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DRUG ABUSE
In the United States of America, we, the people value several things, some of which
are freedom, expanding and taking care of our families and our financial security.
We, the people, take such things for granted. We also discourage some behavior, such as
crime, laziness and use of illegal drugs. Drug abuse is one of the most discouraged
behaviors in our country. Use of illegal drugs is harmful to the userand all those with
whom the user comes in contact. There are over 40 million illegal drug users in the world
today and America is the biggest market for drugs1 . There are more drug dealers in this
country, than there are dentists. Illegal drug abuse must be stopped; it hurts our society,
hurts us, and, most of all, hurts the user. Drug users are parasites,
feeding off society's money, taxes and insurance. Every type of insurance goes up because
of drug abuse, including auto, health and homeowners. Worst of all, the crime rate
will sky rocket if we let this behavior continue. Illegal drugs and their abusers are a
plague to society for many different reasons..
Drugs have very harmful effects on the user and the people with whom the user
interacts. The user is affected in many ways. The most popular drug in America, alcohol,
is generally thought of as socially acceptable and relatively harmless. But it can have
devastating effects. Alcohol might seem very harmless but it
can harm the user very easily. Alcohol is easy to obtain and consume. It is taken as a
beverage and, since it is legal, it can be purchased at the corner store. The immediate
effects on the user are relaxation and a slight anesthetic effect. Alcohol is a very
addictive drug. There are more than 18 million alcoholics in America2 , an indication of
how widespread its harmful effects are. Alcoholics normally drink a lot on mornings and
weeknights, at times which separate them for noraml "social" drinkers. Often, the alcohol
will bring out a violent temper and often, alcoholics abuse, physically and mentally, their
friends and family. Drinking makes the drinker feel he is more confident. The drinker
thinks he is in control, even if a little high, and he might get behind the wheel of his car and
go for a drive. Drunk driving is deadly. Hundreds of thousands of people get killed
every year due to drunk driving. Other physical effects of drinking are vomiting, passing
out and sometimes, if enough alcohol is consumed over a long enough period of time, or if
mixed with other drugs, death.
Marijuana is a popular, and illegal, drug. Its largest consumers are young adults.
Marijuana is smoked in a pipe or rolled in a cigarette. Thirty-seven percent of people
between ages 12-17 have tried marijuana.3
Marijuana gives a slight buzzing feeling of light-headedness. Experimentation with
marijuana is dangerous because studies show that 60% of people who smoke marijuana on
a regular basis move on to try harder drugs soon after.4 Marijuana tends to diminish the
ambition and motivation in the user. In the long run, it may cause lung cancer and other
respiratory problems.
Cocaine is another popular, illegal, street drug. Cocaine is snorted or smoked as "
crack"(a cheaper and, as a result of being so affordable, more addictive way). Cocaine
gives the user a sense of well-being and extra energy. Cocaine is one of the most
dangerous drugs. In 1995, over 500,000 emergency room accidents were cocaine- related.5
Cocaine is one of the worst drugs because it causes respiratory illness and kills mucus
membranes.
Heroin is the most addictive dangerous illegal drug on the streets. You'll become
a so- called "junkie" if you use it. It affects the hygiene and personal appearance of the
user a great deal, because nothing is as important to the user anymore as where that next
hit will come from. Heroin is injected and sometimes snorted. It causes great euphoria,
but also nausea and vomiting. Like any street drug, its user does not know what potency
he is getting from batch to batch. Therefore, there is always the risk that he will overdose
and die. Withdrawal from heroin can cause severe illness and death.
Drug abuse leads to all sorts of other crimes. Drug addicts need money to support
their habits, and all users, addicts or casual users, are careless and reckless when under
the influence. Drug users commit property crimes, such as robbing a house or a store.
Drug users also commit personal crimes, like mugging, armed robbery and even murder.
Drug use, itself, can be a crime. It makes innocent citizens scared to walk out of their own
homes, in their own neighborhoods.
Drug abuse is a plague to society. Drug abuse drains society's resources by
requiring that taxes be spent on funding enforcement agencies, educational programs and
treatment facilities and on prosecution of drug users and dealers. Drugs hurt future
generations of citizens, because drug abuse, particularly of marijuana, is predominantly a
problem among teens and teens are our future. Our society is hurt economically because
every year millions of American dollars leave this country illegally, invested in places
such as Turkey and Colombia, as a result of Americans trafficking in the drug trades of
those countries.
Drug abuse must be stopped. We should attack the supply and demand. We
should keep drugs from entering the country and incarcerate dealers and smugglers. To
attack the demand, we should educate young people on the risk of bodily harm,
mental harm and the damage to family and relationships. Legalization of some less harmful
drugs, such as marijuana, might help reduce the crimes associated with them, but it would
be hard to regulate and legalization would only eliminate some of the direct criminal
results, not the actual harm of the drug.
Drug abuse is a plague to society and must be stopped. It is hurting our country
by causing increased crime and soaring insurance rates, stealing tax dollars, hurting
families, and hurting children. If fighting drug abuse were made a top priority, we could
probably wage an effective war, through education and enforcement of laws, to stop drug
abuse.
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