Substance Abuse In Canada Essay

Substance abuse and addiction is an issue which has had a growing impact on society for decades. Millions in Canada each year suffer from addiction and even death with larger and larger percentages of the population finding it easier to gain access to illegal substances. Use of illegal substances will often lead to substance abuse and addiction. Addiction is very powerful as it can have strong adverse effects, rewiring the brain and destroying life in pursuit of a substance. Efforts have been made to combat this issue in Canada, with increased funding to law enforcement to combat illegal sale and possession of substances, however this problem continues and has no end in sight. Abuse of substances has ruined many lives, and many more to come

Lives are dramatically impacted by this issue. Addiction to any substance is very powerful, with many ending up jobless, homeless, or in debt to pursue their addiction. Stronger addiction has the power to do this as the substance is of higher necessity than basic survival, such as food and shelter. It is extremely easy to gain access to drugs, with many prescription drugs often being sold for profit. The manufacturing of illegal drugs has also grown in recent decades. According to a recent study, “Around 284 million people aged 15-64 used drugs worldwide in 2020, a 26 per cent increase over the previous decade.” (Hansford, Brian. 2022). With this increase it has gotten particularly much easier for youth to gain access to these illegal substances. Youth are particularly vulnerable as their brains and bodies are still in the development phase. Altering this phase with the use of these dangerous substances will result in major health impacts on the brain and body, resulting in further, more drastic issues later in life. It is important we combat this issue to save and protect all generations suffering from substance abuse. By addressing the baseline of the issue, we can combat the sale and use of illegal substances. We can also help victims of addiction and abuse with rehabilitation centres and raise awareness about this

In Canada ” approximately 21% of the population (about 6 million people) will experience a substance use disorder or addiction at some point in their lifetime. “. (Moore, Jim. 2022). With the increase of availability of illegal drugs on the street in Canada, larger percentages of the population are at risk for substance abuse and addiction. This number steadily grows as we let the issue continue, as the rise of drugs produces a snowball effect, endangering more lives at it grows. The government of Canada has made an official list on its website of illegal drugs. Including codeine, cocaine, mushrooms, LSD, MDMA, Fentanyl, etc. This increases awareness to the population of which substances are illegal and includes the risks of taking them. However, this is not enough, and more effort needs to be put into this