Measures Of Success In Drug Treatment

Running head: SUCCESS IN DRUG TREATMENT 1

Measures of Success in Drug Treatment

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Measures of Success in Drug Treatment

Drug abuse has been a persistent conundrum in the US for some time. The US

government has taken drastic measures to curb the enigma through drug treatment programs.

Means of measuring the success of such treatment have been contentious but considering several

outcomes of the treatment can be relevant indicators. To that effect, several signs of success on

drug treatment exist and form the main discussion of this essay.

Reduced level of substance abuse is the first indicator of success in drug treatment. When

the level of drug abuse is reduced, it means the victims are on the right track of recovery.

According to Staley, outcomes of treatment on level of substances abuse are assessed on basis of

indicator such as rates of substance abuse, drug-based hospitalization rates, and substance abuse-

related deaths (2017). A decline on these evaluation criteria indicates that treatment is successful.

For instance, if the frequency of smoking of a victim on reporting to rehabilitation is five times a

day and then after some time, it reduces to twice a day, then it is a good indication that the

program is making a positive impact.

Additionally, reduction of drug-related crimes is indicative of success in drug treatment.

Research shows substance abuse relates to illegal activities, which explains the reasons why the

US prisons are filled with drug-related offenders. According to Mosher and Akins (2014), drug

abusers are unable to sustain employment demands and hence resolve to criminal activities such

as shoplifting, peddling, and robbery to fend for their addictions. Therefore, a decrease in

criminal activity can be used as an indicator of success in treatment.

Another indicator of success in drug treatment is improved employment outcome.

Substance abuse is associated with lousy job habits such as absenteeism, deterioration in job

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performance, and reduced interpersonal relationships (Staley, 2017). Treatment is perceived

successful if the performance index of the victim towards work is improving, i.e. reduction in

absenteeism, higher productivity and improved relationship with co-workers. For instance, an

alcoholic employee in treatment showing positive improvement at work place is an indication of

success.

In retrospect, measuring the success of treatment can be hard since most users seeking

help relapse. However, considering the outcome of treatment on health and social functioning as

indicators of success is more reasonable. Hence, lessening criminal activities, improvement in

employee performance, and reduction in the level of substance abuse are critical indicators of

success.

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References

Mosher, C.J. & Akins, S. (2014). Drugs and Drug Policy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Publications

Staley, S. (2017). Drug policy and the decline of the American city. Routledge.

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