The document discusses harm reduction programs as a tool to prevent health issues for people who use drugs. It defines harm reduction programs and their principles, like respecting human dignity. The literature review discusses evidence that needle exchange programs and methadone maintenance can reduce mortality, HIV, and HCV. However, some argue harm reduction may encourage drug use. The research aims to analyze advantages and disadvantages of applying harm reduction in Qatar. It hypothesizes benefits in preventing harm but may increase addiction. The importance is exploring a new perspective for Arabic societies that traditionally reject addiction.
The Texas Department of Insurance can lower the costs for chronic disease healthcare by partnering with local public health agency chronic disease programs
Getting treatment for an opioid use disorder will hopefully in turn reduce the number of overdoses and deaths related to opioid use.
Despite increased public awareness about the dangers of opioids, the epidemic continues in the US. What can we do to counter this deadly trend?
The numbers are striking.
Hendricks, the use and abuse of prescription drug nfjca v3 n1 2014William Kritsonis
William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Founded 1982). Dr. LaVelle Henricks, Texas A&M University-Commerce and colleagues published in national refereed journal.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Distinguished Alumnus, Central Washington University, College of Education and Professional Studies, Ellensburg, Washington; Invited Guest Lecturer, Oxford Round Table, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; Hall of Honor, Prairie View A&M University/Member of the Texas A&M University System.
The Texas Department of Insurance can lower the costs for chronic disease healthcare by partnering with local public health agency chronic disease programs
Getting treatment for an opioid use disorder will hopefully in turn reduce the number of overdoses and deaths related to opioid use.
Despite increased public awareness about the dangers of opioids, the epidemic continues in the US. What can we do to counter this deadly trend?
The numbers are striking.
Hendricks, the use and abuse of prescription drug nfjca v3 n1 2014William Kritsonis
William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Founded 1982). Dr. LaVelle Henricks, Texas A&M University-Commerce and colleagues published in national refereed journal.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Distinguished Alumnus, Central Washington University, College of Education and Professional Studies, Ellensburg, Washington; Invited Guest Lecturer, Oxford Round Table, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; Hall of Honor, Prairie View A&M University/Member of the Texas A&M University System.
A survey was developed and distributed to adult pharmacy customers in Pristina, Kosovo to explore the extent and reasons for self-medication and knowledge regarding antibiotic use. The survey was distributed via-email to a convenience sample of pharmacy customers (n=693). Four hundred and nineteen (n=419, 63.2% response rate) completed surveys were returned. Most respondents (56%, n=235) were between 25-45 years old, almost 80% (79.62%, n=332) held a university degree, 59.43% were females, and 12.05% (n=50) were unemployed. Sore throats (44.47%, n=185) were the most common reason for self-medicating with antibiotics followed by other – unspecified (28.61%, n=119), cough (7.21%, n=30) and pain (6.49%, n=27). Amoxicillin was the most frequently self-administered antibiotic (41.1%, n=175). It was concluded that self-medication with antibiotics in this sample is a problem and controlling antibiotic use is an important public health effort.
After starting blood pressure medication, most let other lifestyle changes sl...Δρ. Γιώργος K. Κασάπης
Although physicians recommend that those who take blood pressure medications also keep up with lifestyle changes such as eating healthily and exercising, a large new study suggests that those who start on the drugs may not be adhering to the other advice. Looking at data from a Finnish cohort of nearly 9,000 patients over the age of 40 who started BP treatment, scientists found that these individuals were 82% more likely to become obese and 8% more likely to be physically inactive than those not on treatment.
Still, these people experienced a decline in their average alcohol consumption and were 26% more likely to quit smoking. Doctors ought to continue to emphasize the importance of lifestyle changes even as people start taking BP medication, the authors suggest.
Factors Influencing the Uptake of National Health Insurance Schemes among the...Premier Publishers
Purpose: Penetration of health insurance in the informal sector is very poor, this calls for upward scaling of successful interventions to remedy this situation given that health insurance increases access to healthcare services and improves financial risk protection. This study assessed the factors influencing uptake of national health insurance schemes among informal sector in Vihiga sub-county, Kenya.
Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. The target population was the informal sector workers. A sample of 384 participants was selected by cluster and simple random sampling techniques. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was summarized using tables, chi-square and bivariate logistic regression were used to test for associations (p<0.05).
Results: The study revealed that there was a significant influence of trust and knowledge of the health insurance scheme on the uptake of national health insurance (p < 0.05). The study further revealed that the attractiveness of the scheme had a big influence on the uptake of national health insurance
Conclusion: Trust and knowledge of the health insurance scheme had significant influence on uptake of national health insurance. Health Insurance Schemes should be designed in such a way that they attract informal sector workers and information regarding these schemes is disseminated to these people.
This presentation is designed to assist those working in the Youth Work and AOD sector in identifying and assessing at risk young people within Australia. Whilst exploring contemporary theories relating to drug use, prevention and harm reduction, drug use types and drugs in a cultural and social construct within Australia.
Medication non-adherence is a growing concern, as it is increasingly associated with negative health outcomes and higher cost of care. Tackling the burden of non-adherence requires a collaborative, patient-centric approach that considers individual patient needs and results in intelligent interventions that combine high-tech with high-touch.
The development and future of GlotPressMarko Heijnen
A talk about the history, the current status en future of GlotPress. GlotPress is a collaborative, web-based software translation tool used by WordPress and related projects.
Online zie je veel tips om je WordPress site te beveiligen. Vaak raden ze hiervoor een WordPress plugin aan. Dit is vaak niet de juiste oplossing en tijdens deze presentatie laat ik zien hoe ik het zelf doe. Dit gaat van hoe je site optimaal beveiligd tot hoe je jouw site in de gaten kan houden.
