Alcohol Abuse In Health Care

The use of drugs and their classifications have been a world-renowned issue for many years. It was not until recent years that drug abuse prevention became so highly emphasized. Now questions are being asked about the effectiveness of intervention programs and who is to blame for its faults. With the increase of drug abuse, questions begin growing whether drug addicts can be helped. Drug abuse is highly ranked among the most severe problems countries now face. There are numerous types of drugs being abused today—both legal and illegal. The primary focus has shifted from the types of drugs abused and where these drugs are coming from to prevention and the detrimental effects of abuse.

Alcohol is the most commonly abused drug in the United States. Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in failure to fulfill responsibilities at work, school, or home; drinking in dangerous situations; having recurring alcohol-related legal problems; and continued use despite having medical, social, family, or interpersonal problems caused by or worsened by drinking (APA, 1994). Approximately fourteen percent of people experience alcohol dependence at some point during their lives (Kessler et al., 1997). Alcohol dependence refers to a more serious kind of alcohol use disorder and involves three or more of the following: tolerance, withdrawal, drinking more over a longer period of time, inability to cut down or stop, spending a great deal of time drinking, and giving up important social, recreational or occupational activities (Cunha, 2014).

Substance abuse refers to harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances including alcohol and illicit drugs. The United States is suffering more than ever from the abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Substance abuse costs the United States more than seven hundred and forty billion dollars annually in cost related to crime, lost work productivity, and health care. The United States consumes 80% of the worlds prescription painkillers supply, despite not even making up 5% of the worlds population, with nearly 17 million adults suffering from alcoholism (Facing Reality: 8 Shocking Drug and Alcohol Abuse Statistics). Unfortunately substance abuse is on the rise faster than ever.

If you have ever seen the movie The Wolf on Wall Street, there is no doubt you have seen the effects drugs can have. Leonardo DiCaprio portrays a high-strung stock broker reliant on a multitude of illegal drugs to keep up with his hectic life style. His addiction gets so severe that at one point in the movie, he is lying on the floor, unable to move due to the drugs’ effects on his body. Even though the movie is set in the 90’s, a decade infamous for its use of drugs, today, drug usage and abuse has never been more of an issue. According to Alice Park (2016), “More people died of drug overdoses in 2014 in the U.S. than in any other year” (p.49). What people fail to realize is that drug abuse effects more than just the individual that uses them. The loved ones trying to support the user, the community the user is in, can all be affected by drug abuse. In fact, all members of society are affected by the abuse of drugs. In short, no one benefits from drug abuse. In the words of the Nation Institute of Drug Abuse, “Drug abuse is a major public health problem that impacts society on multiple levels. Directly or indirectly, every community is affected by drug abuse and addiction, as is every family. Drugs take a tremendous toll on our society at many levels” ( Magnitude, 2016).

Today's changing society has many global problems. Every passing year seems to uncover a new difficulty within the world. One of these many controversial problems is the excessive drug and alcohol millions misuse daily. From drunk driving wrecks to overdoses, today’s abuse problem has skyrocketed.

Substance abuse is a public health concern across the United States. People using illicit substances are increasing. According to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in 2011 there were 22.5 million people in the aged 12 or older in the United States using any illicit substance. This constitutes 8.75% of the population of the country. This needs to be addressed at multiple levels to minimize its evil effects.

A growing number of Americans are beginning to suffer from substance abuse. Substance abuse includes underage drinking, alcohol dependency, prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and illicit drug use. All aspects of our communities are beginning to be affected in large numbers. Not only is it affecting the individual directly, but it is hurting families, friends, and everyday peers of the individual.

Drug abuse is a rampant problem in the United States. Drugs can be abused in a variety of different ways by people from every walk of life. Most of us have been affected by drug abuse either directly or indirectly. Drug abusers harm themselves, as well as their families and communities. Drug abuse takes an enormous toll on our society at many levels. The cost of drug abuse on our society is astronomical, not only financially but also personally, emotionally, socially and professionally.

