Drug addiction has had a detrimental impact on the public health of the American community. These effects occur on the physical, social, mental, and economic spectrum, necessitating a targeted approach to minimizing its devastating impact. Drug addiction and substance abuse directly result in diseases and even death, reducing the number of productive individuals within a community. Deaths resulting from addiction emotionally and physically affect the family unit and impede the economic and financial ability to sustain a healthy community. As such, public policies related to drug addiction need to be enforced in a compassionate manner that pays attention to the unique needs of American society.
In America, drugs are classified into hard substances, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and milder substances, including marijuana, opium, and nicotine. In both of these cases, the punishment and treatment vary, with users of harder substances facing harsher sentences. The long-term consequences of drug addiction have long-reaching effects on the nation’s economy. Statistically, there were 43,000 deaths in 2014 due to an overdose, whereas alcohol accounted for roughly 88,000 deaths (Keane, 2018). Moreover, the health problems associated with drug addiction include heart disease, mental disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted pregnancies. Socially, drug-related problems plagued communities have had an increase in crime, and observingly, the education margins were comparatively poor.
Demographically, half of Americans are likely to know someone addicted to illicit drugs. Pew Research identified 7.4 million people over 12 years suffering from various drug disorders, the most rampant of which was related to Marijuana (Gramlich, 2020). Moreover, there are no differences in drug use numbers between Caucasians, Hispanics, and African-American citizens, sensitizing the wide-reaching effects of addiction. Roughly 46% of American adults know an addict within their family. However, deaths within the unit have increased dramatically from 16,849 in 1999 to approximately 52,404 in 2015 (Gramlich, 2020). Opioids now account for a large share of these fatalities in a wave that has cut across gender lines, economic abilities, and age gaps. Populations in urban areas are just as impacted as those in rural areas.
Criminalizing and punishing addicts has been one of the government’s approaches to dealing with addiction. The fines associated with the possession of 28.5 grams of marijuana total $100, whereas a similar quantity of heroin comes with prison time and is categorically considered a felony offense. Drug policies at the federal level have centered around the mass sensitization of the public on the dangers of drugs. This information process begins in educational facilities such as high schools, where textbooks contain information discouraging children from engaging in illicit drugs (Holland, 2020). Children are encouraged to formulate creative plays demonstrating the dangers of drug addiction. Furthermore, programs and recreational activities actively engage kids and seek to include them in the conversation.
Sensitization programs are pretty popular in the tobacco industry, accounting for many lungs, heart, and mental health disorders among American adults. The economic impact of offering palliative care to people with lung cancer and patients cannot be overlooked, especially considering the alternative use of these funds (Lopez, 2016). Direct campaigns by plastering images of nicotine addiction on cigarette packages are now a legal requirement and have sensitized its users to the dangers they present. Mass media campaigns have been launched nationwide and have effectively reduced tobacco use among young people. Quit rates have been significantly higher due to these sensitization campaigns, especially in black communities.
The campaign’s intensity often defines its effectiveness since they typically yield more potent results. However, the effect of each campaign usually fades upon its conclusion, highlighting the vitality of continuous mass media information. According to County Health Rankings, if a campaign reaches 75 to 85% of its targeted audience within two years, the impact becomes much higher (Burch & Tort, 2019). Moreover, the campaign’s emphatic messages with personal testimonies from addicts proved to be more effective, especially if coupled with graphic videos and compelling narratives. The approach that utilized former smokers reinforced the harms of addiction and further improved quit rates (Burch & Tort, 2019). Alternatively, youth campaigns require three years to be decidedly practical. Their channels include mainstream media spots, school lessons, and methods such as newspapers.
Inhibiting drug trafficking has been another approach to policy regarding drug addiction in America. The government has worked to establish a legal framework to prevent and minimize the distribution of illicit substances within its borders (Holland, 2020). The medical use of cocaine and opiates used in medical procedures is controlled by the federal government, whereas nonmedical use is legally prohibited (Chandler et al., 2009). Federal and state laws have been put in place, and breaking them results in jail time. Criminal sanctions are also put in place to inhibit commercial and personal use; however, implementing these strategies has proven ineffective. The legal effects of the current methodology, such as imprisonment, have adverse impacts on society.
