Drug Usage the War on

¶ … Drug Usage The war on drugs in the United States has been active for many decades. However, the number of individuals selling drugs, and most importantly, using them, has not gone down or reduced in any format (Allen et al., 2003). People, who choose to use drugs, do so for a variety of reasons. Their reasoning may vary from one another, but the negative effects felt by the person and those around him or her are practically the same.

For the most part, people start using drugs at a very negative point in their lives, usually to escape their own reality (Miller, 2010). Another reason why people use drugs is to experiment with them. At times there may be moments where people feel pressured to fit in and try drugs in order to be part of a certain crowd. When young individuals start to use drugs, they may do it at a point in their lives where they may be rebelling (Allen et al., 2003).

The biggest reason why people choose to do drugs is to escape their current reality. There are times where personal events in an individual's life may prompt the usage of narcotics. This is done so that they may forget what they are emotionally going through. Another reason why individuals would want to use drugs as a distraction is when they are trying to escape their environment (Miller, 2010).

When people either have absolutely no control or feel like they do not have any control, over the situation that they are living in, they may choose to find solace in drugs. This is seen in low-income communities that are usually plagued with crime, violence, and drugs to begin with. Not only does the hope of escaping their own environment prompt them to experiment with narcotics, these drugs are also more accessible in these types of ambiance (Miller, 2010).

Individuals may also choose to use drugs if they feel that doing so will allow them to be a part of a particular crowd. This is the case for many young people who experiment with a drug, but then end up getting addicted to these substances (Allen et al., 2003). Rebelling is a part of human nature, and at many times, the rebelling of adolescents, teenagers, and young adults, may have dire consequences.

Choosing to use drugs as a way to fit in may have more negative results than positive ones, since the usage of narcotics and the participation in other illegal activities go hand in hand. Although this is not guaranteed, the correlation between the two is relatively high (Allen et al., 2003). In order to tackle such a growing problem, strategies need to be implemented that will sufficiently serve the needs of those who need them most. Problems with drugs and alcohol can be treated in a variety of ways.

To begin with, once the drugs have already been taken and an addiction problem has already developed, the best strategy is treatment (Marlatt & Donovan, 2005). Because these two substances, drugs and alcohol, are so damaging to the body, the best initial treatment would be to detox. This allows for the body to get used to the idea of not having any stimulant or depressant to regulate emotions and gives the individual the opportunity to start from scratch (Botvin & Griffin, 2005).

Being completely free of the substance will also allow for a more thorough treatment to be implemented without the fear of a relapse. After the initial detoxification stage, psychological treatment needs to be provided to these individuals as their body is going to go through a complete physiological change that is inevitably going to unbalance their emotions. Aside from the physical addiction that individuals go through when attempting to stop using a drug, there is also a lifestyle change that these individuals need to adapt to (Marlatt & Donovan, 2005).

People who become addicted to narcotics revolve their entire lives around these substances, and once they stop using them, they need to learn how to structure their lives around avoiding the temptation of once again using them. Helping the people that are already affected by the drugs is the first step in addressing this growing problem. However, the most ideal way of addressing this problem is to prevent people from using drugs in the first place. This can be done through prevention programs aimed at children (Botvin & Griffin, 2005).

These programs are conducted in schools in order to alleviate the pressures that many young people feel when it comes to using.