Social Impacts Of Drug Abuse

Running head: SOCIAL IMPACTS OF DRUG ABUSE 1

Social Impacts of Drug Abuse

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SOCIAL IMPACTS OF DRUG ABUSE 2

Social Impacts of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is a global menace as it negatively affects the social, economic, and

environmental aspects of human life. The problem may contribute to international tensions such

as rapid changes in political alignments and community cohesiveness. Additionally, drug abuse

leads to increased cases of crime and violence in a community. Surprisingly, the macroeconomic

environment that spurs the growth and development of legal businesses in the world provide an

opportunity for drug peddlers to thrive. It offers them a chance to expand their activities to a

global scale, especially in the developing countries. Currently, the negative impacts of drug

trafficking and abuse are sufficient to warrant strict measures to curb the vice. The effects of

drug abuse on social realms cannot be overlooked as they cause secondary problems such as

family disintegration, crime, and health deterioration.

Social Impacts of Drug Abuse

Family

The family setup is perceived as the basic source of unity and support for its members as

it promotes stability as well as generational continuity. Economic, social, and technological

changes play a fundamental role in shaping the values, attitudes, and behaviors of children (Wu,

Cheung, Ku, & Hung, 2013). One of the problems of socialization through family ties is children

exposure to drug abuse during their formative years. For example, if a child is exposed to the use

of marijuana from his/her peers or family members, the habit is more likely to advance to

adulthood if necessary measures are not taken. Drug abuse has several adverse effects on specific

vulnerable groups. In particular, women are the most affected by issues caused by men who

abuse drugs. The vice leads to violence, deprivation of education among children, family

instability, challenges in maintaining interpersonal relationships, and increased risks of sexually

SOCIAL IMPACTS OF DRUG ABUSE 3

transmitted illnesses such as HIV (Hanson, Cannon, Burton, & Giraud, 2013). Children suffer

the most if their parents abuse drugs as they experience neglect and malnutrition besides being

predisposed to harsh environments likely to breed antisocial behaviors such as crime.

Health

There are various types of addictive substances common in both developed and

developing countries. All of them have common characteristics as they alter the way the human

brain works as well as the overall behavioral predisposition. The problem of drug abuse, as

indicated by the current statistics regarding the number of deaths, warrants urgent intervention.

For example, at least 200,000 deaths occur yearly as a result of intravenous drug use (Wu et al.,

2013). Most users share syringes and needles while injecting drugs which expose them to

HIV/AIDS. Additionally, expectant mothers who indulge in the vice either experience still births

or miscarriages. In fact, most children belonging to such parents are victims of irreversible health

conditions such as retarded growth. Consequently, they cause considerable strains on the already

overburdened pediatric health system (Richardson, Wood, & Kerr, 2013). Drugs cause damages

to the cognitive function of an individual which tends to increase crime rates.

Crime

Crime and drugs have a direct relationship. First, illegal production and distribution of

narcotics are tantamount to delinquency. Secondly, substance abuse increases the likelihood of

other non-drug related vices such as violence and robbery (Hanson et al., 2013). Finally, it

provides unscrupulous businesspersons or even politicians with an opportunity to generate

wealth. In one way or another, this encourages illegal activities such as money laundering.

Substance use and aberrant behavior are often related as the former leads to criminal activities.

The problem may attract social ills such as prostitution or extreme sexual pervasion, both of

SOCIAL IMPACTS OF DRUG ABUSE 4

which are serious crimes in some countries. Furthermore, cases of adolescent pregnancy are, to

some extent, related to the use of alcohol and other drugs. In particular, drug abuse, social

predilection, and criminal behavior have a close connection. It is known that heroin addicts are

mostly involved in crime in most parts of the world (Wu et al., 2013). In 2008, about 65% of

2,000 arrestees in the U.S. were incarcerated for drug abuse (Wu et al., 2013). A substantial

number of organized criminal groups and terrorists are directly or indirectly involved in illegal

drug business. Apart from that, addiction leads to increased levels of crime and violence as

individuals seek money to purchase drugs.

Work and Employment

As previously noted, drug abuse is more prevalent among the youth than in other age

groups. The major problem typically occurs when an individual joins the workforce. Notably, the

tendency to use drugs in the workplace is substantially dependent on the performance

requirements of a particular job. Drugs may cause disruptions in tasks that require a high level of

understanding and judgment, immediate memory, and constant attention (Richardson et al.,

2013). For example, cannabis disrupts an individual’s cognitive functions and increases response

time. Additionally, opiates trigger mood changes and impair psychomotor skills related to tasks

such as operating machinery (Volkow, Baler, Compton, & Weiss, 2014). For these reasons, the

relationship between drug abuse and job performance cannot be overlooked. It is believed that

substance abusers and alcoholics lead to more losses than sober employees. Time is a precious

resource that tends to be wasted when employees engage in drug use. In fact, workplace

absenteeism increases with substance abuse. This explains why most employees have been fired

due to their involvement in the vice.

Conclusion

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Substance abuse is a major challenge affecting numerous sectors. It greatly impacts social

and economic aspects of human lives. The former is mostly affected as it touches on human life,

family, health, and security. Drug abuse affects women and children more than men. Evidently,

the vice leads to violence and family neglect besides straining interpersonal relationships. With

regard to health, substance abuse affects the well-being of individuals. Expectant mothers who

use such products expose their unborn babies to issues such as retarded growth. Apart from that,

drug abuse may cause an upsurge in criminal activities such a robbery with violence or murder.

SOCIAL IMPACTS OF DRUG ABUSE 6

References

Hanson, C. L., Cannon, B., Burton, S., & Giraud-Carrier, C. (2013). An exploration of social

circles and prescription drug abuse through Twitter. Journal of Medical Internet

Research, 15(9), 189. Retrieved from

www.jmir.org/2013/9/e189/?utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=

Buffer&utm_content=buffer3f0d2

Richardson, L., Wood, E., & Kerr, T. (2013). The impact of social, structural and physical

environmental factors on transitions into employment among people who inject

drugs. Social Science & Medicine, 76, 126-133. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.10.015

Volkow, N. D., Baler, R. D., Compton, W. M., & Weiss, S. R. (2014). Adverse health effects of

marijuana use. New England Journal of Medicine, 370(23), 2219-2227. doi:

10.1056/NEJMra1402309

Wu, A. M., Cheung, V. I., Ku, L., & Hung, E. P. (2013). Psychological risk factors of addiction

to social networking sites among Chinese smartphone users. Journal of Behavioral

Addictions, 2(3), 160-166. doi: 10.1556/JBA.2.2013.006

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