Drug Abuse & its Relationship to Children Welfare

Abstract

Drug abuse is the prevalent issue affecting child welfare. It is a widespread issue in families concerned with the child welfare system. Drug abuse in child welfare system leads to family violence. It is estimated by some counties that 85 to 90 percent of the families concerned with child welfare are also contending with the issues of substance abuse. This paper is intended to get to an insight of drug abuse as it relates to child welfare system. The risk factors of drug abuse and the impact of parental substance on the child welfare system is discussed thoroughly in this paper.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

Discussion & Analysis4

Drug Abuse4

Drug Abuse in Child Welfare System5

Risk Factors of Drug Abuse6

Parental Substance Use and the Child Welfare System7

Conclusion8

References9

Drug Abuse & its Relationship to Children Welfare

Introduction

The issues of drug abuse trafficking have nowadays become more serious in the United States. Drug abuse and related crime is becoming more significant and affects moral as well as psychological atmosphere of the society. Furthermore, it negatively affects and damages the economy, politics and law on national basis. Some of the researches showed that the number of regular drug users in United States reached 2 million, while the number of people who have tried drugs is 4 million (Randall & Cave, 2011). Drug abuse and related crime is becoming more significant and affects moral as well as psychological atmosphere of the society. Drug trafficking is ultimately damaging the American society, the reason being the large number of people that are involved in the drug abuse. Most commonly, teenagers and young adults fall victim to these vices and end up losing their lives and forever affecting the lives of people around them.

Discussion & Analysis

Drug Abuse

Drug abuse, which is also known generally as, drug dependence can be better explained as an addict's extreme awe of using substances that control him for normally performing and functioning as a human being. When the user does not seek such substances that he fairly relies on, he suffers from major substance abandonment. Substance abuse more precisely can be defined as a model that relates to harmful and abundant use of a particular substance that helps in altering one's mood too. It is the use of harmful drugs or the abuse of prescription of over-the-counter drugs for reasons that are other than those which are directed on the drug in a particular quantity and order.

Abused drugs are generally classified into four categories: narcotic pain relievers, stimulants, tranquilizers, and sedatives. Each type of drug has a specific set of physiological effects, a specific medical use, and the potential for misuse or abuse. All are also potentially harmful when used at high doses and for nonmedical purposes. Often these substances are used in combination with alcohol and other illegal drugs, called polydrug use.

Drug abuse and addiction refer to an individual's continued use of a mind-altering substance, often illegal, despite negative consequences or an inability to stop using. While, clinically, the terms refer to varying ...