Drug abuse does not only impact a person’s well-being, but it also negatively impacts society. The economy is impacted by health costs incurred from prevention, treatment, and hospital visits. Public Safety is impacted by drug-affected driving. Operating a vehicle under the influence is illegal and dangerous for the driver, passenger(s), and other people on the road. There are three classifications for drug abuse related crime: nexus, economic-compulsive, and systemic. Drug abuse also hinders productivity because addiction causes an individual to constantly seek the drug while deeming all other things less important. Companies experience loss of potential income from employees that are under the influence, incarcerated, hospitalized, or seeking treatment. Finally, economic consequences effect specific populations which include children, women, and people with low-income. Drug prevention strategies have been identified as a way to decrease economic consequences on society (“Economic Consequences of Drug Abuse,” 2013).
Substance abuse remains a large problem in the United States (US). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS), substance abuse continues to take a large toll on individuals, families, and communities nationwide. In 2005, an estimated 22 million people were struggling with drug and alcohol abuse in the US. Substance abuse disrupts families, impacts work and school productivity, causes financial problems, and is related to domestic violence, child abuse, and crime (USDHHS, 2015).
Gender, ethnicity, and the presence of other mental disorders may influence risk for drug abuse and addiction also. Negative consequences go along with drug abuse and addiction. Estimates for the total costs of substance abuse in the United States, according to Drug Facts revised in November 2011, say that including productivity and health and crime related costs, exceed $600 billion annually. “This includes approximately $193 billion for illicit drugs, $193 billion for tobacco and $235 billion for alcohol. Indeed alcohol has the highest amount of expenditure for abuse. These numbers do not fully describe the amount of destructive public health and safety implications of drug abuse and addiction, such as family disintegration, loss of employment, failure in school, domestic violence, and child abuse.” Drug addiction, along with alcoholism, is a chronic disease. With medication and psychotherapy they can be overcome. Relapse is always a concern and a possibility when considering chronic disease. The actual fact is that they can reoccur and will continue to need the willingness and commitment of the patient to maintain sobriety. Often people think that because a substance may be addictive that it should not be used; however the fact is that there are many benefits to the supervised use of marijuana which are more evident every day now. Chemicals that effect the brain and
My chosen contemporary social problem is drugs and alcohol abuse. Structural-Functionalist perspective on drug abuse is a response to weakening societal norms. Drugs and alcohol abuse is one of the most significant social problems not only in the United States but also around the world. As a matter of facts, drugs and alcohol abuse is a problem with innumerable effects both on the body and mind of a person. Many times, these adverse impacts affect the families, friends, and acquaintances of the addict whereby, for instance, the latter may lose their jobs or cause chaos. For individuals that abuse psychoactive drugs it can affect the body in many different ways, such as behavioral, cognitive and physiological problems, these problems occur when a person that abuse psychoactive drugs on a regular basis. Consequently, I chose this topic because it is a major problem that has affected the lives of the individuals and those around them in the communities. Not a single day has ever ended without me coming across a drug addict begging for money. To my dismay, some of these people are usually so drunk that they cannot even communicate or stand properly. Therefore, I have come to conclude that drug and alcohol is a problem that can cause long-term effects. I desire to learn more about the issue and help individuals with addiction problems now and in future.
This Paper examines the substance abuse risk factors, mental changes, treatment goals, devastating effects of substance abuse on the individuals abusing many drugs and prescription drugs are becoming an epidemic as well with continued abuse. Substance abuse damages an individual’s physical, mental, and social wellbeing. The substance abuse can cause long-term, dysfunctions and complications. The most abused drug in the United States is Marijuana, and that individuals will turn to crime to get the substances they want to support their habits of substance abuse. This paper also examines the promotion of wellbeing and what can be done to promote the wellbeing and stop substance abuse.
ties’ stability which cost an estimated 600 billion dollars a year in the United States.