Nonetheless, an integrated approach that addresses both supply and demand is undoubtedly better suited to dealing with addiction in American communities. Law enforcement and the applied penalties affect the cost and availability of drugs, often defining the risks people are willing to undertake to get them (Keane, 2018). Furthermore, the threat of prosecution in drug cases is complicated by the coercive efforts to get a confession or testimony from arrested addicts. Leverage in the criminal justice system impacts the availability of drugs on entry and retention within American communities. Drug abuse rates in the country are certainly connected to illicit markets and law enforcement strategies (Manski et al., 2001). Combining these three factors directly influences the initiation of drug use and its subsequent intensification amongst relevant communities.
Over time, mass media sensitization as a drug policy has reduced youth addiction. A campaign’s effectiveness has proven to vary by age and ethnicity, more so when dealing with disadvantaged communities. However, a targeted approach has been more impactful amongst high-income individuals and decreased quit rates. Prevention is the most effective tool, however, and its practices are instigated in learning facilities at the university level. Molding adults who anticipate the health impacts of substance abuse ensures economic prosperity for future generations. Additionally, the strategies developed in institutions by the youth address the healthcare costs associated with health disorders caused by addiction.
The Centre for Disease Control has implemented campaigns at the national, state, and local levels. In these campaigns, former addicts can share openly about the challenges they have gone through, which associates a face with the real consequences of illicit substances. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration agency implements social media campaigns to get the youth informed about the toxic items in drugs, such as tobacco (Burch & Tort, 2019). Trends and reforms in the population prove that the policy has not warranted its expenditure precisely due to the long-lasting impact of these sensitization campaigns. Most addicts regress in their behavior as soon as the campaign span is over, identifying the weakness in this policy.
Incarceration and meting out prison sentences is yet another policy instituted at the federal level. Addicts and peddlers of banned substances are subject to the legal ramifications of the United States Constitution if found in possession or in the course of dealing illicit drugs. The strategy of punishing addicts by meting out jail time has warranted the most expenditure since it is a fundamental cornerstone of the criminal justice system. In this system, parties, including police officers, correctional officers, lawyers, and judges, all have vested interests that may necessitate more spending (Chandler et al., 2009). The money required to ensure the efficient and smooth running of the criminal justice system emanates from taxpayers’ money.
Chandler, Fletcher, and Volkow indicate that in 128,030 inmates arrested at the local level, 29% were on drug use; 26% out of 34,140 federal inmates, 26% were under the influence of illicit substances (2010). During their imprisonment, only 7% received treatment at the local level, corresponding with 17% of the inmates at the federal level. Statistically, the policy is ineffective in reforming addicts or minimizing their sales within prison walls. Despite health professionals identifying addiction as a mental health problem, there have been few changes in the strategies offered at the state, local or federal level regarding incarceration as a combative policy. Moreover, the genetic link to addiction remains unexplored, while the spread of diseases such as AIDS and sexually transmitted illnesses are increasingly high among prisoners.
Failing to offer treatment to offenders increases the risk to public health safety. Forced abstinence during incarceration has proven ineffective due to the high rate of drug retention and acquisition in holding facilities. Additionally, this form of abstinence is myopic as it does not effectively address the lives of the prisoners post-incarceration, where statistically, relapses often occur. Incidentally, re-introduction into communities where drug use is prevalent harms forced abstinence. A better-integrated solution concerning drug policy is required to minimize the effects of illicit drugs on society.
A restorative mental and physical treatment policy has a much better chance of eliminating drug dependence in American communities. Holistically approaching therapy by identifying the genetic link between addiction and abuse will assist addicts in creating sound habits in the community. The opioid crisis exposed the vast-reaching effects of addiction and further reframed the mental image of an addict in people’s minds. The perception of addiction was previously relegated and mostly associated with marginalized or poor communities. Therefore, each community needs to create health facilities to maximize treatment. Addiction cuts across all citizens regardless of race, necessitating medical professionals trained on mental health disorders and their subsequent treatments. Only by addressing the mind can the health problems be adequately reduced.
