While the widespread social and economic implications of Alcohol or Other Drug (AOD) abuse are often associated with destitution, broken homes, criminal activity, low intellect or lack of moral fibre; AOD use, let alone abuse, is non-discriminative and certainly not localised to the impoverished. Casual AOD use and experimentation is dependent on a variety of factors such as social settings, personal situation, age groups and level of familial support. On the other hand, the progression of casual AOD use into compulsive abuse is thought to be a result of inherent biological and psychological factors. Hence, AOD experimentation, use and abuse has a presence, whether substantial or not, within all communities. In the inner south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, there are a variety of different people that comprise the community. These include families with adolescent and young children, young people share-housing, same-sex couples, career minded singles as well as the elderly. There are many high schools, both public and private, within the Stonnington area, indicating a high percentage of adolescents traversing and living within the community. Additionally, a popular nightlife strip, Chapel St, with over 260 licensed liquor premises, is located within the community and in turn draws many young people, who engage in alcohol use and illicit drug taking.
The city of Stonnington is economically unique given that it is comprised of people at both the very lowest and highest ends of the socio-economic scale. Nonetheless, Stonnington is a relatively wealthy population with a median weekly household income of $1,944 (ABS, 2016), which is the highest of all local governments in Victoria. Additionally, since the Stonnington areas of Prahran, Malvern, Toorak, South Yarra and Armadale have higher property and rental costs per capita relative to outer suburbs of Melbourne, with less than <1% of dwelling being affordable to health care card holders (Stonnington Health and Wellbeing Plan, 2017), it is presumed that a substantial portion of the community are financially comfortable. Furthermore, this is further supported by the Stonnington unemployment rate, which in March 2016 was at 3.2%, significantly lower than the state level of unemployment at this time (6.3%) (ABS, 2016). In this respect, there is generally less economic pressure on families and young people to meet the monetary demands of life such as housing, bills, education costs, raising children and so forth. Such stressors can often lead to self-medicating AOD use and abuse, and so the absence of these stressors may provide protection against AOD use within this community.
However, given Stonnington also consists of commission housing, this minority are perhaps more vulnerable to AOD use due to prior homelessness, exacerbated by feeling socio-economically isolated. Albeit, financial stability does not necessarily mean an individual is less prone to AOD use and abuse. Interestingly, an individual from an impoverished background but with a strong upbringing that disapproves of drugs is less likely to engage in drugs than an individual from an affluent upbringing that favours drug use (Bamberg, Findley et al., 2006). Indeed, increased wealth removes the financial barrier that lower income earner may face in the acquisition of drugs and alcohol to alleviate psychological stress and relax from busy lifestyles. In fact, 77% of Stonnington community members report harmful alcohol abuse (Stonnington Health and Wellbeing Plan, 2017). This is particularly pertinent considering Australia is the second most expensive country, following New Zealand, to illegally purchase the illicit drug cocaine (GDS, 2018) and the costs of alcohol are inflated compared to other countries across the globe. In particular, it is important to note that AOD use and abuse is not limited to adults. While AOD use and abuse in adolescence is dependent on multiple factors such as the presence of positive guardian role models, emotional stability, peer groups and school performance, young people in the Stonnington area with substantial funds may also find it easier to illegally acquire and experiment with alcohol and illicit drugs.
Additionally, if parents have high powered careers that are time demanding, there may be unintentional neglect in preventing and managing AOD use in their adolescent children, resulting in potentially destructive behaviour and harmful life consequences. Contrarily, these adolescents may also have less reason to turn to illicit drugs if they are financially well-supported and educated in comparison to an adolescent from an impoverished background with little parental guidance, who drops out of school and turns to AOD use for support or out of boredom.
Again, AOD use, particularly in adolescence, is a culmination of multiple life factors and it has to be dealt with in a case by case manner and such generalisations are not always applicable. Unique personality factors such as level of resilience in times of hardship combined with familial support determine consequent susceptibility to AOD self-medication. It is important to note, however, that experimental AOD use in adolescence is arguably a ‘social rite of passage’, irrespective of economic or physical factors and indeed, is simply a part of growing up. Especially since drug use in young people is often glorified and normalised in media, culture, television and music, which are essential influencers in identity development. In fact, experimental drug and alcohol use is not necessarily as damaging as it seems, considering 18 year olds who have experimented with marijuana and alcohol are more well-adjusted socially and have lower levels of anxiety than those who have never engaged or abused alcohol or marijuana during their teen years (Shedler & Block, 1990).
Given this information, many schools in the area orchestrate information talks from youth groups such as the Reach Foundation that encourage both dissuasion from drug use but also realistically discuss the safety measures in experimental drug use and implore youth to seek help if any external and internal life pressures are encouraging compulsive drug taking. These forms of peer group discussions are thought to be more effective than those given by high authority police members. Nonetheless, local police also visit schools to discuss the harmful repercussions of drug use, which include personal horror stories observed during their careers that involve serious life detriment, jail time and fatality. Finding a balance between these two measures of total risk prevention and minimisation can be difficult, especially since scare tactics are not always successful in preventing drug use in teenagers given adolescence is the age of rebellion. Consequently, some adolescents may take drugs to gain attention from parents or peers despite knowing the negative impact it will have on their health and personal life. On the other hand, neutral and non-judgemental discussion on drug taking within schools is a policy avenue that definitely needs to be explored and implemented further within the community. Of course, such discussions should not neglect the real and harmful repercussions that do exist when experimental use evolves into abuse.
