Drug and alcohol abuse has been an ongoing issue for individuals and is considered a social problem in our world today. Drug abuse is considered a social problem because although it affects the abuser in many negative ways it also flows out into society. Stimulants, Depressants and hallucinogens are types of drugs that come in different forms, such as, cocaine, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and LSD. Furthermore, each form can have different methods of use, immediate effects and potential long term effects. The National Institute on Drug Abuse discusses the costs and affects that drug abuse places on not only the abuser but society. According to this article, drug abuse is a major public health problem. Health care expenditures, lost earnings
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Even though the article show statistics and charts the three different theories; functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and conflict theory may all have different views on the social problem of drug abuse. For example, a functionalist might believe that drugs have both positive and negative components and that it’s the job of social structures to educate and support the proper use of drugs. They may also believe that the abuser has failed to obtain the cultural norm of a successful life and may stoop to the use of drug use to cope and adapt to their failure. However, symbolic interactionism will view the daily life of drug abuse and how it will influence our view of the world. They argue that it is not the effects of the drug, but how we perceive the drug that affects our opinions. For, example two of the most dangerous drugs such as alcohol and tobacco are available in our country, although we know the health consequences and other problems that arise from the abuse of these substances they are legal because they are socially acceptable. Lastly, conflict theory will focus on racial and economic divisions of the drug abusers. According to this theory, race and income can affect a person’s susceptibility to drug use, moreover
Even though the article show statistics and charts the three different theories; functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and conflict theory may all have different views on the social problem of drug abuse. For example, a functionalist might believe that drugs have both positive and negative components and that it’s the job of social structures to educate and support the proper use of drugs. They may also believe that the abuser has failed to obtain the cultural norm of a successful life and may stoop to the use of drug use to cope and adapt to their failure. However, symbolic interactionism will view the daily life of drug abuse and how it will influence our view of the world. They argue that it is not the effects of the drug, but how we perceive the drug that affects our opinions. For, example two of the most dangerous drugs such as alcohol and tobacco are available in our country, although we know the health consequences and other problems that arise from the abuse of these substances they are legal because they are socially acceptable. Lastly, conflict theory will focus on racial and economic divisions of the drug abusers. According to this theory, race and income can affect a person’s susceptibility to drug use, moreover