The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has expressed concern over the growing number of children involved in alcohol abuse and substances. How can guidance counselors help DEC curb the drug abuse problem? The use and abuse of drugs and substances by children has become too familiar, despite its consequences. Large numbers of children around the world are experiencing the effects of drug and illicit substance abuse. The side effects of intoxicants like alcohol and drugs are very real, very serious, and well documented. It is very serious because children's bodies and minds are still developing the characters that are forming. The terms drug abuse and substance abuse sound the same in many cases, but they are not. They are said to be intoxicating substances that cause an increase in unpleasant, harmful substances and the inability to control their use. Business Dictionary, (2008), describes the word “intoxicant”, as a substance that, when received by the body in one way or another, causes a slowdown in someone's functioning, mentally or physically. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Today in Zambia it is common to find a twelve year old child smoking or much less drunk. Research has shown that children are the main customers of local drug cartels. Large numbers of children attending school under the influence of such substances have raised much concern in the education sector and the Drug Enforcement Commission, DEC. This assignment is intended to discuss how guidance counselors can help the Drug Enforcement Commission curb the problem of drug abuse. Established in 1989 by law n. 7 of 1989 on dangerous drugs (confiscation of property), the Drug Enforcement Commission DEC is an institution authorized by law to stop or reduce drug trafficking and possession in Zambia. In carrying out its mandate, the commission collaborates with other institutions at global, regional and local levels. The key role of these agencies is to provide the commission with information on where the drug cultivation is located, since the DEC cannot be found everywhere. Among the institutions that DEC collaborates with are schools, the reason being the influence schools have on children's attitudes, knowledge and opinions. Children suspected or confirmed to be abusing drugs at school are referred to the guidance teacher who in turn collaborates with the DEC. School guidance counselors play a significant role in ensuring that children in school stay on the right track. A 2017 survey examined that 5.2% of twelve- and seventeen-year-olds have an addiction to alcohol and illicit drugs, with eighty thousand one hundred and fifty-six Zambian children receiving treatment and counseling for substance abuse in various health care facilities and mental throughout the country. This fact, although unpleasant, is a very challenging task for school guidance counselors in making it easier for children to stay out of harm's way. Every day, schools deal with unpleasant struggles related to substance abuse events. The immoral and evil act led to children engaging in various activities with each other, rioting, sexual violence, damage to school property and other cases of death. There are no qualified reasons why some children use drugs that escalate into abuse. Furthermore, it is unclear why other children are not at risk of the evil habit and manage to avoid its traps, Carlson, (2010). Different reasons for substance and drug abusethey can be pain relief, depression, anxiety, tiredness and acceptance into a peer group. When certain things happen to children that they think are very sad and it makes them lose their determination, they start to think about the best ways to become happy, hence the use of drugs, which become habits, hence the abuse we see and hear about speak. For many years, influence by members of one's peer group has been an active force throughout the world. Unfortunately, a group rarely pushes its members to change in a positive way. For example, you may not come across a group of children who pressure others to achieve satisfactory grades in class. Overall, strong feeling is not constructive; involving anything from smoking to alcohol consumption. Participating in the vice seems like a huge price to pay to stay in the group. Central to the nature of peer pressure is the plan by which each group influences its members. Those who are introduced eventually change their behavior to conform to the group's standards and rules. Many children struggle with some form of anxiety disorder, which can be social anxiety, acute stress, or panic. Social anxiety is mostly the type of disorder that usually leads to drug or alcohol abuse. Children who do not acquire a proper diagnosis to control it are at greater risk of experiencing drug and substance abuse. Children use intoxicating substances as a means of self-medication to function on a daily basis, thus creating addiction, making it difficult to break the cycle. The death of a loved one, especially a parent, is a difficult encounter for any child to endure. Strong emotions of sadness and grief begin to exist in reaction to the situation that is normal and expected. And children who experience loss often describe themselves as burdened. They feel socially alone and many turn to drugs, this usually happens if they don't have supportive families to guide them. From the point of view of a teacher, school is the life, the future of every child. Drugs and substance abuse manifest themselves in many ways, such as behavioral problems and poor academic performance. Many of them have opted for drug and substance abuse as a source of recreation and happiness, not knowing that the effects are unfavorable to their health and growth. Signs that suggest drug and substance abuse include redness around the eyes, sudden changes in appearance such as disarray, less eagerness in school, slurred speech, forgetfulness, absenteeism, declining grades, and incomplete homework. Taking a step should be every teacher's most important plan, Towers, (1987). Drugs cause many consequences, including the habit of stealing and selling drugs to peers, memory gaps, worse brain damage, and even death. Children need information on this important topic because they live in a country where alcohol and drug use (AOD) is everywhere, even if they do not use these substances, because alcohol and drugs affect their lives in various ways, including through those who use it. The use of drugs is a serious social issue of great value and school is considered a privileged space for the development and dissuasion of children from drug use, and for raising them to a high social position. A healthy school helps prevent drug and substance abuse by equipping children with the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and by providing encouragement and emotional help. However, to be effective, prevention programs should not only target attitudes and knowledge. Effective drug and substance abuse