Drug Abuse Impact

Introduction Problems are a significant part of life. Problems exist everywhere. Problems simply go together with being alive. Individuals, households, communities, governments, everyone alive has, have had, or will have problems. However, a community problem is different. A community problem affects every individual in a community directly or indirectly. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), drug abuse is “One of America´s most challenging public health and social problems.” Drug abuse impacts society on multiple levels and because of this, drug abuse´s negative effect are undeniably notable. This report will define drug abuse, analyze and describe its impact on the general and college aged community, and provide possible

According to NIH´s research, substance abuse is unbelievably costly. The total overall cost of drug abuse in the United States exceeds $600 billion annually. This grand sum includes health care expenditures, lost earnings, and costs associated with crime and accidents. The costs of drug abuse are as serious as other chronic conditions; diabetes costs society $137.7 billion annually, and cancer costs $171.6 billion annually. This is an enormous burden that affects all society, those who abuse substances, and those who do not. However, the dreadful economic cost on the nation is only one of the numerous significant impacts drug abuse has on society. Drug abuse as a major public health problem is one of the most

Drug abuse is related with cancer in several ways. Tobacco contributes to 11-30% o cancer deaths. Also the NIH has determined that steroid abuse has been associated with liver tumors and rare condition called peliosis hepatis. Cancer is not the only public health problem drug abuse may contribute to. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States annually, which is 1 in every 4 deaths. This number is clearly intimidating, and drug abuse is a major contributor to it. NIH researchers have found a significant connection with tobacco, cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, and steroid abusers, and the development of cardiovascular diseases. They have found that tobacco only is responsible for approximately 30% of all heart disease deaths each year. Drug abuse is strongly associated with HIV and AIDS as well. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states: “more than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection” (2009), and approximately one-third of AIDS cases reported in 2005 and most cases of hepatitis C in 2001 in the United States are associated with injection drug use. Also, nearly half of pediatric AIDS cases result from injection drug use or sex with injection drug users by the child´s mother. Drug abuse is one of the major causes of