Use of these drugs often incurs criminal penalty in addition to the potential for physical, social, and psychological harm” (The Free Dictionary, 2013). According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, “over 80 percent of high school students have used alcohol; over 40 percent have used marijuana; 16 percent have used cocaine, crack, or freebase; and over 20 percent have sniffed or inhaled intoxication substances” (Encyclopedia of Special Education, 2007). Before this assignment, we knew that drug abuse was a problem but we never took the time o realize who is affected.
After the assignment, we noticed that everyone in a society is affected, whether directly or indirectly. Even if you don’t know anyone personally that is affected by drug abuse, it is often a problem carried on for generations. We chose to do the basic critical thinking/questioning approach for our social analysis approach. We chose to use this approach because of the questions and answers. It was also a way for all of us to see the problems of drug abuse and how everyone is affected. Social Analysis What is the social problem?
The social problem is drug abuse and addiction in a society and its harmful consequences to the people involved. Who defines it? Drug abuse is a social problem defined by anyone in a society. Drugs affect addicts, families and communities. “The abuse of legal substances, like alcohol and tobacco, and the use of illegal substances, such as marijuana or cocaine, can be costly for society. Some illegal drug abusers commit crimes in order to support their drug habit leading to an increase in the rate of violent and nonviolent crime in drug ridden communities.
Drug abuse can affect a variety f social institutions by contributing to work place absenteeism, work-related accidents, and poor work performance. Last, excessive use of drugs can cause illness and death costing society billions of dollars in health care and lowered productivity” (World of Sociology, 2001 Why is it considered a social problem? Drug abuse is considered a social problem because it affects people of all age groups, genders and backgrounds. Consumption of illegal drugs can affect the life of a person socially. In many countries, cigarette smoking has been stated to be a main cause for premature deaths.
Mothers with a drug dependency pass on the issues to their children. This is also a problem because two generations are affected and this also affects health care. When a child is affected, this creates a hostile environment for children, creating another circle of affects in a society. Broken laws are also a result of drug abuse because people commit crimes to get money to fulfill their need for drugs. Who benefits? The only people who benefit in drug abuse are drug dealers and traffickers. When people get addicted to drugs, they create a business for the drug dealers. Who loses?
Everyone else in a society besides drug dealers and traffickers loses. This includes young children, teenagers, adults and elderly people. When a mother or father abuses drugs, this creates a problem for children and teenagers. When children or teenagers are affected, this creates a problem for the education system because they’re less likely to graduate from school and fail to make a career. “Every year an estimated 210 million people use illicit drugs, with almost 200,000 of them dying annually” (NOD, 2013). What is the cost? Drug abuse can lead to death and drug dependency.
The addict depends on others in order to survive because they’re not stable enough to function in a normal environment. Economically, adults can’t afford to live in a society. They spend all their money on drugs and cannot provide for their families, sometimes resulting in losing their house and family. What are some solutions? Since drug abuse is a very sensitive topic to talk about, there are limited chances to help those who are involved in this social problem. Nowadays, illicit drugs can be found almost everywhere, at the work place, schools, streets etc.
One recommendation would be try to avoid consuming illegal drugs because there are many negative consequences due to the use of them. Some of the unpleasant consequences would be: lost of job, friends, quarrels between family members, etc. Another thing to be taken in consideration is to help others who are involved in using these illicit drugs. Although it is hard to accept that our loved one is under the influence of these drugs, family and friends should not just overlook this problem. Instead, they should give them a hand to escape from that dangerous addiction.
From the government’s perspective, they can create stricter laws to stop drug trafficking. Everyone in a society can help reduce drug abuse by educating. Education creates awareness among people and it also provides knowledge about consequences of drug abuse. Recommendations for Social Action As students in a society, we can help by holding rallies, protests and demonstrations against drug abuse, this can create a general awareness among the people against the disadvantages of drug abuse. We could also volunteer with the drug rehabilitation programs.
If we know anyone suffering from drug addiction, we can motivate and also educate them. Action Plan There are different forms of social action and ways people can work together to create change. A problem such as drug abuse requires a community effort to get involved and be vigilant. Organized meetings and protests will create a social awareness and demonstrations against the abuse of illicit drugs. More governmental legislation that targets drug trafficking and stricter penalties to effectively crack down on the distribution of drugs on the streets can reduce drug abuse.
Educating people in a community on the consequences of drug buses and the downward spiral that follows will be a huge step in resolving the issue. Parents of adolescence should have training to detect drug use in the home and ways to handle an “at risk” child. With all these steps, we would be on a pathway to saving our future generations and possibly end illegal drug abuse. Conclusion Drug abuse is a global problem which affects everyone in an environment. Even with new laws and regulations, the drug trade business is continuously increasing. To reduce drug abuse and stop it for good, work needs to be done at the starting level.
