Introduction
Human beings’ desire to employ substance that provides narcotic effects or pleasurable stimulation up on the central nervous system has been expressed universally in modern as well as in ancient civilizations. Over time, excessive indulgence in such drugs came to be considered as a criminal behavior whose penalty is long term imprisonment. However, of late, drug abuse has been considered as social and psychiatric problems. It is recognized that drug abuse have staggering costs to the society and the individual, psychologically, socially and economically.
Currently, the world is in industrialization era and metropolitan culture. The era not only provides facilities for living modernly, but has also given an exponential rise several social problems such as overpopulation, social and emotional insecurity, frustration, maladjustment and unemployment, which consequently exponentially increase the relentlessness of drug abuse. Drug abuse is neither a new phenomenon (UNDCP). From time immemorial, the psychoactive substances were recognized in every corner of the world; available in both traditional and primitive cultures.
The addiction of the drug is caused by wine, alcohol, opium derivatives or any other substance that drastically reduce the health and efficiency of the user. Also, it is extremely expensive to cure and/or meet the rehabilitation expenses. Drug abusers thus remain a liability to the society as opposed to being an asset (UNDCP).
Every segment of the society is affected by drug abuse. Every given day, more dramatic problems touch lives of individuals at all economic and social levels. Heroine, for instance, has evolved to be recognized as a cancerous disease whose cure is not yet established. In spite of the war against drugs, it is true that the result is an increase in drug abuse. Not only does is drug abuse deteriorates users’ health, it as well cripples the society. It has evolved to be a universal phenomenon and various communities are affected by it at different degrees (UNDCP).
Therefore, it calls for the answers to the questions, what is a drug and what is a drug abuse?
A drug is bigger term both used as non medicinal and medicinal purposes. Different people understand the term drug differently. To others, it is any substance illegal and that which is disapproved socially. Some people as well perceive it as all preparations of medicine (Maisto et al., 2007). For this paper, a drug has been taken to mean any substance that when introduced into an individual’s body, the structure or functioning of his/her body is altered.
Drug abuse is a relative term, as well. It is a socially disapproved usage of a drug. The first type of drug abuse is the recreational or nonmedical drug usage. To others, drug abuse is the excessive usage of psychotic substance solely not for medication purposes (Maisto et al., 2007). As postulated by the World Health Organization, an individual abuses drug when he/she consumes a drug in unnecessary quantities or when not used not for medical use.
There is no doubt that the problems of drug abuse are grave concerns to the society. Available statistics from the World Health Organization reveal it as a problem of deeper intensity, wider magnitude which varies and whose dimensions are so varied. To the society, drug abuse has repercussions for the individual’s health and happiness, family and the society at large. It has adverse effects on the society, the economy, politics, as well as on the international relations. An individual’s social functioning is greatly impaired as a result of poor health, social isolation and loss of income. Equally, it blocks the development and growth of the family. It affects the community’s social environments adversely. Consequently, the general society and its effective functioning are adversely influenced by drug abuse. Drug abuse is thus a major burden to the society. For instance, only the economic costs have been estimated to exceed half a trillion dollars every year in the USA, constituting health, losses in productivity as well as the crime related costs. This work therefore highlights the effects of drug abuse on the family and community, on health, education, crime, work and employment as well as how it generally affects the environment.
Drug abuse effect on the family and community
A family may be viewed as a very important intervention point--a natural organization for the transfer and building of community and social values. Drug abuse affects a family in different ways. Members of a family who are drug abusers have been recognized to have psychiatric symptoms like depression. Also, dysfunctional drug use masks an underlying emotional illness within the family (UNDCP). It therefore true that drug abuse results in a disturbed family whose impacts are reflected on the disrupted family life. In most cases, regular use of alcohol and marijuana, for instance, has been found to result in breaking kinship ties and widening the familial gap, particularly on circumstances family and community feel disgraced by their member’s drug abuse problem. Thus the consequential effect is the family dysfunction. Equally, other effects noted as a result of drug abuse are the child endangerment and neglect and divorce, increased overdependence, as well as the development of stress on the abuser’s institutions like the school, the church and the family (Cartwright, 1999).
Similarly, drug abuse affects the family’s level of productivity. Drug abuse thus becomes a societal cost. It leads to the loss of the capacity of productivity. This is as result of deaths caused by drug abuse. The deaths leave children endangerment and neglected or as well cause divorce. The family is thus met with higher mortality rate that causes trauma and stress, as well emotional, psychological and economical effects. Economically, the family and the community incur expenditures while treating or rehabilitating the family member. With reduced economic productivity in the family, the treatment and expenditures incurred further plunge the family into vicious cycle poverty (Cartwright, 1999). Also, dependency and drug abuse reduce both the individual’s and the family’s capacity to perform their work at the work place and homes. The family and community thus become weak economically due to the shortfall in employment and wages among the drug abusers. Long term residential treatment of drug abusers creates as well loss in family earnings as most abusers cannot work while under treatment. All these have similar social costs on the general society (UNDCP).
Crime related effects of drug abuse
According to the differentiation association theory, through interpersonal interactions, individuals learn criminal behaviors. Drug abusers tend to obey this theory. It is noted that drugs and crime are related in many ways. The illicit manufacturing, production, possession or distribution of drugs is regarded as crime. It is also true that drugs have higher likelihood of increasing crimes. They make people engage in money laundering, use of illegal guns, leading to terrorism and violence (UNDCP).
