Critically evaluate what problems are caused by drugs among youth population in UK - Essay Example

Inserts His/her Inserts Inserts Grade (20, 05, Problems Caused by Drugs among Youth Introduction With globalization many bad influences have also made inroads in popular culture. The use of drug is a similar problem and is becoming very famous among the younger generation. The glorification of drugs trough advertisements and movies has created a cool image of drugs and this is why many young people fall in the bottomless pits of drug abuse. There are many problems that affect young users of drugs in United Kingdom. In this essay we will present such problems that are a consequence of drug use among the younger population and some remedies will also be suggested. Problems Caused by Drugs Drug use is extremely detrimental for the society as well as the user of drug. It harms the society by increasing anti social behavior and it is health wise perilous for the user of drugs. The problems caused by drugs multiply when the abuse of drugs is done by younger people. Drug use among youth of United Kingdom is a big problem for the country. The problems caused by drug use among youth are increasing in United Kingdom. Below we will highlight some main problems of drug abuse. The number of young drug addicts has been increasing quite rapidly in United Kingdom. In 2009 a study concluded that there has been a 12 percent increase in drug users aged 13 to24 in UK in the past two years (Reed, J. & Fairbairn, I. 2009). This shows the extent of the problem. Development of media and internet is also giving youth access to information on different drugs and this may be a potent reason for the increase in use of drugs among youth in United Kingdom. The main problem caused by drug use among youth is the increasing criminal behavior. Drug use can not only increase criminal behaviors like stealing and shoplifting but can also give rise to violent crimes. Young drug addicts are particularly vulnerable to criminal behavior because they are in desperate need of money. They need to buy drugs and for this they end up stealing. Drug addiction also causes teens to indulge in violent crimes due to the effects of drugs. All drugs numb the wits of a person to a certain extent and this is why he or she behaves in an anti social manner. The crimes conducted by drug users were found to be great in United Kingdom. Around 320,000 drug users were found to be involved in serious criminal activity in UK (Steele, J. 2007). The drug addiction rate of United Kingdom is also the highest in Europe. The main contributors to the addiction rate are the younger people of UK. Criminal activities cost law enforcement agencies a lot while the justice and the prison system also have to suffer as a result of the increasing drug use of younger population in the country. Young people also end up joining gangs and many are then involved in the trafficking of same drugs. This is actually increasing the drug problem in United Kingdom and the illicit drug industry is thriving greatly as a result. Young drug addicts are also not able to understand the dangers of their actions. They can easily be inclined to commit violent crimes because of their immature thinking. They are not able to do a cost benefit analysis and can commit crimes just for fun. Drug problems in youth actually lead them to criminals and then these criminal groups manipulate them. This adds to the overall stream of criminal activities in the country. Criminal gangs are fueled by the younger population and drug addiction is one way in which naive youngster fall prey to illicit activities in the society. The reported number of drug offences has decreased in 2010 by 1 percent as compared to the previous year but this decrease only tells us that the policing practice has changed regarding drug offenses (Home Office UK, 2011). This decrease does not mean that drug offenses have decreased rather this show a decrease in reporting of drug offenses. This is another problem of drug use among the youth in United Kingdom. The culture of drugs is becoming famous among the teens and proper knowledge regarding drug use and offenses is lacking in young people. More and more people take drug use and offenses as ‘normal’ and this is a cause for serious concern for the relevant authorities. Health problems among younger generation are also increasing as a result of drug use. The immune system of younger people is not very developed to counter the effects of drugs and this adversely affects their health. The drug problem among youth is increasing and so are the health costs and concerns of the society. Health problems and diseases in younger people can threaten a whole new generation and can give rise to increase in diseases like AIDS. Young people are also unaware of the proper treatment of their drug problem and most of them are not willing to admit that they have a problem. This also endangers their health to a great extent because they do not turn to correctional facilities and their drug problem is not fully resolved as a result. The health problems increase when drug users are youngsters because they think of drug use as an adventure. They tend to mix a variety of drugs and that increases the dangers of the drug. The mixing of drugs can cause serious problems to health and can even result in death. The idea that drug consumption is an experience or an adventure forces youngsters to take the use or mixing of drugs as lightly. This