A survey was developed and distributed to adult pharmacy customers in Pristina, Kosovo to explore the extent and reasons for self-medication and knowledge regarding antibiotic use. The survey was distributed via-email to a convenience sample of pharmacy customers (n=693). Four hundred and nineteen (n=419, 63.2% response rate) completed surveys were returned. Most respondents (56%, n=235) were between 25-45 years old, almost 80% (79.62%, n=332) held a university degree, 59.43% were females, and 12.05% (n=50) were unemployed. Sore throats (44.47%, n=185) were the most common reason for self-medicating with antibiotics followed by other – unspecified (28.61%, n=119), cough (7.21%, n=30) and pain (6.49%, n=27). Amoxicillin was the most frequently self-administered antibiotic (41.1%, n=175). It was concluded that self-medication with antibiotics in this sample is a problem and controlling antibiotic use is an important public health effort.
After starting blood pressure medication, most let other lifestyle changes sl...Δρ. Γιώργος K. Κασάπης
Although physicians recommend that those who take blood pressure medications also keep up with lifestyle changes such as eating healthily and exercising, a large new study suggests that those who start on the drugs may not be adhering to the other advice. Looking at data from a Finnish cohort of nearly 9,000 patients over the age of 40 who started BP treatment, scientists found that these individuals were 82% more likely to become obese and 8% more likely to be physically inactive than those not on treatment.
Still, these people experienced a decline in their average alcohol consumption and were 26% more likely to quit smoking. Doctors ought to continue to emphasize the importance of lifestyle changes even as people start taking BP medication, the authors suggest.
Factors Influencing the Uptake of National Health Insurance Schemes among the...Premier Publishers
Purpose: Penetration of health insurance in the informal sector is very poor, this calls for upward scaling of successful interventions to remedy this situation given that health insurance increases access to healthcare services and improves financial risk protection. This study assessed the factors influencing uptake of national health insurance schemes among informal sector in Vihiga sub-county, Kenya.
Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. The target population was the informal sector workers. A sample of 384 participants was selected by cluster and simple random sampling techniques. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was summarized using tables, chi-square and bivariate logistic regression were used to test for associations (p<0.05).
Results: The study revealed that there was a significant influence of trust and knowledge of the health insurance scheme on the uptake of national health insurance (p < 0.05). The study further revealed that the attractiveness of the scheme had a big influence on the uptake of national health insurance
Conclusion: Trust and knowledge of the health insurance scheme had significant influence on uptake of national health insurance. Health Insurance Schemes should be designed in such a way that they attract informal sector workers and information regarding these schemes is disseminated to these people.
This presentation is designed to assist those working in the Youth Work and AOD sector in identifying and assessing at risk young people within Australia. Whilst exploring contemporary theories relating to drug use, prevention and harm reduction, drug use types and drugs in a cultural and social construct within Australia.
Medication non-adherence is a growing concern, as it is increasingly associated with negative health outcomes and higher cost of care. Tackling the burden of non-adherence requires a collaborative, patient-centric approach that considers individual patient needs and results in intelligent interventions that combine high-tech with high-touch.
The development and future of GlotPressMarko Heijnen
A talk about the history, the current status en future of GlotPress. GlotPress is a collaborative, web-based software translation tool used by WordPress and related projects.
Online zie je veel tips om je WordPress site te beveiligen. Vaak raden ze hiervoor een WordPress plugin aan. Dit is vaak niet de juiste oplossing en tijdens deze presentatie laat ik zien hoe ik het zelf doe. Dit gaat van hoe je site optimaal beveiligd tot hoe je jouw site in de gaten kan houden.
The moment my site got hacked - WordCamp SofiaMarko Heijnen
You always think it will never happen to you but when it does, it’s all hands on deck. My personal site was almost hacked and since then I actively looked at what I could improve. During this talk I will talk what I had before and show all the improvements I made since then. It will be a mixed of using using the existing tools and my own creation in managing my sites.
My slides of my presentation at WordCamp NYC. Unfortunately it was quite conceptual and wasn't able to show the cool stuff. This will happen in the next couple of months.
You always think it will never happen to you but when it does, it’s all hands on deck. My personal site was almost hacked and since then I actively looked at what I could improve. During this talk I will talk what I had before and show all the improvements I made since then. It will be a mixed of using using the existing tools and my own creation in managing my sites.
You can find many articles in the web that cover how to prevent to get the target of getting hacked. But how do you actually detect that your site was compromised?
It's probably just a matter of time that you get hacked. And a WordPress plugin is never the solution since a plugin should support the site. In this presentation, I'm discussing the basics you can do with WordPress and which software you can use to prevent – and detect! – hacking.
Writing code is easy but writing maintainable code is almost impossible. During this talk I will discuss some of the principles of coding that relates to WordPress but goes beyond that.
Provenance is broadly defined as the origin or source from which something comes and the history of subsequent owners. In the context of data, process and computation-intensive disciplines, provenance focuses on the description and understanding of where and how data is produced, the actors involved in its production, and the processes applied to it. Provenance has been a hot topic in the last years in scientific disciplines, with a strong emphasis in eScience, where technology and means for representing provenance have been proposed, ranging between different degrees of expressivity. Since the amount of data involved has increased in the different domains, provenance models have eventually evolved into semantic overlays, which describe provenance at different levels of granularity, facilitating user understanding. Nowadays, the need of provenance analysis has expanded beyond scientific domains into the Web of Data arena. The abundance of data is encouraging organizations and governments to publish and expose their data in a way that can be made available to the public and reused for a number of purposes through the Linked Data initiative. However, while an important number of large and interlinked data sets such as the UK government and the BBC web sites are starting to be now publicly available, important challenges still need to be addressed before this vision can be achieved. Amongst them, provenance is one of the most outstanding issues in order to guarantee data quality, trustworthiness and realiability in the Web of Data. In this talk, we will provide an insight on provenance, from eScience to the Web of Data, describing old problems and new challenges, which need to be addressed in the upcoming years.
