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Think back to when you were only a small child, and the effects your parents and family members choices had on you. More than fifty-seven percent of childthren grow up seeing drug addicted family members. (National Institute on Drug Abuse,2017). The effects of drugs are not only on the individual who consumes the drugs but anyone who is around the person. Drugs often create many disturbances and inconveniences in ones life. The quality of life is manipulated when someone is not in their original state.
Life becomes more meaningless, and being high becomes more important. Certain drugs cause changes in the menality, both short term and some that may be permanent. “Addiction itself is a mental disorder “ says National Institute on Drug Abuse in the article on the effects on mental health. (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2017). Drug abuse is not an easy battle to win, no matter how easy people think it is to just put down the needle or just stop drinking the alcohol eventually you start withdrawing, creating chemical imbalances, and real life health issues.
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(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2017).
The rate of children seeing their family addicted to drugs is currently outrageous, is rising at the highest rate it has been in two decades. ( National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2017). The effects the drugs have on the kids vary, and some can be far more severe than others. Growth disorders, Paranoia, depression, anxiety, and several other neurological disorders are associated with drug abuse by family members. Kids of drug abusers are eighteen times more likely to become an addict themselves.
(Bellum, 2014). So the question is why do some kids become addicted and others do not? Due to three proven reasons on why kids do become addicted, one being behavioral problem, which makes them more susceptible to drugs or alcohol, the second reason being the opportunities that are available, and the availability of the product, according to Bellum in her Real Teen Ask article children develop a genetic predisposition, showing that drug addiction can be hereditary, and children who are affected are more likely to become addicts themselves. ( Bellum, 2014). Children at such a young age have to learn to see life differently either through the eyes of an addict, or sober but either way both options just by being around those who use drugs have changed the outlook on life.
“Many recovering addicts have chronic physical illness, psychological disorders, diminished quality of life: More than a third of those in recovery have health problems related to previous substance use.' ( Massachusetts General Hospital,2019). Many chronic illnesses have relations to addiction and abuse. Over fifty-seven percent of abusers were diagnosed with one of the following health conditions and diseases, Tuberculosis, liver disease, Cancer, and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ( Eddie, 2019). There are several other diseases not listed and that may be a result of the drug use. Eddie stated in the Journal of Addiction Medicine that “ The presence of these diseases was shown to be associated with significant reductions in participants' quality of life, and all are known to reduce life expectancy. “. ( Eddie, 2019).
The life they live is not only altered due to health issues, but when your mind is in an altered state you start to do things outside of your control. When the body is craving and feeling the drug is a necessity, reactions become more harsh, the feelings of others become irrelevant, and going out of the way to get whatever is needed becomes more common. ( Drug Wise, 2016). The American drug addict on average needs between nineteen thousand four hundred twenty-two dollars, thirty-eight thousand five hundred eleven dollars per year to support their habits. ( Drug Wise, 2016). When it comes to drug-dependent individuals, the circle of life becomes the circle of crime. First off doing and distributing drugs is illegal,that is the first crime. Then you have a criminal record, and you can not pass a drug test so that results in no job. Joblessness leads to theft, burglary, fraud or shoplifting, resulting in more criminal charges. In the article Drug Wise mentioned that Two billion seven hundred million dollars worth of merchandise, goods and valuables are stolen each year. The Department of Justice did an experiment, Data collected from male arrestees in 1992 in 24 cities showed that the percentage testing positive for any drug ranged from 42% to 79% across the cities. Positive drug tests for females arrested ranged from 38% to 85%. Male arrestees charged with drug sale/possession were the most likely to test positive for drug use. Female arrestees charged with prostitution or drug sale/possession were the most likely to test positive. Both males and females arrested for burglary and robbery had high positive rates. ( Department of Justice, 1994). These statistics may seem irrelevant but they have raised over five times now within twenty-five years. That is a twenty percent increase per year!
Depending on the drug, and the tolerance the body has, will determine the outcome. No specific crime, no specific illness, no specific outcome is set for one drug it all depends on the person and how their body handles the drug. The world we live in is a supermarket for drugs, they are everywhere. (Rathus, 'Chapter 4, Consciousness', 2018). They are available to our kids, family members and those we love. Drug abuse and addiction is not only, them not wanting to stop it is the mental manipulation done by the drugs, it is the craving, it is a disease. (Rathus &, 'Chapter 4, Consciousness', 2018)
Fighting Against Drug Abuse. (2024, Jan 25). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/fighting-against-drug-abuse-essay
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