Drug Abuse and Addiction

Many drug addicts do not have jobs or any legal means of generating income; they resolve to criminal activities such as theft, robbery, or aggressive panhandling. Due to the addictive nature of drugs, the user will be compelled to want more and more in order to continue feeling “normal”. It is what fuels their addiction and as a result, a lack of motivation to do anything other than obtaining more drugs. The drug addict’s family suffers from the effects of the drug addiction as well through emotional stress and psychological decay. Drug addicts also encourage illegal drug trafficking by helping fund criminal organizations. In fact, drug addicts are the reason why the billion dollar drug industry is as lucrative as it is. Without drug addicts, drug traffickers would have no customers or buyers to help generate income. Huge amounts of tax revenue is going towards the war on drugs which includes money going into police departments, border agencies, harm reduction programs, and anti-drug campaigns. The tax money being used to fight drugs could be used to better our education or health systems; instead it is being used to fund harm reduction programs such as Insite.

The cost of drug addiction is very high. At the individual level, addicts are losing their lives and talented people are being wasted because of drugs like alcohol, heroin and painkillers. On the world stage, addiction issues are causing government officials to battle crime and poverty in far too many communities. At the end of the day, addiction seems to touch everyone's life

The nation's children are often trying these illegal drugs at early ages despite drug education. These children also happen to lack in nearly every subject when compared to other nations around the globe. Many of the free nations of the world are dealing with terrorism and we all hope for a solution that will prevent any further violent acts committed against innocent people.

mothers suicide he states, “Eating oatmeal for breakfast, skipping lunch, smoking more and more dope, I’m determined to get her in the water before mid-December, the one-year anniversary of my mother’s death” (Flynn 138) These traumatic life events leave Nick wishing for a altered state of consciousness that is one of the many motives for drug use (Hart and Ksir 19). This motive is shown when he uses drugs after seeing his father sleeping on a bench. Flynn states, “I got high not long after seeing him on the Esplanade” (Flynn 176). This event is another example of Flynn using drugs in emotionally stressful times, which is an accurate portrayal of drug use and drug dependence. This need for a altered state of consciousness is extremely emotionally impactful. Due to this avoidance Nick never emotionally deals with traumatic life events, such as his mothers suicide. This emotional backup is shown when he becomes clean, “I went to meetings once or twice a week, feeling absolutely nothing on the wall over, only to leave feeling wretched. And I couldn’t stop crying. I cried every day for a year, and then the flow lessened” (Flynn 234). Nick’s outpouring of emotion after his sobriety is extremely indicative of the impact drugs were having on his mental state. This need for an altered state of consciousness is also shown when he was in high school, to illustrate, Flynn states, “Without hesitation I answered: I drink to get drunk, feel more myself when outside myself” (Flynn 99).

According to the United States Federal Register, the total cost per inmate exceeds $25,000 every year(8) At the same time, it costs tremendous amount of money on the prohibition of drugs in the U.S, “The U.S. federal government spent over $15 billion dollars in 2010 on the War on Drugs, at a rate of about $500 per second. State and local governments spent at least another 25 billion dollars.” (8) I think the first method to fix drug epidemic problem is to decriminalize the use and possession of small amount of any kind of drugs, and at the same time, put more effort into creating “parallel harm reduction measures”. That means the government should send the people who use drugs or possess a small amount

The complete banning of all drugs means that each user is a criminal; illegal purchasing, illegal means of financing the addiction, and association with fellow criminals of varying degrees. By studying the interactions between addicts and their dealers there is a clear cycle of dependency. Addicts are spending well above their means to fund their problem and making their money in illegal activities. Decreasing criminal activity by making drug substances legal, affordable, and accessible sounds bleak breaking the cycle is the plausible solution no matter political or personal

The issue of drug abuse and addiction in the United States has become much more relevant in the past few years. Drugs and the drug crisis were for the longest time something which was limited geographically, socially and racially. Which is to say that drugs were only a “problem” in the inner city. In the 1980s, this was symbolized by the so-called crack epidemic which ravaged the poorer and most fragile communities in the country. The issue of drug abuse in the United States is important because of how much it impacts the lives of people in all different ways and this problem seems to be increasing. Society must act to save these people in order to improve their lives and build strong communities for the future.