My slides of my talk at WordSesh 2014.
A talk about a few projects and the lessons I learned from them.
Checkout wordsesh.org for more information about this event.
Building a plugin like a pro it’s not only about code, it’s also about how you do that. I talked about the workflow, how WordPress works and how I build plugins. I also discussed some mistakes I made along the way. Doing something in a hurry is never a good thing.
The digital universe is booming, especially metadata and user-generated data. This raises strong challenges in order to identify the relevant portions of data which are relevant for a particular problem and to deal with the lifecycle of data. Finer grain problems include data evolution and the potential impact of change in the applications relying on the data, causing decay. The management of scientific data is especially sensitive to this. We present the Research Objects concept as the means to indentify and structure relevant data in scientific domains, addressing data as first-class citizens. We also identify and formally represent the main reasons for decay in this domain and propose methods and tools for their diagnosis and repair, based on provenance information. Finally, we discuss on the application of these concepts to the broader domain of the Web of Data: Data with a Purpose.
Being a WordPress developer means that our main programming language is PHP. Which works for building websites but not for running tasks. In this talk I will share my experience using Node.js as a platform to build on. Explaining why I have chosen for Node.js and show you how I used Node.js to build microservices that are supporting my WordPress projects.
It’s been more then ten years since the first release of WordPress. It was forked from b2 and they already need to deal with checking the code. Thousands of lines of code have been written causing a lot of great features WordPress has now.
In this presentation I talked about the fork of b2 in 2003 and about all the major features what got added in the last ten years. Showing how those features helped out making WordPress what it is today. Running on 21.2% of the web and still building new features.
This all to makes WordPress the best publishing tool that currently exists.
In the last couple of years, security has become a bigger focus point and it hasn’t been different for WordPress. During this talk, I dive into this a bit more by focusing on our role in making sure that projects are delivered as secure as they can be. This by going over several security issues that were discovered this year and ways how you can prevent yourself.
Running head OPIOID CRISIS PUBLIC POLICY PAPER .docxglendar3
Running head: OPIOID CRISIS PUBLIC POLICY PAPER 1
OPIOID CRISIS PUBLIC POLICY PAPER 7
Opioid Crisis Public Policy Paper
Anniesha Overton
Strayer Umiversity
Summary of the policy
The opioid crisis has been a significant public health concern in the United States since the late 1990s. The inability to develop strategic legislation and regulation to control the use of opioid has been critical to the development of the opioid crisis. The opioid crisis involves the use of both prescription and non-prescription opioid drugs. According to the Center for Disease control and prevention, the rate of opioid addiction has been significantly increasing over the years. From 1999 to 2016, at least 350,000 individuals have died from related opioid addiction, which includes prescription and illicit opioids.
Unlicensed pharmacies and overdependence on these drugs in pain management have been major concepts, which have created a challenging setting where the abuse of prescription drugs can be controlled. The underlying basis of this problem is the current assumption in the United States that medical practitioners can cure almost everything. Even though it is essential to understand that prescription drugs are effective in pain management, the drugs are required to be offered based on the prescriptions issued (McDonald & Lambert, 2016). It is also noted that they should not be used regularly since they created a very detrimental habit to patient wellbeing because they have addictive properties, which make it dangerous when consumed in large portions.
Confronting opioid addiction requires significant efforts by all stakeholders in healthcare in ensuring that there is a common objective in providing that there is a crucial focus in integrating quality focus in preventing opioid addiction. Considering the fact that a prescribed drug mainly propagates opioid addiction. It is essential to ensure that they are issued through consideration of critical healthcare knowledge regarding the admissibility of opioid drugs (Bihel, 2016). Nurses have a significant role to play regarding the overall development of the opioid addiction crisis. Critical issues that have been identified in opioid drug abuse include improper use, lack of the required knowledge and related interpretation in the use of opioid prescribed drugs and decreased regulation and legislation from the government regarding the existing concern on the increasing addiction levels across the country.
Players
The increase in opioid crisis has had a direct and indirect influence on different stakeholders. Therefore developing a strong focus on essential strategies that can help limit the overall impact of the opioid crisis on the lives of an individual is critical. The national institute on drug abuse reported that in 2015, 33,091 deaths were reported be.
Running head OPIOID CRISIS PUBLIC POLICY PAPER .docxtodd581
Running head: OPIOID CRISIS PUBLIC POLICY PAPER 1
OPIOID CRISIS PUBLIC POLICY PAPER 7
Opioid Crisis Public Policy Paper
Anniesha Overton
Strayer Umiversity
Summary of the policy
The opioid crisis has been a significant public health concern in the United States since the late 1990s. The inability to develop strategic legislation and regulation to control the use of opioid has been critical to the development of the opioid crisis. The opioid crisis involves the use of both prescription and non-prescription opioid drugs. According to the Center for Disease control and prevention, the rate of opioid addiction has been significantly increasing over the years. From 1999 to 2016, at least 350,000 individuals have died from related opioid addiction, which includes prescription and illicit opioids.
Unlicensed pharmacies and overdependence on these drugs in pain management have been major concepts, which have created a challenging setting where the abuse of prescription drugs can be controlled. The underlying basis of this problem is the current assumption in the United States that medical practitioners can cure almost everything. Even though it is essential to understand that prescription drugs are effective in pain management, the drugs are required to be offered based on the prescriptions issued (McDonald & Lambert, 2016). It is also noted that they should not be used regularly since they created a very detrimental habit to patient wellbeing because they have addictive properties, which make it dangerous when consumed in large portions.
