Sociological Effects Of Substance Abuse

Drug abuse is a pervasive problem that negatively affects people worldwide and claims the lives of millions each year. Although many people are aware of the consequences of drug use, few notice how greatly it affects their lives as well as the lives of people around them. This paper will describe the problem of substance abuse, identify those affected and concerned with this issue, describe the preventative measures in place, and finally, discuss the sociological perspectives used to analyze the issue of substance abuse. The research and statistics presented in this paper will explore and demonstrate the gravity of this problem and present the mistakes society is making in the prevention of this issue.

Firstly, the issue of drug abuse

Drug use causes physical harm, encourages risky and sometimes violent behavior and induces problems related to school and work. The physical consequences of drug abuse include liver damage, cardiac arrest, internal bleeding, alcoholic dementia, shorter life expectancy, lack of concentration, weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, etc. (Bird, 2014). In addition, drug use in the United States, Canada’s neighboring country, cost the economy 559 billion dollars in 2004 (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2004). This is explained by the fact that the use of drugs does not solely affect the individual drug user, but instead has more widespread societal consequences. An example of these consequences is the health emergency called by the city of Vancouver in 1997, when HIV infection drastically and rapidly increased (Kendall, 2011). This was caused by the re-use of needles for heroin use, as well as unsafe sexual practices in poorer, inner-city neighborhoods of Vancouver, which induced the rapid spread of HIV. Impaired driving is another problem related to drug-use, which caused approximately 1082 fatalities out of a total of 2541 and cost Canada $482.8 million dollars in 2010 (Kendall, Nygaard, Thompson, 2011, p. 179). Furthermore, drug abuse has consequences in

These subgroups are namely, street-youth, minorities, students as well as their families and communities. Street-youth in Canada are unfortunately the most prone to becoming drug abusers. According to a recent report, street-youth in Canada are at high risk of drug abuse as they often feel abandoned and betrayed by society, which increases the likelihood of engaging in high-risk behavior (Hadland et al., 2011). Poverty also promotes drug-use since it provides street-youth a way to escape the harsh realities they must face on a daily basis. Additionally, certain minority groups have been proven to have higher rates of drug abuse compared to others. For the First Nations people of Canada, substance abuse is considered the number one problem in their communities. It has been a critical issue for decades and is related to extreme poverty, as well as the trauma induced by the residential school system imposed by the Canadian government in the early 20th