Substance abuse is the use of drugs, alcohol, or chemicals. The substance abuse results in physical, psychological, emotional harm to the user or others. People abuse substances such as drugs and alcohol for varied and complicated reasons, but it is clear that it comes at a significant cost. 0Substance abuse can be recognized through it 's signs and behavior changes, as well as short and long term effects. There are various ways however to treat substance abuse.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (2016), the abuse of drugs and alcohol is a major public health concern. These are concerns that are impacting the society and communities at all levels, the user and non user of these illicit drugs, families and law makers equally .The use of drugs and alcohol releases a tremendous toll on our society at many levels and affects cost associated with crime, accidents, deaths, and healthcare spending . There is an enormous burden that affects two groups in the society, those who abuse drugs and alcohol and those who do not. “Americans perceive drug abuse as a major public health problem, many of America`s top medical conditions are directly linked to drug addiction. Researchers have found a strong connection between the abuse of tobacco, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), amphetamines, and steroids and the development of cardiovascular diseases ” National Institute of Drug Abuse
Substance abuse is something that has plagued our populations for as long as there has been a substance to abuse. Many of our top health concerns in the world can often be linked back to abuse of things like alcohol, cigarettes, drug use/injections, other types of tobacco products, and many other forms of legal or illegal substances. In the United States, substance abuse costs the nation more than $484 billion dollars per year. That’s more than the costs of cancer and diabetes care combined. Abuse of these substances does not stem solely from just environmental factors or just biological factors—both play a colossal role; along with personal characteristics and parental models.
Substance abuse and addiction have become a social problem that afflicts millions of individuals and disrupts the lives of their families and friends. Just one example reveals the extent of the problem: in the United States each year, more women and men die of smoking related lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined (Kola & Kruszynski, 2010). In addition to the personal impact of so much illness and early death, there are dire social costs: huge expenses for medical and social services; millions of hours lost in the workplace; elevated rates of crime associated with illicit drugs; and scores of children who are damaged by their parents’ substance abuse behavior (Lee, 2010). This paper will look at
Substance abuse occurs when an individual continues using the substance regardless of the negative cognitive, physical, social, or behavioral, and commonly mood related symptoms. These may include trouble with decision making, a deteriorating physical condition, a compulsive control, social withdrawal, or irritability and anger outbursts (Fox, T. Oliver, G, & Ellis S, 2013). If the substance abuse is caught in time before it turns into an addiction, then the many physical complications that the substances have the potential of causing will be lessened or non-existent. Several drugs including marijuana are consumed by smoking, and put abusers at increased risk of bronchitis, lung and upper airway cancers and chronic cough
Substance abuse is a catastrophic illness. People put it upon themselves when they become addicted, but unfortunately, there is a lack of support when an addiction becomes a lifestyle. Awareness is the main attack for the battle of substance abuse and sadly, most people are blind to the fact of how serious addiction can be. Educating youth on the consequences of doing drugs and consuming alcohol is the most significant way to ensure they make smart choices. For the people who are already suffering the evil, a strong support system must be implemented in their lives. Obviously, 12 step programs are active all across America today, but is it enough? I watched my Dad almost die in front of me. The doctors said it was a miracle that he survived
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Substance abuse is one of the most detrimental social problems found in all societies. It has been the leading cause for generational breakdowns of families and communities, and is probably the most controversial social problem when developing corrective solutions. Substance abuse can be defined as the chemical dependence, or pattern of usage of both legal and illegal substances, that has adverse physical, psychological, and psychomotor effects on the human body. The use of substances does not always have to be a drug, but can also be anything taken into the body that can cause a mood-altering effect, such as inhalants or solvents. Additionally, substance abuse has many different faces and is the one social problem that crosses all
Drug abuse is a major public health issue that impacts society both directly and indirectly; every person, every community is somehow affected by drug abuse and addiction and this economic burden is not exclusive to those who use substance, it inevitably impacts those who don 't. Drugs impact our society in various ways including but not limited to lost earnings, health care expenditures, costs associated with crime, accidents, and deaths. The use of licit or illicit drugs long term, causes millions of deaths and costs billions for medical care and substance abuse rehabilitation and the effects of drug abuse extend beyond users, spilling over into the society at large, imposing increasing