Confronting opioid addiction requires significant efforts by all stakeholders in healthcare in ensuring that there is a common objective in providing that there is a crucial focus in integrating quality focus in preventing opioid addiction. Considering the fact that a prescribed drug mainly propagates opioid addiction. It is essential to ensure that they are issued through consideration of critical healthcare knowledge regarding the admissibility of opioid drugs (Bihel, 2016). Nurses have a significant role to play regarding the overall development of the opioid addiction crisis. Critical issues that have been identified in opioid drug abuse include improper use, lack of the required knowledge and related interpretation in the use of opioid prescribed drugs and decreased regulation and legislation from the government regarding the existing concern on the increasing addiction levels across the country.
Players
The increase in opioid crisis has had a direct and indirect influence on different stakeholders. Therefore developing a strong focus on essential strategies that can help limit the overall impact of the opioid crisis on the lives of an individual is critical. The national institute on drug abuse reported that in 2015, 33,091 deaths were reported be.
Research MethodsLaShanda McMahonUniversity o.docxverad6
Research Methods
LaShanda McMahon
University of Phoenix
Formulating the Problem Statement and the Purpose Statement
Over the past decade, there have been several changes in drug addiction treatment that has shown results that show reduced associated health and social costs by more than the cost of the treatments. It has been found that treatments cost much less that the alternatives, such as incarcerating people with addictions. There are many savings related to healthcare, which includes, total savings that can exceed costs with a ratio of 12 to 1. Major savings to the individual and to society also stems from fewer interpersonal conflicts; greater workplace productivity; and fewer drug-related accidents, including overdoses and deaths (Woody, M.D., 2018).
Problem Statement
A common misperception is detoxification cures the addiction, yet addiction is a chronic disorder requiring long term multimodal treatment (Korsmeyer et al., 2009. Long-term treatment for substance abuse and co-occurring disorders might reduce recidivism rates and lessen costs for rehabilitation. Goldstein, A. (1997). examined the benefits of long-term substance abuse and posited the benefits. Goldstein further suggested not treating addiction appropriately or at all contributes to the high costs associated with substance use in the United States.
Insurance companies are reluctant to support long term substance abuse treatment; however, Weisner, Ray, Mertens, Satre and Moore (2003) noted patients receiving a minimum of six months substance treatment abstained from drug and alcohol use at least five years after treatment yet abusers of alcohol were less likely to remain sober for lengthy periods of time after treatment (Weisner et al., 2003).
According to the National Drug Institute (2012), every dollar invested in substance abuse treatment yields a return of $5.50 in reduced drug-related crime, costs associated with criminal justice, and theft. Healthcare savings can exceed costs by a 12 to 1 ratio. Therefore, drug addiction treatment reduces costs associated with primary care and is less costly than incarceration. Addressing addiction also contributes to the more positive aspects of life, such as increase in work productivity, and fewer incidents related to drug use, fewer overdoses and deaths.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this correlational study is to see if a relationship exists among periods of sobriety and four levels of substance abuse treatment. The research will examine substance abuse treatment throughout various levels of care: higher levels (detox, Inpatient (IP), and Residential (RTC) and lower levels (partial hospitalization (PHP), Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and routine Outpatient (OP). Current trends in substance abuse treatment provides evidence that length of treatment is inadequate contributing to more frequent relapses among substance abusers. Longer treatment options for addiction may reduce the number of relapses, reduce costs asso.
Global Medical Cures™ | Responding to America's Prescription Drug Abuse CrisisGlobal Medical Cures™
Global Medical Cures™ | Responding to America's Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis
DISCLAIMER-
Global Medical Cures™ does not offer any medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or recommendations. Only your healthcare provider/physician can offer you information and recommendations for you to decide about your healthcare choices.
Differential Effectiveness of Substance Abuse Treatment by Joyce FullerJoyce Fuller
Study considers the differential effectiveness of standard treatment for person with actual histories of drug use vs those who have been arrested for drug trafficking, possession, dealing, sales and manufacturing, with little to no evidence or report of actual drug use who were placed in drug treatment.
This critical analysis explores the impact of substance abuse in America at both a global and local level. Topics of societal stigma, personal bias and drug decriminalization are among the topics explored.
Running head: ASSIGNMENT 3 1
ASSIGNMENT 3
4
Assignment 3
Diamond Fulton-Hicks
Saint Leo University-HCA:402
Mrs.Claudette Andrea
04/05/2020
According to the CDC, Youth Risk Behaviors are used in monitoring the six groups of health-associated practices that are contributing to the top causes of deaths and disability amongst youths and adults. Some of these behaviors are those which are contributing to unintended injuries and violent behavior; sexual practices which lead to unintentional pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections; alcohol and other drug use; tobacco use; detrimental dietary practices; and the insufficient engagement in the physical exercise. This paper is therefore based on discussing these health behaviors top factors associated with the increased death and disability rates amongst youths and adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d).
Alcohol and other drug use
Alcohol and other illicit drug are used by the majority of the youths as compared to tobacco use. It is contributing to about 41 percent of all deaths that are caused by motor vehicles. When compared to other behaviors that put human at risk concerning health, alcohol is causing a wider variety of injuries and it is approximated that 100,000 deaths occurs as a result alcohol consumption every year in the U.S. About 46 percent of Americans have been intoxicated in the previous years and roughly 4 percent have been intoxicated weekly (Kann, et al., 2014).
Behaviors causing unplanned injuries and violence such as suicide
The injuries and violent behavior are considered to be amongst the top causes of death amongst the youth of ages 10 to 24 years. The motor vehicle crashes are contributing to 30 percent of deaths and other accidental injuries contribute to 15 percent. Homicide and suicide are contributing to 15 and 12 percent death cases respectively (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d).
