Abstract

DrugabuseisaseriousproblemintheUnitedStates.Thisconditionexistsinall
areasofthiscountry,nomatterhowsmallthecommunity.Thisliteraturereviewwill
describedrugabuseanddistinguishitfromdrugaddiction.Itwillalsodiscusshow
peoplebecomeaddictedtodrugs.Itwillalsodiscusswhichgroupsofpeopleareaffected
bydrugabuseandtheconsequencesofdrugabuse.Therearemanyscholarsthatwill
contributetothereliabilityofthisreview.Fromthisreview,itwillbeapparenthow
seriousdrugaddictionisthroughoutthecountryandthenegativeconsequencesofthis
problem.

DrugAbuse:ALiteratureReview
Lastyear,therewereatleast50,000familieswhowereaffectedbydrugs.Nearly
44,000peoplediedfromoverdosingondrugslastyear.Overtheyears,drugaddiction
hasbecomemoreandmorecommonthroughouttheUnitedStates.Theamountof
peoplewhoareconstantusersofdrugshassteadilyincreasedovertheyears.Asifdrug
addictionwasnotaseriousproblemalone,therehavebeenincreasesinnewdrugsas
well.
Manypeoplethroughoutthecountrydonotunderstandthestrugglethatmany
drugabusersgothrough.Drugabusersgothroughmanystruggleseachday.Inorderto
betterunderstanddrugabuse,peoplemustaskthemselvesfoursimplequestions.
1. Whatisthedifferencebetweendrugabuseanddrugaddiction?
2. Howdopeoplebecomeaddictedtodrugs?
3. Whichgroupsofpeopleareaffectedbydrugabuse?
4. WhataretheConsequencesofDrugAbuseandtheGovernmentPoliciestoward
thedrugabuse?
Oncepeopleunderstandthesequestions,theywillhaveamuchbetterunderstandingof
drugabuse.
WhatIsTheDifferenceBetweenDrugAbuseandDrugAddiction?
Manypeoplemisunderstandthedistinctionbetweendrugabuseanddrug
addiction.Drugabuseisanextremedesiretoobtain,anduse,increasingamountsofone
ormoresubstance.Drugabuseisoftenagenerictermfortheabuseofanydrug.
However,drugaddictionistheinabilitytostopusingthedruginspiteofnumerous
attempts.Drugaddictionisachronic,relapsingbraindisease.Compulsivedrugseeking
anduse,despiteharmfulconsequences,characterizethisdisease.Althoughinitialdrug
usemightbevoluntary,drugsofabusehavebeenshowntoaltergeneexpressionand
braincircuitry,whichinturnaffecthumanbehavior.Drugabuseisconsideredabrain
diseasebecausedrugschangethebrain.Drugschangethestructureandhowitworks.
HowDoPeopleBecomeAddictedtoDrugs?
Therearenumerousconditionsthatleadtopeoplebecomingaddictedtodrugs.
Socialenvironment,abuse,poverty,andtraumaticeventscanleadtoapersonbecoming
addictedtodrugs.Socialenvironmentcanbeamajorinfluencebecauseifdrugs
surroundapersonallthetimewhilegrowing,theywouldthinkthatitisnormal.
AccordingtothePartnershipforaDrugFreeAmerica,whenapersonisexposedtoan

environmentwheredruguseisviewedasnormalandcommon,thepersonwilllikely
beginorincreasetheirdrugintake.Thisacceptabilityandregularuseislikelyto
influencethedevelopmentofproblemswithdrugabuse.

Povertyisalsoanotherreasonwhypeopletendtobecomeaddictedtodrugs.
Environmentsofhighratesofpovertytendtohavehighratesofdrugabuse.Drugsare
oftensoldintheseneighborhoods.Growingupinpovertystrickenenvironmentsmay
makepeoplefeelworthlessandtrappedinthoseterribleconditions.Forexample,inthe
figurebelow,itshowsthelikelinessofpeoplebecomingdrugabusersthroughtheirlife
situations.Thislackofselfworthandhelplessnesscanleadapersontousedrugsasa
waytomaskthepainofthesituation.Also,sincedrugsarealmostalwaysaroundin
povertystrickenneighborhoods,peoplearealwaysarounddrugs.Asaresultofbeing
aroundthesedrugs,thesepeoplemayfeelinfluencedtotrythedruginordertoescape
fromtheirstruggleofpoverty.

WhichGroupsofPeopleAreMostAffectedbyDrugAbuse?
ThroughouttheUnitedStates,youngadultsmostcommonlyabusedrugs.People
betweentheagesof18through25havethehighestamountofdrugusage.Accordingto
RogerCleggoftheNationalReview,thesegroupsofpeoplearemostlikelytouseopioid
painrelievers,ADHDstimulants,andantianxietydrugs.Also,outofthisagegroup,
malesabusedrugsmuchmorethanwomendo.
Peopleaffectedbydrugsbyracearemorecomplicated.Caucasianshaveahigher
rateoftryingandusingdrugs,butAfricanAmericansaremorelikelytobepunishedfor
usingdrugs.AccordingtoSakiKnafooftheHuffingtonPost,Caucasiansaremorelikely
thanAfricanAmericanstohaveusedmorekindsofillegaldrugs.Caucasianstendtotry
manymoredrugsthanAfricanAmericans.Caucasiansaremorelikelytousehardcore
drugssuchasmeth,PCP,heroin,andcocaine.However,AfricanAmericansuse
marijuanaatarate23percenthigherthanCaucasians.Forexample,inthefigurebelow,
itshowsthepercentagesofdrugusedbyrace,gender,andage.

