Drug Abuse in America

1618 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of drug abuse on the society

Use of drugs by early adolescents is increasing by the minute. Approximately 12.8 million Americans twelve and older use illegal drugs daily. Adolescents seem to abuse drugs more than any other age group. Ninety percent of Americans who have used illegal drugs have used marijuana or hashish. Society says drugs are evil and that they can turn a person into a rapist or murderer. America happens to be the most drug-aware and drug-experienced society in the world (Bancroft 2). Yet the United States of America has the highest drug abuse rate of any country in the world. Most Americans believe that drug abuse is a social problem. 45% of Americans know someone that is a drug addict. Drug use threatens every socio-economic background, geographical area, and race. Drug abuse has become a social problem because it has started to cause criminal activity and violence. Specifically, it leads to gender violence, employment and education delays and problems, and creates drug cartels.
Drug abuse can cause gender violence, depending on the drug. 48% of gender based violence is caused by drug consumption (Fernandez-Montalvo 2012:143). Drug addicts believe they are in control of everyone they have a relationship with, due to masculine exterior. Psychologists did a research over drug abusers and how that affects their personality. The study consisted of 314 patients (203 men and 49 women) from different socio-economic levels. After the study was done, every patient reported that they could not control violent behavior in different settings. 33% of patients admitted to becoming more aggressive and violent toward others while on drugs, and eighty percent of them were men. For most cases, “violence emerged in crime settings to obtain money for buying d...

... middle of paper ...

...it can make a huge difference.

Works Cited

Bennett, James. 1970. Drug Abuse And What We Can Do About It. Riverside County, CA.

Allen, Chris.2007. Crime, Drugs, and Social Theory. Great Britain: MPG Books Ltd.

Bancroft, Angus.2009. Drugs, intoxication, & Society. Malden, MA: MPG Books Ltd.
Fernandez-Montalvo, Javier, Jose Lopez-Goni, and Alfonso Arteaga. 2012. “Violent Behaviors in Drug Addiction: Differential Profiles of Drug-Addicted Patients with and Without Violence Problems.”: 143-157
Brook, Judith S, David W. Brook, Zohn Rosen, and Caitlin R. Rabbitt. 2003. “Earlier Marijuana Use and Later Problem Behavior in Colombian Youths.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Volume 42 (Issue 4):1-14.
Sheff, David. 1996. America’s Drug Abuse Profile. Middletown, IL. Retrieved December 12, 2013 (https://www.ncjrs.gov/htm/chapter2.htm).

Show More
Related

  • Drugs and Substance Abuse in America

    654 Words  | 2 Pages

    older have addiction involving nicotine, alcohol or other drugs (2014).” Meaning at 12 years old one CHILD out of seven would have an alcohol or drug addiction. Substance abuse in America is widely spread, and is definitely getting out of control. The sadness about a substance abuser is that they probably never even dreamed of using any type of drug, but when doors are closing they would kill for a way out, even kill themselves. Most drug addictions initiates in the household, and more spikes in

    Read More

  • Juveniles and Drug Abuse in America

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    Juveniles and Drug Abuse in America A drug is a substance that modifies one or more of the body’s functions when it is consumed. Therefore, many common foods qualify as drugs. According to this definition, some of our most cherished beverages such as tea, coffee, and cola are drugs. However this paper focuses on drugs that are abused by teenagers. Surveys show that cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and inhalants are the most commonly used drugs among teenagers age thirteen through eighteen. One of

    Read More

  • The War On Drugs In America

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    The War on Drugs in America The longest war isn’t one fought with weapons for freedom, land, or beliefs. It was a war against the use of illegal substances. The War on Drugs is a term that has been used for many years to describe the fight against illegal substances. However, time after time this war has failed. There has been a plethora of ideas on how to ultimately end this war. However, according to many polls, the drug problem in America is a rising problem. In order to understand the War on

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Drug Abuse

    1328 Words  | 3 Pages

    problem of drug abuse is the most serious and severe problem not only in America but throughout the world. The current problem is very acute in America. There are over 200,000,000 registered drug addicted people, and among them the amount of children is 1000,000. Over 50 thousand drug addicted kids are registered in America. Drug addiction is considered a disease, and it is in fact spreads like a virus among children. The hazard from drugs is too great to ignore. Although the problem of drugs may seem

    Read More

  • Drug Abuse And Substance Abuse

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    Illegal drug abuse and substance abuse in general is a pervasive social issue in the United States and the world at large, tearing apart lives and often condemning those addicted to a life in poverty. Often, people perceive substance abuse to be an entirely (or mostly) urban phenomenon, that chaotic “city” life is a magnet for substance abuse whilst life in a tightly knit “small town” is likely to discourage the practice. However, this is entirely a misconception; substance abuse does occur in rural