Tobacco Use
It is estimated that there are about 3,600 adolescents of ages 12 to 17 years in the United States who have tried their first cigarette. The use of cigarettes is contributing to 1 to every 5 deaths (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d).
Unhealthy Dietary Behaviors
Healthy eating is linked to the reduction in the risks of diseases that exposes individuals to death and these diseases include heart disease. In 2009, it was reported that about 23.3 percent of the high school learners reported increased habit of consuming fruits and vegetables five or more times every day. Studies have shown the relationship in the habit of eating the restaurant foods and the increased BMI thus exposing individuals to diseases such as obesity and other cardiovascular diseases (Kann, et al., 2014).
Physical Inactivity
The decline in physical activity is common among children when they get older. Most of the youths are spending their time in a sedentary lifestyle such as watching television with less participation in physical ...
Madridge Journal of AIDS (ISSN: 2638-1958); This commentary will address how prosecutors can use existing legislation, innovative court-related programs, and smart prosecution techniques to fulfill their duty to protect public safety as it relates to persons with HIV in the criminal justice system.
Detection of Drug Interactions via Android Smartphone: Design and Implementat...IJECEIAES
Despite the morbidity and cases of widespread drug poisoning, clinical guidelines are largely written by taking into account only one treatment at a time. The cumulative impact of multiple treatments is rarely considered. Drug treatment for people with several diseases produces a complex regimen called “polypharmacy” with a potential combination of harmful and even lethal drugs that can be prevented. This polypharmacy causes in many cases the death of some people due to drug interactions. The vast majority of these deaths can be prevented by detecting interactions before taking these medications. But the problem is that such information exists in a state that is difficult to access for the general public, much less for people with little knowledge in the field. Although the pharmacist is unmistakable and most viable source to avoid such a problem, he cannot know what the patient does not mention because he is not aware of what may affect his treatment. To remedy this, we aim in this paper to develop an ergonomic Android application that will inform the patient about the potential risks of such drug interactions. The application is optimized to handle various databases and operate automation of QR code.
Hadj Ounis's most notable work is his sculpture titled "Metamorphosis." This piece showcases Ounis's mastery of form and texture, as he seamlessly combines metal and wood to create a dynamic and visually striking composition. The juxtaposition of the two materials creates a sense of tension and harmony, inviting viewers to contemplate the relationship between nature and industry.
2137ad - Characters that live in Merindol and are at the center of main storiesluforfor
Kurgan is a russian expatriate that is secretly in love with Sonia Contado. Henry is a british soldier that took refuge in Merindol Colony in 2137ad. He is the lover of Sonia Contado.
2137ad Merindol Colony Interiors where refugee try to build a seemengly norm...luforfor
This are the interiors of the Merindol Colony in 2137ad after the Climate Change Collapse and the Apocalipse Wars. Merindol is a small Colony in the Italian Alps where there are around 4000 humans. The Colony values mainly around meritocracy and selection by effort.
Explore the multifaceted world of Muntadher Saleh, an Iraqi polymath renowned for his expertise in visual art, writing, design, and pharmacy. This SlideShare delves into his innovative contributions across various disciplines, showcasing his unique ability to blend traditional themes with modern aesthetics. Learn about his impactful artworks, thought-provoking literary pieces, and his vision as a Neo-Pop artist dedicated to raising awareness about Iraq's cultural heritage. Discover why Muntadher Saleh is celebrated as "The Last Polymath" and how his multidisciplinary talents continue to inspire and influence.
1. 1
Qatar University College of Arts and Science
Department of International Affairs
Capstone
Spring 2015
Harm Reduction program as a tool to Prevent People who Use Drugs from Health issues
Dana Ali AlQahtani
201005563
2. 2
Index
Introduction
Definition of Concepts
Harm Reduction Program
Human Rights of Addicts
Harm Effects of Drug Addiction
SubstanceUse Disorder
Deaths
Infections of HIV and HCV
Literature Review
Methodology
Harm Reduction Program
Drugs Addicts
Research Problem
Research Objectives
Research Questions
The importance of the research
Hypothesis
Type of the Research
3. 3
Discussion
Reduce the HIV and HCV Infections.
Reduce the Poison of the Drug by Early Warning System
Qatar and Harm Reduction
Conclusion
Recommendations
References
4. 4
Introduction
Drugs users are members of any community; they are population that could not be
ignored in the societies. They work and live in the community. Many years before, communities
could not accept the addicts and feel they are criminals in the community. They faced many
social and health problems that cause them diseases and deaths. Health and safety is such a
concern for people who use drugs as it is for the general population (Working with People who
use Drugs, 2007). Communities should seriously take a policy to help and prevent drugs users
from the harm consumptions of the drugs. Substance Abuse Treatment (2002) viewed that it does
not matter how or why the individual starts using drugs over time, repeated drug use causes
significant changes in brain and function that lead to addiction, and drug’s users could not stop
even they know the terrible consequences of the addiction. The solution is to find a program that
prevents them from harm.
Harm Reduction Program:-
Harm reduction is the policies, programs, and practices that aim to reduce the adverse
health, social and economic consequences of the use of the legal and illegal substances without
reducing the drug consumptions. Harm reduction program can benefit the individuals, families,
and communities (Harm reduction: Questions and Answers, 2014).
The program has been applied to many countries such as Canada and United States.
Some researchers found the program will benefit the individuals, families and the communities,
but the other refused the program describing it as a program that will increase the addicts in the
5. 5
community, which will cause disadvantages to the individuals by increasing the number of the
addicts, and it will be harmful to the families and the communities.
