Negative Effects of Drug Addiction - Essay Example

Major: Sociology Negative Effects of Drug Addiction Hessa Obaidan 200900385 Qatar ENGL 203 - 117 May 5, Ms.Dolores Gephart The problem of drug addiction in today’s world is deeper than the society is willing to concede. It is a rapidly spreading phenomenon with numerous negative effects. Drug addiction is a form of substance use disorder where the user becomes dependent on either legal or illegal drugs or medications. Examples of drugs that have the prospective to cause addiction include nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants, and prescription medications like valium. Control of drug addiction is becoming tedious, difficult, and expensive because of varying effects on users and society. Drug addiction has various negative effects on the users health, economy and society. The economic effect that drug addiction comes with is the other negative effect. The economic effects are not only felt by the individual but by the society too starting with the family. According to information published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (1995), drug addiction first renders the addict unproductive. Because of the impaired judgment, it also renders them ineffective at work. The result is loss of employment at the increased costs burden to the family and society. On the other word, this provides insight to the negative economic effects of drug addiction. Drug addiction and its memory impairment make it difficult to perform work related activities and limits economic decision making. For example, an alcoholic may spend all of their income on alcohol. The corner stone to developing a country economically lies on the strength and quality of the labor available. Large number of drug addicts in the country reduces the quality of the available labor force. The amount of resources invested to provide education to the citizens would go to waste as a high percentage of the population would be unproductive. With the increasing number of addicts, the state will have to develop more rehabilitation centers to accommodate them. This is compounded by the increasing costs of rehabilitation programs. From the above the many negative economic effects of drug addiction may be appreciated. The other negative effect of drug addiction is the negative health effects that come with it. This health effect is broad both to the individual and to the society. These health complications usually arise in form of reduced output damage of organs or even infections. Health is a broad topic that covers even the environment. Gateway foundation ( 2015) Continued drug use results in a weakened state of immunity that gives rise to opportunistic infections. Other effects on the health of the individual include increased heartbeat rates seizures and even strokes and brain damage. In addition, the pregnant woman may engage in action that put the pregnancy at risk such as poor nutrition. To the society, addiction poses the problem of increased transmission of infectious diseases. Therefore from the above one can agree that indeed the health concerns raised have a basis. As previously noted, drug addiction impairs the judgment of the individual because of the blockage of the neurotransmitters that compounds the ease to make mistakes that may adversely affect the drug addict’s health. For example, National Institute of Drug Abuse (2015) notes that transmission of HIV/AIDS may be through sharing of equipment used to inject. An impaired judgment may also compound this spread. According to Dasgupta (2011), impairment of mental function is the greatest negative effect of drug and other substance abuse. According to research published by NIDA, the basis of how a drug works after repeated use by an individual, is to restrict nerve impulses by interfering with neurotransmitters in the brain and dopamine production. The result is that the brain gets used to the high dopamine levels, and produces less and less of the chemical over time. This gives the individual an unreal situation that adds to impairing his judgment. For example, the enhanced dopamine level after intoxication with alcohol, gives the drug addict a false sense of confidence that results in violent. Therefore, as mentioned above, alcohol intoxication results in an overworked liver. The result is a decreased ability of the liver to break the alcohol consumed. Another example is the heart problems that addiction to marijuana and cocaine poses. From all of the above one can attest to the various serious health problems that addiction to drugs fetches. The other negative impact of drug addiction is to the family and the community. All family members have a special role to play. The community at large also stands to lose from the drug addiction menace. Lionti (2015) asserts that the true face of drug addiction in America is that of the regular American teenager. A high percentage of teenagers engage in drug abuse and the effect is reflected in their way of life. Most of the drop out of school and engage in ill activities. The addicted individuals find it especially difficult to stop using on their own (Edelfield & Moosa, 2011). The addicts have to attend rehabilitation centers to get clean. The process takes a while and impatient addicts tend to go back to drug abuse. In addition to this, there is the aspect of the domestic violence that comes with drug addiction. Other effects to the society include the increased crime rates as the drug addicts look for funds to purchase the drugs and loss of any developments in the community (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 1995). Therefore, this proves that indeed there are social and financial impacts of drug addiction. Drug addiction drives a wedge between them and reduces the bonds of strength. The result is that the family unit crumbles and can no longer hold. A major example