Drugs:a dangerous temptation

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Drugs: A Dangerous Temptation

Since moving to Los Angeles from South Korea, I have often heard that drug abuse is frequent in America. Compared to South Korea, where drugs are rare and completely illegal, America is a curious place to me. While attending colleges in America, I discovered drug problems are also frequent in school environments. Even my friend has told me that he has used them once. Since that time, drugs have always aroused my curiosity, and I have always wanted to know about them. Therefore, I decided to choose “drugs” as a research paper topic, and I found that many problems with drug abuse still exist. My goal in this paper is to discuss these problems and point out that drugs are related to many serious issues.

According to Buggle’s research, there are 230 million drug users worldwide. Even in the United States, an estimated 23.9 million Americans are drug users, and drug problems have reached epidemic levels across the globe (Buggle). There are two main uses of drugs: medical and recreational. No matter how they are used, all of them have effects on the body, physically and mentally. Also, even though their effects are different, they draw a similar conclusion: Drugs are related to many serious issues. Some remarkable research proves that drugs are related to the issues.

Drugs are chemical; they affect the body in different ways. According to results from the national survey on drug use and health, drugs weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to infection. They cause brain damage that can impact everyday life with effects such as memory loss and fatigue. Also, drugs destroy the brain’s circuit, which is a portion of the limbic system. Once the brain’s circuit is destroyed, it is hardly possible to concentrate on small amounts of work. Even worse, it can damage the brain permanently (“Effects of Drug Abuse and Addiction”). The effects of drugs are various from person to person and depend on the amount of time the person has used the substance; however, the majority of individuals who take drugs are easily dependent on them eventually. Most drugs are highly addictive. The level of drug addiction also varied according to the type of drug. Greenspan discovered that mescaline, whose addictiveness is 16.72, is the least-addictive drug out of the illegal substances, and heroin, whose addictiveness is 81.80, is the most-addictive drug out of the illegal substances (Greenspan). Even taking heroin only once, one will find it is almost impossible to stop taking the drug and control oneself. The addictiveness of a drug is one of the most important factors that cause crime related to that drug.

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Fig. 1. “Inmates Statistics-Offense.” Federal Bureau of Prisons n.p. n.d. Web. 17 December 2014. http://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_offenses.jsp

As the graph shows, 98,082 offenses are drug offenses, thus the majority are drug related. It is obvious that drugs are the most influential factor that relates to crime. In addition, inmates who take drugs are mostly “drug addicted.” CASAColumbia’s research shows that 2.3 million of the nation’s inmates in prisons and jails suffer from substance abuse addiction (“Behind Bars II”). Even worse, the number of inmates is increasing. According to the research from Washington, D.C., there were 41,000 drug offenders in prison in 1980, but in 2011, there were 501,500 drug offenders in prison (E.A., W.J). The increasing number of drug-addicted inmates is no longer a trivial matter in the United States, as drug problems have been placed as a major factor in all crimes. It has been found that, “Compared to inmates who do not suffer with substance abuse issues, inmates with substance abuse problems are more likely to be incarcerated again, begin their criminal careers at an early age and have more contacts with the criminal justice system” (“Behind Bars II”). This means that the inmates who are drug addicted have a higher rate of returning to incarceration again than do the inmates who are not drug addicted. The major cause of being incarcerated again is the “addictiveness of drugs” ("Effects of Drug Abuse and Addiction"). As soon as the inmates are released from prison, they are much more likely to take drugs again because of their addictiveness. Even if the inmates have strong self-control, there is no guarantee that the inmates will not take drugs again. One research points out that an estimated 39 percent of released prisoners were arrested within five years for a drug offense, and 60 percent out of the 39 percent of released prisoners were arrested again within two years for a drug offense (“Percent of Released Prisoners”). The research clearly indicates that the prisoners who are arrested for drug offenses have higher chances of returning to incarceration.

Some crimes are motivated by drug use. People commit crimes in order to steal drugs from hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. One graph shows how many crimes and what kinds of crimes are motivated by drug use.

Fig. 2. “Percentage of Different Crimes Motivated by Drug use.” The Diluvium n.p. 23 July 2013. Web. 17 December 2014. <http://issiwo.blogspot.com/2013/07/drug-prohibition-lie-they-told-iii.html>

As the graph shows, shoplifting is the most common type of crime motivated by drug use, and theft of motor vehicle is the least common type of crime motivated by drug use. It seems that as the price or value of a drug goes up, the users are more likely to commit crime. According to one research,

The misuse of legal substances may also be connected to crime. For example, prescription drug abuse may be associated with a variety of crimes such as prescription forgery, illegal Internet pharmacies, and drug theft. Drugs also impact crime indirectly via the effects they have on users’ behavior and by their association with violence and other illegal activity in connection with their manufacture, distribution, acquisition or consumption. (“Drug & Alcohol Crime & Offenses”)

As can be seen, drugs are the obvious cause of many crimes.

