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According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, "Substance abuse is the single largest contributor to crime in the United States". In 2009, among the most serious offenses of all prisoners in federal custody, drug offenses comprised 50.7%. The strong correlation between rising personal tragedy and drug abuse, and criminal behavior is affecting every level of society.
Psychological signals:
Physical signals:
The violence as a result of alcohol and drug abuse reflects in recent government statistics: 86 percent of homicides, 60 percent of sexual offenders, 27 percent of women who perpetrated domestic violence and 57 percent of men were drug addicts or alcoholic offenders. Needless to say, this information indicates that the legal and financial repercussions of drug abuse take a heavy toll on spouses and children. (NIAAA, #38, 1997)
Illegal drug users burden emergency rooms with more than 527,000 costly emergency room visits each year. The Center for Disease Control Prevention 2010 report on emergency room visits found a dramatic increase between 1999-2006 in drug abuse related overdose deaths. Opioids and benzodiazepines were the "largest contributors to the increase in ED [emergency department] visits involving the nonmedical use of prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs." Substance abuse costs the U.S. economy a whopping $215 billion annually. The saddest part of all is that these staggering figures only tell part of the tragic story.
Drugs are chemicals that bear down on the brain’s communication system. They alter the way nerve cells send, receive and process information. Usually, the drugs over-stimulate the brain’s reward circuit. According to current drug abuse information and scientific studies, drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamines are even capable of long-term damage to the body’s nervous system, the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system.
A conservative estimate of annual fatalities linked to drug abuse is 16,000. NSDUH’s (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) 2008 report illustrates the vast problem of drug addiction and abuse in this country. 20.1 million Americans over the age of 12 used illicit drugs, 15.2 million used marijuana, and 6.2 million used psychotherapeutics within a month. Drug use among 50-59 year olds from 2002 to 2008 rose from 1.9 million in 2002 to 5 million in 2008.
Drug abuse among those in the gay and lesbian community is also occurring at a startling rate. SAMHSA's treatment protocol for the GLBTQ community reported that 20-25 percent of gay and lesbians are heavy alcohol users compared to 3-10 percent of heterosexuals. Use of specific drugs is dependent upon lifestyle as well. Lesbians have higher reported rates of heavy alcohol drinking as they age, compared to aging heterosexual women.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the latest data suggests that biological, environmental and developmental factors each play a significant role in the propensity for drug abuse and the development of addiction.
According to the National Institute of Drug Addiction, 48 million Americans have used prescription drugs for non medical reasons. This represents 20 percent of the U.S. population. Prescription drugs including opioids, CNS depressants, and stimulants can lead to addiction.
The elderly are particularly vulnerable to the overuse of prescription drug abuse because they are more easily confused about when to take their medications, or may not remember taking them, and they tend to be prescribed more medications than other demographics. The definition of prescription drug misuse is using medication in a way other than prescribed; whereas, prescription drug abuse is intentionally misusing prescription medication.
From 1994-2002, emergency room mentions for hydrocodone and oxycodone increased by 170 percent and 450 percent, respectively. Research has indicated that no one treatment is appropriate for all those suffering from prescription drug abuse and addiction. Co-existing issues related to physical health, mental health, chronic pain are used to develop a comprehensive treatment plan.
If you or someone you know suffers from drug or alcohol abuse or dependence now is the time to get help. Call Recovery Connection, toll free at 1-800-993-3869 and let one of our trained coordinators help you. Drugs kill, but you can stop the madness today and get the help you need. Our coordinators can help:
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