Social Problem Of Drug Abuse In The United States

Substance abuse is a very current problem in the United States. Opiate addiction is a particularly difficult problem in the State of Vermont where the abuse of prescription opioids has created addictions for many individuals. The problem of substance abuse has severe repercussions that may encompass severe dependence and overdose.1 Substance abuse is an epidemic that cannot be ignored. However, the combined forces of over-prescription, addiction and subsequent unemployment may mean that coverage for treatment for opioid addiction is not guaranteed even with increased Medicaid access through the Affordable care Act (ACA).

One of the fastest growing epidemics in the United States is prescription drug abuse as reported by the DEA (Partnership for Drug Free Kids, 2013). All ages are guilty of abuse of medications, however, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (2016) reports young adults abuse these prescription drugs at the highest rates compared to all other age groups. The NIDA reports misuse and abuse is highest among opioid pain relievers, ADHD stimulants, and anti-anxiety drugs (NIDA, 2016). The use of these prescription drugs to treat a variety of physical and mental health issues is quickly becoming a top conservative treatment option. While pharmaceutical companies make extreme amounts of profit off of these physical and mental issues, young adults are increasingly taking on the consequences of addiction and overdose.

Thousands of years ago, humans first started drinking wine, then later on in around 4000 B.C. narcotics were used, but during the 19th century is when the active substances in drugs were found. Many of these substances were given over the counter and weren 't regulated, which meant that people could easily obtain substances such as morphine, cocaine, landuam, and many others. During the early 1900s, an estimate of about 250,000 people were abusing a substance within the United States. Substance abuse is a serious problem which can affect one 's physical and psychological capabilities, their relationships, and also their daily life overall. Overusing a substance may lead to addiction, which can be hard to overcome, but it 's not impossible.

In the United States of America, we, the people value several things, some of which

As the use of illegal drugs and alcohol continues, substance abuse across America has become a very serious social problem. It is mental illness that has an effect on different races, classes and genders. The affects of substance abuse has caused countless of people to feel heartache and develop feelings of hopelessness. With alcohol and drugs readily available through prescription or on the streets (Butler,2010), it is obvious why many are acquiring addictive patterns to these accessible substances, and that the continual abuse of these substances has a severe long-term effect. Characteristics such as age, gender, race, socio-economic class, sexual orientation, different social groups, and geographical location are contributing factors

America has been at war for a lot years dealing with drugs in the United States. Law enforcement has been fighting to decrease this drug abuse for almost centuries. Presidents have personally have been trying to find different methods on how to stop this drug war. Unfortunately law enforcement has not been able to win this battle. You could see how they are losing because there been so many cases that involve drug abusers that had to go to get treatment or some even go to prison. This is causing so many problems especially with the drug trade business which sometimes involves violent crimes in different neighborhoods which is only benefiting the organized crime members and the drug dealers. The United States has put so much effort on stopping this Drug epidemic by spending billions of dollars to stop this war. In order to see how has law enforcement and the United States been trying to stop this war we have to go back to the history when drugs were introduced to the United States. According to Elaine Casey

In and around most large cities in America, the rising substance abuse epidemic has brought about a renewed interested in determining the root cause of substance abuse, the effects of substance abuse on individuals and societies, and the substance abuse treatment modalities that achieve the best outcomes. In reviewing the current research on substance abuse there seems to be no one clear cause of substance abuse disorders, although there is strong evidence that a number of life circumstances may predispose an individual to a substance abuse disorder, as well as a number of protective factors that may reduce an individual’s risk of developing a substance abuse disorder. One important risk factor that is commonly associated with substance

Whichever stance you may have on the matter, it is pretty evident that drug use is increasingly prevalent and an ongoing issue in the United States. “Drug use is on the rise in this country and 23.5 million Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs. That’s approximately one in every 10 Americans over the age of 12 – roughly equal to the entire population of Texas” said Dr. Kima Joy Taylor, director of the CATG Initiative (Drugfree.org). Because of facts like these, the War on Drugs was created with the proposed mission to deplete the number of drugs being consumed and sold in the United States. After over forty years since Nixon declared it, the War on Drugs has continuingly failed its promises and created additional social problems for

Drugs and alcohol have been at the forefront of abolishment since the early 1900’s. It was very hard for many people to understand why the use of these contents were so criminalized when many people engage in using it every day. (DrugAbuse, 2016) This assignment will establish the current drug problems in America, explain possible solutions to the problem, it will also explain what type of approach needs to be taken and why. It will discuss the changes in the criminal justice system from then to now, and the view of drug crime in public health policies since some 17 years ago.

The cost of alcohol and substance abuse in the United States reaches heights of four hundred eighty four billion dollars per year (“Drug Abuse is Costly, n.d.”). That’s about seven hundred eighty times the amount it cost to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted diseases in the year 2000 (Chesson, 2000). The social issue I will be analyzing in this writing is substance abuse. Much of my childhood and adolescence was spent dealing with the consequences of substance abuse of many of my family members. I would not only like to help bring more awareness to this issue, but also help in some way to end the stigma associated with substance abuse, because it is a mental illness all on its own. And these individuals do need proper intervention and care.

Drug addiction has always been a major concern in the United States. According to a survey conducted by National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) in 2013, 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older had used an illegal drug including Marijuana, Prescription Drugs, cocaine, Hallucinogens, Inhalants and Heroin in the past month, that is the almost ten percent of the population. Given that this number is 8.3 percent in 2002, it indicates that illegal drug use in the United States has been increasing rapidly over the past decade. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in 2010, nearly 40,000 people died of drug overdoses, greater than the total deaths of motor vehicle accidents, homicides and suicides. Drugs cost the nation more

I believe that one of the important social problems facing the United States is drug abuse. Not only is drug abuse killing people it is affecting poverty, sex trafficking, education, and in places over population. Most of our drugs come from southern countries but the Biggest is in Mexico in my opinion. There are very many drug cartels that get in through Texas, California, and Florida. We see so many tv shows that have to do with catching the bad guys that let these drugs into our country.

“In 2014, nearly two million Americans either abused or were dependent on prescription opioid pain relievers (“Injury Prevention and Control: Opioid Overdose,” 2016.)” The CDC is now saying that the United States is in an epidemic. The purpose of this paper is to explore the increasing drug use in the United States over the last decade. The primary focus is on the administration of opioid analgesics and the addicting mechanisms of these medications, and what they are used for. It will talk about the deaths related to these medications and the health effects, and the other types of drugs these medications can lead to, such as heroin. This paper will also talk about the costs related to opioid analgesics in the hospitals and in the community, and what we as health care providers can be doing to help stop this epidemic.

Drug abuse is a problem that has been increasing immensely in the United States. The amount of people using drugs is increasing drastically with people starting or trying illegal substances as a younger age. Drug abuse is the over use of legal and illegal substances. The abuse of drugs is the number one health related problem. Types of drugs commonly abused include alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, painkillers, depressants, cocaine, stimulants, hallucinogens, heroin, and methamphetamine. However, marijuana and cocaine are the most abused drugs in the United States.

Substance abuse in America has gone to lengths such as reaching the rural Appalachian culture in West Virginia. Despite the Nationwide crisis and epidemic of 23 million individuals using, misusing and abusing substances West Virginia is currently unable to say that they are safe and that they have not been affected by this epidemic (Carpenter, Mcclellan, & Rees, 2016). All types of drugs ranging from medication prescribed substances to street drugs have been reported in just about all areas of West Virginia and substances have been reported reaching this community that once was known as being close knitted, family orientated and inseparable. In simpler terms this means that West Virginia has now become a part of the United States