem for them. So if these perceptions are understood properly then appropriate services are to be provided to them accordingly based on their cultural aspects (Carey, 2000). This type of part also occurs in various other communities residing in Leicester, UK. The male, females and young ones all are the victims of drugs. So keeping in my mind further researches must be continued. Keeping in my mind the aspects of cultural value, cultural conflicts and the acculturation and the religious factor must be understood. The research should be performed to make all these communities free from the illegal drug usage. Alcohol consumption is increased about 80% from last decades. The death rate has also increased in these years enormously. Taking this in to account a research paper was published based on the research evidence on the minimum prices of alcohol. It takes in to account the current number of deaths that occurs in UK every year due to alcohol consumption (Stockwell et al, 2005). A research study was performed to check up the factors influencing the drug and alcohol use on the medical students. This study was performed on anonymous medical student studying in first year. For this a questionnaire was prepared. It involved questions relating to lifestyles, personality characters, tobacco, alcohol use, drug use, sports and activity participation and sleep patterns (Miller, P., Plant, M., 1996). They were also asked to tell the quantity of their consumption on weekly basis. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale was utilized to find anxiety and depression levels. If a score of eight and above is given it tells possible levels of anxiety and depression. In the questionnaires there were 30 questions relating to measure the psychological stress, 90 questions that were related to assess personality behavior. There were also questions that related to the lifestyle questions. A teaching session was carried out and the attendance was checked. To assess this minitab s oftware was used to analyze the datas. The relationship between the variables was checked using X2 tests. The relationship was assessed between different variables. It was assessed by t test, spearman test, regression analysis, Barlett test and correlation and variance tests.The result was that only 10% of the students didnt consumed alcohol. The smoking patterns were to be 9%. Cannabis was the drug taken by most of them for pleasure and curiosity. The use of antidepressant and tranquiller was reported for one man and one woman. A significant proportion of students suffered from anxiety and depression. Out of these 29% were men and 39% were women. The physical exercise daily, twice or weekly by all the men and women. The resulted showed high consumption of alcohol and drug in some groups and in some very less consumption (File, S.E., Mabbutt, P.S., Schaffer, J., 1994). The factors like anxiety, depression, experimentation and curiosity influence a lot to arouse a habit like this. Th e researches tells the universities should employ more levels of health care and alcohol and drug education to all the students in order to improve their habits and make them aware about the ill effects. Research is still going to find out the ways to remove this influencing factors from society. The psychotic level is also some what more responsible for such consumptions. Research three along with its methodology The research was done to rule out the negative impacts of heavy consumption in UK and provide evidences so as to support minimum unit pricing as a important tool to overcome this problem. In the last decades the alcohol is 45% more affordable to the people. The research as done to increase the MUP of alcohol so that it becomes a way to minimize the use. The research was conducted and it was seen that as the MUP increases the consumption by most of the consumers goes low that include the harmful and hazardous drinkers. So it was seen when the consumption is declined then the harms related to alcohol consumption is also declined in the society. This was done by using up a sheiffolds model which states if a average consumer pays ten dollors extra then in a year he/she will consume 7% less alcohol in the whole year (Wagenaar et al, 2009). A uncontrolled consumer would probably reduce 254 units of alcohol in a year and would save 165 dollars for himself. It will also cause reductions in death rate annually by 349 less death, 24100 less hospitalization and less amount of crimes. This would also bring about an increase in countrys economy by many folds. In UK the rate per unit of alcohol now is 20p to 40p per unit that is even lesser than milk. So, after this research the government of UK is planning to raise the minimum unit pricing of al cohol and make it 45p for the peoples. This is done for the public health care and public safety. The government is still finding more and more evidences related to this to carry out an appropriate minimum unit pricing and to decrease the number of death and the alcohol consumers in UK. The gaps in the research findings explained for every research From all the findings provided above it can be said that the alcohol and drug use has become a public health crisis and a prime concern for the people of UK and for the government