Psychologically, the society gets tortured due to crime related activities of drug addicts and abusers. The society’s political agenda becomes infiltrated with issues of drug abuse such as youth vulnerability, increased prostitution, and violent crimes. These are basically society’s social, emotional and psychological degradation (UNDCP).
Effects on society’s health
Health issues associated with drug abuse greatly impair productive employment, family life, diminishing quality of life and may lead to death. Drug abuse leads to disability, diseases, and dysfunction. For instance, it was realized that heroine kills hundreds of addicts annually (UNDCP). According to the World Health Organization, there is several-fold drug abuse related deaths. In the USA alone, mortality rate has increased as result of drug abuse. Deaths results from crimes or from deteriorating health life of drug users as well as due to increased prostitution. Besides the fact that diseases resulting from drug abuse negatively affect individual’s health and endangers everyone, the society also strains its resources to cure patients with AIDS, tuberculosis and hepatitis B. The AIDS stigma easily spread in the society as drug addicts constantly use unsterilized materials to use in injecting themselves and also relentless engage in prostitution. The society thus experiences overdependence on its health emergency rooms, overburden hospitals and being unable to offer better health services due to over-stretch of its resources (UNDCP). The society thus incurs an extra cost in its health systems. County’s, for instance, are forced to meet heavy prevention and treatment expenditures amounting to millions of dollars annually (Cartwright, 1999).
Why people abuse drugs
There is no single reason why people abuse drugs. The causes range from environmental, to pharmacological, to social, and to psychological factors, as described hereunder.
Young people abuse drugs so that they experiment, look mature, or be like their peers. Young people who see the older people around them - especially the parents and relatives – abuse drugs, may resort to abusing the drugs so that they look older (Johnston et al., 2011). Some do it in order to be accepted by their friends especially when the friends also abuse the drugs. The excitement of experimentation, especially with something forbidden, is another reason why teens abuse the drugs. The causes of drug abuse and addiction among adults are vast and cannot be fully explored. Some of the causes include the need to feel relaxed or get the energy to go through the hard times such as the pressures and stresses of personal and economic problems.
Personality is a major cause of drug abuse. Some people have personalities that are drug dependent. They include curiosity, which makes the individuals try and experiment with the drug; the need to look relaxed and have the pleasure; aggression, the need to feel good when one is impatient; stress and anxiety; and when one is diagnosed with hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder or depression. Lack of confidence and healthy self-esteem also contributes to drug abuse.
Social influence or peer pressure is another contributing factor. Human beings are social creatures are their behaviors are created through social interaction as depicted by the theory of Symbolic Interactionism. The relationships and the interactions that an individual has can make the individual give in to drug abuse (Antai-Otong, 2008). This is however common in teenagers. For adults, social etiquette such as drinking in parties directly contributes to drug abuse.
Easy access and availability of some of the drugs is another reason why such drugs are abused. Other causes of drug abuse include the need for peace of mind, tragic experience, unemployment, the need to relieve body pain, poor relationship with parents, escapism i.e. the need to forget worries, social stress, enhancement of sexual performance, lack of responsibility, and social stress.
Drug Abuse
My name is I’m a student of , and is conducting a survey on drug abuse. From this interview, I hope to find out the key factors associated with drug abuse, to determine its effects on the society, and to give appropriate recommendations. This interview is considered with utmost confidentiality and the information herein is meant for academic purposes.
Q1. What is your highest level of education?
Are you currently attending school?
Yes
Have you ever taken any drug? (Specify)
Yes. Alcohol, Marijuana, and heroine
Describe your use of the drug (s) (An addict, regular, occasional, other)
With alcohol, I am an addict (alcoholic). However, I use marijuana and heroine occasionally.
Do you remember when you started using the drug (s)? How old were you?
I started drinking at 15. The first time I smoke marijuana, I was 19, while heroine at 22.
What were the reasons why you used the drug? Why do you use the drug now?
Peer influence and the excitement of experimentation. Currently the drugs help me ease the boredom, relieve stress, forget my problems, and for relaxation.
Have you ever misbehaved under the influence of the drug (s)? Describe the misbehavior.
Yes. I’m sometimes rowdy and engage in irresponsible activities such as crime and irresponsible sexual behaviors. Sometimes I am very defiant.
Does the drug affect you in any way?
Yes. I have problems with financial management, personal safety, the law, my health, and my job.
Have you ever been suspended or expelled from school of job because of your behavior?
Yes.
Do you think something can be done to help you? Briefly explain.
Yes. I really need to quit drinking and smoking and any measure that can lead to it is very helpful.
Thanks for your time and participation.
References
Antai-Otong, D. (2008). Psychiatric Nursing: Biological and Behavioral Concepts. 2nd edition. Canada: Thompson Delmar Learning.
Cartwright, W. S. (1999). Costs of drug abuse to society. The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics J. Mental Health Policy Econ. 2. Retrieved 9 April, 2012 from http://www.icmpe.org/test1/journal/issues/v2pdf/2-133_text.pdf
Johnston, L. D., et al. (2011). Monitoring the Future national results on adolescent drug use: Overview of key findings, 2010. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, the University of Michigan. Retrieved 9 April 2012, from http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-overview2010.pdf
Lowinson, J. H. et al. (eds) (2005). Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook. 4th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Maisto, S. A., Galizio, M., and Connors, G. J. (2007). Drug Use and Abuse. 5th edition. Wadsworth Publishing.
UNDCP. (1995). The Social Impact of Drug Abuse Retrieved 9 April, 2012 from http://www.unodc.org/pdf/technical_series_1995-03-01_1.pdf
