Focus Group Protocol Paper – Drug Abuse in Dayton- Ohio

The objectives of the survey are to help in reducing the rates of drug abuse and unintentional drug prescription overdose deaths in Dayton-Ohio. According to the current data, many people die from drug overdoses each and every day. The County Sheriff’s deputies respond to multiple of drug overdose calls and are equipped with either naloxone or Narcan, which is a nasal spray which counteracts the drug overdose effects. The survey aims at making a progress in the fight against the heroin epidemic which has become deadly and largely responsible for the recorded number of deaths related to drug overdoses in the state.

The survey will seek to stabilize the amounts of deaths resulting from drug abuse and reducing the number of fatal overdoses. In addition to that, it will identify the services being offered; look in to the existing gaps in services while exploring potentially new and expanded ways for combating the drug abuse and overdose menace (Ekeh, Parikh, Walusimbi, Woods, Hawk & McCarthy, 2014).

As part of the collaborative approach, over 100 community leaders from private and public organizations throughout Ohio are members of the survey team which will help guide the project. All the aspects of minimizing deaths as a result of drug abuse and overdoses will be included in the effort, with every specific team working on treatment, prevention, law enforcement, opioid prescription guidelines, the court system, education and outreach.

In providing an overview, the specific objectives of the survey will include;

  • Patterns of multiple drug usage both concurrent and non-concurrent.
  • Beliefs over the harmfulness of different types of drugs at various levels of use.
  • Extents of direct exposure to different forms of drug use.
  • Perceived availability of the various illicit drugs.
  • Describing current treatment practices.
  • Assessing the impact of the intervention.
  • Studying the causes and consequences of drug abuse and overdoses.

Traditionally, illicit drug usage mostly is associated with dense populated towns. But, a mounting evidence proofs that this is has been a significant issue in rural areas as well. Young individuals comprising both men and women in the age bracket between 18 – 65 years being the most affected. This population abuse not only tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana but also drugs like amphetamines and cocaine. Heroin injection including the plethora of issues which are associated with it now threatens public health the Ohio region (Cameron, Delroy & et al, 2013).

This regional survey will be based upon the qualitative data which will be collected through the focus group interviews. The participants will include the recovering and active drug users recruited from alcohol and other various drug treatment programs sin Dayton – Ohio region. The data triangulation will be attained through comparing the participant data and the qualitative data which has already been collected from the regional professionals, who are the law enforcers and the treatment providers, through the focus group interview and the data surveyed from the authorities.  All the secondary data are summaries of the cases which have been processed in the previous one year. In addition to these data sources, the Ohio media outlets will provide the most recent data regarding the drug abuse and overdose issue.

In an effort to understand the current drug epidemic in Dayton Ohio, the survey will summarize the drug related data collected in various different related organizations in to a one formal data report. The survey involves the related criminal justice data, the drug overdose responses by City of Dayton first responders, emergency and in-patient departments accidental overdose records, and the unintentional drug overdose death reports.

The survey conducted in the region can be used to inform the general public, the leadership as well as the organizations within the County as to the severity of the drug abuse and overdose menace. In addition, the survey report will be available to provide all the information required for the new program development, grant applications pertaining to the epidemic or informing policy decisions.

Qualitative interviewing technique will be used, ranging from informal interviews to semi structured interviews and life histories. Reason for applying interviewing technique is that, in an open-ended interview format, conversations are is allowed and can flow freely in reference to the topic. In contrast, a more structured interview a predesigned sets of discussion topics can be offered for one’s response. Interviewing technique generally, serves as means to determine how participants engage or talk about or perceive different aspects in their personal lives or how they categorize things. After the preliminary analysis, the information can be applied in creation of a more focused set of questions pertaining a certain research topic or problem.

Interviewing participants will play an important role of getting familiarity with how individuals perceive and express various dimensions regarding how they live. In particular cases, focus groups or group discussions comprising of four to six or more respondents, will be used in individual open-ended interviewing. Both techniques to be applied in the interviewing sessions will allow for the general discussion of the research questions. The focus groups will aim at exploring the research topics, refining interventions, obtaining feedback on the design, evaluating the quantitative survey instruments, guiding the refinement of more structured interviews and obtaining feedback on the preliminary analyses.

At least eight Ohioans die each day from accidental drug overdose and abuse. Communities and schools are in the frontlines of the crisis, and their efforts of educating the young generation over the dangers of drug abuse will help in building a better future. The survey includes various recommendations which will help in building a stronger drug-free generation;

  • By reducing the risk factors and the protective factors, the children will resiliency while making life decisions which are positive.
  • Screening for mental health issues and substance abuse require to be followed by the effective treatment and interventions.
  • A comprehensive, community-wide drug abuse prevention program should involve schools, caregivers, and parents, law enforcements, before and after school efforts, community coalitions and others to be effective (Carlson, Lane & Daniulaityte, 2014).

Questionnaire

  1. Have you at anytime ever used drugs other than those required for the medication purpose________________?
  2. Have you ever abused subscription drugs ________________?
  3. Can you get6 through a week without using any type of drugs ________________?
  4. Have you ever abused more than one drug at a time________________?
  5. Are you always able to stop using drugs the time you want to________________?
  6. Have you ever had flashbacks or blackouts as a result of using drugs________________?
  7. Do you ever feel guilty or bad about your drug use________________?
  8. Does your spouse or parents ever complain about your involvement in using drugs________________?
  9. Have you ever lost a friend as a result of drug abuse or overdose________________?
  10. Have you ever been in trouble at work as a result of drug use________________?
  11. Have you ever neglected your family because of use of drugs________________?
  12. Have you previously lost a job as a result of drug use________________?
  13. Have you ever gotten into a fight when under drug influence________________?
  14. Have ever engaged into illegal activities in order to obtain drugs________________?
  15. Have you ever gone to anyone for help as a result of drug problems________________?
  16. Have you been in any treatment program specifically related to drug usage________________?
  17. Have you ever experienced any withdrawal symptoms or felt sick as a result of abusing drugs________________?
  18. Have you had any medical issues as a result of your drug usage (e.g. hepatitis, loss of memory, convulsion, bleeding, etc) ________________?
  19. Have you been arrested for possession of illegal drugs________________?
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