Topic 1 DQ 1  Complete the Self-Inventory of Ethical Behaviors. Select the five behaviors that you consider to be the most serious violations of ethical practice. What are the reasons for your selection of these behaviors? Explain. This discussion question is informed by the following CACREP Standard: 2.F.6.g. Ethical and culturally relevant strategies for designing and facilitating groups.          TEXTBOOKS Corey, G. (2015). Theory & practice of group counseling (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 9781305088016   URL: http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/cengage/2015/theory-and-practice-of-group-counseling_ebook_9e.php Response to the following posts Torrey Sanson CNL 527 DQ 13 posts Re: Topic 1 DQ 1 (Obj. 1.2) Some legislation, like the Harrison Act, sought to control some drugs by implementing a special tax (Sacco, 2014). The Harrison Act required manufacturers, distributors (including physicians), and importers of cocaine and opium to pay “special tax” to the US government (Sacco, 2014). This act did not pan out the way the government intended. As with many other legislatures, this fails to address any treatment or prevention tools for drug use and abuse; their only concern is restricting access. This restriction has shown time and time again to fail, such as the Volstead Act. I believe that prevention is equally as crucial as regulation. Yes, regulating the making and importation of illicit drugs is essential, but so is prevention and rehabilitation. Levinthal (2016) discusses how there is much emphasis on drug prohibition entering the country and much less on prevention and treatment. I hope that soon there is a turn towards more funding for the prevention of illicit drug use. There are various reasons for drug use, such as environmental influences, mental health, a desire to perform better at school/work, or genetics (NIDA, 2020). Because of the varying degrees of addiction and the various reasons people use, regulation/restriction is not enough to solve this problem. Ariel MacIntosh 4 posts Re: Topic 1 DQ 1 (Obj. 1.2) Topic 1 DQ 1 In Drugs, behavior, and modern society by Levinthal (2016) mentions that the attempts for legislative control over the use of illicit drugs have not been effective because it has been a constant battle to control it. It is suggested that the solution to drug abuse is in the communities in which it impacts. According to the article Paraphernalia Laws, Criminalizing Possession and Distribution of Items Used to Consume Illicit Drugs, and Injection-Related Harm by Davis, Carr, Samuels (2019) the laws regarding opioids has helped make a way in using medications such as, naloxone, methadone and buprenorphine, as a way to reduce the death toll connected to opioid use. Methadone and buprenorphine are a part of “opioid agonist therapy.” Unfortunately, even with striving to use “reversal medications” and others for therapeutic use, the government continues to make “justice-oriented approaches to the ongoing epidemic.” The use of illicit drugs use can stem from being young and wanting to experiment with peers, to having fun, to escape stressors, and to just “feel good” (Levinthal, 2016). Other reasons for drug use can stem from someone being at risk for drug use due to home environment, and peer pressure (Levinthal, 2016). Yassmine Kelly 3 posts Re: Topic 1 DQ 1 (Obj. 1.2) With the presidential election of Ronald Reagan his administration continued the war on drugs with an aggressive approach and zero tolerance policies towards substance use and drug related crimes. A reaction to this policy was not only to arrest drug users but drug suppliers as well. Legislators authorized strict enforcement of mandatory sentences such as 3 Strikes Laws which resulted in a huge increase in prison population and prison sentencing (Capuzzi, 2016). Incarceration rates for low level nonviolent drug offenses sky rocketed from 50,000 in 1980 to over 400,000 by 1997 in response to the crack epidemic (Drug Policy Alliance. n.d.). During this time Nancy Regan also started her crusade with her “Just Say No” campaign that garnered national attention (Drug Policy Alliance. n.d.). Additionally, under the Clinton administration the 94 Crime bill was signed into law. While its purpose was to tackle policies towards assault weapons ban and protections for women in abusive relationships. Each state interpreted and enforced certain aspects of the bill which further led to the mass incarceration problem today. With more than half of the prison and jail population consisting of low level non violent offenders serving harsh prison sentences (Brooke Eisen, 2019). Today there are 6.7 million people are under some sort of correctional control, approximately 2.3 million Americans are incarcerated in jail or prisons, and 4.5 million are on probation and parole (Brooke Eisen, 2019). Furthermore, I don’t think there is one answer or one cause as to why people indulge in drug use. However, what I do know specifically why it comes to the Black Community in particular is that due to discrimination in both the healthcare field and the mental health field, a lack of diversity and cultural competence Black Americans have developed and relied upon unhealthy coping mechanism. These mechanisms involve drug and alcohol use. For instance, social learning theory says that people especially kids learn by observing, modelling, and imitating the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others and considers how both environmental and cognitive factors interact to influence human learning and behavior. Thus, behavior is largely learned and influenced from one’s environment through observational learning (Cohen, 2016). This theory explains substance use disorder by the attitudes and perceptions that one may have. For example, a parent who heavily drinks every day as a coping method; young kids observe and learn that heavy drinking is an acceptable way of coping with certain stressors or trauma versus seeking professional help. From this theory addiction can be viewed as a chronically evolving biopsychosocial disorder, comprising aspects that are both internal and external to the individual.