Drug screening may reduce incidence of addiction, study finds
The United States has witnessed a tremendous increase in the incidence of addiction to various substances in recent years. The arrival of new designer drugs on the burgeoning drug market over time has only added to the problems for law enforcement agencies, with an ever-growing list of new users comprising mostly teenagers. , young adults, women and the elderly.
Many people don’t understand the complexity behind drug addiction and think they just need willpower to stop drug abuse. However, this is not the case as drug addiction is a brain disease that cannot be stopped suddenly, without any outside help. However, scientific advances have made it possible to understand how drug addiction starts in a person, paving the way for ways that can be used to curb substance use and help you live a productive life.
According to a December 2016 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Substance Use and Misuse, drug screening in primary care settings can help reach vulnerable populations. According to the researchers, early detection will not only help curb the rising incidence of drug addiction, but also provide early treatment for those who test positive.
Importance of Periodic Drug Screening
In the study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), researchers found a high prevalence of drug addiction in certain areas of Tijuana and East Los Angeles. It was found that 19.4 percent of people who participated in a computerized self-administered survey at community clinics in East Los Angeles admitted to moderate to heavy drug use; while in Tijuana the drug addiction rate was 5.7 percent. Both estimates were apparently higher than the data recorded by household surveys in both countries.
According to the researchers, Los Angeles patients born in Mexico were twice as likely, and Los Angeles patients born in the US were six times as likely to use drugs moderately to heavily, compared with patients from Tijuana born in Mexico. The researchers also found that, contrary to assumptions, these regions had the same or higher prevalence (with a range of moderate to high use) for problem drug use compared to problem alcohol use. “Moderate to heavy alcohol use was 15.2 percent in East Los Angeles compared to 6.5 percent in Tijuana. Moderate to heavy tobacco use was 20.4 percent in East Los Angeles and 16.2 percent in Tijuana,” the study observed.
Regular drug screening, preferably in a primary care setting, can help track down people who are vulnerable to developing drug or alcohol addiction. Face-to-face counseling with people struggling with addiction can prevent many from becoming trapped in the cycle of addiction. For many others who have developed a mild addiction, early treatment and counseling can prevent further damage from addiction and ensure speedy recovery.
The road to recovery
Although there is a stigma associated with addiction, the fact remains that it is a brain disease that can be effectively treated. The support, love, and care of the people around a person dealing with a substance abuse problem can help sober up. However, it is always advisable to seek professional help rather than waste time trying to handle it alone. Substance use disorders are treated at different levels of care in different clinical settings. Since addiction varies from one patient to another, it is not recommended to incorporate a common treatment line for all patients.