is where the problem begins. Drugs are taken usually to impress the peers and any bad effect is also not reported because of fear of embarrassment. Teenagers love to show off their toughness and this adds to the dangers of disease and even death to the abusers of drugs. The above image shows the extent of problem of drug abuse in youth. The people who were offered to use heroine is great. The figure of users of heroine is less mainly because embarrassment. Drug abuse is also a serious concern because it comes mostly with alcohol. Almost all users first consume alcohol and at a later stage indulge in drugs. Alcohol is dangerous alone but when it is combined with other drugs it is even more dangerous. This also increases the health problems of teenagers. This adds to the dangerous effect of alcohol on teenagers. They can get liver problem and this can also seriously affect their normal productivity. Young people have to acquire education and have a tough schedule. This hinders in their advancement in academic field and forces them to find jobs at an early stage of their lives. This restricts their grooming as well. The trend of taking jobs in high school is increasing in United Kingdom and this is why student performance is deteriorating. The blame of drug use among youth should be mainly given to the drug culture in United Kingdom. There are fewer places where students can exhaust their energies in an intellectual manner. Social activity that is constructive is hard to find in United Kingdom and this why young people turn towards drug use out of sheer boredom. The problems caused by drug use among youth in UK are not restricted to health and criminal activities. Drug trade is turning into an industry in United Kingdom. The use and demand of drugs are increasing and drug traffickers are profiting from the sale of drugs. This money is illegal and that is why it is used to fuel more illicit activities in the country. This is making criminal gangs stronger and is endangering the future safety of United Kingdom. The money from drug trade will be used by criminal syndicates to finance more criminal activities, and will also increase their power. There are loads of social problems associated with the drug trade. First of all future generations of young people will also fell prey to the same criminal groups who sell drugs. Also the drug money will be used to bribe law enforcement agencies in United Kingdom and this will finally lead to more drug use in future. Soruce: Propect Magazine. (2009). The above graph shows another reason why drug use is increasing among youth of UK. The prices have declined due to increase supply of different drugs over the years. It is very easy today to find drugs in UK at a lower rate. The United Kingdom illicit drug industry amounts to ?5.3 billion in today’s time (Reid, M. 2008). This is a staggering figure and this shows how much influence drug lords have in United Kingdom. The best targets for drug traffickers are young people. Young people can easily be motivated to take drugs and they will do almost anything for drugs. The people benefitting from drug culture are also trying to promote it. This is another problem caused by drug use in United Kingdom. Drug use among teenagers is also a problem young people are supposed to be the pioneers of tomorrow. If they slip into the world of drugs then the future of United Kingdom will be bleak. This is why strong measures should be taken in order to stop the increasing use of drugs. Strong policy measures are required in order to stop drug use. Young people should be given opportunities to indulge themselves in the constructive social activities. Bars and clubs should be under surveillance and this can stop the spread of drug use among youth. Health problems should be encouraged to report. All this can restrict the evil of drug use among youth in United Kingdom. Conclusion The dangers of drug use are great and they are greater when a significant portion of young population is a victim of it. In United Kingdom younger generation is increasing the use of illicit drugs and that is a problem for the country. Criminal activities are rising and health problems among the youth are also increasing. Young people are supposed to be the future of the country but now they are slipping into evil of drugs. The money earned by drug traffickers is also great threat for national security of United Kingdom. All these are major problems caused by drug use among youth in United Kingdom. Works Cited Page Crime in England and Wales. Home Office Government UK, 2011. Web. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb0611/hosb0611?view=Binary Drug Prices. The Prospect Magazine, 2009. Web. http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/tag/new-drugs/ Reed & Fairbairn. Drug habits see a ‘major shift’. BBC UK, 2009. Web. http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/the_p_word/newsid_8084000/8084968.stm Reid, M. Blame the rich for feeding the drug industry. The Sunday Times, 2008. Web. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4438742.ece Smoking, drinking and drug use amongst young people in England 2006. The Information Center, 2007. Web. http://drugeducationforum.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/heroin.jpg Steele, J. Britain has worst drug addiction rate in Europe. The Telegraph, 2007. Web. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1549028/Britain-has-worst-drug-addiction-rate-in-Europe.html Read More