The problems such as a drug abuse are difficult to cope with. They require a very comprehensive approach as numerous measures taken by society do not work. However, this is not the case with the research-based programs created to prevent the drug addiction in youth. These programs have a solid scientific ground and they are developed considering all modern realities and factors which push children towards drugs at the early age. Schools which adopted these programs showed a visible progress in helping their students to refuse from drugs. Research-based programs have actually helped to reduce the rate of smoking and using drugs, however, the use of marijuana has risen over the past years.
Observing the results achieved by schools which used research-based programs, we still have one question: if combating drug abuse is so challenging, how did these programs make it possible? The programs appeared to be helpful, probably because they targeted the most prone to the substance abuse age group – the teenagers. Even though a person of almost every age may become a drug addict due to certain external factors, the period of transition makes teenagers especially sensitive to almost every kind of stress. Breaking up with the romantic partners, bullying at school, unsatisfactory academic achievements, disrespect of parents – each of these reasons may lead to the drug abuse.
A teenage organism is not only prone to stress, it is also sensitive to the damaging substances which affect chemical interchange and neural processes. That is why only those programs can effectively retain drug abuse which impact youngsters who are only about to start using drugs.