The reason for there views to legalise Illicit drugs is so that substances may be able to be standardized, the same way in which alcohol is (% of alcohol displayed by manufacturer) which would provide a safer product than those unregulated and dealt in the black market. As well the Government would generate higher levels of income as the black market would be almost eliminated. This further funding may be able to provide assistance to those drug abusers and help fund the Health and social cost associated with illicit drug use e.g. Health care (Ambulances, Rehabilitations, Hospitals), Criminal justice system (Prisons, Judges, police).

Our local governments including the mayors offices, police departments, school corporations, health departments, family services, mental health services, prosecutors’ offices, juvenile justice system, judges, courts, drug task force need to improve in their roles in the preventing and controlling of drug abuse. They need to address drug abuse prevention can control issues.

The consequences of any drug conviction are severe, burdening people by sometimes breaking up families and always leaving them with life-long criminal records that make it nearly impossible to get applicable work or housing. The stress this issue holds against people usually paves way for them fall into depression which usually for actual recovering addicts leads back to drug abuse. Many people faced with the hardship of making decent money actually fall into the drug peddling business themselves. The government's supply reduction tactic has been proven counterproductive. Most addicts become addicts due to emotional turmoil in life and should not be punished for developing a bad habit as their stimulant. As long as there is a demand there will be somebody to fulfil the supply.

From the last few decades it has been observed that drugs addiction rate is growing higher and higher. The responsible authorities are partially responsible for this as they are not spreading awareness or taking serious actions on drugs consumption. Among these “marijuana” a kind of drug gained much popularity among the people and is now highly consumed drug not in Europe but in Asia too. This virus does not leave United States too as reports provided by CNN stated that “one in eight United States adults smoke marijuana”. According to statistical reports it was estimated that people of US spends $53 million on marijuana. One more resource that is US drug enforcement Administration stated that criminals who are arrested for committing

repealed prohibition of many of the currently illegal drugs, it would a disaster and would only lead to more addiction by making a drug easier to obtain and cheaper, and it would only increase the rate of drug users. The idea behind the government controlling addictive drugs is good in theory because it would monitor and control the drug use. However, if we look at the abuse of drugs such as Oxy Contin, many people have died from overdosing on this drug, and many of these illegal drugs are very addicting. (Should Illegal Drugs Be Legalized? 2008). If you allowed drugs to be legal for 18 to 21 years olds there would still have the black market for everyone under that age and organize crime would profit just like they did during the alcohol prohibition. Several European countries have tried to legalize some illegal drugs in the past that resulted in a higher rate of drug-addicted patients (Should Illegal Drugs Be Legalized? 2008). The bottom line is that there is no clear solution; prohibition has its pros and cons. I just can not imagine having such drugs like cocaine and heroin legalized especially after all the anti drug education we have given our children and after how many lives have been lost to over dosing. The message is the wrong drugs are not good for you even in a controlled

The conception of having a justice system ruled by the general publics’ integrity or particularly lack thereof, is an ideal that frightens me deeply. Drugs are illicit, for this to be the case we have to postulate there is logical and vigorous reasoning abaft this. First, I believe it is not only the government’s mandate to bulwark their people from such things, but is withal in their best interest to keep their population away from this harm. I believe this is a case where the government does have the right to interfere with the situation. Why do I believe it will be in their interest? This is simple, the more drug addicts the higher healthcare costs, the more impuissant the work force will become and the perpetuated internationally perceived taboo of a now legalized drug market will just increase.

Drug should be legalized because its prohibition restricts the freedom of citizen. “Prohibition can’t work, won’t work and has never worked” (Carter 289) as it confines the residents’ right to choose, one of the most basic principles that this country is built upon. Liberties of society cannot be restrained unless the act may cause someone loss. We need to keep in mind that the druggies would not harm anyone if they can get drug in a cheap, easy and legal pathway which is when the government carries out legalization of drug. Thus, drug is a personal entertainment substance instead of a harming weapon. It would not hurt anyone but only the user themselves since it is kind of personality-destroying matter just like alcohol and tobacco are. However, it does not treated as personal and societal problems like they do even though “every argument that is made for

According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, iIn 2013, a survey reported that an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older had used an illegal drug in the past month. The first time someone uses a drug, it is usually voluntary. This first use is usually to mask certain emotions that they are currently going through. Repeated use can lead to changes in the brain that challenge an addict’s self control and interfere with their ability to resist the temptation of a drug, this addiction makes them feel better about themselves and forget about the problem they are dealing with at the time. According to the Mayo Clinic, drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a dependence on a legal or illegal drug or