It seems like everyday there is some headline on the local news about “another drug overdose” or “a kid trying to ‘wake her mom up’ in the middle of Wal-Mart because she is high on heroin.” In fact, “over 20 million people ages 12 or over have an addiction (excluding tobacco)” (“Statistics of Addiction in America,” 2016). Furthermore, “in 2011 there were over 5 million emergency room visits that were drug related” (“Statistics of Addiction in America,” 2016). There is no estimating how many people (of all ages) are affected daily either directly or indirectly by drug addictions. America has reached a point where drugs are now killing more people than both cars and guns (“Drug Overdose Death Data,” 2016). Unfortunately, addiction has quickly …show more content…
Most of the individuals who begin to partake in drugs know of the consequences, but being under the influence is their escape from reality. The consequences associated with drug usage could produce a realm of legal, physical, mental, social, and costly problems. According to a fact sheet called “Heroin Addiction Facts” (2017), “heroin addicts will spend an average of $150 per day on their addiction.” To put this into a broader perspective, this is nearly $55,000 a year spent to intake a drug. One of the most devastating consequences of drugs is how the addicts affect their loved ones through their actions. Many of the addicts lose custody of their children, end up divorced from their spouses, or get sent to prison just because of their drug