This document discusses alcohol abuse among learners in high schools in South Africa. It defines alcohol and its classification as a depressant. The effects of alcohol abuse are outlined, including inhibited brain function and social problems. The document aims to advocate for educating communities about alcohol abuse through schools, programs, and stakeholder involvement. It proposes using media platforms and a website to engage learners and provide resources. Prevention strategies are discussed, including teaching life skills, peer counseling, and educating youth on drugs. Progress will be monitored through interaction with learners and police school inspections.

1. ALCOHOL-ABUSE
AMONG LEARNERS IN HIGH SCHOOLS
By Z Ganyaza and J Khoza

2. ALCOHOL ABUSE;
Introduction:
• Alcohol, is any organic compound in which the hydroxyl
function group (-OH) is bound to a saturated carbon atom.
• It is originally referred to the primary alcohol ethanol (ethyl
alcohol), the predominant, alcohol in alcoholic beverages
(Reece, J.B.2011)
• Drug is a chemical substance that has known biological effects
on humans or other animals (Emmet, 1986).
• The primary breakdown product of alcohol, acetaldehyde,
rather than the alcohol itself (i.e., ethanol), may have a key
role in brain changes produced by chronic alcohol
consumption

3. INTRO. CONTINUED
• Alcohol is a drug it self, used by many people with different
reasons which vary from
• Avoiding pain (physical and emotional)
• Forgetting problems
• And sometimes just for fun.

4. ALCOHOL ABUSE;
 Alcohol is classed as a depressant which slows vital functions
resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movements, disturbed
perceptions and inability to react quickly
 As a drug, its use activates the dopamine pathway of the brain’s
reward system, that an intake of a certain drug will bring pleasurable
effect.

5. Effects of Alcohol Abuse
Ethanol within this substance inhibits the release of the signaling molecule (i.e
neurotransmitter) which is Acetylcholine from the cortex.
More neurotransmitters are inhibited from moving through the synaptic cleft of
the neurons.
This takes place when the large quantities of alcohol is consumed in the short
period of time.
Alcohol has the ability to move upstream through the blood to the brain and
interfere with the neural system.;

7. EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE
 Individual will then start to experience slow functioning of the body to react
to any provoking situation.
Activities like thinking, ability to make choices, Co ordination and balance
are affected.
Further dependence on the mixture of drugs, without intervention lead to
social problems like school dropout which:
Gives chance to engage individuals in crime to support hard dependency
of substance use.

8. Brain damage if under influence of substance

9. Aim of Advocacy
• Advocacy in this regard aims to alienate this alcohol abuse among
teenagers in school and out of school.
• Teaching about alcohol and drug abuse in schools
• Launch educative programs to teach community members about
alcohol and its effect to children.
• Inform individuals lacking knowledge about this effects on the
society.

10. SUPPORT BY STAKEHOLDERS TO BE INVOVLED
•Funding Proposal to the National Institute on Drug Abuse
to support launching of programs
•Usage of community halls, resources like chairs and
speakers, food parcels for the audience.
•Speakers invited to the event like social workers, teachers,
police, parents and NGOs working against drug and alcohol
abuse.

11. Media
• Young people (especially high school learners) through media are
exposed from an early age to a plethora of advertising which is
associates stress relief with the use of drugs.
• These platforms has the ability to reach the masses with
information that can build their live in the same way that it
reaches them about the negatives.

12. Utilise Media

13. The family
• Such risks would include family disruption, ineffective
supervision, criminality and drug use in the family.
• Risk is involved if a young person (especially high school learners)
is homeless or does not have a secure family environment.

14. Peer networks; paradigm shift
• The most important reference group for a young person in the
community is often his or her peer
• Because the peer group is seen as such a vitally important
support mechanism for the adolescent, he or she may go to great
length to maintain acceptance and status in it, this means resort to
taking drugs to impress friends if they too are taking drugs as well.

15. Peer networks; paradigm shift

16. The individual: youth learner
• Individual factors include low self-esteem, poor self-control,
inadequate social coping skills, sensation seeking, depression,
anxiety and stressful life events
• When one is young, one is constantly struggling to define and
affirm identity.
• The cause of this process young people often start experimenting
as part of their search for an identity.

17. The individual: youth learner

18. The social and environmental milieu:
• Having a few or no opportunities for education or demonstrating poor
school attendance have been shown to contribute to a higher risk of using
drugs
• Availability of drugs:
Another risk factor would include the widespread availability of drugs where
laws and regulations intended to discourage or prevent illicit drug use are not
stringent or not enforced.
This involves under age youth to buy alcohol and cigarettes in bar lodges, and
the shopkeepers allowing that.

19. The social and environmental milieu:
Availability of drugs

20. Crime:

21. Media
• website, Facebook, radio stations, Television

22. ACTIVITIES;
• We will use media to engage learners and help them according to their
different needs:
• Website:- this is where the learners can interact with other people having the
same challenge as themselves, because there are links to certain
organizations dealing with drug abuse. There is also information about
drug abuse, motivational writings and referral to rehab organisations.
• Launch a Page on Facebook:- this is another platform to help interact with
the learners having pressing issues regarding drug abuse.

23. IDENTIFICATION AND MOBILISATION
OF REQUIRED RESOURCES;
• Media (website, Facebook, radio stations, Television); for
communicating with the drug abuse victims, learners.
• Police; to help with inspection at the schools for any drug
smuggling.
DRUG ABUSE WEBSITE

24. MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE
CAMPAIGN’S PROGRESS;
• This is where will be able to determine if our intervention is succeeding
or if there is a need for us to adjust our strategies.
• We will be able to do that through the interaction with the learners and
seeing recording their progress.
• We will also work with police to keep on inspecting for drugs at the
schools.
• Including two important parties, the parents and teachers to also report
on learners’ healthy progress.

25. PREVENTION;
• Prevention is a powerful medicine than cure, individuals need to
be taught information that is familiar to their situations.
• Skills to survive is of particular important to be included in
educational curriculum.
• Keeping learners busy with skills that is ought to benefit them
socially and financially won’t give them an opportunity to think
about stealing and time to participate in drugs

26. PREVENTION; continued
Basic guidelines for effective prevention (Coalition):
• Involve young people in the programme design and implementation
• Involve parents and guardians
• Build life skills among the youth
• The importance of schools in prevention work

27. COMPAIGN;
• The life skills approach (peer counselling)
• Media: Facebook, radio stations, Television
• Education on drugs.

28. References
• Reece, J.B., Urry, L.A., Cain, M.L., Wasserman, S.A., Minorsky, P.V. and
Jackson, R.B. (2011). Campbell biology. San Francisco: Pearson Education, Inc.