The quick fix mentality is ascribed by Slater to be one of the most important causes of drug abuse (392). Our society is harsh, he describes, but we prefer quicker action rather than solutions that evolve over the long term (Slater 392). As a result, drugs become an attractive means of medicating ourselves in response to the harshness of our society (Slater 393). Too many people in today’s society want to mask their problems with drugs or alcohol instead of dealing with the problems face to face.…
Newman, T., (2014). How should our society deal with people who use drugs? Drug Policy…
Rashi K. Shukla’s “Methamphetamine: A Love Story” could be a textbook itself about social problems. Many different concepts discussed in “Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action” can be observed through the lives of only 33 participants from Oklahoma. Each adult described the world of methamphetamine in necessary, but excruciating detail. They told of traumatic childhoods, the impact of the drug on their mental well being, and the burden it had on those closest to them. They also explained how they broke free from its tempting grasp, what type of treatment they received, and how their lives were forever altered by their involvement with methamphetamines.…
Main Points - I will discuss the general theory of harm reduction and its principles, its criticisms, and alternate treatment models for substance abuse.…
Gabor Maté, in his article “Embraced by the Needle,” encourages people to understand the addiction to drugs is a result of deep unhappiness that occurs in an individual early in life (273-75). Maté shows in a Portland non-profit harm-reduction facility that he works at, the methadone prescribed does not help the emotional suffering that the addicts endure. Although methadone may halt the effects of withdrawal, there is no “high” created, according to Maté. He also asserts that drugs alone are not the source of addiction and that statistics show that only 8 per cent to 15 per cent of individuals who use substances, such as marijuana, become addicted. This small percentile margin of addiction, Maté argues, supports the position that addiction…
Substance abuse and dependency persist as a major health and social concern in America. Author Joseph A. Califano, a former secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare notes, “it is hard to find an American family or circle of friends that substance abuse has not touched directly (Califano, J. A., p. 1, 2008).” Califano further explains that although Americans are 4 percent of the world’s population, Americans consume 65 percent of the world’s illegal drugs. Furthermore, one in four Americans will have an alcohol or drug disorder at some point in his or her life. Most of these individuals have parents, children, siblings, friends, community and colleagues who will “undergo psychological and social harm" (Califano, J. A., p. 1, 2008.).” Authors…
There is not a single way to determine the health of the public, therefor social determinants are used in order to show health and social status and give reason as to why health varies across the world (Hill et al, 2010). According to the World Health Organistion (2015), social determinants relating to health are the circumstances in which people find themselves, collectively because of where they are born, how they live, their working life and their age. It claims that these conditions are defined by the “distribution of money, power and resources”. When looking at specific social determinants, substance misuse and addiction has a big impact on society with approximately 5.7% of the worlds population, of adult age, use ‘psychoactive’ substances…
In 2005, NIDA released “Drug Abuse and Addiction: One of America 's Most Challenging Public Health Problems”. In this article, they name top social problems related to drug abuse. They name drugged driving and violence as two additional problems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates between 10 and 20% of drivers in motor vehicle accidents are under the influence of illegal drugs. Further proof of the negative effects of drugs on society, a study has shown that more than half of arrested criminals tested positive for drug-use at time of crime (Bachman 2001).…
.MCLEAN, KATHERINE. "Reducing Risk, Producing Order: The Surprisingly Disciplinary World Of Needle Exchange." Contemporary Drug Problems 40.3 (2013): 415-445. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.…
References: Ballard, M. (2004). Over the Influence: The Harm Reduction Guide for Managing Drugs and Alcohol (Book). Library Journal, 129(1), 137. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database.…
Most non-violent crimes, such as thefts and burglaries, are committed by drug addicts to pay for their drug habit. By eliminating the reason behind the crime, the need to commit the crime will be eliminated; in some cases drug-related crimes were reduced by 51% (Popper, 2002). Drug treatment gets to the root cause of the crime. Treatment not only benefits the addict, it also gives them the opportunity to learn life skills and how to cope without the use of drugs, which will in turn help them to avoid making the same poor choices. Drug treatment is more than just stopping the drug use; it helps change behaviors and attitudes toward drugs and life. Without this major component, there is a larger chance of failure.…
Newman, Tony. “Drug Courts are Not the Answer: Toward a Health-Centered Approach to Drug Abuse.” (2011): 2-28. PDF file.…
The three different views of addiction consist of immoral conduct, disease, and maladaptive behavior. When reading Thombs & Osborn, the way how an addiction was seen as sin took me by surprise. Although in the early years of school I learned about the health concerns of addictions, seeing an addiction as a sin was not talked about. The way an addiction was seen as a sin took me by surprise because it is not something an individual can control unless he or she has the will power. Yet, the way the immoral conduct comprises of punishment through various legal enforcements create injustices. Once an addict gets into the legal system he or she will likely will be kept in the system, also called the revolving door. Furthermore, it was intriguing…
What is the role of a criminal justice professional? There are numerous amounts of roles that a criminal justice practitioner plays. Depending on which section of the criminal justice system you are certified in, your studies ensures your specialty in your career field. In this particular essay, we will focus on the key social issues contributing to the service of the criminal justice practitioners, the role of the criminal justice professionals serving needs, and how the key social issues impact the role of the criminal justice professionals along with examples.…
In addition to budgetary pressures on the prison-centered approach, other factors have become increasingly relevant in the search for a more balanced drug policy. It is no coincidence, for example, that four of five early health-reform proposals in Congress included provisions on the right to addiction treatment. Despite an investment of about $15 billion over the past two decades, the United States has failed to significantly reduce drug supply or demand. Although not at the center of national debate, public opinion is increasingly focused on the right of addicts to receive treatment rather than a prison sentence. "Public knowledge of the problem has slowly and silently changed. Now we know more about addictions and about the best ways of reducing consumption. (Vega, 2009)…