...What is the first thought that comes to mind when asked about drug abuse in the United States? What are its long-term effects on humans and society? Drug abuse in the United States is often overlooked, but drugs such as cocaine have caused irreversible destruction to our society. These effects can be seen through families, increase in drug related crimes, death, and neighborhoods with violence. In today’s world people only tend to see cocaine as a white substance and don’t fully realize from where it originates. Cocaine is a drug extracted from the “leaves of coca plants” and later turned into “white powder” or a “rock” through a tedious process of chemicals (Cleveland Clinic). It is an influential brain “stimulant” which means that when it...
Words: 409 - Pages: 2
...Most of us respect prescription drugs, mainly used for the reason the doctor intended. Understanding problems, pitfalls and the magnitude prescription drug abuse and misuse has on today’s society. Medical society estimates the number as high as 40 million people (aged 12 and older); have used drugs for nonmedical reasons in their lifetime. Making nonmedical use of prescription drugs a defining drug dilemma of the new century. The management of chronic pain is an art and a science, according to the Center of Disease Control (CDC). Nevertheless, the opioid epidemic has received substantial publicity and policy makers are more aggressively trying to combat the problem. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the three classes of...
Words: 1252 - Pages: 6
...should know that we as our nation is facing this epidemic. Drug abuse is huge problem in many countries. Billions of dollars are spent trying to preventing drug use, treating addicts, and fighting drug-related crime. Drug abuse causes multiple problems for countries and communities. The medical and psychological effects are very obvious. Addicts cannot function as normal members of society. They neglect or abuse their families, and eventually require expensive treatment or hospitalization. Jesse Heffernan is a Certified Recovery Coach. He is a creative, imaginative, forward-thinking, advocate. He is also in recovery. (Cook Alicia 8/2008) “He pretty much used whatever he could get his hands on, and he admitted that “Crack was the bottoming...
Words: 965 - Pages: 4
...Substance Abuse in Today’s Society Substance abuse in the United States dates back to the excess use of morphine during the American Civil War. Morphine was used as a “wonder drug”, taking away the pain of soldier’s injuries as well as avoiding health hazards such as diarrhea. These soldiers ended up going home addicted, taking morphine even though they no longer needed it, and had to fuel their addictions just to keep their sanity. Present day United States is not free from substance abuse either, and it has started to escalate at an even bigger scale. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 570,000 die annually due to drug abuse (NIH, 2014). Due to an excess amount of people dying due to drug abuse,...
Words: 1216 - Pages: 5
...Substance abuse in the Unites States has changed constantly. In addition it has caused significant public health problem affecting society on numerous levels. Families as well as communities are affected by substance abuse. In this paper I will examine the past and current trends of substance abuse, and how the use of illicit drugs may be considered culturally appropriate. In the mid 1800’s Opium began to arrive as Chinese workers immigrated to the United States to work on the railroads and gold mines. By the late 1800s, opium was quite a popular drug. Before long, opium dens had spread throughout the United States. In 1803, the German scientist Friedrich Sertürner successfully isolated morphine from opium for the purpose of using it as a surgical and post-surgical anesthetic soon making it available to physicians in the United States. It did alleviate pain, but in the process it also left the user in an anesthetized and euphoric state. The benefits of morphine were considered amazing to physicians of the era. But, the addictive properties were not discovered until after the Civil War. “In 1895, Heinrich Dreser, working for the Bayer Company in Germany, synthesized heroin. Bayer began to market the drug in 1898 (Brecher, 1972)”. In 1600 settlers introduced cannabis to Jamestown Virginia at the time it was used for its fiber. That was used to make rope, sails, and clothing. From 1611 until after the Civil War, cannabis was the main crop in North America playing a...
Words: 885 - Pages: 4
...GLT Task 2 Substance abuse is defined as “a pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood altering purposes” (Medline encyclopedia, 2014). This includes over the counter and prescription medications. Substance abuse leads to many problems from homelessness, jail, and even death. Many people abuse substances because they have some kind of stress in their life and see drugs as a symbol for a way out (More, 2008). I will be discussing how prescription drugs have an effect on the United States economy and how social theory relates to substance abuse dependency (More, 2008). Prescription drug abuse is one of many social problems in the United States. This problem is becoming an epidemic. In most instances, people are using controlled substance that were not prescribed to them or uses a legitimate prescription that does not match the label instructions (Davis, 2011). People think that since it was prescribed by a physician it is safe. This problem has been growing over the past few years and has cost the economy billions of dollars (Davis, 2011). Prescription drug abuse may come as a surprise to people but since physicians easily prescribe medications now days, they can be accessed very easily. Most drugs that are abused are opiates, which people also illegally sell on the streets for money (Davis, 2011). These drugs can be ingested, snorted, and smoked which is a misuse of how the medication is prescribed and is considered a felony (Davis, 2011). A wide...