Human Rights for Drugs Addicts:-
Drug Policy and Human rights (2015) viewed that many countries around the world
practice abuse, torture and ill-treatment for addicts’ individuals. But the United Nation drug
control agencies have paid attention to whether international drug control efforts are consistent
with human rights protection, or to the effect of drug control policies on fundamental Human
Rights. The UN believed that drug control should respect human rights. Jensema (2013)
mentioned that UN favor the decriminalization of use and advocate for harm reduction
approaches for addicts, because every individual has the right to live a life in dignity.
Harm Effects of Drug Addiction
Substance Use Disorder
Substance use disorder occurs when a person has a dependence on drugs that is
accompanied by intense and sometimes uncontrollable craving and compulsive behavior to
obtain the substance. In the substance use disorder multiple brain circuits are altered creating
changes in brain function. These changes interfere with the ability to think clearly and use good
judgment; they affect learning and memory as well as the ability to control behavior. Substance
Use Disorder (2014) mentioned that the substance use has a harm effect on the part pf the brain
that allows for good judgment. The problem is that drug users did not think their troubles are
from the drug addiction. This phenomenon called denial of the problem, which is a symptom of
6. 6
disorder. Tolerance and withdrawal are other symptoms of drug addiction. They are two
symptoms that a result of the biological changes in the brain and nervous system from continual
use of a substance. Substance Use Disorder (2014) mentioned that Tolerance is the increasing
need by the body for larger doses of substance to maintain the desired effect. The other symptom
is the withdrawal, which means that when the substance stopped, the drug users will face
shakiness and extreme anxiety.
Death
Global State (2014) viewed that overdose of the substance is the major cause of death to
the drug users. Overdose mortality is increasing in the countries that did not apply the Harm
Reduction Program in their policy. For example, it has estimated in Global State (2014) that
around 100,000 people die from the overdose in Russia. In 2012 the United Nation made a report
about the global number of deaths from the drug addiction. The report mentioned that drug abuse
kills about 200,000 people around the world each year (Drug Abuse, 2014).
Virus HIV and Hepatitis C:
Viruses HIV and HCV are two symptoms to drug addiction. Global State (2008)
mentioned that 10% of all HIV infections in the countries occur through injecting drug use and in
some countries such as, Russia and Ukraine 80% of people living with HIV are likely to have
acquired the virus through unsafe injecting.
7. 7
Figure (1)
HIV prevalence among people who inject drug
Figure (1) shows that the HIV virus from unsafe injecting in Britain is 5%, India 68%,
and Indonesia 47% (Global State, 2008).
HCV also is a common infectious disease among people who inject drugs. The virus is
more infectious than HIV and can be transmitted through sharing not only the sharing of needles
and syringes, but also of injecting- related equipment such as cotton. Global State (2008) viewed
that most HCV infections around the world occur through unsafe injecting drug use.
Figure (2)
HCV Prevalence among People who Inject Drugs
HIV Percentage
Britain
India
Indonasia
HCV Prevelence among
People who Inject Drugs
Britain
India
Indonesia
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia
8. 8
The figure shows the percentage of the HCV among people who inject drugs. The results
show that the percentage in Britain is (41%), India (92%), Indonesia (98%), Bahrain (81%), and
Saudi Arabia is (69%).
The aim of the research
The research will show the advantages and the disadvantages of the Harm Reduction
Program by analyzing the previous studies about the program, and show data from previous
studies to show the percentage of samples who use the program and benefit from it. In the end of
the research, the researcher will show if the program could be applied in Qatar society, and give
some implications about the problem.
9. 9
Literature Review
Harm reduction program is a public health strategy that was directed towards individuals
and groups that aims to reduce the harm that was associated with certain behaviors. Hunt (2003)
mentioned that the program is concerned with reducing the harms that can accompany drug use,
and is sometimes with approaches priorities prevention of drug use, and a rigid zero tolerance
enforcement of drug prohibition. When the programs were applied to substance abuse, harm
reduction accepts that a continuing level of drug use in society is inescapable and defines
objectives as reducing adverse consequences (Harm reduction, 2008). The programs emphasize
the measurement of health, social and economic outcomes, as opposed to the measurement of
drug consumptions.
There are many services available to prevent harms from substance use. Substitution
therapy is one of the services. Its goal is to substitute illegal heroine with legal one, which is
taken with non-injection methadone. The other service is educating drug users to encourage safer
behavior. The last service is the needle distribution program that distributes clean needles and
educate on their safe disposal. Programs for needle and syringe exchange were more readily
associated with the harm reduction approach than other type of interventions, because needles
and syringes were the most dangerous on health and increase mortality and morbidity. Hunt
(2003) mentioned that the main motivation to the development of harm reduction strategy was
the identification of the role of injecting drug use and the sharing of needles and syringes in the
transmission of HIV/ AIDS.
There are many principles for harm reduction. Humanistic values are one of the
principles, which mean that the drug user’s decision to use drugs is accepted as fact, and the
10. 10
dignity and rights of the drug users are respected. Focus on harm is another principle of harm
reduction, which means the fact of a person’s drug user per se is a secondary importance to the
risk of harm consequent to use. The harms addressed could be related to health, social or
economic factors, affecting the individual and the community. Therefore, decreasing the negative
consequences of drug use to the user and the other is the first priority.
The programs’ initial identification was in the 1980s, as an alternative to abstinence only
focused interventions for adults with substance abuse disorder. Persuasive evidence from the
adult literature that harm reduction approaches reduce morbidity and mortality associated with
the risky health behaviors (Harm reduction, 2008). Areas in Canada that use needle exchange
have shown annual decreases in HIV compared with those areas that have not use the needle
exchange program. In addition, using the methadone maintenance programs is strongly related to
decrease mortality from diseases and overdoses (Harm reduction, 2008).
