Drugs and Society - Research Paper Example

Running head: DRUGS AND SOCIETY Drugs and Society of of lecturer of study The use and trade of illegal drugs in the United States and other parts of the world is the most prevalent social problem there in present times. Billions of dollars are spent fighting against drug abuse, drug related crimes and in rehabilitating addicts. The relationship between drugs and crime has intensified over the years attracting interest in this area. Drugs have mental, physical and emotional effects on the users. The federal approach is used to fight the problem in the United States. The FDA is the body governing the pharmaceutical industry. The Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs) have been effective however they face ethical, political and political criticisms. The paper gives an in-depth analysis of the areas stated above. Keywords: Drug abuse, Crime, NEPs, Federal approach, FDA. Use of antecedents and correlates to understand drug trends Drug abuse is a complex disorder that is characterized by a compulsive need for drugs and alcohol even if it has negative effects. Antecedents can be defined as the factors that encourage an individual to engage in drug abuse. Some individuals use drugs to escape emotional stress or physical pain (NIDA, 2010). Risk of addiction is affected by many aspects including age or stage of development, sociological and biological factors. These factors increase an individual’s vulnerability to drug abuse. The biological factors are dictated upon by the genetic make up of an individual together with the environmental influences. NIDA (2010) stipulates that these factors account for fifty percent of vulnerability among individuals. Additional factors that fall under this category include ethnicity and gender as they may influence the risk for drug use and addiction. The environment has an impact on an individual since it affects the quality of life and the socioeconomic status (NIDA, 2010). Factors including peer pressure, stress, physical and social abuse and parental involvement affect a persons way of life making them more vulnerable to drug abuse. The environmental and genetic factors interact with developmental stages in a person’s life to affect the level of vulnerability. It is observed that if an individual starts using drugs at an early age, they are likely to advance to higher levels of addiction. Drug abuse in the adolescent years is quite dangerous since important development of the brain takes place at this stage. This affects their self control, decision making and judgment. Drug abuse affects society in multiple ways, the health and social costs associated with illicit use are staggering. The nation spends approximately $69.9 billion annually on health complications caused by drug abuse, crime and deaths as stipulated by NIDA (2010). Maternal drug abuse results to birth defects and contributes to an increase in cases of infant mortality. Drug abuse is associated with health problems including tuberculosis, hepatitis, lung cancer and many other complications. Long term drug abuse leads to impairment of the functioning of the brain and disruption of important structures of the brain affecting its function. The effects of drugs influence the behavior of the user by generating illegal activities related to drug trafficking and violence as explained by ONDCP (2000). Drugs lead to an increase in crime rate in society. Methods used to collect information on drug use Questionnaires are a form of qualitative method that can be used to collect information on drug abuse in the society. The use of questionnaires as a method of data collection has multiple benefits to the research process. They are cost effective for studies involving large sample sizes and geographic regions. They are easy to analyze since data entry and analysis is made easier as explained by Miller and Salkind (2002). They are familiar to most people in the population being studied and people can easily complete them. The use of questionnaires has many disadvantages on the research work. The major disadvantage is the possibility of low response rates from the population being studied. The questions are standardized allowing little flexibility and the information given is limited. They lack personal contact which is crucial for studies concerning drug abuse. The other method that can be used to collect information is surveying the population. The method has multiple advantages that contribute to good results of the research work. Surveys are appropriate for such a study since they are useful in describing a large population. Surveys offer flexibility of the questions asked and this provides sufficient information for the research work (Miller and Salkind, 2002). Surveys are relatively cheap as compared to other methods of data collection. The method has various weaknesses including standardization and limiting the level of information offered by respondents. The method is said to be inflexible since it requires the prior study design tool to remain constant throughout the data collection. The respondents are likely to give false information since the questions asked are controversial and sensitive. Relationship between drug use and criminal behaviour Drug abuse is related to crime in many levels. All activities surrounding the use, manufacturing, possession and distribution are considered to be criminal. Users experience financial problems and when the vicious cycle of addiction develops the person is forced to commit crimes to fund their habit (Robinson and Scherlen, 2007). The addicts are affected psychologically and they set their priorities based on the satisfaction of their addiction. The users also commit crimes related to violence and other illegal activities in connection with drug trafficking. Heroine is an addictive drug derived from morphine. It is a depressant that interferes with the brain by affecting the ability to feel pain. Heroine is highly addictive and the users are highly dependent on it, they end up engaging in crime to fuel their habit through robbery, burglary and other petty crimes. According to HHS surveys on alcohol use and involvement in crime, it is clear that a high number of those arrested were found to be under the influence of alcohol (Robinson and Scherlen, 2007). They are likely to be arrested for committing crimes including liquor violations, being drunken and disorderly and driving under the influence. ONDCP (2000) explains that those under the influence of alcohol are nine times more likely to be arrested on assault charges. Approximately forty percent of the deaths in the United States were related to alcohol as explained by Saint Matthew Churches (2010). NEPs (Needle Exchange Programs) NEPs assist in reducing the risk of transmissions of diseases including HIV and Hepatitis by increasing the access to sterile syringes (Creative Visions Foundation, 2007). The program aims to eliminate circulation of used needs in the community by educating people on the risk of re-using injection equipment. Despite the scientific evidence that NEPs have desirable outcomes on the society, the programs are faced by various criticisms. Injection of drugs is considered to be an undesirable activity. Many critics view it as a complex issue morally, ethically and legally at all levels. Helping IDUs (injection drug users) inject themselves is seen as a way of promoting drug use. The major criticism is the concern that by providing the syringes potential health hazards are created for the society (Creative visions foundation, 2007). This