Drug addictions problem in America
Drug addiction affects thousands of Americans every year and that number continues to grow. Not all drug addicts look like what we see on tv, some look just like your neighbor or friend but are struggling with addiction. If we can identify where drug addictions and abuse start we can find a way to prevent future addictions as well as help those currently struggling. We also need to improve the way we look at those with addiction and how we treat them throughout our society. By eliminating the stigma around drug addictions we can more easily provide help to those struggling and over time combat the vast majority of addictions.
Drug addictions do not always start with a choice to abuse either legal or illegal drugs. Some mothers take drugs while pregnant causing their babies to be born with mental and physical problems as well as a drug addictions. The very sad truth is, "drug abuse during pregnancy is a universal problem, and it exists in all major cities and towns" (Turner). While most people know it is not safe to do drugs while pregnant some people still do it regardless. This could be because they are uneducated about pregnancy or they tried to stop drugs for their baby but did not have the proper tools or support. Drug use during pregnancy can lead to, "Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) [which] refers to the withdrawal effects that a newborn goes through while reacting to the lack of the drugs used while developing in the womb and in some cases lead to the death of the infant" (Turner). These means that best case scenario the baby is born with a drug addiction or a mental illness and worst case the baby does not make it to birth. Addiction is serious especially when you are putting another humans life at risk. Those struggling should not become pregnant until they can overcome their addictions and have a healthy pregnancy.
The intensity drug addictions is based on a variety of factors both physiologically and within your environment. The severity of drug addiction can be based on your sex and the primal instincts that correlate. In a study on sex difference and their correlation to impulse it was found that, "...the different selection pressures placed on male and female hominids led them to differ in their behavioral strategies" (Fattore). This shows that since the beginning of time the pressure we put on each sex directly impacts the way we think and behave in our daily lives. This pressure we are put under ultimately changes our response to things and how we would handle situations like stress and addiction. An example of this would be, "women as [a] primary caregiver of dependent offspring would have benefitted from a stronger ability to delay gratification in favor of serving the needs of a demanding infant" (Fattore). This would mean that in theory woman would be able to prolong the need for a drug if it would benefit someone close to them like a child. As a human nature this over all makes woman better at showing self-control which could correlate to less woman being drug addicts then men.
With the ever growing outrage on drugs it has become even harder for people with drug addictions to seek help due to the negative stigma on drug users. Many people are jailed for drugs and serve lengthy sentences without ever getting actual help. In a article about the mistreatment of drug users Carl Hart from Columbia University stated that, "about 1.5 million people are arrested on drug charges every year" (Hart). Most of those arrests are made for small amounts of less serious drugs like marijuana. While being in possession of drugs is illegal and serving time for it is the law there should be a program in place for those with addiction so they can get better and not make the same mistakes once they are released. The stigma on drug users is especially high in non-white neighborhoods and, "more than 80% of those sentenced for crack cocaine offences are black, despite the fact that the majority of users of the drug are white" (Hart). It is dangerous to be a drug addict because of the fear of what the law might do to you but it is even worse if you are a minority. This fear makes it even harder for people with addictions to reach out and seek help for their problem. If addicts are always being portrayed as less than other humans it makes it hard to come out and admit you have a problem and get help because you are afraid of what people will say.
The stigma surrounding drug users continues to get worse every day and is only fueled by how they are portrayed in tv and movies. Many people do not trust those with drug addictions and exile them in their daily lives. In a survey on how people view those with addiction it was shown that, "respondents hold significantly more negative views toward persons with drug addiction compared to those with mental illness" (Barry). Society's negative view on addicts is not something new but it is still hindering those struggling from getting help or just living their lives. Once someone knows you are addicted even if you are trying to quit it can be very difficult to get a job or be accepted in your community. According to the same survey mentioned before, "respondents were unwilling to have a person with drug addiction marry into their family or work closely with them on a job" (Barry). It is very easy to be exiled from society when you gain the label of a drug addict and people no longer want you around. This isolation from normal life can hurt an addict more causing them to go in a downward spiral since they do not have a support system or someone to help them. This is why many people suffer in silence rather than try to get help for their addiction.
Drug addictions typically start because the person is searching for something and drugs are what is currently filling that void. Drug addicts strive for either positive or negative reinforcement. Dr. Wise believes "that we should use the term 'addiction' in relation to early signs of compulsive drug taking and the cravings associated with it" (Everitt). That way we can better explain the different stages users go through and the beginning of addiction is so important to focus on. The reasons people becoming addicted to drugs are different for each person and can depend on a lot of factors. One of the reasons people start taking drugs is for, "...positive reinforcement, [which is] subjectively linked to drug-induced euphoria..." (Everitt). On the other hand there is negative reinforcement which could be taking drugs to fix a physical or even mental pain. Both are equally slippery slopes and good ways to become addicted to drugs even if you did not intend to. Negative reinforcement also plays a big part in prescription painkiller addictions because a patient could be originally taking them for a real issue but quickly get addicted because of the strong chemicals inside.
Some big companies want to profit off the mentally ill and those who are already addicted to drugs by getting them addicted to more substances. Big tobacco targets those with addiction by giving them something legal to be addicted to so they can make a greater profit.
Many addicts are those who are mentally ill and, "individuals with mental illness who received mental health treatment within the previous year were more likely to have quit smoking" (Le Cook). While that is absolutely a good thing most people do not seek help for multiple reasons. Some people cannot afford treatment for their addiction or mental health and some people just do not have a good enough support system to even try. Big tobacco still targets those with addiction and, "despite significant progress made in reducing tobacco use within the general population, individuals with mental illness smoke at rates approximately twice that of adults without mental disorders" (Le Cook). It is easy to get someone addicted to something new if they already have a preexisting addiction. Big companies know this and have more retailers for cigarettes in places where drug arrests and mental illness is high. They are using the unfortunate situation these people are in to make a profit and push people further away from becoming clean.
In conclusion drug addictions can start in a variety of ways from being born addicted to accidentally becoming addicted to painkillers. Whatever the reason someone becomes addicted is it is our responsibility to not stigmatize drug users to the point they cannot get help. If people really cannot stand them that much then we should do everything we can to help them and prevent more people from becoming addicted. If we move our focus to be on helping those in need we can change their lives for the better and have that many more people being productive members of society. By lowering the statistics on drug addictions we can create a safer and healthier society for future generations to come.