Drug Abuse Essay - 1038 Words

Drug Abuse: The Single Most Important Societal Problem May 27, 2011 Drug Abuse - Single Most Important Societal Problem Have you ever walked down the street or in a grocery store and bumped into someone you know, and they look really bad? Drugs have â€Å"eaten them alive† and they are barely recognizable. You can remember how beautiful they were â€Å"before† the drugs but you’re staring the â€Å"after† directly in the face. It is not a pretty sight, is it? Just think, it could be one of your family members or loved ones. The more I walk down streets, in grocery stores, at my child’s ball games, at work and even on my college campus it is more evident that drug abuse, is much more than a personal problem that everyday people, have in common†¦show more content†¦We usually think of teens when thinking of drug abuse, but drug abuse and use affects people of all ages. Generally, the ages of drug users are between 15-30 years of age, but there has been an increase over the past few years in the rise of senior drug use and abuse. Males are outnumbering females among drug abuse enormously. In 2001, rates of current illicit drug use were highest among American Indians/Alaskan Natives, followed by Blacks, then Whites, then Hispanics and lastly Asians. Rates of drug abuse were higher among those who are homeless, those who had not completed high school, those who lived in certain locations (projects/poverty), those who had been to jail, and those who smoke cigarettes and drink compared to those who did not. After looking at drugs from personal encounters and knowing the facts and reasons for use and the factors surrounding drug use and abuse; again I say, it is the single most important societal problem in existence. Look at the world around us. Drugs are everywhere. They are in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, churches, grocery stores hospitals and other places. Everybody knows someone who is affected in some way by drugs. Many families are destroyed by drug abuse and addiction. Everyday there is a reminder on the news of drugs and it s effects on our nation and society. In my opinion, if we can find a way to fix the drugShow MoreRelatedPrescription Drug Abuse Essay1136 Words   |  5 Pageshard transition in his life from the elementary levels of school to high school. Along the way, he started hanging out with the wrong crowd and doing all sorts of drugs like smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. In his senior year he realized he wanted to do something different with his life and he joined the boxing team and quit drugs, but one Saturday night that all ended. David was offered a patch that was supposed to make him feel an extremely good feeling. He didnt know what was in the patchRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse Essay1852 Words   |  8 PagesPrescription drug abuse has become an epidemic in the United States especially among the youth of our country. The Partnership for a Drug Free America says that 2,500 teens a day abuse prescription drugs. Abuse of these narcotics can lead to serious mental and physica l consequences. Why is this such a problem, what can we do to solve it, and how is it affecting our social lives? First we must explore what prescription drugs are being abused. The most popular abused drugs fall into three categoriesRead More Cost of Drug Abuse on Society Essay923 Words   |  4 PagesDrug abuse is a rampant problem in the United States. Drugs can be abused in a variety of different ways by people from every walk of life. Most of us have been affected by drug abuse either directly or indirectly. Drug abusers harm themselves, as well as their families and communities. 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All over the world, people suffer from the addictive properties of the many varieties drugs. In the recent decade, increasing amounts of nurses have begun to see the effects of substance usage while on the job. This unpublicized problem that is sweeping nurses in America is a problem that should not be ignored as they are the frontline ofRead MoreEssay about The Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe rate of death due to prescription drug abuse in the U.S. has escalated 313 percent over the past decade. According to the Congressional Quarterly Transcription’s article Rep. Joe Pitt Holds a Hearing on Prescription Drug Abuse, opioid prescription drugs were involved in 16,650 overdose-caused deaths in 2010, accounting for more deaths than from overdoses of heroin and cocaine. 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