Drug Addiction as a Serious Problem - Essay Example

? Drug Addiction Drug Addiction Drug abuse is a major public health concern which impacts individuals and the society as a whole. According to statistics, each day 8,000 Americans take drugs illegally for the first time; more than 7.6 million people have drug disorders and a drug overdose makes car crashes a leading cause of accidental deaths (Lyman, 2011, p. 4). Individuals can decide to take drugs by themselves or under the influence of peers, but what if they get addicted? An individual would say that it is a private matter since it affects only him. In fact, it is considered a victimless crime since there is no complainant except the government itself. It is an individual’s own life, and he/she can choose to live as they wish without any interference from the society. What individuals or drug addicts fail to understand is that the problem affects the whole society in one way or the other. Mills (2000) would argue that people lack sociological imagination, hence, they cannot see the link between their private life and the world around them. For Mills, private lives are a series of traps where individuals feel they cannot overcome their troubles. Trouble is a private matter and occurs when an individual feels his/her value is threatened, but if the value is cherished by the public and the public feels it is threatened it becomes an issue (Mills, 2000, p. 8). In line with the sociological imagination perspective, the aim of this paper is to explore the problem of drug addiction and its impact on the society. This can only be understood by linking biography (human nature) to history and how they intersect within the social structure. Drug abuse is an equal opportunity destroyer as it affects people across the board. According to NIDA (2013) no group is immune to substance abuse and its damage. For Hanson, Venturelli and Fleckenstein (2011, p. 2) it affects people “across all income levels, social classes, gender, race, ethnicity, age groups, and lifestyles. Drug abuse is dangerous to the health of individuals and a main cause of death not only to individuals, but the family and members of the society especially due to drugged driving. According to NIDA 19.5 million people aged 12 or older were current users of illicit drugs in 2003. 10-22% of car crashes are caused by drugged driving and tobacco causes 30% of all heart disease deaths each year. Marijuana is the most commonly used among 25.8 million individuals of 12 years of age and older reporting past year use (Lyman, 2011, p. 4). Other drugs include heroin, cocaine, psychotherapeutics, and methamphetamine. So if drug abuse is as dangerous as statistics shows, why do individuals engage in this activity? According to Lyman (2011) there are different motivations for drug abuse as there are various personalities. Some people take drugs as a personal choice, and as such see locking up drug users as a violation of their rights. As one victim puts it, whose business is it? He believes that since he doesn’t affect other people’s lives, it is his own business (Hanson et al., 2011, p. 2). Individuals are, thus, aware that drug abuse is wrong at least according to the societal values, but they consider it a private matter, what they do or do not do is their problem. According to Mills, if people are not aware of cherished values or threats to such values they experience uneasiness, but if they feel threatened they experience indifference and this is what modern problems pose to individuals and the community (2000, p. 11). Some people are not aware of the value of not using illicit drugs, but they feel uneasy since they feel they are trapped by the society that prohibits them from drug abuse. Whereas drug abuse is a personal choice, some people engage in such an activity due to their upbringing or socialization. Children grow up in different environments, hence, have different experiences. If a child is brought up in an environment where drug use is prevalent, the likelihood of being influenced by peers is high. Most of these cases are found in areas where poverty is prevalent. Most youths are jobless and to cope with their situation and for idleness they engage in such behaviors to forget their troubles. This is why Mills insists that an understanding of the link between individual and the society is important. It is not the wish of the individual to use drugs but the society teaches him/her to do so. Some individuals take the drug to feel ‘high’ and to reduce stress, but some drugs are also the preserve of the rich especially since they are costly (Lyman, 2011). Whatever the reason individuals take illicit drugs, it is clear that this affects not only the consumers, but the society as a whole. In a 2010 report to Congress President Barack Obama stated that “drug abuse endangers the health and safety of every American, depletes financial and human resources, and deadens the spirit of many of our communities” (Lyman, 2011, p. 4). From this statement we can deduce that drug abuse does not only affect the individual, but the whole society and the serious risks it poses to public health. As such, drug abuse affects the individuals, their families, and the community as a whole. To the individual drug abuse poses health problems such as cancer, heart disease, HIV/ AIDS, and hepatitis. HIV/AIDS results from the needles used in the injection of drugs, and in 2000 it contributed to one third of AIDS cases; in 2001, 25000 cases of hepatitis were reported (NIDA, 2013). A 2010 report indicates that drug abuse contributes to more than one in eight new HIV infections (Lyman, 2011, p. 5). Some suffer withdrawal symptoms such as vomiting, muscle cramps, and convulsions. Besides health problems individuals also experience injuries and death due to drugged driving. Some are engaged in crime such as burglary, theft, and assault to support their behavior, hence, they end up in prison. Some, according to Hanson et al. (2011), become poor and homeless due to the addiction. This is because many drug users miss days of work, become unproductive and are laid off or quit by themselves. According to NIDA (2013) drug abuse contributed to 31% of homelessness. Drug users cause a lot of problems to the family. One of the most serious problems is child abuse and neglect. According to NIDA (2013) two thirds of patients in treatment centers were physically or sexually assaulted as children. Most drug addicts abandon their children and do not give them the required care, thus, causing difficulties for them, and this may also affect their future. Another issue is that pregnant women who take drugs are at risk of a premature birth and of low birth weight babies. The dismissal from work of a drug addict is detrimental to the family. The family depends on the person especially if it is the man to provide for the family, and if he does not have income then the family is bound to suffer. Furthermore, most of these individuals are involved in violence especially domestic violence resulting in marital problems (Hanton et al., 2011). It also results in destructive patterns for the family such as denial, cover up, and even supplying money to the victim to buy drugs. To the society, very high costs are incurred in terms of treatment, prison expenses, court and criminal costs, prevention and reduced productivity. In 2002 drug abuse cost the society $181 billion, and combined with alcohol and tobacco the cost amounted to $ 500 billion (Lyman, 2011, p. 446). In 2004, 22.5 million Americans aged 12 and older needed treatment for substance abuse addiction, although only 3.8 million got it. NIDA (2013) indicates that drug abuse costs US more than $484 billion per year in terms of healthcare expenses, lost earnings, crimes, and accidents. The society also suffers due to the increased crime level, especially gang violence and theft. NIDA observes that drug abuse contributes to 60% of crimes in the US. When addicted individuals lose productivity at work it is the society that suffers as these people become dependent on it for survival and the economy becomes unproductive. Death due to drugged driving is also a societal problem. Conclusions Drug addiction is a serious public health problem and an equal opportunity destroyer. As much as it is a private matter it also affects the society as a whole. Charles Mills was right when he said that private life should be interpreted in the context of the community. Individual lives must be linked to the history of the society and its institutions to understand and solve personal problems. The choices that individuals make not only affect them, but also the world around them, and as such treatment and interventions for drug users should be individual and also involve the society. Drug abuse causes health problems to individuals and also high costs for the society in terms of treatment, incarceration, court and prison charges, and a lost productivity. Individuals while taking drugs should, thus, consider the impact it will have on the world around them. References Hanson, G.R., Venturelli, P.J., & Fleckenstein, A.E. (2011). Drugs and society (11th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Lyman, M.D. (2011). Drugs in society: Causes, concepts and control (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Elsevier. Mills, C.W. (2000). The sociological imagination. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (2013). Magnitude: Drug abuse is costly. Retrieved from http://archives.drugabuse.gov/about/welcome/aboutdrugabuse/magnitude/ Read More