Drug Addiction - Research Paper Example

?Drug Addiction People have different physiology tendency to react to a given substance. Some can use prescription or sedatives without displaying any negative results. For a different user, the substance can cause serious problems in their work, relationship, and health. Addiction to drug is among the most dominant consequence of drug usage that causes problems major problems to drug users. Drug addiction is a state whereby, drug users become intoxicated due to repeated use of a certain substance. Drug addiction results into substance dependence whereby resisting the desire to take a given drug become irresistible for the users. Addiction also creates the desire to increase dose among users. Drug addicts can even compromise their lives to obtain their drug. Addiction depends on an individual physiology and not exposure to drugs or formation of behavior. This essay will analyze factors that makes drug addiction to be more of a medically oriented problem that a psychological problem. The essay will also instigate different aspects of addiction such as signs as addiction and symptoms. The number of people currently suffering from drug addiction is overwhelming. This is because most addicts do not admit that they have a drug problem. In addition, some drug users use their drug in isolation without informing even their closest relatives about their behaviors. Such cases are only realized when it is too late to administer any effective treatment for the person or rehabilitation. According to a survey carried out in the United States concerning drug users, nearly 23.6 million people aged above 12 years are currently addicted to alcohol and illicit drugs (Elsner, 2005). This figure accounts for 9.3 percent of United States population within age group. Alcohol is the most abused substance and it is responsible for 41% of the total number of addicts. From the survey, heroin and other related drugs took the third position accounting for nearly 20% of the total addicts. Marijuana addicts constituted the remaining percentage. This survey showed a direct relationship between individual’s age and their age group. The survey results also reflects drug addiction situation in other parts of the world. A refinement on the survey results indicated that people aged between 15 and 35 year are the most affected. Most people believe that drug addiction is a behavioral problem that results from continued exposure to a given substance. This hypothesis assumes that the youths are more exposed to drugs than people are from other age brackets. Continued exposure of the youths to drugs is said to be the main cause of increased level of addiction among members of this age group. However, it has been noted that people from other age groups are equally exposed to drugs despite their low susceptibility to addiction. If drug addiction is directly related to a person’s exposure to drugs, then order people have equivalent risks of becoming drug addicts. Drug addiction has significant financial implication to users. Continued use of drugs resulting from addiction has negative effect on a country’s economy. It is estimated that drug addiction costs United States nearly $600 million every year. This amount indicates the cost that the government incurs in its efforts to provide medical care and security. More than 30% of these funds are used to treat cases resulting from addiction of illegal drugs. Problems resulting from tobacco addiction cover the remaining percentage with most funds being utilized in treatment of cancers and respiratory problem. Although alcohol has a high level of addiction, alcohol users do not suffer severe consequences as users of other illegal drugs and marijuana. Economic costs resulting from drug addiction also considers money spent by an individual to acquire drugs. The economic aspect also considers the productive time that a country loses due to drug related problems (Mosher, & Phillips, 2004). Although the US spends huge sums of money to solve drug related problems, the amount spent is proportional to the United States’ population. Comparing the country’s population and the number of drug addicts, it is evident that United States has lower cases of drug addiction than Caribbean countries such as Cuba and Jamaica. The economic status of United States is far beyond the economic status of these countries despite them having largest number of addict per given population. This proves that high per capita income neither contributes to drug use nor drug addiction. Comparisons between the United States economy, Caribbean island countries’ economies and their levels of addiction, it is evident that drug addiction is not directly related to per capita income. This analysis confirms the previous argument since income level is directly related to the age of an individual. If a country’s GDP were directly related to levels of addiction within a county, then the United States would be having the highest number of addicts per given population in the world. This is not the case since the number of addicts in the country does not compare with levels of addiction in other countries that have lower GDP (Mosher, & Phillips, 2004). Drug addiction is therefore a complex medical problem that is not directly influenced by artificial factors such as a country’s level of economy. Drug addiction is a long-term problem and, therefore its effects on person’s body are cumulative. Symptoms resulting from drug addiction depend on the type of drug that a person consumes. However, there are general symptoms and signs that are exhibited by users of most drugs. The symptoms also depend on the age and health of an addict. The main symptom of drug addiction is increased craving for the substance. This involves continued and excessive use of the drug. Increasing dosage and frequency of drug addiction are some indicators of increased craving for the substance. Lack of concentration is the second symptoms that most drag addicts show. Drug addicts lack concentration due to their increased desire to consume the substance. Other symptoms resulting from drug addiction are physiological, and they depend on an individual addict. These symptoms are demonstrated as poor health among addicts. Problems relating to drug addiction range from incapacitation of the body to abnormal reactions. The symptoms indicate that an addict is in a poor medical sate. It has been established that most drug addicts ignore the consequences of drugs as they continuously use the substance. In addition, most drug addicts fail to take any necessary precaution concerning drug usage despite being aware of the negativities of drugs on their health. If drug addiction is a directly acquired behavior, then most people are likely to stop consuming drugs