The Ethics of Drug Use and Drug Abuse

To illustrate the magnitude of the research problem and provide a frame of reference, this section begins with a brief overview of the increased use of pharmaceuticals and prescription drug abuse in the US. The section continues with the relationship between illicit drugs and prescriptions, adolescents’ abuse, personal and social factors; then concludes with the theoretical approach. The Social-Ecological Theory, will be applied in researching prescription drug abuse, possible influences and protective factors in adolescents in relation to prescription drug abuse, to develop focused intervention strategies and educational programs for this population, similar to other substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.

The United States has the world's highest incarceration rate. With five percent of the world's population, our country houses nearly twenty-five percent of the world's reported prisoners. Currently there are approximately two million people in American prisons or jails. Since 1984 the prison population for drug offenders has risen from ten percent to now over thirty percent of the total prison population. Federal prisons were estimated to hold 179,204 sentenced inmates in 2007; 95,446 for drug offenses. State prisons held a total of 1,296,700 inmates in 2005; 253,300 for drug offenses. Sixty percent of the drug offenders in prisons are nonviolent and were purely in prison because of drug offenses (Drug War Facts). The question then arises,

The definitions have progressed from tolerance or withdrawal symptoms from a specific drug to chronic intoxication, continued use with increased dosage, dependence, and damaging effects to user (Reinarman 2005). Both of these definitions proved to be too restrictive because all drugs do not have the same effects on every user. The current definition used by physicians and the criminal justice system is based on seven criteria (Reinarman 2005). The constant evolution of how the professional world views drug dependence mirrors society’s change in the understanding of addiction. Historically, “the drink” was viewed as the devil and drugs were often thought to be the cause of many criminal acts (Schneider 2003). After the medicalization of addiction and dawn of decriminalization of drug abuse, public opinion of deviant alcohol and drug use has changed. For the family unit, it is much simpler to accept and approach treatment for addiction if it is classified as a medical disease. In society, drug users can be framed as patients instead of criminals based on current standards. By looking at addiction as a treatable set of signs and symptoms instead of holding the individual accountable for actions they committed while intoxicated, the disease concept releases a lot of the stigma that goes along with

According to the SAMHSA (2010) report on the national survey on drug use and health almost 22.5 million people are reported to be associated with substance abuse disorder (SAMHSA, 2010). This illness was found to be very common in all age groups, both sex, and seniors. There are several effects on these individuals and their families. Many people who suffer from substance abuse disorders fail to acknowledge these serious consequences. First of all, no response of pain relief can be seen with smaller doses of pain medications, as their bodies are used to high levels of various substances at the same time. Nurses become frustrated when they try to treat and help these patients with pain. Sometimes it is difficult to think about ethical principles when nurses have to deal with such patients with pain and suffering.

It should be noticed that in the recent few decades, the science developed at an astonishing pace, and the problem of substance abuse cause a huge public concern. Currently, substance abuse has already become a pandemic around the world. It costs individuals substantially, and it of their family as a whole. It is essential for the society to help those people who struggle with drug addiction to get rid of their pain and get back their health and balance life. Therefore, I understand the substance abuse is a tough area, and people who are struggling with addiction really need help. During the course of the interview, I

Drug and chemical abuse affect many families and that particular family that lives through a loved one who is an addict and the priority is to get help for the individual. In any intervention that involves drug addicts, a family's disposition is very important. Full recovery of any drug addict involves the restoration of the person's life as well as ensuring that those who are around the addict have the best ability when it comes to helping with abstinence which is a long-term goal. Abusers are often in denial or even believe that they are totally in control of their use of drugs

It is paramount to attempt to understand why individuals become ‘addicts’/ drug dependent, as in doing so treatments and therapies may be adopted in line with the needs of the drug dependent individual. A greater understanding in the area of causality may produce more effective interventions at earlier stages of drug misuse.

“Addiction is a choice not a disease”, is a common phrase that stigmatizes drug addiction in our everyday language. The lack of public knowledge about this social problem causes widespread stigmatization and discrimination of the ill. As a result, many individuals who seriously need professional help feel isolated and hopeless, making it harder for them to recover.

alcoholic is a 'bad person' because of their habit. This feeling that the client has, 'being a bad

Primum non nocere or ‘above all, do no harm’ is a latin phrase that is the basis for the majority of medical ethics (expand on that). The question of whether or not heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) or methadone-assisted treatment (MAT) for drug addiction is morally or ethically sound boils down to two key component, what exactly constitutes harm, and what moral view of addiction does one have. In the matter of what exactly constitutes harm, a particular treatment that cares for an

There are numerous ethical issues a counselor must confront during their work; dual relationships and confidentiality being two of them and are going to be discussed here. Both are important to both the client and the profession, as they set the expectations for how counselors are to act professionally (Miller, 2015). Ethical principles “direct the moral and value-based decisions that affect the counseling process” (p. 557). Without them, the profession lacks these moral and value-based directives and the ship that is “addiction counseling” has no rudder. It is directionless and adrift.

The Article that I read spoke about the Ethics of Drug testing and workers/students attitudes towards it. While depicting the attitudes about this topic they used a survey which examined six demographics: sex, age, political preference, job classification, years with the company, and functional work area/ major. It seems to me that the Authors are not really posing an argument in this Article. I feel that their goal was to demonstrate the way drug testing is received amongst workers / students and to express the financial burdens on society. The role players are as follows: Authors- Dr. Zafar. U Khan whom is an Associate professor of accounting in the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University, Dr. S.K. Chadwla whom is the Frank

The medical system is made by doctors, by people practicing medicine. It is not a social system; it is a system based on doctors and according to what doctors believe is the right way to take care of the patients. The bottom-line was that patients should not be judged, patients were seeking help, and the system should give them that help. So, they should not be judged for their drug addiction or their behavior. They instituted the system to help people, so when someone seeking for assistance comes to my father, he tells them, "I can help you in this, and this, and this. Although I cannot help you in that, I will do my best to catch you up with your situation." The system is all based on interdisciplinary collaboration between professionals

Thus far, throughout the semester, I have gained so much awareness and understanding for those whom are struggling with substance misuse. Addiction has played a major role in my immediate family life. Over the years, I have realized that addiction does not discriminate on a basis of race, gender, or social status. Based on my personal experiences, the perspective I have of addiction is that it is like a disease. It does not just affect the individual; it also affects everyone the individual comes into contact with. Addiction overall, is not just associated with drugs and alcohol, it is present with gambling, Internet use, sex, or even food (Van Wormer, 2013). In order to understand an individual who suffers from substance misuse, a therapist must first know the definition of addiction, be able to asses and diagnose a client with an addiction, explore the bio-psychosocial-spiritual aspects of their addiction, laws and ethics related to their addiction, and provide the proper treatment that will help them to recover. Throughout this paper, from a bio-psychosocial-spiritual perspective, I plan to explore the causes of Gia’s addiction to Heroin. In addition, I will examine my personal perspective on addiction and what treatment interventions and laws and ethics might come into play in therapy with Gia. Overall, I hope to provide Gia with an understanding of her addiction and provide the proper treatment on her road to recovery.

Ethics and law do not always go hand in hand. Not every law is ethical, and even if a law is considered ethical on its surface, it may result in unethical outcomes. "Ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues.”