WhataretheConsequencesofDrugAbuse
andtheGovernmentPoliciestowardtheDrugAbuse?
Therearemanyconsequencesofdrugabuse.Drugabusersmayhavetodealwith
theconsequencesofthedamagetheyhavedonetotheirbody,howtheyhavehurtfamily
andfriends,andtheymayhavetoservetimeinprison.Peoplewhoareaddictedtodrugs
haveahigherriskofinjuries,accidents,riskofdomesticviolence,medicalproblems,and
death.Asstatedbythegovernment,someoftheconsequencesthatdrugabusersfaceare
aweakerimmunesystem,whichincreasestheirchancesofgettinganinfection.They
mayalsofeelnausea,whichleadstothemvomitingandhavingabdominalpain.The
drugscanalsohavetheliverworkharder,whichcaneventuallyleadtosignificantliver
damageandpossiblyliverfailure.Therearemanynegativeeffectsdrugscancausetothe
body.Forexample,thepicturebelowshowsawomansteethasaresultofyearsofdrug
abuse.

Unfortunately,manypeopleusedrugsbutareunawareofthedamageitdoesto
thebrain.Drugsaffectthebrainbytappingintoitscommunicationsystemand
interferingwiththewayneuronsnormallysend,receive,andprocessinformation.
AccordingtotheNationalInstituteofDrugAbuse,somedrugscanactivateneurons
becausetheirchemicalstructuremimicsthatofanaturalneurotransmitter.Although
thesedrugsmimicthebrainsownchemicals,theydonotactivateneuronsinthesame
wayasanaturalneurotransmitter.Asaresult,thisleadstoabnormalmessagesbeing
transmittedthroughthenetwork.However,otherdrugscancausetheneuronstorelease
abnormallylargeamountsofnaturalneurotransmittersorpreventthenormalrecyclingof

thesebrainchemicals.Thisdisruptionproducesagreatlyamplifiedmessage,ultimately
disruptingcommunicationchannels.
Althoughdrugsgreatlyaffectandhurtyourbody,drugsaffectsandhurtsfriends
andfamilymuchmore.Drugabusegreatlydamagesfriendsandfamilyrelationships.
Drugabuseputsalotofstressonparents,brothers,sisters,grandparents,andanybody
elsewhoispartofthehome.Drugabusersdestroyrelationshipbecausetheytendtostart
manyfights.Familymembersmightstarttofightalotbecauseofproblemsthedrug
abuseriscausing.Thedrugusermightdoandsaythingsthatupsetneighborsand
friends.Asaresult,thiscanmakethefamilyfeelashamedandmaypossiblyhurtthe
familyname.Peoplewhoabusedrugs,oftendonotbelievethattheyaresickandoutof
control.Asaresult,theydonotlookfortreatmentandtheydonotseetheproblemsthey
arecausingthemselvesandthosearoundthem.Forexamplemanypeopledonotrealize
thehurttheyareinflictingonthepeoplethatcareaboutthemastheycontinuetoabuse
drugs.Thisgreatlyhurtsthepeoplewhocareforthem,becausetheyhavetosteady
watchthispersonshealthdeclineandthereisnothingtheycandotohelpthem.
However,otherpeoplewhoareaddictedandawareoftheproblemmaybesoupsetand
confusedthattheydonotknowhowtoaskfororgethelp.
Lastly,drugabusersmayalsohavetogotoprisonfortheiractionsasanabuser.
Currently,therearemorethan2.3millionpeopleinAmericanprisonsandjails.
(SentencingProject)Morethan65percentareinjailforsubstanceabuseaddiction.In
1971,NixondecidedtodeclareaWaronDrugs.Asaresultofthis,Americadecidedto
becomeverystrictwhenitcametodrugs.Federalsentencinglawsthatweredesignedfor
seriousdrugtraffickershaveresultedinlengthyimprisonmentforoffenderswhoplayed
relativelyminorroles.Also,onceoutofprison,theoffenderisplacedoncommunity
supervisioninhopestheydonotcommitnewcrimesorviolatetheconditionsoftheir
release.Drugabusersalsohavetodealwithnumerouslawyersfeesthattheyacquired
duringcourttrials.Evenworse,theymaybesubjectedtoprobation,criminalrecordsand
theconsequentialinabilitytobecomeemployed,inabilitytovoteandaseriesofother
consequencesthatfollowthempermanentlythroughoutlife.Drugabusehasmany
negativeconsequences,noneofwhichareworththetemporarypleasuresofdoingdrugs.
Conclusion
Drugabuseisaseriousproblemthroughoutthecountry.Thegovernments
policiesattemptingtoreducedrugabuseandaddictionshouldnotonlyfocuson
criminalizingdruguse,butshouldalsoaimattreatingandattemptingtocurepeople
afflictedwithdrugabuse.