Reflective Essa'y First Draft

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Othman Bajunaid

ENGL 10

Loretta Kennedy

11/13/12021

Facing Alcohol and Drug Abuse in America.

Alcohol and substance abuse can be defined as a chronic disease that involves the

uncontrollable consumption of drugs and alcohol and is harmful to the user's health and

community. Heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, various cancers (e.g., breast cancer),

mental disorders, newborn abstinence syndrome (NAS), driving under the influence (DUI),

and other transportation-related traumas are all linked to alcohol and other drugs abuse.

Sexual assault and rape, 10, 11 unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted illnesses, 12

deliberate and unintentional injuries,13 and property crimes are among the most common

crimes. Substance abuse is costly to our society, putting a strain on our workplaces,

healthcare systems, and communities if left untreated. Many studies and reports have shown

that substance misuse hurts corporate productivity and competitiveness and increases

workplace injuries and absenteeism. Alcohol and drug abuse involve irrevocable indulgence

in harmful substances such as marijuana, cocaine, tobacco, and heroin, leading to strained

health, unemployment, and relationship breakups; this ought to be handled because it is a

threat to prenatal development.

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Why we should care

Every year many Americans lose their lives due to drug and alcohol abuse. One of the highest

numbers of deaths caused by alcohol and drug abuse was recorded in 2014 when more than

43000 American citizens died from a drug overdose. Yearly, alcohol misuse kills about

88,000 people in the United States each year, including 1 in 10 total deaths among working-

age adults. A study has revealed that substance and alcohol abuse-related behavioral health

problems, such as aggression, unsafe driving, mental health issues, and risky sexual activity,

are the leading causes of death among individuals aged 15 to 24 (Yvonne Bonomo).

The federal government and the business community are increasingly becoming aware of the

harmful effects of substance misuse on the American economy and its workforce. In 2010,

the annual economic impact of alcohol misuse and disorders was assessed to be $249 billion

($2.05 per drink), while the impact of illegal drug use and conditions was estimated to be

$193 billion, including both direct and indirect expenditures related to crime, health, and lost

productivity.

Every year, taxpayers bear the cost of $45 billion for state jails and $144 million for federal

prisons. It is known that drug-related incarcerations account for more than half of federal

prison inmates and over a quarter of state prison inmates. Annual costs for state prison

populations in 50 states average more than $32,000 per inmate, with federal stays costing

more than $26,000 per person. The average drug-related felony results in jail sentences

ranging from three to nine years. Therefore, the government must expand the research on

drug and alcohol abuse to facilitate the development of alcohol and drug abuse treatment

tailored for specific populations (Columbia Univ.).

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Some of the adverse effects of alcohol, substance, and drug abuse in society include;

 An increase in child custody losses

 An increase in child abuse and neglect

 An increase in the risk of addiction for children whose parents are addicted to drugs

 An increase in domestic strife.

 Increased homelessness and poverty rate.

 The significant financial burden of healthcare costs.

 Co-occurring mental problems are becoming more common.

 Insurance premiums and taxes will rise.

Though law enforcement measures work to reduce and stop alcohol and other drug abuse,

prevention is the one critical strategy. These should join to work together to combat

substance abuse in a variety of settings effectively. Collaboration between law enforcement,

health, and social service agencies can assist lower demand, which feeds drug trafficking

activities. These are frequently violent and criminal—complementing law enforcement

efforts to curb supply by treating addicts and avoiding the commencement of drug use.

Effective preventative techniques are vital in the fight against substance misuse in the

community.

At some point in their lives, almost everyone is vulnerable to alcohol and other drug issues.

However, some persons are more likely to develop a significant addiction due to personal,

family, or environmental factors. Substance misuse has a wide range of consequences that

affect family members, friends, co-workers, and society as a whole (Publications).

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Drug addiction is a complex disorder with far-reaching effects for those who know, work

with, or support addicted to drugs. Though you might not be directly affected, or if you don't

presently know someone who is misusing drugs and alcohol, you are sure to be involved in

some manner. Whether it's through taxation, higher insurance premiums or college tuition, or

working longer hours. There are no limits to the effects of drug addiction. The government's

intervention and prevention or reducing early substance use initiation is the best chance to

reduce drugs and alcohol abuse and the deaths caused.

Given the impact of alcohol and other drug abuse on the country, preventing the abuse is

vital. Therefore, it follows that the community in general and the government should

formulate prevention strategies to attain this goal. It is imperative to focus on the young

people and youth when developing preventive models as they are most at risk. Young people

go through psychological, social, and developmental changes and are easily influenced at this

point in their lives. Preventive measures could be applied here to impact the youth positively.

