Social Problem: Drug Addiction in the U.S.

1 Social Problem: Drug Addiction in the U.S. Drug addiction in the U.S. is an endemic social problem with adverse effects on societal welfare drugs. According to the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), about 10% of Americans suffer from drug use disorder, making drug addiction a major social problem in the country. Drug abuse is associated with a wide range of social problems, such as crime, broken marriages, irresponsible parenting, stress and depression, suicide, excessive abuse of alcohol and substance, anger and fear, frustration, shame, and violent behavior. Addiction is simply dependence on a substance, which makes the user a captive, hence vulnerable to accompanying social issues.

Drug addiction leads to socially deviant behaviors, including theft, murder, excessive substance and alcohol use, sexual harassment and rape, and assault. Crime in neighborhoods affected by drug abuse is higher than in other areas because of the socially deviant behavior linked to substance use. Criminals also use drugs to try and manage self-guilty, stress, and depression. It is important to note that drug addiction leads to compromised judgment, making it hard for users to make sound decisions about acceptable and unacceptable social behavior.

2

Drug abuse leads to substance use disorders and SUDs that have far-reaching social effects on the population. According to Daley (2013), SUDs affect families emotionally as they struggle to deal with cases of addicted members. Members may suffer fear, shame, anger, frustration, worry, fear, fear, stress, depression, or humiliation as a result of having a member addicted to drugs. Drug addiction creates vulnerability to anxiety and stress for the users and family. Drug users may suffer labeling and isolation (Jamil & Niazy, 2016). In cases where the father or mother is an addict, children may suffer abuse and lack of parental care, aggravating their social challenges. Furthermore, many drug addicts end up homeless and insolvent, forcing their families to carry the emotional and economic baggage of taking care of them (Daley, 2013).

Addicts with relatives may force family members to house or take them to rehabilitation centers to avoid the shame that comes with having a drug addict within the family.

Relationship breakdown, distress, or frustration is another social problem an individual suffers due to drug abuse. Daley (2013) holds that people suffering from drug abuse tend to find it hard to develop and maintain healthy relationships because they are generally responsive and violent. In families with SUDs cases, tension and conflicts are inevitable, lowering the quality of life for members. Domestic violence is rampant among drug-addicted couples because they cannot make sound judgments; hence often resort to abuse and violence to resolve differences between themselves (Brown, 2019). Drug addicts do not only abuse their partners but also their children, underscoring the danger the social problem has to the basic unit of society. In the long run, the breakdown of the institution of the family creates an unstable nation where social challenges are rampant. It is imperative to note that a child who grew up in an abusive family is likely to become abusive in adulthood.

3 Families also suffer instability and insecurity due to abuse and negligence arising from SUDs. Jamil and Niazy (2016) observe that a drug addict's father or mother can be violent, embezzle family resources, divorce, get jailed for crimes linked to drug abuse, or lose employment opportunities, plunging the family into socioeconomic turmoil. High poverty rates and social vices among drug abusers are linked to stress, broken marriage, irresponsible parenting, and suicide. According to Brown (2019), substance addiction is a significant factor contributing to violent and traumatic divorce or separation in the U.S. Substance-abusing spouses lose self-control, resulting in extreme actions and behavior that destroy the family foundation and hurt their partners. Traumatic divorce and separation destabilize families, resulting in more social challenges for the members (Jamil & Niazy, 2016). Stress, trauma, and depression are social problems associated with a bitter divorce.

Theoretical Perspective The problem of drug addiction and associated social challenges best aligns with the symbolic interactionism theory. Drug abuse is deviant behavior that is learned from interaction with others. Families with a history of drug abuse are likely to pass the vice to their children as a form of identity. The problem of drug abuse is rampant in neighborhoods due to the presence of delinquent and drug abuse sub-culture. A child growing up in such neighborhoods is likely to start abusing drugs as part of their identity. Street gangs recruit members by introducing them to drugs. The new member will abuse a substance to gain acceptability within the group. Symbolic interactionism postulates that drug abuse arises from the meaning we draw from interaction with particular people or groups. Peer pressure is another aspect that explains the application of symbolic interaction to the problem of drug abuse. Individuals may end up abusing substances due to peer pressure. To be part of a group that abuses substances, a person is forced to indulge

4 in its activities, in this case, drug abuse. Peer pressure is more effective among teenagers, at work, and in learning institutions (Jamil & Niazy, 2016). Each group has its norms and values, which members learn through interaction with one another.

