Variation in Drug and Alcohol Use among Agricultural Laborers: Watermelon Men in the Rural South

2009 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Bletzer ◽  
Norman Weatherby
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Symbolic Violence ◽  
Home Base ◽  
Rural South ◽  
Drugs And Alcohol ◽  
Agricultural Laborers ◽  
Short Season ◽  
Drug And Alcohol Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Drug And Alcohol

Agricultural workers in general face the impact of daily structural and symbolic violence, which can lead to excessive use of drugs and alcohol. "Watermelon Men" who dedicate themselves to watermelon harvesting have high use levels owing to the way that accommodations and work are organized over a labor-intensive short season. This article combines data from a risk assessment of 681 individuals in a winter home-base community and multi-site ethnography that generated interviews with 140 individuals to discuss factors that lead to excessive drug and alcohol use during peak season in high-wage crops such as watermelon.

scholarly journals Making Choices and Reducing Risk (MCARR): School Counseling Primary Prevention of Substance Use

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-369
Author(s):  
Louisa L. Foss-Kelly ◽  
Margaret M. Generali ◽  
Michael J. Crowley
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
School Community ◽  
Longitudinal Impact ◽  
Addictive Behaviors ◽  
Making Choices ◽  
Drug And Alcohol Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Drug And Alcohol

The consequences of adolescent drug and alcohol use may be serious and far-reaching, forecasting problematic use or addictive behaviors into adulthood. School counselors are particularly well suited to understand the needs of the school community and to seamlessly deliver sustainable substance use prevention. This pilot study with 46 ninth-grade students investigates the impact of the Making Choices and Reducing Risk (MCARR) program, a drug and alcohol use prevention program for the school setting. The MCARR curriculum addresses general knowledge of substances and their related risks, methods for evaluating risk, and skills for avoiding or coping with drug and alcohol use. Using a motivational interviewing framework, MCARR empowers students to choose freely how they wish to behave in relation to drugs and alcohol and to contribute to the health of others in the school community. The authors hypothesized that the implementation of the MCARR curriculum would influence student attitudes, knowledge, and use of substances. Results suggest that the MCARR had a beneficial impact on student attitudes and knowledge. Further, no appreciable increases in substance use during the program were observed. Initial results point to the promise of program feasibility and further research with larger samples including assessment of longitudinal impact.

scholarly journals Use of Alcohol and Unprescribed Drugs after Suicide Bereavement: Qualitative Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Eng ◽  
Lauren Drabwell ◽  
Fiona Stevenson ◽  
Michael King ◽  
David Osborn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Alcohol And Drugs ◽  
Suicide Bereavement ◽  
Drug And Alcohol Use ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Drug And Alcohol ◽  
The Relationship

Studies describing the impact of suicide bereavement report an excess risk of suicide, suicide attempt, psychiatric illness, and drug and alcohol use disorders compared with the general population. However, the nature of patterns of drug and alcohol use after suicide bereavement is unclear. We used an online survey to collect qualitative data to understand whether and how drug and alcohol use changes after suicide bereavement. We conducted thematic analysis of free-text responses to a question capturing their use of alcohol and drugs after the suicide of a family member or a close friend. Analysing data from 346 adults in Britain aged 18–40, we identified three main themes describing the relationship of suicide bereavement to alcohol or drug use: (1) control over drug or alcohol use, (2) the perceived purpose of using drugs or alcohol, and (3) the attribution of drug or alcohol misuse to external factors. Overlying these themes were dimensions of control and of awareness of potential harms. This study highlights that increased use of drugs and alcohol after suicide bereavement may form part of a bereaved person’s coping strategies, and that sensitive approaches are needed when judging whether and when to intervene.

scholarly journals Framing drug and alcohol use as a public health problem in Britain

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Mold
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Alcohol Problems ◽  
Drugs And Alcohol ◽  
Drug And Alcohol Use ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Drug And Alcohol

Recent attempts to approach drug and alcohol problems as a public health issue in the UK and globally have begun to achieve some success. Yet, in historical terms, the idea that the use of psychoactive substances should be regarded as a public health problem is a relatively new one. In the UK, it was only in the latter half of the 20th century that what were termed “public health” approaches to alcohol and drugs began to gain purchase. Moreover, what was meant by a “public health” framing of psychoactive substance use changed over time and between substances. This article examines the development of public health approaches to drugs and alcohol in Britain since the 19th century. It suggests that a public health view of substance use existed alongside, and interacted with, other approaches to drug and alcohol use. To understand the meaning of a “public health” framing of drugs and alcohol we need to locate this in historical and geographical context.