    Read More

  • Teenage Prescription Drug Abuse

    1434 Words  | 3 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse Years ago, the common image of an adolescent drug abuser was a teen trying to escape from reality on illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. Today, there is a great discrepancy between that perception and the reality of who is likely to abuse drugs. A teenage drug abuser might not have to look any further than his or her parent’s medicine chest to ‘score.’ Prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. Also, teens are looking to prescription drugs to fulfill

    Read More

  • Drug Abuse in the United States

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    Drug Abuse in the United States of America In the United States of America, we, the people value several things, some of which are freedom, expanding and taking care of our families and our financial security. We, the people, take such things for granted. We also discourage some behavior, such as crime, laziness and use of illegal drugs. Drug abuse is one of the most discouraged behaviors in our country. Use of illegal drugs is harmful to the userand all those with whom the user comes

    Read More

  • Drug Abuse and the FDA

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    Drug abuse is generally defined as the use of a drug with such frequency that the user has physical or mental harm or it impairs social abilities. Drugs are used as pain killers to avert physical and/or emotional pain by providing the user with a temporary escape from life’s realities. Even though, they cause different, more serious problems with only a short escape from life’s agonies. There are five different classifications (schedules) of drugs in the Controlled Substance Act of 1970.

    Read More

  • Drugs and Alcohol

    1096 Words  | 3 Pages

    Drugs and Alcohol For nearly 85 years, the government has prohibited pscychoactive drugs. American leaders attempted to do the same to alcohol with Prohibition in the 1920?s. In any society, drug use plays a part in the people?s culture. Whether it be a native taking hallucinogens for a religious ceremony, a destitute alcoholic drinking on a city street, or a group of teenagers smoking marijuana, drugs and alcohol have the same effects in any culture. The question of ?why do people use drugs? has

    Read More

  • Consequences Of Reckless Living In The United States

    524 Words  | 2 Pages

    so recklessly. The meaning of reckless living is breaking the law for profit and such things, like robbing federal banks, selling illegal drugs, killing, in general really bad stuff. Reckless living occurs to many teens because their brains aren't fully developed, this affects the decisions they make. A long term analysis of about 20,000 teens all around America grades 9 through 12 were interviewed three different times. First was in 1995, again in 1996, then the last one was in 2000 and 2001, the

    Read More

  • Drug Essay: Drug Use And Abuse

    857 Words  | 2 Pages

    Drug Use and Abuse CRJ124 NICC Sara Nelson I Intro Drug use as well as drug abuse is on a constant rise. There is a wide spread misunderstanding about drugs. Many believe a drug is something that the government has said is illegal to use or consume. However this is not entirely true. A drug is any chemical you take that affects the way your body works. Alcohol, caffeine, aspirin and nicotine are all drugs. A drug must be able to pass from your body into your brain. Once inside

    Read More

  • Opioid Addiction Research Paper

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    Disaster in America How many times have you turned heard a rap song on the radio glamorizing the uses of prescription drugs. Recently the opioid epidemic has been declared a public health emergency. Many people agree that opioid addiction has become a problem throughout America. There are many factors that has led to this crisis. There still questions about what exactly are opioids. Why are they so addictive, and what is being done to solve the issue? What are opioids? Opioids are any drug that acts

    Read More

  • The Abuse of Prescription Drugs

    1496 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the fastest growing problems in America today is the abuse of prescription drugs. In the past 10 years, the misuse of prescribed medications has skyrocketed, making it a National issue that many people are attempting to attack. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse: opiates, depressants, and stimulants are the three drug classifications most commonly abused by Americans (Kendall 175). The abuse of opioids will be the main focus of this paper, however depressants and stimulants

    Read More

  • Today's Drug Laws

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today's Drug Laws Today?s drug laws seem to do more harm than good. The so-called drug war hasn?t seemed to be as effective as it was intended to be. Its original intent lies in its name, to attack the drug problem in America. Nixon started the war on drugs in the late sixties to stop drug abuse at the source, the distributors. Another intention for the war on drugs was to show individuals taking part in this illegal activity that their participation would cause serious consequences. The government

    Read More

  • Drugs and Prostitution

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ed Sheeran’s hit song “A Team” talks about a girl who struggles with two different controversial topics: drugs and prostitution. Drugs are a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body;moreover, prostitution is the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment. Both very different from each other, both very self destructive, and both a growing problem around the world. “ But lately her face seems

    Read More

More about Drug Abuse in America

Open Document