programs must be comprehensive, targeting attitudes and behaviorschildren's knowledge, as well as creating a supportive environment. Consistent education about drug and substance abuse is important to help children acquire the skills and knowledge needed to stop this habit. However, a school cannot function alone, Toblar, (1999). Measures to keep children away from drugs and decrease drug and substance abuse have become an important component in Zambia's school curriculum as children spend much of their time in a school environment. And therefore, it proves to be an important place to implement prevention programs that seek to reduce and eliminate the risk of use and future delinquency, implemented through DEP drug education programs. Drug education can be defined as a set of educational programs, policies, guidelines and procedures that contribute to the achievement of broader health objectives aimed at stopping and reducing drug use and drug-related harm to individuals and communities. . This is a life skills-based education for drug use prevention that has been included in formal and non-formal programs. Although it is not possible to change behaviors, caused by circumstances beyond the influence of the school environment, it is realistic that schools transmit knowledge and skills and reinforce healthy values ​​as a foundation in line with health and drug use. Schools alone can't do it, so DEC comes into play. Harm minimization in schools accepts the fact that, despite the best efforts of guidance teachers, some children still choose to use drugs. This, however, should not imply that the school system must approve such use. It should be made clear to children that illegal drug use and possession in school is not acceptable and punishable. Forming anti-drug clubs is one of the many ways guidance teachers can work with the DEC to curb drug and substance abuse. Patrons of these clubs should be DEC officials. In these clubs, DEC officials should educate children about the consequences of drug use and possession and the adverse effects drugs can have on their health. Playing sports helps keep children out of trouble, although it is not guaranteed as some children continue to get into trouble even while playing sports. This could be due to children's choice of friends, lack of parental guidance, or other circumstances. Sports life in children can cause drug abuse for several causes including performance enhancement, pressure to perform, injuries, physical pain to name a few. The use of performance enhancers is a drug abuse called doping. Doping is the use of drugs or other performance-enhancing substances in an attempt to gain a competitive advantage, Baron, (2007). Schools have various games that children participate in and their goal is to bring glory to their schools and themselves. Since guidance teachers do not want children to come into contact with the long arm of the law, a guidance teacher can take advantage of this event by inviting Drug Enforcement Commission officials to raise awareness among children about the dangers of doping. Alternatively, this may also be an appropriate time for Drug Enforcement Commission officials to conduct a formal and systematic investigation into the places and people from which the drugs these children are abusing come from. The most available alternative substances among Zambian children are marijuana and alcohol. The first level to address the unpleasant issue of drug and substance abuse by children in sport is prevention. Studiesevidence reveals that doping in children is more than an isolated choice made by the individual child. In the era of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in professional sports, it's safe to say that all of us are guilty. So if everyone uses PEDs and it's a normal development in gaming, then why don't professional sports bodies and anti-doping agencies allow it? Plain and simple, it's a scam. The role of the guidance teacher and DEC should be to help children be the best and most importantly, clean competitors. It must be made known to children that they are not allowed to dope and that if they do, there are consequences and repercussions which include, but are not limited to, health problems and destruction of the personality, the game and the nation at large. Drug abuse and Substances can have a negative impact on all aspects of a child's life, such as a strong effect on his family, his friends, his community and have posed enormous difficulties to Zambian society. Drug and substance abuse shows 80% of crimes leading to confinement and incarceration of children in Zambia. The country's places of confinement have exploded beyond what they can contain and most children are found there in large numbers, resulting in drug and substance abuse. Their charges are based on what are called “status-related crimes.” They are status crimes because they apply only to children and are punishable under the country's penal code, Free Dictionary, (2008). Research reveals that four out of five children in this state's juvenile justice system are arrested for committing a drug and alcohol-related crime. and most crimes are shoplifting, vandalism, violating curfew, truancy, kicking, fighting and beating. The role of the Drug Enforcement Commission is to intervene and emphasize to children that the law reaches everyone and that prisons are there for children found not obeying the law, challenging the concept that children can do anything because they are children. The Drug Enforcement Commission can identify children in need of rehabilitation. When drugs and crime spill into schools, teaching and learning are compromised. One of the main consequences of drug and substance abuse risk is violence. Nowadays, school violence is more prevalent than ever. There is intimidation and persecution towards those considered weaker and cyber bullying. There have recently been cases of children entering school with knives. Likewise, teachers and children are at risk on an almost daily basis, and school is no longer as safe a place as it was for past generations. A school should be a safe place for learning, growth and discovery, and feelings of unpleasant emotions, caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm have no place. Combating the problem of violence requires concerted, vigorous and determined efforts on the part of teachers, guidance teachers and especially the Drug Enforcement Commission, especially since this vice is the result of drug and substance abuse. Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) should be offered by the Drug Enforcement Commission in schools from time to time. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The best way to convey the truth about drugs is through the words of those who have been there, so the Drug Enforcement Commission can bring in former drug addicts to tell their stories, so that by telling their stories they can pass on what that they have gone through and children can avoid.