The world, holistically, has faced many dilemmas. One that has plagued society for centuries is drug addiction. One might feel as if they’re too wise, too dominant, too up to speed to become addicted to drugs however addiction can lure anyone. Drug addiction has been an obstacle that has been a quandary for the nation, and people must be informed about. This includes the different addictive drugs and how they affect society.

Drugs and alcohol have been evident in each and every generation, throughout the history of the United States. For this reason, substances have overtaken the lives of many consumers. Substance Abuse, commonly known as drug abuse, is the consistent use of a drug in which users, consume substances in amounts, that can be harmful to the individual and his/her surroundings. These substances can be items such as alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, heroin, or even prescription drugs.( Wulffson 1) Substance Abuse is a major problem that impacts society on many levels. Regardless of whether you struggle with substance abuse, the emotional and financial impacts of this disorder stems and shoots out through communities, cities, and states rapidly. In the United States, Substance Abuse alone costs our nation more than $484 billion per year. The cost of Substance Abuse is spiraled from traffic accidents, healthcare costs, job loss, and even crime. (NIDA 1) “According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 21.8 million Americans age twelve years and older (8.7 percent of the population) used illicit drugs within one month of the survey.” (Wulffson 1) Many substances that have addictive properties, therefore the user becomes dependent upon the substance and eventually, extremely addicted to it. Almost : substance that is abused yields negative effects on the users and their community. Abusing substances can lead to various health problems. For example, tobacco is a

According to the National Institution on Drug Abuse, drug addiction is “a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences.” Drug abuse and addiction is an epidemic across the globe. It is the one of the worst health problems in the USA. It ruins the lives of individuals, tears apart families, and hurts children. According to results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 2.4 million Americans used prescription drugs nonmedically for the first time within the past year, which averages to approximately 6,600 initiates per day. “In 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older—9.4 percent of the population—had used an illicit drug in the past month.” (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Drug abuse and addiction has become a monster that is continually growing, and ruining and even ending many lives each year. Even though there are many new treatment and therapy technologies, its currently not enough.

In the past century, alcohol has been a prevalent staple in the lives of the majority of the American population. In the past few decades, we have seen the rise of illicit drug use increasing at a steady rate. The use of drugs is wreaking havoc in our communities. Addiction causes individuals to lose their morals in chase of one more high. Their life revolves around doing whatever it takes to find that next drug. Addiction in the United States is growing at a rapid rate; this is a direct effect of the faulty American legal system, stress placed on students to do well in school, and stress from monetary issues.

Addiction and Substance Abuse is a complex disease. With this in mind, substance abuse is one of the prime causes of death in the United States. From overdosing to drunk driving, both of these topics dwindle down to lack of self-control and adapting. The evidence shows, the devastating actions of this disease and how it is affecting not only our society but also the health of many struggling individuals.

Drug addiction has far reaching ramifications on individuals and society. It leads to decline in productivity and a surge in health and crime related costs. In the United States, these costs exceed $600 billion annually. These costs include $181 billion for illicit drugs, $193 billion for tobacco, and $235 billion for alcohol. These costs do not bring into perspective the breadth of destructive public health and safety implication of drug abuse and addiction like family breakages; loss of employment; failure in school; domestic violence; and child abuse which are not factored in (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2004).

Drug abuse is a disease where people compulsively seek and use drugs knowing the harmful consequences (Nida, 2017). Most of America's top social problems relate to or are impacted by drug abuse: drugged driving, child abuse, violence, and stress. Drugs take an immense toll on our society at many different levels. This includes health care expenditures, lost earnings, and costs associated with crime and accidents (Nida, 2017). For example, according to NIDA(National Institute On Drug Abuse) Illicit drugs alone cost the U.S. $11billion alone in health care costs, illicit drug users are more likely to miss days at work leading to loss of wages, and 60% of adults are in prison for drug related crimes (Nida, 2017). Everyone is affected by drug