Additionally, age at which these talks are given is also critical and must occur prior to drug exposure in risk prevention tactics. This notion is based on a study that showed that 50% of males who engaged in drug use before the age of 15 went on to develop substance abuse problems, compared to the 26% percent who first engaged in drugs after the age 15 (Jessor, 1985). This would mean that community based drug talks should be conducted at the commensal of high school rather than at age fifteen when majority of teens have already been exposed to drugs, whether it be active engagement or observation.
A policy that could be beneficial within the Stonnington community would be the availability of free counselling to adolescents within schools. In this way, individual factors and stressors in a young person’s life can be addressed offering a more tailored service to prevent and minimise AOD abuse. Many private schools offer this service, however, more government funding to address mental health and drug abuse is necessary within government schools. Especially since depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are slowly being de-stigmatised with the aid of R U Okay day and other national incentives to promote non-judgmental discussion and openness about mental wellbeing. If professional counselling is not possible, then at least equipping teachers with adequate skills and information through workshops in discussing AOD use and abuse in young people would be greatly beneficial.
On this note, the social factors within the community play a big role with AOD use and abuse. Stonnington is a tight knit community and there are often events to keep people both engaged and with a sense of purpose and place within society. Events such as Pets in the Park, plays and musical productions at Chapel on Chapel and various arts festivals promote social interaction, inclusion and feelings of belonging to dissuade from isolation and boredom-driven AOD use and abuse. These events also play a strong part in promoting good family relationships and bonding. It is thought that the more time young people spend with non-AOD using people and the stronger the familial connectedness, the less likely they will do drugs and alcohol. Stonnington also has many fitness facilities, aquatic centres, libraries, churches and sporting clubs to promote physical health and mental wellbeing. In particular, competing in local sporting teams is important for self-development in young people and enhances inner values and personal worth through achievement-driven positive reinforcement. Consolidation of self-worth and confidence acquired from performing well in cooperative team sports would seemingly dissuade from drug use; however, this is not always the case. Especially since drug use in adolescence, as previously discussed, can often be a way of securing your place within certain peer groups and asserting authority within your group, irrespective of emotional turmoil or low self-esteem (Jessor, 1985).
Furthermore, alcohol and drug use are largely recognised as a catalyst for social engagement, the latter particularly in young people, and while the Stonnington council promotes social mingling, it may also inadvertently promote AOD abuse. For example, Chapel St is a major bar and nightclub precinct in Melbourne, where people gather to drink alcohol socially and where party drugs are often consumed. Indeed, these physical and social factors entwined, while promoting unity within the community, also encourage alcohol and drug use. The Stonnington police accommodates for these social and environmental factors by having a reasonably high number of police on patrol within the district and increased number of CCTV cameras in the Chapel Street precinct as part of the Chapel Street Community Safety Program. Through these measures, drug use, and in particular the selling and distribution of drugs, can be managed and minimised within the community and people can enjoy safe nights out. Furthermore, public drinking is restricted to daylight hours only in the Stonnington area and only in the context of picnics and barbeques. Public drinking at night time must only be conducted at licensed venues, preventing excessive alcohol abuse. Operation Safe Night is another local government scheme to promote a safe and vibrant atmosphere on Chapel St that cracks down on drug possession. Nonetheless, the distribution of illicit drugs is still a problem within the region of Chapel St and requires more advanced levels of policing to source dealers, particularly those that are selling drugs mixed with other harmful substances that result in death and serious injury.
Ultimately, the Stonnington community is a relatively well rounded local government that promotes social engagement, family bonding, alcohol and drug education amongst young people and also is actively working on its commitment to making its popular partying precinct a safer place despite the significant presence of drug and alcohol abuse. As heavily discussed, drug and alcohol use is somewhat inevitable in young people, and while the community provides a supportive and engaging framework of economic stability, job availability and fitness and wellbeing centres, it is ultimately up to the individual and their desire and need to socially conform to particular peer groups that engage in AOD use and their susceptibility to self-medicate in difficult times. Additionally, morals and instilled family beliefs and values in upbringing are essential determinants in the likelihood of AOD abuse in adolescents. Conclusively, the key areas that need to be addressed within the community are customised counselling for students and early age drug education as every individual experiences the world uniquely, and while two people may be in the same peer group and experience identical hardship, one may turn to AOD abuse for comfort and the other may not. Furthermore, the accessibility to drugs also needs to be reduced within the community and this ultimately comes down to more rigorous policing to shut down major drug dealers in the area, as well as more sophisticated law enforcement to target online drug sources on the Dark Web.
References:
ABS. (2016). Stonnington Census Quickstats. from Australian Bureau of Statistics http://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/LGA26350
Bamberg, J., Findley, S., & Toumbourou, J. (2006). The BEST Plus Approach to Assisting Families Recover From Youth Substance Problems. Youth Studies Australia(2), 25.
GDS. (2020). Global Drug Survey. Retrieved 2020. https://www.globaldrugsurvey.com/
Jessor, R. (1985). Bridging etiology and prevention in drug abuse research. In Etiology of drug abuse : implications for prevention / editors Coryl LaRue Jones, Robert J. Battjes (pp. 257-268): Rockville, Md. : Dept. of Health and Human Services, 1985.
Shedler, J., & Block, J. (1990). Adolescent drug use and psychological health: a longitudinal inquiry. The American Psychologist(5), 612.
Stonnington Health and Wellbeing Plan (2017).
http://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/council/meeting-minutes-and-agendas/2017/16-october-2017/stonnington-public-health-and-wellbeing-plan.pdf
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