By Morgen Makombo Sikwila
The global prevalence of substance abuse among youths and young adults has become a thorn in the flesh in 21st Century. Substance abuse, including the abuse of alcohol, licit and illicit drugs among the youths and young adults is a challenge across the world. Alcohol and illicit substances abuse contribute to nearly a 10 per cent of the global burden of disease for young people between the ages of 15 and 35. Individuals are admitted into substance abuse treatment centres which is costly and most families cannot afford it.
The most frequently used substances among young people across Zimbabwe in particular are illegal alcohol, cough syrup, crystal meth, pharmaceuticals, crack, cocaine powder cannabis and heroin.
Various forms of prevention interventions, such as traditional rehabilitation programs for substance abuse among adult population have been developed and tested over time; and the effectiveness of psychological/behavioural and environmental intervention approaches e.g. multiple sessions of cognitive-behavioural interventions, restrictive access to substance and paraphilia has instituted and documented. However, and more importantly, interventions for adults may not prove to be effective for the young people.
There are many intervention strategies implemented to address substance abuse among young people, namely developmental strategies, harm reduction approaches, therapeutic communities and brief interventions. Developmental strategies seek to reach individuals at different age groups or developmental phases and the most effective of developmental interventions are the ones that are delivered during early childhood with messages relaying the harms of substances uses as well as the interventions aimed at capacitating young people to resist social influences of imitating substance use. Harm reduction approaches specifically target risky patterns of substance abuse or the environments in which it occurs. These interventions seek to mitigate the harm caused by substances. When addressing substance use among young people, a combination of harm reduction strategies and early brief interventions are considered to be effective. Therapeutic communities, that is, traditional residential rehabilitation programs are long term approaches to provide skills and develop attitudes that help substance abusing individuals make long term substance-free lifestyle challenges. Despite the intended outcomes of the approaches, the effectiveness is scarce. Brief interventions work especially well for alcohol abuse and may be just as feasible for reducing young people’s abuse of alcohol, crystal meth, cocaine, cannabis and heroin when are addicted.
Participation in sports is beneficial to youths as it transmits social values such as discipline and obeying rules as well as prevent and mediate risk behaviour such as unhealthy diets, violence and substance use. There are other potential benefits for young people involved in sports including improved academic performances, increased self-esteem, as well as the ability to manage stress better. Youth involvement in sports has both positive and negative associations to substance use. Some researchers found that youths who are involved in sports programs are more likely to use substances while others show that sports participation among youth serve as a protective factor for substance use.
Despite inconsistent findings by researchers, sports participation can play a crucial role in the positive development of youths. One of the many benefits of sports participation for youths is that it serves to prevent and control alcohol and other substances use. Sports may adequately serve as a platform and context for a selection of prevention and intervention focusing on substance use among young people. Sports can be utilized as an intervention strategy for substance abuse prevention. Physical activities, including sporting activities, has a direct bearing on the physical well-being of individuals who abuse substance in rehabilitation programs. Sports can generate self-esteem among those known to be abusing substances which may not be possible through educational achievements or other forms of social support. Moreover, playing sports ‘builds character.’
The inclusion of sports in substance prevention programs is recommended. Collaboration among Ministries of Sports Recreation Arts and Culture, Public Service Labour and Social Welfare; and local authorities for the the installation of recreational facilities in communities would be beneficial to the youths and young adults. There is need for routine screening for substance abuse in school settings and provide platforms to learners that facilitate participation in various sports codes or disciplined. Adolescents and young adults abusing alcohol and cannabis with a co-existing potential of developing depression and anxiety should be provided facility-based care. They also need to be closely monitored at follow-up and post discharge. Private partnerships should be entered into to provide young individuals in the affected communities benefit from taking up sports to facilitate the reduction in substance abuse. A thank you to all sporting academies in Zimbabwe!
Morgen Makombo Sikwila
MSc Peace and Governance
BSc Counselling
Diploma in Environmental Health
Certificate in Marketing Management
morgensikwilam@gmail.com (772823282)