In conjunction with penalties, fines, and inhibition of drug trafficking, the treatment policy makes for a robust framework to minimize the circulation of drugs. The incidence and prevalence of harmful substances require a combination of a prohibitive approach and beefing up regulations against drug use. These strategies need initialization at the local and state level where the devolution of public services occurs to be effective in America. The resources required for treatment and dissuasion are more miniature than purchasing equipment to collect or coordinate intelligence between drug agencies responsible for preventing drug trafficking. Furthermore, research shows that therapeutic approaches and setting up health facilities have beneficial effects on addiction compared to incarceration.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are the most optimal agencies to carry out this policy due to the strength of their resources. The statistics of people affected by mental health disorders would be the responsibility of the CDC due to its reach within the country’s borders. Most of their branches are spread out within urban areas and rural locales, making information about racial and gender disparity within their reach. Additionally, personnel from the Food and Drug Administration are necessary to create a diet that boosts the immunity of drug-dependent individuals in society and assists them in recovering their mental faculties. In combining the data collected in Hispanic, Caucasian, and African-American cultures, there will be an integrated and targeted method that ensures drug abusers remain in treatment and prevent relapse upon completion of the program.
Compared to penalties, fines, or imprisonment, treatment will be the most effective policy because it eliminates the adversarial nature of current methods of dealing with addicts. Trauma and stigmatization play a vital role in the development of mental disorders. Actively targeting these assumptions and negative attitudes seeks to include drug abusers ad show them a better alternative to life. Furthermore, by addressing the genetic cause of addiction, the community becomes sensitized to its possible dangers, and individuals within it become more acute to the signs and symptoms of addiction. The collective effort of children, adults, men, and women, from the young to the elderly, ensures no demographic is left out.
A bonus is that this policy eliminates the interests of lawyers, judges, and correctional officers in the criminal justice system who adversely contribute to imprisonment, even in the case of softer substances such as marijuana. Incarceration in the case of milder substances often results in the prisoners getting addicted to harder substances which deeply outlines the flaws in that strategy. Nevertheless, local and state officials are integral to the policy’s reach and execution.
In conclusion, drug addiction is a prevalent issue among American communities. It is an issue that affects all races within the nation and doesn’t show any statistical differences in gender or age. Drug policies in the past have established the generating of fines for possessions or use of milder substances and punishment in the case of harder illicit drugs. Nonetheless, an integrated approach that relies on creating treatment facilities at the state and local levels would prove more effective at curbing addiction. Considering the genetic cause of addiction assists medical professionals to develop a targeted approach to effectively deal with mental health disorders and prevent relapse amongst adults. Compared to other policies like inhibiting drug trafficking, treatment is better, especially when considering implementing a holistic approach that blends the mind and the physical aspect of treatment. Minimizing and ending addiction is a collective effort utilizing each non-disabled community member. To achieve sustained economic progress as a nation, reducing the number of drug-related deaths and illnesses is vital.
References
Burch, J., & Tort, S. (2019). What are the effects of mass media antismoking campaigns on smoking/tobacco use in young people (< 25 years of age)? Cochrane Clinical Answers.
Chandler, R. K., Fletcher, B. W., & Volkow, N. D. (2009). Treating drug abuse and addiction in the Criminal Justice System. JAMA, 301(2), 183.
Gramlich, J. (2020). Nearly half of Americans have a family member or close friend who’s been addicted to drugs. Pew Research Center.
Holland, A. (2020). An ethical analysis of UK drug policy as an example of a criminal justice approach to drugs: A commentary on the short film putting UK drug policy into focus. Harm Reduction Journal, 17(1).
Keane, H. (2018). Facing addiction in America: The surgeon general’s report on alcohol, Drugs, and Health U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, office of the surgeon general Washington, DC, USA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016 382 pp. online (GRE. Drug and Alcohol Review, 37(2), 282–283.
Lopez, G. (2016). The War on Drugs explained. Vox.
Manski, C. F., Pepper, J., & Petrie, C. (2001). 5. In Informing America’s policy on illegal drugs: What we don’t know keeps hurting us (pp. 34–68). Essay, National Academy Press.