Liu 6
Liu 1
Research Paper Draft
I can remember vividly one specific evening during my childhood, the blue sky was turning orange as the sunset, and a nine-year-old me got lost in an alley filled with drunk and intoxicated individuals, some of whom were passed out in dangerous places along the street. A particular group caught my attention as they tried to assist their friend who had a convulsion but could not do much since they were not sober. Despite being very scared because of my current situation, I felt a sharp pain in my heart, and my eyes stung as I felt pity for all these individuals who looked defeated, helpless, and neglected. That experience, among many others, awakened a strong desire to shed light on the issues of drug abuse, which will enable problem-solving. This paper argues that drug abuse is a prevalent virus that demands society’s attention. To do this, it shall describe the impacts of drug abuse and prove that it is not only destructive to the user but also the whole community.
For as long as I can remember, I have had one best friend, who I currently consider as family, and whose life experience inspired and influenced this topic. At an early age of fourteen years, my friend was introduced to the intake of alcohol, a situation which aggravated when he joined college, and after a short period, it became an addiction. As one of the closest people to this individual, I had a first-hand experience of the impacts of drug abuse on the victims and those involved with or surrounding them. Aside from deteriorating one’s physical and mental wellness, drug abuse results in crimes such as robbery or fraud, which ruins the relationship between the user and the society, particularly the family, friends, and colleagues. Such a discovery made it necessary to enlighten the public, significantly the younger generation, on the effects and need to avoid drug abuse.
Methods
A descriptive research design was employed in this study since one of the objectives of this research was to gain information and understand the drug users’ population, which will help identify the impacts of such a lifestyle. The purpose of this design is that it solely describes a sample by evaluating the characteristics and identifying the issues present in a population or organization and does not manipulate the variables (Siedlecki, page 8). In this study, the interview with Jean Crosby was utilized, and it provided more knowledge on the subject as one was able to understand the life ordeals of an alcoholic or drug addict, including the impacts of addiction, the struggles they go through, and how they overcome the habit. Other than that, some facts and statistics were obtained from relevant peer-reviewed articles found from Gale Ebooks, a reliable reference database.
Results
For one, it revealed that drug abuse causes a cycle where more intake means more money and vice versa. As a result of drug use, Crosby had to resort to crime to afford the money needed for buying the drugs. He explains that while he was involved in crime, his level of involvement intensified once he got addicted to using drugs because he would go to all the lengths to find the money he needed for the next dose. “It was totally more dangerous because you did more dangerous things to get the drugs.” This, in turn, led to poor decision making whereby committing a crime and the type of crime was insignificant regardless of the punishment he would face if and when finally, he would be arrested. He commits federal crimes when being in a certain state puts him at risk of being arrested, making him a fully-fledged criminal due to his inability to perceive crime as it is instead of justifying the means and end goal to acquire the next dose.
Additionally, the large population of users readily available to Crosby from his friends and the place he frequents makes it harder for a recovering addict to quit and promotes the use of drugs, recruiting more people into drug and substance addiction. Crosby’s health deteriorates, especially his lung and liver for having been a drug addict for more than 25 years which takes a toll on the detoxifying systems and lungs after smoking for a prolonged period. This is further reinforced by his observation that after leaving jail, Seattle was different not only because of new development but also due to the many friends he knew that had not been lucky to have a full life due to the health risks linked to drug use. He misses out on family events and as rocky relationships, such as missing out on his children growing up. He also mentions regretting having missed his father’s funeral, especially after leaving on not on the best of terms the last time he saw him. “And I never got to go to the funeral because I was in Jail.” He is unable to manage his finances and has to be assisted, particularly in regards to debt management.
According to Mnunguli and Kisangiri, more than 20.8 million Americans had substance use disorder in 2015, a number which has increased in 2021. As cited in the article, one of the reasons for the increased use of drugs is the separation of substance disorder from conventional treatment, which further adds rot e stigma, limiting accessibility and preventing addicts from easily seeking help from medical personnel. Research on the topic provides evidence of the benefits arising from integrating substance abuse disorders, such as incorporating as part of the insurance package to reduce the costs associated with specialized care for drug addicts that is often too expensive for some families. Integrating care allows for the availability of health services to drug users bridging the barrier of health accessibility cited as the main challenge.
According to Chie et al., the prison population is comprised of 30,000 drug-related incarcerated persons, showing how a problem drug use is in Malaysia. This has resulted in the change of approach to drug crimes, using the open approach availing drug users the opportunity to seek help without charging them owing to the high number of such offenders in correctional facilities. The unemployed have ranked as top ten among drug users. They resort to crime to fund their habits, including drug use. This is the same fate that befalls Cosby until he decides to quit drug use. However, drug use is not only prevalent among the unemployed but also among university students. Drug use is common among working professionals, especially those in high-stress jobs, to relax and be able to work for long without feeling tired. The increase in non-criminal use of drugs raises crucial questions regarding the future of the country and the professionals who will be in charge. Other effects of recreational drug use include increased risk of addiction and lapses in judgment leading to incompetency.
Discussion
Based on the interview by Cosby, the effects of drug use are evident as backed by the increasing population of drug users, both criminal and non-criminal. This shows the increasing menace that substance use has become due to its use among university students, professionals and among criminals. The implications of this situation are increased addicts resulting in reckless behavior in search of the next dose and other effects linked to drug use such as loss of family relationships, financial issues, and poor child-parenting. The limitation of the study by Chie et al., is that an open approach can also increase drug use which may explain the prevalence of drug use in Malaysia. As proposed by Mnunguli and Kisangiri, integrating substance healthcare to conventional medicine bridges the gap of accessibility enabling assessment and the laying down of guidelines to prevent increased drug use. Increased accessibility also allows for awareness creation and eliminates shame and prejudice, allowing drug users to manage drug use in its early stages.
Conclusion
Restate the paper’s central argument. Summarize previously stated arguments and their significance. Finish with a call for action.
Drug use is slowly becoming a social problem due to increased drug prevalence, thus calling for preventive measures to prevent escalation of substances use. The implications of drug use include recklessness, loss of family breadwinners, increased crime, incompetence among professionals and deteriorating health. Approaches that can be used in the reduce drug use is integration of substance use facilities as conventional health services as well as the inclusion of substance treatment in insurance package. Substance use awareness, as well as effects, should be made public for children at the age of 10 and above. There should be no age limit due to the susceptibility of adults, especially those in demanding professions.
Works Cited
Chie, Qiu Ting et al. “Drug Abuse, Relapse, And Prevention Education In Malaysia: Perspective Of University Students Through A Mixed Methods Approach”. Frontiers In Psychiatry, vol 6, 2015. Frontiers Media SA, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00065. Accessed 28 Feb 2022.
Mnunguli, Joyce Philipo, and Michael Kisangiri. “Evidence Based Practices For Drug Abuse Information Management And Awareness Approaches”. Journal Of Information Systems Engineering & Management, vol 3, no. 4, 2018, https://doi.org/10.20897/jisem/3942.
Siedlecki, S. L. “Understanding Descriptive Research Designs and Methods.” Clinical Nurse Specialist, Vol. 34 (1), 2020, p. 8-12. DOI: 10.1097/NUR.0000000000000493