Drug Abuse And Economy

Great Essays
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health has concluded that around 20 million Americans ranging from 12 to older have used an illegal drug in the last 30 days. This consists of 8% of the population involving that age range. Around 48 million people from the age 12 to older abuse prescription drugs like painkillers, sedatives, and stimulants from ages 12 and older. This consists of about 20 percent of the U.S. Population. Drug abuse is a growing problem and over the years, it has only escalated. Drugs might seem like small harmless pills, but the consequences of it are pernicious, regardless if it 's prescription drugs or non-prescription drugs. Drugs have a social impact in relation to crime, celebrities, the economy, and the nation. Even …show more content…
In 2007, the cost of drug abuse was approximately $193 billion. $120 million was due to lack of productivity from labor participation costs, treatment, incarceration, and premature death. $11 billion was spent to provide drug treatment and $61 billion billion was meant to pay for things involving criminal justice such as criminal investigation, prosecution and incarceration, and victim costs. In 2009, 67% of drug users from the ages of 18 and so on were employed, while 48% was working full time and 19% was working part time. 13% were unemployed and the rest were not in the labor force. In addition, in 2002 through 2004, full time workers from the ages 18 to 64, they had a greater chance of working with three or more employers in the previous year. They had a greater chance of missing two or more workdays in the month compare to full time workers that didn 't use drugs. In addition, there had a higher chance of not attending one or more work days in the past month. The health costs over the years is only going to increase as the drug usage is increasing. Clearly, this depicts that drug use affects productivity in the nation and the presence of drug users at work. As well as that drug abuse negatively affects the person using it emotionally and physically. It affects the people associated with the drug user. Most of the time the health of drug users are deteriorated due to sickness and disease. In most cases, they die from drug overdoses or any illnesses having to do with it. A majority of illegal drug users spread infectious diseases. They are “core transmitters” of giving gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis, and

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Only 5000 people died in 1980 from drugs while at least 10,000 americans died from drug related violence(Schaller 1).Not only were there more people being prosecuted, the stress from all of the arrests caused drug related…

    • 425 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Despite this there are several identifiable populations of “users” that must be continually addressed in various communities throughout the country. But the usage of drug usage it’s self most likely predates society as it is known today, beginning with forage and gathering experimentation to the drug labs of modernity. The interpretation of the results of various surveys and research over the past twenty years as been complied as a basis for the 2014 United Sates Drug Control Policy goals of prevention. With the intention to “avoid the consequences of drug use among youth” (2014, p. 7) and notably reduce the numbers of substance abusers in the long term. This encompasses a variety of drug categories ranging from to depressants to hallucinogens which requires that proposed programs be tailored to a drug of choice or adaptable.…

    • 1480 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    SAMHSA Research Paper

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Drugs have been the cause of numerous deaths in America, especially according to the Huffington Post. " In 2009, drug use was responsible for the deaths of over 37,000 people in the United States -- exceeding the number of traffic fatalities for that year" (Buggle n.pag.). This problem is getting too large and out of hand, it seems outrageous that more people every year are dying from using drugs than…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Drug Legalization Effects

    • 2295 Words
    • 10 Pages

    This research paper aims to study the negative effects of drug legalization in the US, by extracting reliable data and statistics. As time progress, issues such as “drug legalization” continue to disturb the equilibrium of the society. It is certain that everyone at some point, either directly or indirectly has been affected by the consumption of drugs. It can be anything ranging from the abusive behavior of a family member or may be excessive burden on the economy of a country. My paper conducts a detailed analysis of the negative impacts of drug legalization and on the American society and human health.…

    • 2295 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Crime In Prison

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages

    However, although crime has decreased, drug use has not decreased, and imprisonment rates are growing more drastic. Between 1993 and 1996, serious crime decreased by 5% and adult arrests increased by 12%, but adult arrests for serious crime only increased by 3%; in contrast, arrests for less serious crimes, like drug possession, grew by 14% (Cunniff 9). Yet despite the lack of impact of anti-drug programs, the government continues to take the same approach. Even despite the increase in prison populations, there are little to no regulations of prison populations (Schlanger 199). Clearly, the federal government must discontinue the emphasis on drug sentences and begin to put more effort into decreasing prison populations.…

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Over the past fifty years, the prison population in America has increased tremendously. Between 1985 and 2013 alone the prison population has increased 45.2 billion people. Over the last forty years, there has been a 500% increase in the population. The increase in prison population has caused problems with overcrowding in the jails. The number of people in prison and jails for drug-related offenses between 1980 and 2014 has increased by 447,500 individuals.…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Power Of 420 Analysis