Ruefli and Rogers (2004) argued that harm reduction programs operate with the
assumption that some people who engage in high- risk behaviors are unwilling or unable to
abstain. Using the programs do not require that clients abstain from drug use in order to gain
access to service, rather than having abstinence goals set for them. Clients in such programs take
part in a goal setting process to success. Providers help clients to make connecting among their
complex attitudes, behaviors, and the change. They are trying to pursue as a result of interactive
process. Behavior change is regarded as incremental and based on the premise that people are
likely to initiate and maintain behavior changes if they have the power to shape behavioral goals
and enact them.
11. 11
A study was done by Rogers and Ruefli (2004) on 120 clients using nominal group
technique to develop culturally relevant outcomes to measure progress. The researchers argued
that the results showed that program participants made positive improvement across most
outcomes with the most substantial progress made in how clients dealt with drugs use problems.
For example, comparing the 120 clients who involved in the program and stayed for one year
and the clients who involved in traditional therapy; the clients who were involved in the harm
reduction program were strongly related to their progress in the outcomes of housing and
income. They success to abstinence or controlled, having low- level drug use, because they want
to qualify for subsidized housing or to maintain an income producing job.
On the other hand, criticism mentioned that the program will not be benefit to individuals
or communities. Hunt (2003) argued that using the harm reduction program encourages drug use;
by assisting people who are already using drugs remain healthier and stay alive. The other
problem that could be caused from the program that people who do not use drugs will see drugs
as safe and decide to start using drugs themselves. In addition, Loughlin (2010) argued that the
harm reduction program is a process that facilitates the continued of toxic, which is harmful for
the individuals, and it will damage the society by escalating the crime.
12. 12
Methodology
Harm Reduction Program:
Understanding Harm Reduction (2013) viewed that Harm Reduction is a program that
aims to keep substance users safe and minimize death, disease, and injury from high risk
behavior. It involves a range of support services and strategies to help individuals, families and
communities safer and healthier. There are some services use to prevent harm from drug use.
Such as:
1. Needle distribution. It is a recovery program that distributes sterile needles and other
harm suppliers, and provides information about their safe disposal.
2. Supervised consumption facilities to prevent the drug users from overdose deaths and
harms by providing a supervised environment for drug’s users.
3. Therapies that substitute illegal heroine with legal and no injection methadone.
4. Education services that make contact with people who use drugs to encourage safer
behavior.
5. Driving prevention campaigns that create awareness of the risks of driving under the
influence of legal and illegal substances.
Drugs Abuse and Addiction:
The Science of Addiction (2007) mentioned that people of all ages suffer the harmful
consequences of drugs abuse and addiction even if they adolescents or adults. Adolescents
13. 13
who abuse drugs often do poorly academically, they are at risk of violence and infectious
diseases. In addition, adults who abuse drugs often have brain problems, such as problem
thinking clearly, and remembering. They often developed poor social behaviors as a result of
their drug abuse. Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease that characterized by
compulsive drug seeking and uses, despite the harm consequences that drug’s users feel.
These people have the right to live in high standards of living, and get services from the
community and the state, such as health care, mental health and social services (Substance
Abuse Treatment, 2002).
Research Problem
Drugs users are a kind of people that face many health and social problems in their lives.
They are poorly educated and have a less chance in work. They face many health problems
such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C from using the injections. In addition, they are at a risk of
violence and community abuse. These people could not stop the addiction even they know
the harm consumptions that they face. The research focuses on the treatment that benefits the
substances users to reduce the harm of the addiction without stop the use of these substances.
The research aims to:
1) To show the advantages of Harm Reduction Program on the individuals.
2) To show the disadvantages of the Harm Reduction Program on the individuals.
3) To show if the program could be applied in Qatar society.
14. 14
Research Questions
Main Question:
Could the Harm Reduction Program be benefit for the drug users?
Sub- Questions:
1) What are the advantages of the Harm Reduction Program?
2) What are the disadvantages of the program on the individuals and the community?
3) Could the program be applied in Qatar society?
The Importance of the Research:
The research is an exploratory study to see the advantages and the disadvantages
of the Harm Reduction Program as a new perspective in the community, especially the
Arabic societies who refuse the concept of addiction. The Arabic societies as Qatar prefer
to use the traditional treatment for the addicts. Even Qatar has opened a center for the
addicts, but the main objective is to rehabilitate the addicts and not to prevent them from
the harm consumptions of the drugs (Scott, 2014). They isolate the addicts from the
community and treat them to stop taking drugs. The state did not adopt the Harm
Reduction program to prevent the addicts from the harm consumption that they could
face, which means that Qatar is using the traditional treatment for Drug’s Users. After
analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the program, the researcher will show if
the program could be applied in Qatar society.
15. 15
Hypothesis
1) The program has benefits to prevent drug’s users from the harm
consumptions.
2) The program will increase the addicts.
3) The program could not be applied in Qatar society.
Type of the Research
The research is a Qualitative study. It is primary exploratory research to give
understanding of underlying reasons, and opinions for using the Harm Reduction
Program for the Drugs addicts. It gives insights into the Harm Reduction Program to
see the advantages and the disadvantages of the program and how it could help the
individuals. The research gives deeper into the program to see if it is benefit to the
drugs addict, then it shows if the program could be applied in Arabic countries such
as Qatar.
Discussion
Reduce the HIV and HCV Infections:
Hedrick and Rhodes (2010) mentioned that Harm Reduction Program coincided with the
emergence of human immunodeficiency virus HIV and HCV epidemics in many countries. The
aim of the program is to reduce the harm effects of the HIV and HCV. Harm Reduction (2005)
mentioned that the program has a positive impact on public health by reducing the prevalence of
blood borne viruses such as HIV and HCV. Needle exchange programs recover more needles
16. 16
than they distribute. The program supervised the needles that the drug users inject themselves,
and by supervising injection facilities the number of public injecting will reduce. The program
will provide the drug users a safe and alternative drug use. Harm Reduction (2005) viewed that
by using the program the risk of contracting HIV could decrease as much as 50- 80%.
