Substance Abuse and Mental Health Problems By JamalOsman

This letter is to raise the issue of drug and alcohol abuse among our society which has been a social problem for a long time. In modern societies, drug and alcohol abuse have become very common, such that it has become an epidemic that affects the community as a whole. It all starts when the person uses overdose drugs or consumes a lot of alcohol every day. If measures are not put in place, it could cause a lot of health problems.

There are many factors that influence people in the drug and alcohol abuse. These factors include the biological make-up of the person (genetics), conditions at home, school or neighborhood influences and a person's developmental stage (CDC, 2017).  Also, the environment can be a major factor in influencing drug and alcohol abuse. For example, if the child grows up in an environment where elderly people have no limits in using drugs and alcohol, then the child can see this as a normal thing and start using it. Many people believe that stress, depression, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, neglect, accidents, natural disasters, and terrorism are also major factors that contribute to alcohol and drug abuse. These events can leave marks in their mind, and in time, people who are exposed to issues like this might be tempted to soothe their distress by leaning to addictive drugs (Futures).

Many of these problems can be handled and eliminated if the adequate procedures are followed. These problems can lead to the person to suffer severe conditions including serious illnesses like HIV/AIDS and sometimes, deaths. Drinking alcohol, particularly binge drinking, and using drugs like methamphetamine or cocaine can alter the abuser’s judgment, lower inhibitions, and impair decisions about sex or other drug use (HIV.gov, 2017). This social problem is also preventable.

There have been a lot of unsuccessful attempts to curb these social problems. In 1956, the American Medical Association declared alcoholism an illness that can, and should, be treated within the medical profession, and in 1989, it declared addiction involving other drugs, including nicotine, to be a disease (Kean, 2013). According to Kean, the root of the problem is twofold. First, most medical professionals who are being sought out to provide treatment are not sufficiently trained or experienced to diagnose or treat addiction. That was the leading cause of the failure of this attempt. 

To curb this problem, the medical professionals should have been given the resources they wanted and should have been well equipped. Embarking on such actions could have made their medical attempts successful. Meanwhile, there are other successful attempts that can reduce drug and alcohol abuse. Criminal justice can have a significant impact in reducing illicit drug and alcohol abuse. Law enforcement initiatives addressing substance abuse and related crime are now working more intimately with communities to solve local problems (DOJ, 2000). In other words, the law enforcement can play significant role in combating the drug and alcohol abuse

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In some cultures and religions, drugs and alcohol are prohibited, and if people are found using them, they can be disconnected from the rest of society. That can lead the person to be isolated and commit other bad things, including crimes. In some traditions, some people assume drinking alcohol is also addiction, while the fact is different. People with such mindset do not know more about the ramifications of alcohol abuse. To them, whoever drinks liquor or other types of alcoholic beverages, could end up an addict. It is a typical stereotype of a distinct society.

This is an epidemic and is costing us financially and physically. My personal assumption is that people who use any overdose of drug and alcohol lag behind other people in many social aspects. When someone gets addicted to drugs/alcohol, he/she will end up being ineffective. The end result will be negative contribution to society.

To deal with this stereotype, I’d suggest people should be educated and get the awareness they deserve. They also should know this is a social problem. For example, if people are educated about this social problem, that can reduce the rate of the drug and alcohol abusers.

To prevent this epidemic, I would suggest that there must be a full drug and alcohol abuse awareness to the public. This can be advertised on TVs, and the other media outlets since many of us use the social media which can be used to give awareness to the public. Since prevention is better than cure, strategies must be implemented to overcome the menace of drug and alcohol abuse. To those already addicted to drug and alcohol abuse, they can be given proper rehabilitation. This can be lessons about the bad behaviors, its causes, and the way out. These people must also be shown there is another right path that they can rebuild their lives. To do ensure that procedure materializes, there must be financial assistance involved. Therefore, my organization is requesting if there are any available financial resources to curtail this overwhelming epidemic.