Extract
Prevalence and Pedagogy: Understanding Substance Abuse in Schools.
ABSTRACT
This case study examines not only the prevalence of substance abuse in one rural Canadian high school but also how teachers understand teaching and learning in relation to substance abuse. Over one third of students reported that they had used marijuana (37%) and alcohol (38%) in the last seven days, a rate considerably higher than typical Canadian averages. Pedagogical implications were informed by three main themes that emerged from staff interviews. Several teachers normalized substance abuse in adolescence, others coped silently "'under the radar," and a few called for specialized support from other human services. Further, in-school approaches require that the entire staff be involved to enhance awareness of substance abuse, interprofessional collaboration, and a sense of interdependence. BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH While excessive alcohol consumption and the use of illicit drugs by youth is problematic across North America (Healthy People, 2000 & Health Canada, 2008), international comparisons of alcohol and cannabis use by young people indicate that Canada ranks among the leading countries for rates of prevalence and frequency (CCSA, 2007). It well known that prevalence and patterns of substance abuse vary among regions and even within communities, however, evidence suggests that adolescents are the most likely to use substances, engage in risky behaviors, and experience harm as a result (CCSA, 2007). Additionally, not all youth are subject to equal risk, as some minority populations that experience greater poverty, trauma, and cultural alienation account for a disproportional number of individuals who abuse alcohol and other substances (Sharma, 2008 & CCSA, 2007). Further, assessing risk is a problem; "most adolescent instruments are still in the development stages, and their effectiveness for problem identification diagnosis and treatment planning is largely unknown" (Heister and Miller, 1995, p. 65). The vast majority of schools use various classroom-based drug abuse prevention strategies and curricula as an approach to curb drug abuse and its adverse consequences and to deter early-stage drug use (Birkeland, Murphy-Graham & Weiss, 2005; Hecht, Graham & Elek, 2006); however, much less is known about how teachers understand substance abuse issues within their schools. Moreover, since there is widespread support for the effects of social con...See the full content of this document
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