Causation of Drug Abuse among University Students and Effects - Research Paper Example

pr time Research Paper Proposal– final draft Causation of Drug Abuse among and Effects Use of legal and illegal drugs in colleges and universities in the US is increasing for more than 10 years. According to the statistics from United Nations, the United States is the biggest drug market in the world, and the reason behind this is the extensive drug use at the universities in the United States (United Nations, 2011). Drug abuse in the universities is one of the biggest reasons behind the excessive and continuous drug use in the US. The primary theme of the paper would be the detrimental impacts of the use of drugs, mainly marijuana, on the university students’ behavior, social lives, careers and future. The research question of the paper would be why the university students use illegal drugs like marijuana and how can the use of drugs in universities be controlled. This is important because as a university student, my college mates bother me a lot with their marijuana abuse habits. Some university students who use illegal drugs have caused many problems to themselves and the people around them. From the perspective of the students, drug use is for coping with the stress of studies or gaining energy (Terry-McElrath et al, 2009). However, as opposed to the perception of the students, drug abuse can have detrimental impacts on the lives of the students (White, 2011). Most drugs used by the university students are marijuana and the students believe that marijuana actually help them deal with the challenging circumstances (Terry-McElrath et al, 2009). Drug use cannot only be the reason behind the poor performance of students in exams, but it can also lead towards the destruction of the overall personality of the students as individuals i.e. the way they socialize, the way they carry themselves in professional capacity and their cognitive abilities (Johnstonet al, 2003). The paper would find and evaluate the causations and effects of drug abuse, such as marijuana, for university students in the US, in order to help those students cope up with their lives and provide awareness to other students especially those who are at-risk. The paper would also compare the performances of the students who use drugs with the students who do not. The paper would include an analysis of the overall scenario of the drug use in the US with a specific emphasis on the drug abuse in the universities by students at times of stress. The analysis would include the drugs that are used, the illegal trafficking of drugs in the US, the drug abuse in the universities and effects of the drug use on the different aspects of the lives of the students. The paper would show that the impacts of the drug use by students are detrimental, and steps should be taken in order to control the overall situation. The strategies being applied by the law enforcement authorities in order to control the situation will also be assessed along with the presentation of some recommendations for the betterment of the strategies. The issue of drug abuse by students in universities and colleges has been around for decades, but in the recent past, the statistics have showed that the use of drugs has dramatically increased in the recent past (United Nations, 2011). Despite the achievements of the war on drugs in the U.S. in the last 30 years, consumption of drugs has increased in recent times and mainly affects the younger population. This increase is definitely an issue to worry about and this problem cannot be left untouched. In the societal picture, this issue holds a vital position because the use of drugs affects the very youth of the society (Gledhill-Hoyt, 2000). Drug use affects every sector of society that is vital to a strong country like the U.S., putting pressure on the economy, the health and justice systems and threatening future of the young people. The research on this problem is significantly important because this issue can have disastrous impacts if not dealt with properly, which would be indicated in the primary and secondary sources. The primary text for this paper would be the book College Drinking and Drug Use by Helene Raskin White and David L. Rabiner. The authors provide a comprehensive account of the use of illicit drugs in colleges and universities, and the factors that lead the students towards such choices. According to the authors, drug abuse among college students can cause serious academic and safety problems, and can have long-term negative repercussions, and the theme of the research paper would comply with this claim. The paper would use secondary sources such as journal articles, news articles, research studies and books related to the topic in order to support the main theme of the paper and the primary text. The use of illicit drugs, including marijuana, by students in the US has been rising, and there are numerous detrimental impacts of the use of drugs (White et al, 2011). If a large proportion of the young adults of the US get involved in illicit drugs abuse, it can impact their own future along with the future of the economy of the country (Dejong et al. 2009). According to The Health Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention (2008), a significant increase in the use of illicit drugs such as Marijuana and Cocaine has been observed in universities and colleges in the US in the recent past. Students in the US within the age group of 18 – 29 years have been observed to have a very high rate of illegal drug abuse, such as Marijuana and Cocaine, in comparison with other age groups (Compton et al, 2004). The age group indicates that the use of drugs is significantly high among college and university students as compared to other age groups (United Nations, 2011). Another study suggests that highest rate of illicit use of prescription drugs is found in the young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 years (Johnston et al, 2005). According to one such study, it was found out that, approximately three college students out of ten used marijuana or cocaine during the year of the study (Mohler-Kuo et al., 2003). Based on a report released by The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Protection (2008), the use of marijuana in colleges and universities increased in the 1990s and it is being used by the large number of students today as well. The center found out in a survey that 91 percent of students who used marijuana also took part in high risk activities like cigarette smoking or drinking. The research paper will add: the effects of the drug use on different aspects of the life of the students and the reasons behind the ineffectiveness of the strategies designed to cope with the issue to the overall discussion regarding the problem. A search will be conducted of databases and those journals that are relevant will be used. Science Direct is one of the sources of these journals. The project would be focused on the detailed overview of the problem and the negative impacts caused by the problem. The working thesis will be illegal drug use should be controlled because it has detrimental impacts on the students both physically and mentally, which could result bad academic performance, poor cognitive and social abilities to themselves, and dangerous activities to the society, such as stealing, robbing, physical injury, etc. The paper would be organized in a logical manner starting with a general overview of the problem of drug use in the US and moving towards the specificity of the problem which is the marijuana abuse by the students in the universities and colleges of the United States. The paper would evaluate the problem, explain the causations behind the problem, and it would explain the impacts caused by the problem. The project is regarding the causations of illicit drug use, such as use of marijuana and cocaine, by students in the universities of the US and the detrimental impacts that it has on different aspects of the lives of the students. The goal of the project is to find credible sources that support the main thesis and to structure the argument in a logical manner. I am going to do more research on drug use in universities and their short term and long term impacts to find more causations and effects of drug abuse by university students in the US to help those students cope with their lives, and provide awareness to other students who are at-risk Works Cited Compton, W. M. "Prevalence of Marijuana Use Disorders in the United States: 1991-1992 and 2001-2002." JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 291.17 (2004): 2114-121. Print. DeJong, William. Problem Analysis: The First Step in Prevention Planning. USA: The HigherEducation Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention, 2009.Print. Gledhill-Hoyt, J., Lee, H., Strote, J., Wechsler, H. “Increased use of marijuana and other illicit drugs at US colleges in the 1990s: Results of three national surveys.” Addiction. 95 (2000): 1655–1667. Print. Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G. Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975–2002. Volume II: College Students and Adults Ages 19–40 (NIH Publication No. 03-5376) Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse; 2003. Print. Mohler-Kuo, M., Lee, J. E., Wechsler, H. “Trends in marijuana and other illicit drug use among college students. Results from 4 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study Surveys: 1993–2001.” Journal of American College Health. 52 (2003): 17–24. Print. Terry-McElrath, Yvonne M., et al. “Reasons for Drug Use Among American Youth by Consumption Level, Gender, and Race/ Ethnicity: 1976-2005.”Journal of Drug Issues 39.3-4 (2009): 677-714. Print. The Health Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention.Marijuana Use Among Students At Institutions of Higher Education. U.S. Department of Education, 2008.Web. 20 April 2012. United Nations. World Drug Report 2011. New York: United Nations Office on Drugs andCrime, 2011. Web. 20 April 2012. White, Helen, and Rabiner,David.College Drinking and Drug Use. USA: Guilford Press,2011. Print. Read More