Many say that homeless people become homeless because they become victims of drug abuse, but is that always the case? Does homelessness lead to drug abuse? Well most people would like to think that is the cause but it’s simply not that simple but, nothing is that clear cut so.
How does homelessness lead to drug abuse? Homelessness has been a rising problem across north America for quite some time. According to BMC Public Health “It is estimated that there are 3.5 million people in the US who would fall under the category of homeless, 1.5 million of which are children.” (BMC Public Health). Studies have shown increased risk factors with alcohol and drugs, “It is believed that about 38% of homeless people abuse alcohol while 26% regularly use other drugs.” (BMC Public Health). With risk factors for substance abuse being high for the homeless it shows that “ Individuals who first became homeless before age 50 had higher prevalence of recent mental health and substance use problems” (PLOS One). Now with the information that has been stated about the increase factors that lead the homeless to finding them more likely to engage in substance abuse it can now be moved forward to know how substance abuse affects the homeless.
Homelessness is often associated with substance …show more content…
A common problem is that people fail to consider the views of the homeless themselves, but instead try to remedy the situation without such consultations. This often leads to responses that don’t prove effective or only offer a temporary solution. according to BMC Health “In order to help people escape their current troubles it is important to investigate what drove them to it in the first place” (BMC Public Health). If these causes are not addressed it can mean that the individual will only ever be able temporarily solve their housing