Introduction
The Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy (KY-ASAP) is the organization that was established in 2000 to come up with measures that can minimize the prevalence of drug abuse. It aims at minimizing the use of drugs like tobacco and alcohol by both the young and the adult population in the Kentucky region. So much effort has been put to contain the prevalence of drug abuse because of the adverse effects associated with drugs. Drug abuse has been observed to cause serious health problems and even interfere with an individual’s performance in the workplace. However, there are those who oppose this argument but are rather in support of drugs because they believe that people can accrue certain benefits by using these drugs.
The proponents of this argument against drugs in Kentucky are against it because it poses a health hazard to the population in Kentucky. This can be observed in the case of alcohol because when taken in excessive quantities it can gradually cause the liver to be damaged and even the pancreas will be destroyed (Saxena & Ambekar 58). Further health problems that can result when drugs are abused are such as heart problems, ulcers and even diabetes. Cocaine is another drug that can be abused by the people in Kentucky and it could in turn lead them to develop kidney failure, cause the lungs to be damaged and result to nasal cartilage. All these health risks that result from abusing drugs can hinder the people in Kentucky from going about their daily activities as usual.
Drug abuse in Kentucky is considered to be disadvantageous because it results in addiction. According to Sloboda (109) when an individual is addicted, a substance called dopamine is normally released from the brain. This substance causes an individual to feel good thus they will find themselves increasing their consumption of drugs in order to satisfy their cravings. Therefore, addiction results into a big problem in Kentucky because people who are addicted will only focus on taking alcohol and abusing other drugs. Consequently, such people will be unable to take part in the economic development of Kentucky and thus increasing the levels of poverty amongst the inhabitants of Kentucky.
Those in favor of the argument against drug abuse argue that it is mainly caused by peer pressure. As such, the moral fabric of the people in Kentucky is jeopardized because of the negative effects that result from drug abuse. For instance, those people who misuse drugs may lose their jobs and their families. This is because such people will be unable to get to work in good time and they will even misuse the family resources, which eventually results in them being shun by the family members.
Abuse of drugs leads to the users both young and old experiencing withdrawal problems whenever they try to stop the use of such drugs (Ghodse 54). For instance, those who are highly dependent on drugs experience problems such as dizziness and they become shaky because they cannot survive without taking the drug. Withdrawing from drugs is usually difficult and takes a lot of support and time something which not many individuals are willing to go through.
Drug abuse can result in violence. As such, this could lead to injuries and deaths. People who consume drugs are not usually in the right frame of mind and thus they may engage in acts of violence unknowingly. The proponents of this essay argue that such acts propagated in Kentucky tarnish the image of the country as the country loses people with good prospects because of drugs.
The opponents of this argument have a different view concerning drug abuse in Kentucky. Some of the opponents say that contrary to popular belief drugs abuse has several beneficial uses and its use should thus not be discouraged. For instance, consumption of cocaine can boost an individual’s self-confidence and make them more relaxed. Additionally, it is believed that cocaine enhances a person’s focus and even provokes creativity in other people. Therefore, it is argued that cocaine is greatly beneficial to the people of Kentucky as all these positive attributes associated with cocaine enable the people of Kentucky to perform well in their places of work and in other spheres of their lives.
It is also argued that drugs are advantageous because they enable people to cope with the various stressful situations they face in their lives. For instance, teenagers tend to use drugs because they see it as an avenue of dealing with the various stressful situations they face both academically and socially (Lowinson 89). The use of drugs enables them have the courage to deal with the problems in their relationships, at home and even to overcome problems such as shyness.
Conclusion
Several groups are against drug abuse in Kentucky and this includes KY-ASAP organization because of its negative effects. Drug abuse causes problems related to health and even social problems and this impacts negatively on the residents of Kentucky. Furthermore, withdrawal is usually a problem for people who have become dependent on drugs and alcohol. However, those in support of drug abuse are of the view that it causes excitement, confidence and relaxation amongst users of drugs like cocaine. Generally, drugs have a negative effect and thus the people of Kentucky should be discouraged from misusing drugs.
References
Ghodse, Hamid. Addiction at Work: Tackling Drug Use and Misuse in the Workplace. Burlington, VT, USA: Gower, 2005. Print.
Lowinson, Joyce H. Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook. Philadelphia, Penns: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005. Print.
Saxena, Shekhar, Pal H. Raj, and Atul Ambekar. Alcohol and Drug Abuse. New Delhi: New Age International, 2003. Print.
Sloboda, Zili. Epidemiology of Drug Abuse. New York: Springer Science + Business Media, Inc, 2005. Print.