    • 1203 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The United States government has been campaigning on the prohibition of drugs for nearly a century. President Richard Nixon declared the “War on Drugs” in the 1970s. It was evident his administration wanted to shift the public perception of drugs by demonizing all drugs and campaigning on the dangers of drug use, which later lead to major anti-drug bills during the 19080s and 1990s. For years, our society has been taught that drugs have negative consequences that causes drug users to commit crimes. As a result of the stigmatization of drugs, we are faced with the challenges of changing the mindset that drug addicts are not criminals, but instead their addiction is a disease that requires medical attention, not criminalization.…

    • 1203 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The war on drugs is an ongoing problem in the United States that will never be solved by prohibition. In this country taking things off the shelfs like alcohol and making it illegal to consume like in 1919 when the Eighteenth Amendment was passed will always cause illegal activity. The authors of the Sober Truth who quoted “in 1919, a watershed: the Eighteenth Amendment, enshrining into law a nationwide prohibition on the sale of alcohol. Any promising treatments that may have arisen between that day and the amendment’s repeal in 1931 were almost certainly doomed to obscurity, as nobody could legally be said to be purchasing and drinking alcohol on a regular basis” was absolutely correct, because although alcohol was illegal it then proceeded…

    • 736 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Cocaine Effects On Society

    • 1558 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Therefore, once the dopaminergic system has been blocked by the drug individuals are not able to function properly. When an individual is under the influence and act, a different way is because they are not able to think right because they drug takes over. Many of the consumers get in trouble with the law because they misbehave and their result leads to incarceration. The way the cocaine is consumed can also affect the brain and the heart.…

    • 1558 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Drug abuse in America is at an all time high across the country. The effects of drug abuse on 18-35 year old male and females in America changes the way drug addicts see reality. Drug abuse can affect a person’s mental alertness, consciousness, cognitive and neurological functions, as well as lead to death, homelessness, loss of family and friends and even prison. Prescription drug overdoses constituted for more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined, and as many, more emergency room visits. Most people start out with a legit medical issue that leads to a prescription for pain, cancer, and even stress.…

    • 877 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Taking hard drugs slowly kills the mind and the body. For example with cocaine, short term hallucinations over time can lead to having a stroke or death. Drugs take a large toll on the body and they could cause harm to people around a user of them. But unfortunately, because of our justice system, drugs occasionally drag innocent people into court. Even acquiring miniscule amounts of drugs can ruin lives.…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Drug and alcohol abuse is one of the most important social issues in this novel. Drug abuse refers to the excessive or addictive use of drugs for nonmedical purposes (“Drug Abuse,” 2015). Drug use can become a social problem when an individual becomes impaired through drug-taking behavior (Busse & Riley, 2008, p. 21). Drug and alcohol abuse lead to many serious consequences. The emotional, physical, social, psychological, and intellectual health of many children and adults are impaired and damaged by drug abuse (“Drug and Alcohol Abuse,” 2014).…

    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Drug Addiction

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages

    .The addictive use of prescription and illicit drugs within the United States has been, and remains,an unending and sometimes controversial social and economic issue. According to research and statistics done on this issue, drug addiction has the ability to affect numerous branches of both societal and economic health. Statistically, one of the more common areas affected is our criminal justice system. (‘Bureau of Justice Statistics).…

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Criminal offenses and illegal drug-use have a very tight relationship. This relationship has been extensively studied; yet it has been challenging the issues within the criminal, health, and social communities for centuries. Drugs can impair judgment, result in poor anger management, violent behavior, and therefore they can and often do result in criminal behavior (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012). Attacking the Drug Problem: Attacking Crime Societal drug users and drug involved crimes are not only among the top concerns of health officials, criminal justice systems, and citizens, but also of the policy-makers that enveloped this country. Drugs are almost automatically associated with criminal behavior and they are often times the center…

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The drug market is stronger than ever, yet the drug war has been in full force for several decades. The effects here in the United States, are quite similar to the effects internationally, but there are many solutions other than a drug war, to stop the use of drugs. Nobel laureate and economist Milton Friedman remarked on the issue, “However much harm drugs do to those who use them…seeking to prohibit their use does even more harm both to users of drugs and to the rest of us…Legalizing drugs would simultaneously reduce the amount of crime and improve law enforcement. It is hard to conceive of any other single measure that would accomplish so much to promote law and order” (Donohue 146). Friedman is right.…

    • 1405 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays

Related Topics