of UK. In the first research that was performed for recovery from the alcohol and drug use it can be said that the evidences found out for recovery focuses on the individual and the capital they have to carry out the recovery treatment (White WL and Finch A, 2006). The gaps can be seen in cases were the individuals and their families does not have money to carry out the recovery process. So it can be recommended that government should male policy so as to provide free recovery treatment to the extremely poor people and a reduction in the treatment for the ones who are from average families. In the second research the perceptive of different community is analyzed to a certain extent. The Bengali community is an illiterate community with minimum amount of knowledge about drug and alcohol use. So in this the g ap can be filled by making out plans and educational policies for free to the people and tell them about the harms and hazards of drugs and alcohol. They can also be convinced to explain their children not to adapt this habit as it is a harmful for them. In this way the consumption among the youth can also be reduced. In the third research which is about the usage in medical universities. The government can ask the university to make up a policy that the students are not allowed to attend the classes if they have consumed alcohol. They should be strict laws and the students should also be fined if they do such acts and consume alcohol in the premises and or come to premises after consuming alcohol. In the forth research the MUP is taken in to account. For this government should plan out the MUP for alcohol and could take this as a means of improving the health e public. Question raised by analyzing all the researches In all these researches the research question is how to convince the youth and the old generations to minimize the use of alcohol and drugs by explaining them the hazards to health and providing them data of the deaths and harms that are done to individuals and the society as well. This question should be addressed by the researches and the government of UK. They should plan out ways and find out evidences to educated and convince the individuals not to consume alcohol and drug by providing realistic examples and adequate knowledge. Research question here basically gives importance to the youth as they are the only ones who will shape the future of the UK and the economic rate of the country. Conclusion Summing up it can be said the alcohol and drug use are seen to be increasing in the society from last decades and particularly in the youth. Huge amount of researches gives the evidences about recovery, usage and harm done to the individuals. But still many things are left that has to be carried out by the communities and the government ads well. The future criteria should be made a such to protect especially the youth from the addiction and the crime rate done by these consumers of alcohol and drugs. The researches should be focused and evidence based to have maximum results and positive outcomes. References Anglin MD, Hser Y-I and Grella CE (1997) Drug Addiction and Treatment Careers among clients in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp308-323 Anonymous, 1995. Alcohol and the young, Summary of a report of a joint working party of the Royal College of Physicians and the British Paediatric Association. J. R. Coll. Physicians London 29 (6), 470474. Carey SF.Drug use amongst Bangladeshi youths on the Ocean estate. Final report.London: Community Partnership; 2000. Looking for the buzz: Heroin-the drug of choice Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) (2012) The role of housing in drugs recovery: A practice compendium. Coventry: CIH Department of Health, 1995. Sensible Drinking. The Report of an Inter-Departmental Working Group. HMSO, London. Ford R. Teenagers are targeted in drive against yob culture.The Times.2004. pp. 13. File, S.E., Mabbutt, P.S., Schaffer, J., 1994. Alcohol consumption and lifestyle in medical students. J. Psychopharmacol. 8, 2226 Ghodse, A.H., Howse, K., 1994. Substance use of medical students: a nationwide survey. Health Trends 26, 8588 Leicestershire County Council Race Equality Scheme 2005-2007. 2005. Livingston JD et al. (2011) The effectiveness of interventions for reducing stigma related to substance use disorders: a systematic review. Addiction, Volume 107, Issue 1, pages 3950, January 2012 Miller, P., Plant, M., 1996. Drinking, smoking and illicit drug use among 15 and 16 year olds in the United Kingdom. Br. Med. J. 313, 394397. Stockwell T, Auld MC, Zhao JH, Martin G. (2012) Does minimum pricing reduce alcohol consumption?The experience of a Canadian province. Addiction, 107(5). Wagenaar AC, SaloisMJ ,and KomroKA(2009) Effects of beverage alcohol price and taxlevels On drinking:a meta H analysis of 1003 estimates from 112 studies. Addiction,104(2) White WL and Finch A (2006) The recovery school movement: Its history and future, Counselor, 7(2), pp54-58 White R. Heroin use, ethnicity and the environment: The case of the London Bangladeshi community.Addiction.2001;96:181524. World Health Organisation (1992) ICD-10 Classifications of Mental and Behavioural Disorder: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organisation