Question

‘Prevention is better than cure’ is an apt slogan to safeguard adolescents from drug abuse. List any six steps that could be taken in this regard.

Answer 1

The age-old adage ‘Prevention is better than cure’ holds true to safeguard adolescents from drug abuse. Some of the measures in this regard are as follows:

1. Avoid undue peer pressure. A child should not be pushed unduly to perform beyond his/her threshold limits: be it studies, sports, or other activities.
2. Educating and counselling them to face problems and stresses, and to accept disappointments and failures as a part of life.
3. Channelise the child’s energy into healthy pursuits.
4. Seeking help from parents and peers. This would help young people to vent their feelings of anxiety and guilt.
5. Look for danger signs to diagnose the malady and the underlying causes and initiate proper remedial steps.
6. Seeking professional and medical help. With the help of highly qualified psychologists, psychiatrists, and de-addiction and rehabilitation programs, the affected individual, with sufficient efforts, can get rid of the problem completely and lead a perfectly normal and healthy life.