The Affects of Drug Abuse on Society

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Illegal drug use is one of the most common problems that affect Americans every day. Joyce B. Shannon (2010) found that, “More than 35 million individuals used illicit drugs or abused prescription drugs in 2007” (p. 11). The impact can be seen in communities of all types, and people with low and high income levels. Drug use is at the root of many problems with our society. Joyce B. Shannon (2010) referenced a survey from 2004 that states, “32% of state prisoners and 26% of federal prisoners” admitted that they were currently serving jail time for offences committed while they were, “under the influence of drugs” (p. 102). The reasoning behind this issue will be explained from a psychological, sociological, and an anthropological perspective including the benefit of an interdisciplinary perspective to grasp the cause of drug use and it’s affect on society. The Psychological Perspective on the Issue According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (2010), “Scientists estimate that genetic factors account for between 40 and 60 percent of a person’s vulnerability to addiction,” (p. 8). This statistic emphasizes how significant the genetic makeup of an individual is in relation to addictive substances (p. 8). There are additional trends that lead to enhanced levels of addiction. The NIDA (2010) also found that experimentation with drugs at younger age can lead to an increase in risk toward abuse of more intense and harmful drugs (p. 9). Finally, the NIDA explains one of the scariest ways risk is increased relies on the continued method of delivery of drugs into the body (p. 9). The NIDA (2010) found that if the drug has smoked or injected a drug, the user will have increased their, “Addictive potential” (p. 9). ... ... middle of paper ... ...ences (Chapter 6). Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=11&hid=6 &sid=637e49c6-a25a-433c-a0cb-18065c5e7e1b%40sessionmgr13 Hirschman, E. C., (Sept 1 1992). The Consciousness of Addiction: Toward a General Theory of Compulsive Consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 19(2), doi: 10.1086/209294 National Institute on Drug Abuse, (Aug 2010). Drugs, Brains, and Behavior the Science of Addiction. Retrieved from http://www.nida.nih.gov/scienceofaddiction/sciofaddiction.pdf Sanders, B., Lankenau, S. E., Jackson-Bloom, J., & Hathazi, D. (2008). Multiple Drug Use and Polydrug Use Amongst Homeless Traveling Youth. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 7(1), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=15&hid=104&sid=5a5338b2-d34e-4e52-9e55-bdde65b8435a%40sessionmgr111

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