ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ADDICTION

Alcoholism and Drug Addiction

Alcoholism and Drug Addiction

Alcoholism and drug addiction among teenagers is one of the most debated issues that has and is continuously affecting the American society negatively both on the social, and economic front. This paper provides a sample outline on the topic.

Introduction

In the early 1950s, the popular press seized upon what it perceived to be skyrocketing levels of drug use in American cities, especially among teenagers. Seven major cities—New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C.—were seen as the centers of the narcotic problem, while affluent suburbs and rural areas were considered generally free from narcotic abuse. Thus, beginning in the 1950s, American drug policy was constructed with two main goals: to check and contain the spread of drug abuse where narcotics were prevalent and to keep it out of areas where abuse was not widespread.

Discussion

Alcohol and other drugs have powerful pharmacological properties, our beliefs and expectations about these substances can elicit notable effects as well. For example, our thoughts about drugs are influenced over time through various pathways, both direct and indirect. Family attitudes and parental behavior can be infectious: What we hear and witness over time certainly has the potential to influence thoughts and our own subsequent behavior. Watching our mother reach for a prescription pill bottle each and every time she experiences sadness can set the stage for our own beliefs. Moreover, we are bombarded by images, slogans, and songs in the media that promote the use of psychoactive substances (Fitzgerald, 2006).

Alcoholism and drug addiction is the most common substance use disorder in the United States. Epidemiological studies of drinking indicate that there are about 15 million men and 5 million women in the United States aged 18 and older who have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). ...