Words: 730 - Pages: 3
...talk about in this case report is the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) in the United States. A brief history about the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, through 1989, nine Prescription Drug Monitoring Program has been established. Two were located in state Attorneys General offices (California 1939 and Pennsylvania, 1972); two departments of Public Safety (Hawaii, 1943 and Texas, 1981) one in Department of Substance Abuse Services (Illinois, 1961); one in a Board of Pharmacy; and one in a Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Health Professions (Michigan, 1988). How PDMPs are organized and operated varies among states. Each state determines which agency houses the PDMP; which controlled substances must be reported; which types of dispensers are required to submit data (e.g., pharmacies); how often data are collected; who may access information in the PDMP database (e.g., prescribers, dispensers, or law enforcement); the circumstances under which the information may (or must) be accessed; and what enforcement mechanisms are in place for noncompliance. A lot of people die from overdose of drugs in the United States and from drug abuse, not only that but there a lot of non-medical drug use in the United States as well. According to the Congressional Research Service Seven million individuals aged 12 or older (2.7% of this population) were current nonmedical users of Prescription or psychotherapeutic drugs in 2010 over 1 million emergency department visits...
Words: 1612 - Pages: 7
...Alcohol Abuse and Dependence Correlated with Age, Gender, Ethnicity, and Religion [Name of Writer] [Name of Institute] Abstract This research paper entails the correlation of alcohol abuse with age, gender, ethnicity, and religion. This paper also explains in detail the implication that can be undertaken for the substance abuse. Alcohol is one of the factors that are creating the majority of the health problems in the United States, creating negative impacts on the life of an abuser’s family and children. Alcohol abuse has direct relation to the age, gender, race and religion. Table of Content Abstract 2 Introduction 3 Discussion 4 Age 4 Gender 5 Race 6 Religion 6 Strategies for Prevention of Alcohol Abuse 7 Conclusion 7 References 8 Alcohol Abuse and Dependence Correlated with Age, Gender, Ethnicity, and Religion Introduction In the United States substance abuse is one of the most common health problem that touches life of every individual in the family, child, community, and congregation. In contrast to the popular perception, the problem of substance abuse in the United States not only results in illegal drug usage like crack cocaine, but also in the form of the recreation known as soft drinks such as marijuana, along with the usage of extra medicine use prescribed by the doctors. The influence of substance abuse and alcohol abuse on families, children, and communities are dreadful in a manner like: negligence of family, abuse...
Words: 1498 - Pages: 6
...Devin Moore Ben Cope Lifetime Fitness 4, May 2014 Drug Abuse in America Chapter 13 The United States is number one in illegal drug use throughout the world (cbsnews). Men, women and teens across the country are becoming addicted every day to drugs such as cocaine, alcohol, heroin and meth. While Marijuana isn’t technically addictive, it is still the number one used illegal drug in the United States. Marijuana has become legal in some areas in the United States. “Single adults were more likely to report marijuana and cocaine abuse”. These drugs literally destroy lives. People lose their jobs, families and homes because of drug abuse. It is a problem that has been and will be relevant for decades and decades. The definition of a drug is a “substance that alters the user’s ability to function”(Powerpoint). When your ability to function is affected, it affects your everyday life. This is why people lose their jobs and homes. People will spend all their money just get their fix. Cocaine is one of the more expensive drugs. It is very common within the wealthier communities because it can be afforded. Studies show that Americans are four time more likely to abuse cocaine then the other countries in the world (cbsnews). It is also one the most addictive drugs after Alcohol. Its different names are coke, cocaine, dope and white. It can be snorted for a quicker, shorter high or it can be injected which will cause a longer lasting high. Many people begin using...
Words: 1040 - Pages: 5
...| The Addiction of America | The Abuse of Prescription Drugs in the United States | Sean Barnes | Western Governors University | 12/19/2014 | The abuse of prescription drugs in the United States has reached epidemic proportions and continues to get worse. Most people, however, do not realize how big the problem really is. It continues to get worse every year and it demands our attention. In 2011, just three short years ago, an estimated 52 million people in the United States over the age of 12 had used prescription drugs for a non-medical reason (National survey on drug use, 2011). The most commonly abused prescription drugs are pain relievers. Why are people abusing these drugs and where do they get them? This paper will attempt to answer those questions as well as pose a possible solution on how it can be corrected. Analyzing the Problem To begin, we must first take a look at why so many American citizens are abusing prescription drugs. Most will probably tell us that they became addicted to pain relievers after some sort of horrible accident or surgery. They were prescribed these medications by their Primary Care Provider and told to take them in the correct manner, which are usually one or two tablets/pills every four to six hours apart, as needed for pain. What they were probably not told by their Primary Care Provider is that they should not take them sooner than directed, nor should they take them whenever they are not experiencing pain. The directions on...
Words: 1762 - Pages: 8
...Drug abuse is probably one of the most relevant social problems faced by the United States considering that a study recently published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that one fourth of the American citizens consume illicit drugs on a regular basis (NIDA, 2013). After alcohol, the most commonly consumed drugs are marijuana, pain relievers like morphine or vicodine, cocaine, heroin, stimulants, tranquilizers, hallucinogens, inhalants and sedatives. In this regard, the data reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse point towards more than 4 million American citizens meeting the criteria of marijuana abuse, 1.9 million inappropriately using pain relievers and 0.9 million Americans abusing of cocaine (Figure 1, NIDA, 2015)...
