Social Problem Final - Research Paper Example

Drug abuse change the way people feel, act and think (Edelfield et al, 2012). However, consumption of drugs when people are unwell under instruction from doctors does not constitute drug abuse. Drug abuse is a social problem because it affect those who abuse and also the significant others. Drugs abuses reduce the immune system and make an individual susceptible to communicable diseases. Moreover, it has been proven that drug abusers reduce the quality of life for themselves and their children.

The income that ought to cater for families is wasted in buying illicit substance rather than catering for the safety of the family. The effects of drug abuse include increased cost of administering rehabilitation and illness, physical weakening, and mental deterioration. Drug abuse is real social problem that need to be addressed to enhance and sustain increased productivity. Body The United Nation Office on Drug and Crime (2008) says that about 5.7% of the global population has ever abused brew and drugs once in a year.

UNODC report that the mostly abused drug is Cannabis with over129 million people. The other most abused is Amphetamine, and opiates (2008). The extent of social problem caused by substance abuse can be understood by analyzing some indicators. These include problem caused to young people, measure of drug use period, the social cost and demand for treatment of drug related ailments, and mortality and morbidity of substance abuse. Having outline the social problem indicators that determine the extent of substance abuse, the United Nation stipulate measure to undertake to curb the menace.

However, the UNODC faces challenges in collecting data from the world. (UNODC, 2008). In the United State of America, Narcotics had been recognized as a public health issue in 1900. Moreover, the government at that time realized that it was prudent to address the narcotics addition. In 1914, the Harrison Act was passed, and it aimed to prohibit the use of narcotics without doctor’s prescription. The drug problem at the time prompted the re-organization of research committees into ‘The Opium Problem.

’ In 1929, the National Research Committee advanced fund to Committee on Drug Addiction, and Narcotics to produce drugs that would not have additive effects. The committee remained in operation until 1976 and as a party to National Academy of Sciences (Eddy, 1973). In 1929, the U.S. legislature passed the Porter Bill authorizing research on substance addiction. The mandate was given to Narcotics Hospital mostly referred to as ‘The Narcotic Farm’ (Acker, 2002). Later, the Narcotic Hospital became a research laboratory known as the Addition Research Centre.

It is this institution that worked well in the whole world to study and analyze additions. Schafer (2011) argue that alcohol abuse is increasing as a serious social problem that detriment the relationships individuals and their families. According to Brake (1994), alcoholism has increased death and fatal injuries of more than 18000 people each year. Moreover, alcohol abuse has caused deaths from suicides, fires, drowning and in violent crimes. However, not only alcohol is abused in the U.S., but also heroin and cocaine (Holloway, 1991).

He estimates that, by 2011, heroin had an addict of about one million while cocaine had 2 million addicts. The cost of substance misuse to the children and the