Discussions and Assessment of Substance Abuse

Discussion #1:

Here is the link for the lecture to use for this discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2Om4ELI1KU&feature=youtu.be

Questions to be addressed:

Based on the study of assets in LISD students, what assets in Lubbock need to be built in order to decrease risk-taking behaviors?

What are the strengths of this community already?

Based on your evaluation of this study, how should we address raising the assets in the Lubbock community?

Discussion #2:

Instructions: Comment based on your own opinion of the fact and also answer the following questions. Please make sure your comment is a paragraph or at least 4 sentences, then answer the questions.

Fact to use for discussion:

There is strong, scientific evidence that alcoholism tends to run in families. Children of alcoholics (COAs) are more at risk for alcoholism and other drug abuse than children of non-alcoholics. Children of alcoholics are four times more likely than non-COAs to develop alcoholism. Genetic factors play a major role in the development of alcoholism. There is an expanding base of literature which strongly supports a heritable basis for alcoholism and a range of family influences that may direct the development of children of alcoholics. Children's perceptions of parental drinking quantity and circumstances appear to influence their own drinking frequency. Children's alcohol expectancies reflect recognition of alcohol-related norms and a cognizance of parental drinking patterns by a very early age. Alcohol expectancies appear to be one of the mechanisms explaining the relationship between paternal alcoholism and heavy drinking among offspring during college. Parental alcoholism and other drug dependencies have an impact upon children's early learning about alcohol and other drugs. Family interaction patterns also may influence the COA's risk for alcohol abuse. It has been found that families with an alcoholic parent displayed more negative family interaction during problem-solving discussions than in non-alcoholic families. Almost one-third of any sample of alcoholics has at least one parent who also was or is an alcoholic. Children of alcoholics are more likely than non-COAs to marry into families in which alcoholism is prevalent. Parental alcoholism influences adolescent substance use through several different pathways including stress, negative affect and decreased parental monitoring. Negative affect and impaired parental monitoring are associated with adolescent's joining in a peer network that supports drug use behavior. After drinking alcohol, sons of alcoholics experience more of the physiological changes associated with pleasurable effects compared with sons of non-alcoholics, although only immediately after drinking.

Questions to be addressed:

What thoughts/reflections do you have about this fact on Children of Alcoholics?

How does this fact relate to any of the development theories learned in this module (Erikson, Piaget, Medicine Wheel, etc.)

What thoughts do you have about preventing the risk/negative effects COAs deal with? (Specific to the fact you chose to discuss).