Words: 1094 - Pages: 5
...THE CAUSES OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT’S 2 The parents of a teenager who talk to his or her teenagers about the use of drugs on a regular basis are 42 percent to not abuse drugs than a teenager whose parents did not talk to him or her. There is a higher amount of male teenagers arrested who have been tested and found positive for marijuana (The National Institute of Justices Arrestee and Drug Monitoring System). With many teenagers, drugs and alcohol are the most commonly abused drugs. Those teenagers do not see what drugs and alcohol can to him or her, or even see the consequences that can result from the abuse. The abuse of drugs can come from a variety of negative problems that the teenager may be going through. Why has there been an increase in drug abuse among high school students in the United States? Teenagers in the United States have one of the highest rates of drug abuse among other countries, and alcohol and tobacco use also still remains high (Higgins, 1988). Peer pressure has been acknowledged as one of the components that affects high school students in the United States. When a teenager is addicted to drugs or medication that he or she is prescribed, he or she may not be able to have control on the amount that he or she uses. Medication that has been prescribed to a teenager may make him or her feel better, but if the medication does not help than he or she may take more of the medication or look toward...
Words: 1056 - Pages: 5
...I will identify and describe the trends of drug abuse in the United States both past and current. We will explore the reasons why some may find illicit drugs to appropriate for use when there is not proper prescription written for the user. Also I analyze the social and health issues that plague the United States due to the abuse of streamline drugs. First we will look into the past trends of drug abusers in the United States, and what is the main causes of drug addiction was in that time frame. In the past most drug abuse started off though experimentation; where the users were trying to find out what types of effects the drugs will have on the body. While all this experimentation was going on the users would find themselves becoming chemically dependent on the drugs that they using. When drugs were being used past years the cause was to try to bring excitement to a person life, and by looking at the abuse of drugs in this influenced others that this was the only way that one could enjoy him/herself. Now we will look into the current abuse of drugs in the United States, and what drives people to abuse drugs in this present day society. Most of current day drug abuse is used to alter how the brain functions, and give one the feeling of being free all things good or bad just alone with oneself. Drugs are used so that the feeling of being overwhelmed, depressed, scared, lonely, sad, and upset will just go away. The use of drugs is just a temporary fix which means that a person...
Words: 854 - Pages: 4
...Drug Abuse and its Effects Introduction Drug abuse is a malaise that the U.S. has been fighting since a long time and still has a long way to go, whether it is the youth or the elderly, people from all age groups, all ethnicities and races, all regions and religions, seems to be afflicted with the enigma that is drug abuse. Internationally, over 200 million people chomp through some type of illicit drugs. From ordinary bhaang, Cannabis, opium to artificial “designer” drugs like ecstasy or MDMA, barbiturate derivatives, benzodiazepines like alprazolam, diazepam, amphetamines, Phenethylamine and Tryptamine derivatives; different forms of drugs are available for inducing excitation or jubilation. What is Drug Abuse Drug abuse is unprovoked, decorative utilization of any usual or synthetic substance or drug in an unapproved amount for performance augmentation and psychosomatic effect for non-therapeutic, non-medical use by an individual with methods neither approved nor supervised by medical professionals. The society as a whole has been at the suffering end of this habit for a long time. Drug abuse has made such deeper inlays in our lives that there seems to be no end to this menace. Drug abuse is a major public health problem that impacts society on multiple levels. Directly or indirectly, every community is affected by drug abuse and addiction, as is every family. Drugs take a tremendous toll on our society at many levels. People who use drugs incident a wide array...
Words: 3056 - Pages: 13
...Substance Abuse By: Ashley Johnson Introduction People abuse different substance/drugs for many reasons. The toll for this abuse can be seen in our hospitals and emergency departments through direct damage to health by substance abuse and its link to physical trauma. Jails and prisons tally daily the strong connection between crime and drug dependence and abuse. Although use of some drugs such as cocaine has declined, use of other drugs such as heroin and "club drugs" has increased. A drug is any substance that crosses from the bloodstream into the brain and that somehow changes the way the brain is functioning. By this definition, some common substances such as alcohol, nicotine, and even caffeine are considered “drugs.” Drug abuse implies “willful, improper use due to an underlying disorder or quest for hedonistic or immoral please” (N. Miller, 1995). Substance abuse is “harmful use of one or more psychoactive substance” (Abadinsky, 2008). The term substance abuse describes abusive or harmful use of any substance; it also known as a chemical or drug abuse. Drugs can have the wrong effects on people especially when used improperly. Not only does drug abuse harm you but it also breaks up families. Statement of the Problem According to www.medicinenet.com, the term substance abuse describes abusive or harmful use in excess of any substances. A drug is any substance that crosses from the bloodstream into the brain and that somehow changes the way the brain...
Words: 858 - Pages: 4