Drugs are also closely related to teenagers. Adolescence is a period where teenagers’ brains and their identities are developing. This means they are susceptible to small changes, so if they take drugs in adolescence, they are more easily affected by the adverse effects of drugs than adults. However, teenagers are more likely to try new things because they are adventurous, which means they are willing to take risks. One research discovered that teenagers tend to think that they are mature when they are taking drugs (“Health and Parenting”). However, taking drugs without appropriate education and control can cause many serious issues. According to one statistic, one in six teenagers takes drugs in America (“Legally Dead”). The increasing number of teen drug users is no longer socially acceptable. Also, the side effects of drugs are rampant among teenagers. Even though schools have educated teenagers about the seriousness of drug abuse, teenagers still do not realize how critically drug abuse affects them. The majority of teenagers consider drugs a trend, but they are highly addictive and cause serious side effects. One research showed that taking drugs without control at a young age causes some consequences. One of the biggest side effects is that drugs carry the risk of chemical dependency. The longer one takes drugs, the harder it is to stop. For drug addicts, it is almost impossible to live without drugs because their brains and bodies are completely dependent on the substance. More, if they stop taking drugs, they have withdrawal symptoms such as hallucinations, seizures, nausea, and high blood pressure (“Health Risks of Substance Abuse”). These symptoms do not let teenagers live normally. They disrupt teenagers’ concentration, which causes negative results in their education and peer relationships. This also leads negatively affects their occupational growth. Therefore, drug abuse by teenagers causes serious issues, especially with regard to the future.

Drugs also affect the economy. The economy is where trades and money are exchanged between people legally. However, drugs create an underground economy where illegal means are used to avoid taxation and government regulation. One of the biggest problems is that the money that comprises the underground economy is from illegal acts. For instance, money from black labor mainly comprises the underground economy, and money from illegal acts such as prostitution, bribery, and larceny is one of the factors that comprise the underground economy. Because the underground economy consists of illegal acts and money, it causes a drop in the revenue of the country, deterioration of income distribution, and polarization of society. Also, the increasing budget amount for the prevention and treatment of drug abuse has become another serious problem today. The National Drug Control Strategy shows the amount of money spent on drugs by function.

Fig. 3. “Breakdown of the federal drug control budget.” The White House n.p. Feb 2007. Web. 17 December 2014. <http://issiwo.blogspot.com/2013/07/drug-prohibition-lie-they-told-iii.html>

As the graph shows, interdiction, domestic law enforcement, and treatment with research take up the most of the graph, and that the cost of stopping drugs is prohibitive. One research predicted that if the drug control budget increases at a consistent rate, it will become an enormous amount of money that the government cannot offer ("V. The National Drug Control Budget"). As a result, as the major factor in the underground economy, illicit drugs cost a lot of money from the government’s budget.

In conclusion, drugs cause many serious issues. Drugs affect the body physically and mentally, especially the brain because drugs cause brain damage. Also, drugs are related to many crimes. Drug offenses have the highest crime rate, and a majority of all crimes are motivated by drugs. Taking drugs in adolescence, when people are susceptible to small changes, creates the risk of chemical dependence and causes many side effects. Finally, drugs have negative effects on the economy because they are the main cause for the underground economy, which burdens the government’s budget. To conclude, drugs have many different negative effects and are related to many serious issues.

Work Cited

"Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America's Prison Population." CASAColumbia. 1 Feb. 2010. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

Buggle, Annabelle. "After 40-Year Fight, Illicit Drug Use at All-Time High." Huff Post Politics. 23 July 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

"Drug & Alcohol Crime & Offenses." Crime Solutions.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

"Effects of Drug Abuse and Addiction." Effects of Drug Abuse and Addiction. Brandeis University, 11 May 2011. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

E. A., Carson, and W. J. Sabol. "The Sentencing Project News - Drug Policy." The Sentencing Project News - Drug Policy. 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

Greenspan, Sam. "11 Least Addictive Drugs (and Other Bad Substances) - 11 Points." 11 Least Addictive Drugs (and Other Bad Substances) - 11 Points. 23 Apr. 2010. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

"Health Risks of Substance Abuse." Trusted Teen Treatment. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

"LEGALLY DEAD | Exploring The Epidemic of Prescription Drug Abuse." Rehabs.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

"Percent of Released Prisoners Returning to Incarceration." Crime in AmericaNet. 29 Sept. 2010. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

"State Marijuana Laws Map." State Marijuana Laws Map. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

"Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse-Topic Overview." WebMD. WebMD. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.

"V. The National Drug Control Budget." V. The National Drug Control Budget. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.