in this case is the addiction to alcohol. When intoxicated these alcoholics turn to domestic violence as a way of relieving their frustrations. This affects the growth of the young children as they grow up knowing that violence is a means of communication. In addition, the alcoholics turn to become rapists in the society. From the above myriad of problems to the society that are bundled with drug addiction, the societal effect that comes with it is quite evident. To sum up all of the above, it shows that indeed drug addiction presents a myriad of negative effects on personal life, the medical care, finance, and the community. It affects the individual in terms of their mental function, their memory and relationships. The medical care of both the individual and the society is also at stake with the rise of spread of infectious diseases and the environmental concerns that drug addicts pose. The finance is at stake as the work force is limited. From the above negative effects of drug addiction, the future needs approach with caution. The community is also adversely affected both socially and economically in terms of rehabilitation costs and the alternative development costs foregone as the drug addicts do not work. Development of drug awareness and rehabilitation programs to tackle the drug addiction menace will greatly help solve this menace. References Gateway foundation . (2015, May 16). Effects of Drug Abuse and Addiction. Retrieved from Gateway Foundation Alchohol and Drug Treatment Centers: http://recovergateway.org/substance-abuse-resources/drug-addiction-effects/ The direct quote: Drug use can: Weaken the immune system, increasing susceptibility to infections. Cause cardiovascular conditions ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Cause the liver to have to work harder, possibly causing significant damage or liver failure. Cause seizures, stroke, and widespread brain damage that can impact all aspects of daily life by causing problems with memory, attention, and decision-making, including sustained mental confusion and permanent brain damage." "More than 75 percent of domestic violence victims report that their assailant had been drinking or using illicit drugs at the time of the incident" drugs can cause a baby to be born too small or too soon, or to have withdrawal symptoms, birth defects or learning and behavioral problems. pregnant women who use illicit drugs may engage in other unhealthy behaviors that place their pregnancy at risk, such as having extremely poor nutrition “ Lionti, K. (2015, may 15). The Reality of Youth Drug Addiction . Retrieved from Time Warner Cable News: http://www.twcnews.com/nys/buffalo/news/2015/05/15/youth-drug-addiction-.html The direct quote: "The face of addiction today is the average American teenager," Dasgupta, D. A. (2011). A Health Educator’s Guide to Understanding Drugs of Abuse Testing. Jones & Bartlett Learning. The direct quote: "Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a dependence on a legal or illegal drug or medication" " Drug addiction can cause an intense craving for the drug. You may want to quit, but most people find they cant do it on their own." "You may need help from your doctor, family, friends,” "Drugs can cause a host of physical and psychological problems." NIDA. (2015, May 16). Effects of Drug Abuse. Retrieved from National Institute of Drug Abuse: http://easyread.drugabuse.gov/drug-abuse-effects.php The direct quote: "When a person is high on drugs, he doesn’t think clearly. He might do risky things. He might have sex without using a condom to protect against HIV/AIDS, other diseases, and pregnancy. If he injects (shoots up) drugs like heroin, cocaine, or meth, he can get HIV/AIDS by sharing a needle with someone who is infected." Edelfield, B. & Moosa, T. J. (2011). Drug Abuse. The Rosen Publishing Group. The direct quote: "Most drugs affect the brain by interfering with neurotransmitters or chemical messengers. Drug use can overflow the brain with dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved with emotion, movement, and pleasurable effects. The brain becomes used to the surges in dopamine from drug abuse and produces less of the chemical. The drug abuser needs larger amounts of the drug to bring the feelings from dopamine back to normal” UNDCP. (1995). THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF DRUG ABUSE. Copenhagen: World Summit for Social Development. The direct quote: "Rapid social, economic, and technological change may, under certain circumstances, weaken the sense of family and reduce the sense of belonging to other people, groups, and places. conditions may complicate the classical problem of balancing discipline and control of children with nurturing support to encourage their exploration, understanding of the world and self-realization." "It is well known that having biological relatives with alcoholism increases the risk in unaffected individuals.. Dysfunctional drug or alcohol use may mask an underlying emotional illness." "Drug abuse leads to a disruption and problems in family, relationships, and friendships because of changes in behavior or arguments. Some drug abusers endanger their children because of neglectful action, including leaving them at home alone for long hours." "Their carelessness can lead to getting involved in violent situations either as a victim or assailant. Disorderly behavior from drug abuse or stealing to buy drugs can lead to arrests." "Mood swings from using marijuana range from feeling stimulated and happy to being tired and depressed." " may be affected by problems related to drug abusing men. The problems of male partners may affect women in the form of difficulties in interpersonal relationships, instability, violence, child abuse, economic insecurity, deprivation of schooling and risk of sexually transmitted disease, including HIV infection." Read More