Substance Abuse

Substance Abuse

1. Introduction

Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, can be defined as the pattern of injurious use of a substance for the purposes altering the moods of an individual. Substance abuse involves the consumption of substances in amounts or through methods that are harmful to an individual or others. The key area of concern as regards the use of drugs relates to the risk of dependence.

Thesis Statement

While it is apparent that a number of complicated reasons exist for the abuse of substances such as tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, as well as other hard drugs, it is clear that the society pays a considerable cost.

2. Body

Main Point 1: People abuse substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and drugs for diverse and complex reasons, but it is obvious that the society pays a considerable cost.

1. The toll for substance abuse is visible in hospitals, as well as in emergency departments through the direct harm to health occasioned by drug abuse and its connection to physical trauma.
2. Prisons and correctional facilities are a pointer to the strong connection between crime and substance dependence and abuse.
3. The possible connection between crime and drug use is a major social concern.

Main Point 2: The abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs has proven to be a serious health problem.

1. Presently, substance abuse causes more disabilities, illnesses, and fatalities than any other avertable health condition.
2. Social and economic crimes, such as premature deaths, the spread of diseases, the significant loss of productivity, are affected by alcohol and substance abuse.

Main Point 3: The abuse of prescription drugs, as well as illicit drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana can inflict serious damages to both the abuser and the society.

1. Domestic violence, crime, accidents, illnesses, reduced productivity, and lost opportunity are some direct consequences of drug abuse.
2. The greatest cost of substance abuse arises from the loss of human lives, either through direct overdose, or through diseases related to drug abuse such as hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
3. The problems with drug using partners may affect women through violence, economic insecurity, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, child abuse, the risk of STIs, instability, and deprivation of schooling (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014, p. 1).
4. The negative effects of substance abuse does not stop with the individuals involved; the society also suffer indirectly due to passive smoking, drunk driving, fires, as well as drug related violence and crime.
5. Children damaged by maternal substance abuse place immense burden on the already stretched systems of public education and pediatric health care (Van & Thyer, 2010, p. 3).

Main Point 4: Schools have often been the focus of interventions to prevent adolescent drug abuse because they provide access to more students.

1. A number of initial attempts had previously been ineffective because they focused principally on lecturing students on the perils and long-term consequences of drug abuse.
2. Contemporary methods of school-based prevention include social resistance training skills, competence enhancement skills training, and social resistance skills.
3. Students who have been exposed to school-based interventions reveal a significantly reduced tendency to drink, use tobacco, marijuana, methamphetamine, and other drugs.

Main Point 5: In responding to poor people producing plants for drugs, infrastructure development is necessary.

1. Projects aimed at eliminating illicit drug crops such as marijuana and opium poppy, as well as other plants from which drugs are derived assist farmers in finding alternatives.
2. A negative consequence of this alternative response includes recurrence of production in areas where it had been purged, as well as the emergence of illicit growing in neighboring areas through opportunistic expansion of production.
3. Conclusion

It is imperative to reduce the growing trend in production and abuse of psychotropic substances. Substance abuse can cause harm in a number of ways, including the immediate effects, as well as the long-term damage to health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Chambliss, W. J. (2011). Crime and Criminal Behavior. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE         Publications.

Kuhar, M. J. (2012). The Addicted Brain: Why we Abuse Drugs, Alcohol, and Nicotine. Upper       Saddle River, NJ: FT Press.

Leukefeld, C. G., Gullotta, T. P., & Staton-Tindall, M. (2010). Adolescent Substance Abuse:         Evidence-Based Approaches to Prevention and Treatment. New York, NY: Springer.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014). Why does Heroin use Create Special risk for      Contracting HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B and C?. Retrieved from        http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/why-are-heroin-users-          special-risk-contracting-hivaids-hepatitis-b-c

Ruiz, P., Strain, E. C., & Lowinson, J. H. (2011). Lowinson and Ruiz’s Substance Abuse: A           Comprehensive Textbook. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams     & Wilkins.

Van, W. K. S., & Thyer, B. A. (2010). Evidence-Based Practice in the Field of Substance Abuse: A Book of Readings. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

Annotated Bibliography

Chambliss, W. J. (2011). Crime and Criminal Behavior. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE         Publications.

This book tackles a variety of contentious topics such as euthanasia, age of consent, guns, gambling, religious convictions, and most importantly, marijuana and other drug laws. A criminal is defined in a number of ways, from drunk driving to assaulting one’s partner.

Kuhar, M. J. (2012). The Addicted Brain: Why we Abuse Drugs, Alcohol, and Nicotine. Upper       Saddle River, NJ: FT Press.

This book explains why addiction destroys lives and presents advances in the treatment and prevention of drug addiction. By employing breathtaking brain imagery, Kuhar reveals the long-term brain changes occasioned by drugs.

Leukefeld, C. G., Gullotta, T. P., & Staton-Tindall, M. (2010). Adolescent Substance Abuse:         Evidence-Based Approaches to Prevention and Treatment. New York, NY: Springer.

This book offers clear, interdisciplinary guidance grounded in a number of contexts, including genetic, developmental, familial, and social, which are critical in the treatment interventions and prevention methods. It examines the current findings with respect to popularly used therapies, including community and school based interventions, residential treatment, as well as specific forms of family, individual, and group therapy.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014). Why does Heroin use Create Special risk for      Contracting HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B and C?. Retrieved from        http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/why-are-heroin-users-          special-risk-contracting-hivaids-hepatitis-b-c

This web articles delves in to how substance abuse can lead to a variety of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS and the different varieties of Hepatitis.

Ruiz, P., Strain, E. C., & Lowinson, J. H. (2011). Lowinson and Ruiz’s Substance Abuse: A           Comprehensive Textbook. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams     & Wilkins.

This book offers a comprehensive insight into the problem of substance abuse. It tackles the problem from a perspective of causes, ramifications to the individual and the society, and the prevention strategies. This is a comprehensive and authoritative text on the various aspects of substance abuse, as well as on addiction medicine. Several leading contributors have addressed scientific topics, including the biology of the various addictions, together with dimensions of clinical therapy and management. The book also addresses behavioral addiction and, therefore, the book is not entirely devoted to particular substances ant their abuse.

Van, W. K. S., & Thyer, B. A. (2010). Evidence-Based Practice in the Field of Substance Abuse: A Book of Readings. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

This book offers in-depth information in understanding which interventions are efficient and why. It includes an editorial commentary, as well as critical thinking questions. This volume has been organized according to treatment issues and innovations, evidence-based practice, culturally sensitive interventions, assessment, and policy considerations. Serving as a connection between science and clinical research, this volume is an innovative resource for those in need of empirically based information on treatment innovations.