Numerous preventative techniques can significantly reduce drug use, especially among

individuals who are at high risk. These strategies all have the same goal: to build "protective

factors," including well-developed social skills, strong family relationships, school

attachment, and active participation in community and religious organizations while

minimizing "risk factors" that make people more vulnerable to drug misuse. A recent study

reveals that resilience is also a key element; many people can resist drugs even in high-risk,

unpleasant situations.

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Although it is impossible to make a specific prediction on who is prone to alcohol and drug

abuse, a study has exposed a lot about the factors that put millions of youngsters between the

ages of 10 and 17 at risk. School failure, living in a place where substance abuse and dealing

is prevalent, associating with peers who partake in alcohol and other drugs, and school failure

are substantial indicators of parent substance addiction, lack of parental guidance, or a

turbulent abusive family. These factors are essential predictors, and the presence of multiple

predictors leads to an increase in the chances of one falling victim to alcohol and substance

abuse. However, eradicating these factors from a child will give the child a fighting chance

and save them from the terrible fate of addiction.

Preventive Programs and Policies.

Though significant efforts to reduce and eradicate alcohol and substance abuse have been

undertaken all across the United States, I feel that the government should put prevention and

treatments first and center. Even though they might fight the gangs and traffickers, the

government does not impact the demand for illicit alcohol and drugs. But by preventing

potential markets might do the trick in winning the war against drugs. Evidence-based

therapies for substance abuse can help individuals stay productive members of society while

saving society money on medical costs (Zili Sloboda, Prevention of Substance Use). These

programs can yield anywhere from a few cents to $65 for every dollar spent on prevention.

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Some of the federal government's initiatives on reducing substance abuse include;

 The first preventive intervention is introducing educational initiatives in schools.

 School-based and community-based educational activities (primary prevention

 We are supporting the usage of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs)

regularly.

 Overdose education and naloxone distribution initiatives should be implemented to

provide naloxone to opioid users and possible bystanders.

 Efforts by law enforcement to combat doctor shopping and pharmaceutical mills

 Individuals with substance use disorders should be directed to Drug Courts.

 Access to MAT should be expanded.

 Formulations for opioid analgesics that are less likely to be abused

 Expansion on the research of new approaches of treating pain.

Additionally, to prevent substance misuse and related criminality, communities must invest

their often-limited resources in programs that have been demonstrated to be effective (Zili

Sloboda).

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Conclusion

Apart from the harmful effects of alcohol and substances abuse on the individual doing the

abuse, other people and even the unborn children can feel substance abuse effects. Mothers

can pass substances to their unborn babies or through breastmilk, detrimental to their proper

psychological and physical development. The spread of infectious diseases such as

HIV/AIDS is another harmful effect of substance abuse that others can feel. Alcohol inhibits

the mind, and as a result, it leads to engagement in unprotected sex. Further, under the

influence of alcohol, it is difficult to resist the temptation to share needles, leading to

exposure to HIV. Alcohol and drug abuse lead to poor decisions, and ultimately, these

decisions cost the lives of the users and the people around them. Road carnage and motor

vehicle accidents can also be blamed on alcohol and substance abuse due to poor judgment

and estimation of distances and speeds. Every year, taxpayers bear the cost for federal prisons

to rehabilitate drug users. Addiction is a serious health problem which is why there are

strategies in place to combat it. The measures are supported at the community level, the state,

and the federal level.

It is therefore imperative for increased surveillance of the second-hand repercussions of

alcohol and drug use, such as assaults, sexual assaults, motor vehicle accidents, homicides,

and suicides, as well as the effects of substance use on academic and professional

performance, is required. Surveillance must be expanded beyond the national and state levels

to include local groups. Prevention measures have begun yielding results as alcohol and

substance abuse cases have started to subside, as it has been proven in research carried out in

multiple states (Michael J. Stoil).

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Works Cited

Columbia Univ., New York, NY. Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Behind Bars II:

Substance Abuse and America's Prison Population. ERIC Clearinghouse, 2010.

Michael J. Stoil, Gary Hill. Preventing Substance Abuse: Interventions that Work. Springer

Science & Business Media, 2013.

Publications, United Nations. World Drug Report 2018 (Set of 5 Booklets). UN, 2018.

Schuckit, Marc A. Drug and Alcohol Abuse: A Clinical Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment.

Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.

Yvonne Bonomo, C. J. M. Goos, John Howard (Ph. D.), Taisia Huckle, Nina Rehn Mendoza.

Young People and Alcohol: A Resource Book. World Health Organization, Western

Pacific Region, 2015.

Zili Sloboda, Hanno Petras, Elizabeth Robertson, Ralph Hingson. Prevention of Substance

Use. Springer International Publishing, 2019.

—. Prevention of Substance Use. Springer, 2019.