Middle childhood vulnerability to drugs and alcohol

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-182
Author(s):  
Rob Ewin ◽  
Abi Reed ◽  
Lewis Powell
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Drugs And Alcohol ◽  
Street Level ◽  
Drug And Alcohol Use ◽  
Drug And Alcohol

Purpose There are identified problems facing law enforcement in the correct approach to childhood drug and alcohol use at street level which can cause aggression, developmental, psychological problems and family conflict (Maher and Dixon, 1999). Childhood exposure to drugs and alcohol can encourage criminal activity, anti-social conduct and increased child-to-parent conflict (Brook et al., 1992; Reinherz et al., 2000; Coogan, 2011; McElhone, 2017). Design/methodology/approach The purpose of this study is to explore middle-childhood (11-15 years) experiences of drugs and alcohol through a survey to determine the earliest opportunity for the involvement of services based on the experiences of children. Findings The key findings are alcohol consumption in middle childhood is supported by parental alcohol provision; those in middle childhood are most likely to consume alcohol at home and drugs at street level (any place away from home including school, young clubs, open public space and parks); children in middle childhood use mainly cannabis to experience euphoria, minimize childhood problems and to fulfill acquisitive desire; and late childhood shows movement away from street-level drug use to drug use in private spaces with friends and increased levels of experiential or social drinking, within spaces shared by larger social groups. Practical implications The authors propose that a health-orientated early help model in middle childhood should be adopted, with support such as community- and school-based child and parental drug education; wider information sharing between schools, policing and health authorities at an early stage to support a contextual safeguarding approach; and recognition and recording practices around middle childhood which is an acute phase for children to become involved in drug and alcohol consumption. Originality/value Children’s drug use in middle childhood is often not recorded, and the problem can be associated with simple ill-parenting approaches. The authors believe that little was known about the spaces and occurrence of drug and alcohol use in middle childhood.

scholarly journals P123 Drug and alcohol use in GU medicine attendees – what is the impact on sexual health?

2016 ◽  
Vol 92 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A62.3-A62
Author(s):  
Iona Maxwell ◽  
Jennifer Akerman ◽  
Raj Patel ◽  
Elizabeth Foley
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Drug And Alcohol Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Drug And Alcohol

scholarly journals Rediscovering empowerment with breastfeeding in an urban First Nation’s population

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Schroeder ◽  
Pamala Larsen ◽  
Norma Jean Byrd
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Longitudinal Study Design ◽  
Drug And Alcohol Use ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
Positive Outlook ◽  
Drug And Alcohol

Abstract Background An inner-city neighbourhood of Regina, Saskatchewan continues to have recurring issues of drug and alcohol use affecting parents’ caregiving opportunity. In relation to this, many children, mostly of First Nations descent, are raised in out-of-home care away from their families. With the promotion of breastfeeding, in a neighbourhood prenatal/postnatal support program, breastfeeding rates have doubled and mothers’ participation in their children’s care has increased. Recognition and promotion of cultural beliefs about breastfeeding is integral to raise community awareness of the practice. To bring additional support for breastfeeding, the empowerment effects observed were measured. Methods Using a longitudinal study design, indicators of empowerment were assessed prenatally and again at two months postpartum. Indicators included self-esteem, caregiving activities, and drug and alcohol use. Outcomes of assessments were correlated to infant feeding practices and findings compared. Results Findings supported a statistically significant improvement for empowerment scores when mothers breastfed. Mean scores for self-esteem increased from 2.87 to 3.57 (r = .90, p = <.001); for caregiving, scores increased from 2.60 to 3.16 (r = .91, p = <.001); and for drug and alcohol use, scores decreased from 59 to 9% (p = <.001). Conclusions The study brings attention to the value of breastfeeding for caregiving in situations of addiction and limited resources. Practitioner reflexivity in regards to their support for breastfeeding is critical and includes openness to alternate breastfeeding situations and beliefs. The study found that a positive outlook on breastfeeding is the first step for a practitioner-client relationship that fosters confidence for marginalized populations. Significance statement According to research, less breastfeeding occurs when mothers are marginalized. In turn, as marginalization increases, a mother’s self-esteem regarding her ability to adequately care for her child decreases. Healthcare professionals tend to be less likely to support a decision to breastfeed if there is concern about the mother’s resources and lifestyles. This research brings new attention to the importance of breastfeeding in disadvantaged situations related to an empowerment effect of breastfeeding for caregiving which includes cessation of drug and alcohol use. This effect has not previously been measured.

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