The heroin epidemic in the United States is a considerable problem for the medical sphere, criminal justice, and population in general. Every year the number of people taking drugs, recovering in correctional facilities, and dying from overdose increases. Substances have become more spread and are perceived as a way to recreate, relax, and feel relief. Some people tend to overuse prescribed medication to obtain better results, such as sleeping better, coping with anxiety, and sometimes feeling euphoria. This phenomenon may be explained by biological and classical theories. The biological theory of substance abuse claim that addiction develops due to a predisposition, and the classical theory states that an individual’s environment is the critical factor for such a dependency.
The biological approach emphasizes the connection between genetic predisposition and the development of drug addiction. It states that people diverge in becoming addicted and taking drugs (Saladino et al., 2021). People, who use drugs occasionally, are least likely to become dependent, and those who associate these substances with everyday situations are at a high risk of addiction. According to the theory, addiction may develop in two ways. Firstly, the brain may modify due to consistent usage, which will end in tolerance to the substance and craving (Saladino et al., 2021). Secondly, individuals with a pathological reaction to the drug, high levels of stress, and damaged neurons will be vulnerable to it.
Opioids relieve any kind of pain in medical treatment, and if the case of taking it too much, it causes euphoria. However, this is true for about eighty percent of the US population, and some people report increasing anxiety and significant discomfort after using opioids (Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.). When a person who takes such substances feels good and comfortable, this is a sign of a high vulnerability to such a drug, which may lead to addiction. NIDA writes that genes, early interactions with family members, and mental health problems play a crucial role in developing overuse (NIDA, 2020). People with mental disorders aim to alleviate their mental discomfort and pain, which may lead to using opioids and becoming addicted to them. Poor rapport with the family, especially in early childhood, will lead to trauma, which a person may try to suppress with substances. Genes are also essential: taking the same amount of drugs, some people become addicted quickly, while others do not.
Furthermore, millions of USA residents tend to misuse prescriptions, which may lead to deplorable consequences. Generally, people misuse prescribed substances to gain more significant effects, such as sleeping better, relaxing, being more attentive, etc. However, these reasons for taking more medication than needed may not be accurate. The human psyche may mislead itself: it tends to explain its processes in a way acceptable for the person and society, even if it is lies. Thus, the real reason for taking more than needed may be the early signs of addiction, which a person feels, but is not ready to accept and admit. Opioids are highly addictive by their nature and may cause dependency even from the first time using them.
The classical theory of opioid use emphasizes environmental factors as the reason for addiction and overuse. For instance, children who are used to watching their parents misusing drugs or alcohol will be at risk of repeating the same actions in their adult life (NIDA, 2020). The environment a person was raised in severely influences their future life. Furthermore, peers may incline an individual to try such a substance, which may lead to addiction in the future. Primarily, this is extremely risky for teenagers who cannot refuse and have difficulties with it. As opposed to the biological theory, the classical one states that all people are equally likely to develop an addiction and emphasizes how environmental factors are fundamental in this case. However, both approaches claim that the constant usage of substances will lead to addiction in any person.
Thus, due to the biological theory, this form of criminality occurs depending on an individual’s biological predispositions, mental health problems, or traumas that lead to substance use. The classical approach states that such a crime happens when a person is influenced by the environment and outside factors that make a person more predisposed to utilizing drugs. The biological theory seems more accurate and provides better predictions of involvement with heroin. Taking the same amount of substance, people diverge in developing addictions, and the consequences vary. It depends on an individual’s genetic predispositions and mental health. Mentally unstable people tend to find ways to alleviate the suffering caused by their disorders. Many of them feeling relief from heroin will become addicted and make substance abuse a coping strategy for the problem.
In conclusion, the biological theory shows that different people’s organisms may react differently to substances. People, who have predispositions, will be more likely to become addicted. If a person has experienced traumas or has any type of mental disorder, they will be more prone to become dependent on drugs to alleviate the symptoms. By contrast, the classical theory states that people are equally inclined to become addicted to opioids, and the critical factor is a person’s environment. However, the biological approach seems to be more accurate than the classical one.
References
Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.) Opioid addiction.
NIDA. (2020). Drug Misuse and Addiction.
Saladino, V., Mosca, O., Petruccelli, F., Hoelzlhammer, L., Lauriola, M., Verrastro, V, Cabras, C. (2021). The vicious cycle: problematic family relations, substance abuse, and crime in adolescence: a narrative review. Front. Psychol.