Drug addiction has been one of the most pressing problems in society for a long time. Many policies and strategies have been developed to combat this danger to society. One of the agents in the process of limiting this issue is social workers who contribute to the formation of new approaches to combat addiction and help those who want to cope with it. Moreover, the need for these bodies is determined by the fact that such factors as social and economic have a significant influence on the increase in drug addicts. Thus, this work aims to investigate the sources of methamphetamine addiction, its connection with the pharmaceutical industry, and the ethical principles linked to the practice of social workers.
First, it is necessary to consider the causes that affect the spread of drug dependence on meth among the population. The drug became widespread because it is “often used and misused in search of a “high,” or to boost energy, to improve performance at work or school, or to lose weight or control appetite” (“Drug addiction (substance use disorder),” para. 23). Such a variety in use implies that people of entirely different ages or classes can abuse it. Research stated that “financial struggles among low-income Americans often result from substance abuse when a person spends their money trying to maintain their addiction” (“Addiction and low-income Americans,” n.d., para. 1). Thus, a unique role in this process is played by social and economic factors that may lead people to abuse meth.
Further, one of the reasons for the spread of addiction is people’s economic situation. So, some pursue the goal of getting rich by selling drugs, while others, eager to get it, steal or rob since they do not have their own money. Thus, the low economic situation becomes one of the driving forces, which is clearly reflected in the dynamics and trends of drug use. At the same time, it is worth emphasizing that certain populations with sufficient financial resources to purchase narcotic substances also suffer from methamphetamine addiction. The economic component also has a role when considering those who sell and create meth. In this case, providers or dealers aim to get monetary benefits from those who are addicted to methamphetamine.
Multiple social factors are of no minor importance. Hence, one of them is the presence of drug addiction in the family history. This can be reflected both in the genetic predisposition and in cases when parents use it in front of the child. Moreover, there are many instances when a drug-addicted parent forces a child to make and use meth. Peer pressure becomes another social factor when individuals, especially young adults and teenagers, use drugs because they are encouraged to do so by their immediate environment. Peer pressure is vital in starting to use and misuse drugs, particularly for young people.
Methamphetamine became particularly widespread in 2005 when companies and policymakers noticed that this addictive drug is part of cold medicines. Despite the fact that the states have restricted the issuance of these drugs, drug addicts have found a new way to use them. Henceforth, they developed a new method of creating methamphetamine called “shake and bake” (FRONTLINE PBS | Official, 2021). Thus, most pharmaceutical companies did not intentionally sell addicts cold medicine, one box of which was enough to create meth. At the moment, there is a clear positive trend in the fight against methamphetamine addiction. This is because the legislation of the countries in the field of drug production has reduced the supply of pseudoephedrine, which was used for the production of the drug. Thus, the pharmaceutical industry has contributed to reducing the spread of addiction among the population.
The fight against drug addiction is one of the prerogatives of social workers who participate in the development of plans to help addicts. Thus, an integral part of their work is the observance of certain ethical principles. In this case, assistance is provided by the NASW code of ethics, which is especially relevant for these specialists. This is because it provides standards that should be applied in the activities of social workers (“Read the code of ethics,” n.d., para. 1). When watching the documentary “Meth epidemic” by Frontline, several values were highlighted that could be attributed to the work of personnel in this field. Firstly, the main one is helping people who find themselves in a difficult situation due to addiction. Moreover, such aspects as fairness in limiting the social and economic factors of using meth and the importance of providing services to those in need can be highlighted.
Thus, based on the values and NASW code of ethics of social workers, it is necessary to highlight the ethical dilemmas that arise in this documentary. The first NASW ethical standard becomes addressing a social problem, and the second is helping drug addicts and vulnerable populations. As a human service professional, I would focus on the importance of research in this area that would help to find out the causes of addiction. Moreover, I would take measures to distribute programs to help individuals.
In conclusion, the problem of methamphetamine addiction is a global health problem. Social and economic factors are of particular importance for this aspect. Therefore, in the treatment of methamphetamine addiction, special attention should be paid to what becomes the driver for the use of the drug and not the supply side of the problem. Thus, it is essential not only to limit the ingredients of medicines that can be used to create meth.
References
FRONTLINE PBS | Official. (2021). The meth epidemic (full documentary) | FRONTLINE [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Addiction and low-income Americans. (n.d.). Addiction Center. Web.
Drug addiction (substance use disorder). (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. Web.
Read the code of ethics. (n.d.). NASW. Web.