Social Movement The drug addiction problem in the U.S. led to the formation of the New Recovery Advocacy Movement (NRAM), a social movement advocating sensitizing the public about addiction and supporting recovery. The NRAM was established in the late 1990s as a response to growing de medicalization, stigmatization, and criminalization of alcohol and drug abuse challenges (Faces and Voices of Recover, 2023). In addition, the movement was a timely response to growing pessimism about possible addicts recovering and leading an everyday life.

The social movement is led by people in the addiction recovery process and their allies.

Under the NRAM are recovery community organizations (RCOs) spread across the U.S. to support affected communities. There are about 100 RCOs in the U.S., each operating in a specific geographical area with challenges (Faces and Voices of Recover, 2023). The NRAM build strong RCOs and links them together to form a strong national movement to combat drug addiction. In addition, the NRAM help RCOs to develop recovery leaders, create opportunities for people who have recovered from drug and alcohol addiction, and encourage families, allies, and friends to support the recovery efforts.

Moreover, NRAM advocates for the inclusion of the voice of recovery people and their families at the local, state, and national decision-making table and government. The policymaking process, especially touching the welfare of alcohol and substance abuse, is an area of interest to NRAM challenges (Faces and Voices of Recover, 2023). The movement also conducts public awareness campaigns on pathways for addiction recovery. The campaign is necessary to

5 create a society that is responsible for the needs of addicts (Faces and Voices of Recover, 2023).

At the same time, NRAM assesses and responds to the quality of recovery services to ensure that the addicts get the best services possible to help them overcome alcohol and substance addiction.

The accomplishment of NRAM includes mass mobilization through 100 RCOs and social media outlets, policy influence, and professional influence. Policy advocacy victories include the passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015 (CARA), and Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, and the Affordable Care Act, b) two important laws that support the recovery of drug and substance addicts (Faces and Voices of Recover, 2023). The NRAM has also achieved an expansion of recovery culture. By creating 100 RCOs, the social movement has enhanced society's awareness of the recovery process and brought more addicts under the recovery efforts. The successes of NRAM have helped to save addicts, their families, and friends from the adverse social effects of drug addiction (Faces and Voices of Recover, 2023). In a nutshell, NRAM is a social movement that provides a practical and comprehensive framework for managing the problem of drug addiction in the USA. Solution The most effective way to deal with the problem of drug abuse in the U.S. is to apply a multifaceted approach that entails going after the source of illicit drugs and rehabilitation of victims rather than arresting and incarceration users. Cocaine, heroin, opium, and marijuana are smuggled into the country by senior cartels, who hardly face the law (Daley, 2013). Blocking obnoxious drugs from finding their way into the streets will help protect the population from drug abuse. Starving off potential drug abusers’ access to the substance would save society from the cost of arresting, processing, prosecuting, and imprisoning those found guilty of using illicit drugs. In the U.S., the drug crisis affects people of color more than any other race, contributing

6 to systemic discrimination of community members (Jamil & Niazy, 2016). The unproportional number of African Americans incarcerated is partly due to the war on drugs launched in the 1970s.

Alignment with Christian Worldview The proposed solution aligns with the Christian worldview perspective and requires us to help those in need overcome challenges and avoid mistreating the weak. In this case, those addicted to drugs are the weak and needy who need assistance rather than condemnation to overcome their problems. Jailing drug abusers has contributed to the perpetuation of discrimination and impoverishment of minority groups, particularly African Americans. The major suppliers of drugs are more responsible for the adverse effects of drug abuse, hence should carry the biggest burden when it comes to suffering the legal consequences of peddling and using drugs in the U.S. The current solutions to drug addiction burden the weak more than the privileged drug supplies. Christian worldview requires that we engage in acts and behaviors that foster care and empathy for the downtrodden. Punitive punishment of drug addicts through incarceration has failed to resolve the social problem because it condemns them at the expense of listening to and understanding their problems. Addicts need help because they cannot control themselves and are needy. On the other hand, the leading suppliers of drugs are sober people who are after making profits at the expense of the users.

7 References Brown, L. (2019). Book review: Traumatic divorce and separation: The impact of domestic violence and substance abuse in custody and divorce. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 43(2), 256–256. doi:10.1177/0361684319827512.

Daley D. C. (2013). Family and social aspects of substance use disorders and treatment. Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, 21(4), S73–S76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfda.2013.09.038.

Faces and Voices of Recover (2023). Recovery Advocacy Movement. https://facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/about/what-we-do/public-policy/recoveryadvocacy-movement/.

Jamil, H. J., & Niazy, A. (2016). Substance abuse amongst middle eastern community in Metro Detroit, Michigan, USA. Journal of Drug Abuse, 2(3). doi:10.21767/2471-853x.100033.