Drug Abuse Essay

Drug deprave and addiction are major burdens to society scotch be alone are estimated to exceed a half a trillion dollars annually in the get together States, including health, crime-related costs, and losses in productivity. However walk as these numbers are, they provide a especial(a) perspective of the devastating consequences of this disease, (Volkow, 2007 P. 2).The cost of drug addiction and drug ab theatrical role can be staggering in todays society. 14 pct of people brought to emergency rooms at hospitals give birth from alcohol or drug abuse/addiction disorders. About 20 percent of hospital costs through Medicaid are linked to substance abuse. $1 out of $4 is spent on Medicare yard bird care. About 70 percent of state prison and jail inmates used drugs on a official basis. One-third of state prison growth can be accounted to drug offenses. Since 1985 there has been an 80 percent increase in prison population. Addictions cause an economic burden on the United States t hat is two time that of diseases affecting the brain. Untreated substance addiction and abuse can have significant disruptions and costs for families (Dewey, 2008). middle addiction and abuse can have a grave impact on society. Substance abuse and addiction can have grave effects that contribute to costly mental, social, and physical health problems. any(prenominal) examples include STDs, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, child abuse, fights, murder, and suicide (Dewey, 2008).While the manufacture, sale, transportation, and use of controlled substances are themselves criminal, drugs and crimes are alike linked in other ways. The addict who is so habituated to the use of illegal drugs that he or she steals to patronize the habit, the drug importer who kills a rival dealer and the offender who commits criminal act due to the stimulation provided by drugs all provide examples of how drug abuse may be linked to other forms of criminal activity. The United States Department of Justi ce has stated, There is extensive evidence of the strong relationship between drug use and crime supported by a review of the evidence that can be summarized in the followers three points (Schmalleger, 2012 P.351).1. Drug users report great or involvement in crime and are much probable then nonusers to have criminal records.2. People with criminal records are much more likely than others to report being drug users.3. Crimes rise in number as drug use increases (Schmalleger, 2012 P.351). wrongdoer self-reports of jail inmates collected by BJS researchers showed the following. About 44 percent used illegal drugs in the calendar month before the offense for which they were arrested. Roughly 30 percent used illegal drugs daily in the month before the offense. Around 27 percent used illegal drugs at the time of the offense. Cocaine and ecstasy cocaine were the drugs most commonly abused by jail inmates (Schmalleger, 2012 P.352).ReferencesDewey, William L (2008). Friends of NIDA siza ble People.gov. (2012). Substance Abuse. Retrieved from www. Healthy people.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspxx?topicid=40.Schmalleger, Frank. (2012). Criminology Today An Integrative Introduction, Sixth Edition.