Substance Abuse Is A Significant Public Health Issue Across The United States

There is no doubt that there is a prevalence of substance abuse throughout several age groups. To a certain extent, a society is faced with the reality of controlling substance abuse. Or allow it run rampant throughout the community. Often times, we hear and read about the level of substance abuse among teen, young adults and mid-aged

The consequences that follow the use of any drug are unfavorable. Although many individuals may see drug addiction as a mere lifestyle choice, it is a problem that many individuals suffer from and inevitably a growing issue that leaves major social and economic impacts.

Heroin addiction is one of the leading killers of adolescents and adults in the United States. In recent years, addiction has skyrocketed, and “the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths increased by 286 percent between 2002 and 2013.” In 2002, “100 people per 100,000 were addicted to heroin, and that number has doubled by 2013” (The National Institute on Drug Abuse 2013). The most affected populations include low income males, adolescents, and those who have a family history of addiction, due to their increased susceptibility and crime-ridden environment. While it may seem as though heroin addiction is “just another drug problem” in the U.S., it is actually a problem of major public health importance because there are numerous physical, economic, and social risks associated with heroin dependence. Heroin dependence in the United States accounts for brain damage, increased homelessness, crime, and incarceration rates, as well as economic decline.

You might find it difficult to read the data related to teenage drug abuse and addiction. Based on recent stats, the picture is not pretty and the information indicates that Americans are not doing enough to combat the problem of teenage drug

The United States healthcare system has undergone a wide variety of changes over the past few years. As the overall health of its citizens continues to deteriorate and people live longer, certain aspects of healthcare are costing an increasingly large portion of the healthcare budget. Problems such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and substance abuse have become the most pressing issues facing healthcare providers today.

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).

Drug use affects every sector of society, straining our economy, our healthcare and criminal justice systems, and endangering the futures of young people. This needs assessment is performed to identify what additional services might be needed to

The primary prevention topic of this community healthy and population field experience is related to the Healthy People 2020 goal to “reduce substance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children.” (Healthy People 2020, 2018). This topic correlates with the Roanoke Valley’s increase in fatal drug overdoses and the public health emergency that was declared by the Virginia state health commissioner in 2016, related to the opioid addiction crisis (Virginia Department of Health, 2016). While all members of the community are affected by this health concern, the primary focus of this assessment will be on the effects of and prevention of substance abuse within the areas youth.

In the United States, the rise in both illicit drug and alcohol abuse is continuing at an alarming rate. In 2009 alone, the United States saw 23.5 million people over the age of 12 needing treatment for drug or alcohol abuse (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2011). Per the Drug Enforcement Administration, in the same year (2009), almost 32,000 arrests on drug related charges were carried out (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2015). Even with the threat of prison time, and most federal prisons being filled with inmates on drug and alcohol related charges, 46.4% in 2016 the use and abuse of these substances is still on the rise (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2016). Because of this, and the seemingly ineffective incarceration system, the call for

America’s drug problem has increasingly become an epidemic. In a 2013 study done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 24.6 million Americans, 9.4% of the population,

Opioid exposure and use in the United States is increasing among adolescents. McCabe and associates (2017) specifically examine medical and non-medical opioid use among adolescents. Monitoring the Future study provided the data that was used. Forty cohorts of high school seniors ranging from 2181 to 3791 participants were administered in the form of paper-and-pencil questionnaires in the student’s classroom setting. Results demonstrated among adolescents that claimed to have use both medical and nonmedical consumption of prescribed opioids indicated that medical use of opioids began before nonmedical use. Prescribing patterns of physicians need to be examined to aid in alleviating medical use of opioids from progressing to nonmedical usage.

Why has substance abuse in the field of nursing been on the rise for the past 100 years? Could it be because of the high levels of stress along with the incredible toll working in the field of nursing takes on the body? Several different reasoning’s have been brought forth throughout the years, but nothing changes the fact that this is an increasing problem that has to be dealt with within the profession. “Addiction among nurses has been recognized by professionals in the field for over 100 years, and current estimates place rates of substance misuse, abuse, and abdication as high as 20% among practicing nurses” (Monroe et al., 2011, p. 504). This is alarming because nurses are in a position where they cannot afford to be mentally or

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

The rise of heroin use in the United States can be mostly attributed to more young adults between the ages of 18-25 using the drug. Data from NSDUH revealed heroin initiation rates by young adults during the years 2002 through 2011 was nearly two to seven times higher than the initiation rates in people were between the ages of 12-17, as well as older adults who were between the ages of 26-49 (Muhuri, Gfroerer, & Davies, 2013). Additionally, in 2013, young adults had the highest rates of

Since 2000, the drug use rate in America has risen to the highest it’s ever been. In a survey done in 2009, 8.7 percent of people age 12 and up said that they used illegal substances within a month of taking the survey, a 9 percent increase since 2008 (Abuse, National Institute on Drug, 2010). This statistic alone is very concerning due to