On the other hand, there are some countries applied the program by providing sterile
injecting equipment. Hedrick & Rhodes (2010) mentioned that in 2002 (77) countries in the
European Union made the syringe sales are legal. After six years of the adaptation of the Harm
Reduction in these countries, the European Commission concluded that among of the EU States
there are signs of higher level of risks taking among new, younger generation, in particular
heroine injectors who have not been reached the harm reduction messages. The new young drugs
users feel that helping drug users stay alive, reducing their exposure to risk and became healthier
feel that the drug user safe and start using drugs (Harm Reduction, 2005). These results show
that Harm Reduction Program sent out wrong messages and signals and undermined primary
prevention efforts. In addition, Global State (2012), which means after 10 years of applying the
program in the EU, mentioned that people living with HCV in European Union have increased.
The percentage in Britain was 41%, and it became 62% by year 2012.
17. 17
Figure (3)
The Percentage of HCV in EU between 2002 and 2012
Figure (3) showed that the HCV in the Europe did not decrease, and the program did not
succeed in the countries that applied the Harm Reduction Program.
Reduce the Poison of the Drug by Early Warning System:
Before using the Harm Reduction Program in the European Union Policy, the illegal
drugs were not subject to the government control for safe manufacture, storage and distribution,
which make the illicit markets associated with harms arising from poor product safety. For
example, factories were uncertain about the strengths or purity of the drug, which has made it
difficult to calculate doses, resulting overdoses and deaths. After applying the program in EU,
the governments control responses to the danger and poisons of the drugs by testing and early
warning systems, which change the product and alert for the health.
18. 18
Qatar and Harm Reduction
The researcher searched for applying Harm reduction Program in Qatar from 2008-2014.
No data was found that Qatar adopted the program. Global State (2012) viewed that Qatar did
not respond to the program, and there is no data about the number who use drugs, or what is the
way in dealing with drug users. Moreover, Overcoming addiction (2013) mentioned that little is
known about substance abuse in Qatar, except it is exists. Qatar opened the Treatment and
Rehabilitation Center (TRC). The center offers a comprehensive service, including treatment and
support for people who suffer from addiction. But the aim of the center is to return drug users so
they can return to normal, Productive lives and education to prevent addiction in the first place.
The Harm Reduction Programs has many criticisms about its effectiveness. The program
did not prohibit drugs for drugs users, which is not allowed in Qatar’s culture. If the program
shows more effectiveness in reducing HIV, HCV, and the overdoses deaths, Qatar will look
seriously to the program, because the HIV rates in Qatar continue to increase. Qatar is one of the
countries that care about its people health. It could follow some countries that adopted the
program such as, Oman, Iran, and Bahrain. Walker (2014) gave a data to show the numbers of
HIV number in Qatar:
The year HIV infections in Qatar
2009 5 infected
2010 11 infected
2011 11infected
2012 15 infected
19. 19
References:
Drug Policy and Human Rights (2015). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from
http://www.hrw.org/node/82339
Drug Abuse Kills 200,000 People Each Year: UN Report (2012). Drug- Free Kids. Retrieved
From http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/drug-abuse-kills-200000-people.
Global State of Harm Reduction: Mapping the Response to Drug Related HIV and Hepatitis C
Epidemics (2008). Ihra. Retrieved from www.ihra.net.
Global State of Harm Reduction (2012). Count the Costs. Retrieved from www.countthecost.org.
Global State of Harm Reduction (2014). Ihra. Retrieved from www.ihra.net.
Harm reduction: An approach to reducing risky health behaviors in adolescents (2008). Pediatric
Child health.13 (1). 53-56.
Harm Reduction: Questions and Answers (2014). Waterloo: Public Health.
Harm Reduction (2005). Britain: A British Columbia Community Guide.
Hedrick, Dagmar& Rhodes, Tim (2010). Harm Reduction: Evidence, Impact and Challenges.
Britain: European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drugs Addiction.
Hunt, N (2003). A review of evidence- base for harm reduction approaches to drug use.
Retrieved from http://www.forward-thinking-on-drugs.org/review2-print.html.
Jensema, Ernestien (2013). Human Rights and Drugs Policy. TNI. Retrieved from
http://www.tni.org/briefing/human-rights-and-drug-policy
Loughlin, Peter (2010). Is It Harm Reduction or Harm Continuation? USA: The Journal of
Global Drug Policy.
Overcoming Addiction (2013). Qatar: Supreme Council of Health.
20. 20
Ruefli, Terry& Rogers, Susan (2004). How do drugs users define their progress in harm
reduction Programs? Qualitative research to develop user- generated outcomes. USA:
National Institute of health.
Rogers, Susan& Ruefli, Terry (2004). Does harm reduction programming make a
difference in the lives of highly marginalized, at-risk drug users? USA: Harm Reduction
Journal.
Scott, Victoria (2014). Expanded Treatment Center for Addicts to Formally open Next Month.
Qatar: Qatar News.
Substance Use Disorder (2014). USA: Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.
Substance Abuse Treatment For Injection Drug Users: A Strategy with Many Benefits (2002).
USA: Department of Health and Human Services.
The Science of Addiction (2007). USA: department of Health and Human Services.
Understanding Harm Reduction Substance Use (2013). HealthlinkBC. Retrieved from
http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile102a.stm.
Walker, Lesley (2014). SCH: Qatar residents diagnosed with HIV increases to 10- year high.
Qatar: Qatar News.