Health Promotion and Evidence Based Practice - Assignment Example

Alcohol and drug abuse are among the foremost causes of disability and demise in North Carolina. Alcohol and substance abuse dependence are both problems in themselves and contributors to other health problems. For example, people under the influence of substance abuse are at a risk of premature deaths. Other health problems associated with substance abuse include depressions, mental health disorders, interpersonal relation, poor school or workplace functioning and low overall sense of wellbeing.

However, these health hazards are preventable risk factors (Andrews & National Research Council, 1991). For the prevention of drug substance abuse and the improvement of mental health, there are evidenced priority recommendations. According to the North Carolina prevention plan, priority number one is the development and implementation of a comprehensive plan for substance abuse. To be included in the plan are recommendations to beer and wine taxation. With expensive beer and wine, it will not be easily affordable to the addicted individuals (Hastings et al, 2010).

Together with increasing tax rates on beer and wines, substance abuse prevention also requires community outreach. Therefore, a comprehensive community based programs for prevention of substance use and abuse is a sizeable community outreach strategy. The implementation of this community based prevention plan should include a team that provides emotional care and nutritional health to the victims and subjects of the program (Hastings et al, 2010). The article “prevention issues brief final in 2010” clearly outlines the prevention strategies and its elements.

The evidence based prevention strategies shows a degree of effectiveness in decreasing the rate of substance use and abuse. Nevertheless, they also have several positive impacts like self -identification, improved sense of self -wellbeing, reduced levels of depreciation and improved health conditions. For all the evidence based prevention strategies on substance use and abuse, youths should be the main target since their developing brain is susceptible damage by alcohol and others substances (Hastings et al, 2010).

The strategies or action steps that form the evidence-based prevention of substance use and abuse and for improvement of mental health include the following. The activity begins from the individuals. Guidance and counseling provision to individuals to be substance use abuse free and in case of any mental disorder seek professional help. Again, from the individuals, home prevention is a strong evidence strategy. Parents should take the initiative to talk to their children about substance abuse dangers.

(Hastings et al, 2010). To the victims of substance abuse clinical preventive measures like screening, brief intervention and treatment in case of any health problem is fundamental. Keeping the public up-to-date on these evidence-based clinical preventive measures will ensure that people are aware of where to go to find help (North Carolina Institute of Medicine & North Carolina, 2009). In worksites and offices, wellness programs for substance abuse will keep these people informed. In addition to the other programs, offering insurance programs to the community on incidences of substance abu