increases the supply allowing the IDUs to continue with their habit at the expense of public funding. The argument supporting this is that the number of needles distributed is not proportional to the number returned to the NEPs. This leads to the conclusion that the needles are discarded unsafely posing health threats to the society. There are legal and political controversies surrounding the NEPs in relation to the data created. The argument is that NEPs are required to substantiate their effectiveness in order to continue receiving funding from the governmental, public health agencies, philanthropists and private organizations. The programs have been challenged based on medical reasons as it has been observed that there is an elevated risk in the spread of HIV among the IDUs. It also alleged that NEPs lead to high numbers of drug abuse among the IDUs. It is however argued that the problem can be attributed to other social, economic and situational factors and not on the NEPs. Health experts claim that needles harbor more than twenty diseases including hepatitis B and C and HIV as stipulated by Creative visions foundation (2007). The increase in the number of needles that are discarded unsafely results in a higher number of health risks to the society at large. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) function in the development of a new medication The pharmaceutical industry is governed by strict regulations as compared to industries in other sectors. For a drug to be sold in the market, it has to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as explained by Hilts (2004). Medical researchers and other specialists in the field work to attain the required standards for the drug to be approved. Development of a new medication is a crucial process for a pharmaceutical company with the risks involved being more than the benefits. Despite the risks involved, companies are involved in the development process as it provides the people with better treatment methods and ensure survival of the company. The processes are quite important and each level contributes to the success of the final product. The clinical research ensures that all drugs are safe and effective before they are distributed in the market. There is no drug that is absolutely safe and there is always a risk involved. FDA applies cost benefit analysis to determine whether or not a drug can be sold in the market. The major purpose of the clinical research is used to determine the efficacy and safety of the Investigation New Drug (IND) in the treatment of a disease or a condition (Hilts, 2004). Before a drug is sold to the public, clinical tests must be carried out. The first step in the pre-clinical research involves purification and synthesis of the drug. Animal tests are done and the review board assesses the studies and gives recommendations on the way forward. A positive recommendation gives the company the permission to submit an application to the FDA and the clinical tests begin. At the clinical studies stage, an IND is done for the first time to study the metabolism, mechanism of action and the side effects of the drug on humans. The clinical trials determine the efficacy of the drug to treat the patients with specific diseases and investigate the short term side effects of the drug. The specialists then study the side effects of the drugs on huge population. The process of developing a new drug is lengthy and this ensures that the drug produced is effective and does not have negative effects on people. There are some cases of conflict of interest which may occur in the development of a new drug and licensing by the FDA. The experts involved in the process are supposed to be independent. However, it is found that most of them have direct financial interest in the area they are asked to evaluate. They help a company develop a drug then serve on the advisory committee as judges. Recent studies show that half of the experts who advice the government on the safety and effectiveness of the medicine have financial relationships with the pharmaceutical companies. It is also found that the members of the committee have a financial conflict of interest. FDA failed to check the marketing plans submitted by various pharmaceutical companies for conflict of interest (Walker, 2009). The Federal Approach in relation to enforcement of the drug laws The war on drug in the United States has been there for decades with the enactment of the Controlled Substance Act of 1973 (Franco, 2009). This act gave the fight against drug abuse a higher profile. The federal approach has evolved in the recent times and it is based on reducing drug abuse based on three methods. The methods include prevention, substance abuse treatment and enforcement of activities. The federal domestic federal measures are designed to minimize the illegal drugs available. The measures laid down to do this include interception and enforcement of criminal penalties. The federal approach collects data on the drug abuse cases and makes policies based on the statistics. The current dilemmas in controlled drugs show that the federal approach to fight against drug abuse may not be successful (Franco, 2009). The approach cannot fully eradicate the impact drugs have on society but they act as a control measure to keep the effects under control. The approach should consider emphasizing on collection of data for research for law enforcement methods. The statistics should be used to assess the effectiveness of the federal approach to the current drug laws. This approach has cost the government a great deal of money and has not produced good results. The amendment on prohibition of drugs and cruel punishments led to the flooding of the courts with low level drug cases. The approach emphasizes on arrest and locking up members from the minority groups of society and this move is considered discriminatory. This approach does not fully eradicate the drug problem in the United States and the policies need to be reviewed to win the ‘war on drugs’. References Creative Visions Foundation. (2007). Making the case for harm reduction. Behavioral healthcare. Retrieved Sept. 24, 2010, from http://www.behavioral.net/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=&tier=4&id=68928A83FA184895ADBDF9CE13854CDD.html. Franco, C. (2009). Federal domestic illegal drug enforcement efforts: Are they working? DIANE Publishing. Hilts, P. J. (2004). Protecting Americas health: The FDA, business and one hundred years of regulation. University of North Carolina Press. Miller, D. C. & Salkind N. J. (2002). Handbook of research design and social measurement. (6th ed). Sage Publications. NIDA. (2010). NIDA InfoFacts: Understanding drug abuse and addiction. The Science of Drug abuse and Addiction. Retrieved Sept. 24, 2010, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/understand.html. ONDCP. (2000). Drug-related crime. Drug policy information clearing house. Retrieved Sept. 24, 2010, from http://www.whitehousedrugpo.licy.gov/publications/factsht/crime/index.html. Robinson, M. B. & Scherlen R. J. (2007). Lies, damned lies, and drug war statistics: A critical analysis of claims made by the office of National Drug Control Policy. SUNY Press. Saint Matthew Churches. (2010). Drug/ alcohol effects on society. Retrieved Sept. 24, 2010, from, http://www.saintmatthewschurches.com/AlcoholEffects.aspx.html. Walker, E. M. (2009). HHS report slams FDAs conflict of interest oversight. Retrieved Sept. 24, 2010, from, http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/ClinicalTrials/12407.html. Read More