immediately they come across a warning message. This however, does not materialize as most addicts continuously use their drugs despite being aware of their health hazards. In most countries, addictive substances such as tobacco has health warning printed on them to inform users on the negative consequences of the substance. Government and other health authorities carryout numerous campaigns on the media about drugs and drug related problems. However, most users ignore these messages and continue to use the drugs. If addiction results from formation of negative behavior, then people are likely to form positive behaviors from such warning messages (Fisher, 2009). Formation of positive behavior involves positive response to warning messages concerning a particular drug. This will involve changing a person’s behavior or attitude concerning a particular drug. Positive behavior will also involve stopping the consumption of a particular drug or enrolling for rehabilitation problem. This indicates that addiction is more of a health related complication than a behavior problem. The issue of information, behavior and drug addiction is of particular interest in Russia. The country has the highest number of tobacco smokers despite the fact that most smokers are well-educated people. Unlike other countries, smoking a cigarette is a usual thing in Russia. In addition, most companies that market tobacco and other related products have warning labels clearly printed on cigarette packets. Majority of people living in the country are well informed. This implies that they are aware of the negativity and implications of continued smoking. If drug addiction was a behavior, problem then Russia could be having the lowest number of smokers in the world. This proves that drug addiction is more related to a person’s mental health than their behavior. Drug addiction not only causes problems to the users, but also the entire society. This makes drugs addiction a social problem that requires collective responsibility of the society. Currently most problems affecting the society are related to problem of continued use of drugs or drug addiction. The US is the leading country in terms of social ills resulting from drug addition. These problems range from minor issues such as disputes in family and workplace to serious problems such as road accidents, murder and crime. These problems are persistent in major urban centers such as the New York City that have high number of drug addicts (Didenko, & Pankratz, 2007). Distribution of type of addiction or preference to drug also varies within the country and, this determines the expected effects of the drugs. Prohibited drugs such as cocaine and heroin are more consumed in urban areas than in the countryside. There are more cocaine addicts in New York than there are in Texas. Alcohol use however is more concentrated in the countryside than in major urban areas. On the other hand, tobacco addiction is evenly distributed throughout the country. Distribution of drug addicts within United States is an indicator of distribution of social problems associated with drug addiction. Armed robbery is more prevalent in urban areas than it is in the upcountry. Problems of drunken driving are also common in major urban centers and in the countryside. Drunken driving is considered the main cause of road accidents that claim many innocent lives throughout the country. Although the problems affect people living in the countryside, its effects are less severe than in urban centers. Cases of violence are also associated with drug addiction. Most of these cases results from conflicts related to drug deals. Other than violence, drug addiction is also responsible for the mass killings and shooting sprees that affect the country. All these problems are linked to inspiration resulting from drug addiction. People wish to have productive societies and societies that are based on mutual understanding and respect. If drug addiction directly result from acquisition of negative behaviors, people are likely to change their behaviors to achieve superior societies. However, this is not the situation since drug addiction results from complex health problems that are not related to acquisition of positive behaviors. If drug addiction can be prevented through positive behaviors, the government is likely to win the battle against drugs by promoting positive information among drug users. This does not always happen since most drug addicts are not influenced by positive message from the government. Finally, most drugs are illegal in the country. These include cocaine heroin marijuana and other related drugs that are of equal caliber. In addition, drug addicts have been labeled as criminals. According to the US drug and substance control Act of 2001, consumption of any prohibited substance is against the law of the country. Currently the US prison’s population is largely composed of people who have drug related cases (Beauvais, 2002). Most of these prisoners are aged between twenty and thirty years. Although most drug addicts are aware of the legal consequences of drug in the country, they persistently use their drug. This proves that drug addiction is more of a medical problem than a behavior problem. Influence of the youths by other drug addicts has continuously been linked with the problem. However, influence does not fully explain the presence of youths in state’s prisons. Conclusion Drug addiction is a major problem in most developed countries. The problem results from continued use of a particular drug that makes the user to desire more of the substance. Drug addiction is more of a medical problem than a behavioral problem. Drug addicts do not respond positively to warning message concerning usage of a particular drug despite, being informed of their negative consequences. Although drug addicts are aware of social and legal problems resulting from drug addiction, they continuously use their drug. If drug addiction was a behavioral problem then people are likely to respond to warnings or acquire positive behaviors. References Beauvais, F. (2002). Inhalant abuse among American Indian, Mexican American, and non-Latino white adolescents. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 28(1):171-87. Didenko, E. & Pankratz, N. (2007). Substance Use: Pathways to homelessness? Or a way of adapting to street life? BC’s Mental Health and Addictions Journal, 4(1), 9-10. Elsner, A. (2005). Speed scourge sweeps rural America. Washington, DC: Cengage. Fisher, G.L. (2009). Encyclopedia of Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery. London: SAGE Publications, Inc. Mosher, C. & Phillips, A. (2004). Minority adolescents and substance use risk/protective factors: a focus on inhalant use. Adolescence. 39 (155):489-502. Read More