Substance Use as a Contemporary Health Issue

This research paper discusses substance abuse as a contemporary health issue. It explores the impact of substance use on healthcare, causes, and strategies to curb substance abuse. The paper also highlights the policies adopted to fight drug abuse and the contradictions surrounding them.

HOW SUBSTANCE USE IS A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE IN THE HEALTH1
How Substance use is a Contemporary issue in the Health
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HOW SUBSTANCE USE IS A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE IN THE HEALTH1
Introduction
The fact that one anyone takes any illegal drug is termed as substance abuse. This term
extends to explain when a person uses alcohol, prescription medicine, and other legal substances
more often inappropriately. Substance abuse differs from addiction. A number of people who
suffer the problem of substance abuse are likely to quit and change whereas victims of addiction
suffer a diseases. It implies they cannot avoid using drugs and substance despite harm to the
body. As such, the research paper seeks to discuss drugs and substance abuse which apparently is
a current health care issue. In particular, the research question to investigate how substance use
is a contemporary issue in health.
Project objective
The project has one specific objective and other general objectives;
Specific objective
1. To identify how substance use is a contemporary issue in health.
General objectives
1. To establish different forms in which drugs and substance are used.
2. To explain the causes of drug and substance use.
3. To explore the impact of substance use on health care
4. To discuss strategies adopted for the sake of curbing substance abuse
5. To explore the contradiction on policies towards drug abuse in health care.
Project scope
The project is purely based on a health issue; that is substance use. This means research is
carried out at the health care centers. Notably, the project relies on a target population that is
solicits information. As per the formed hypothesis, the target population for the study five

HOW SUBSTANCE USE IS A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE IN THE HEALTH1
hospital staff and 5 victims of drug use. This group is given questionnaires to fill which finally
are analyzed using SSPS data. The findings are eventually used to draw conclusion, and
recommendations.
Literature review
Considering a number of abused substance and drugs, the most common abuse are drugs
that give pleasure, ease stress and a lot of thinking. Alcohol, which is one of the drugs has
different effects on different individuals. Second, are medicine prescribed over the counter. More
often sick patients take drugs prescribed for a different patient and overdose, unlike the way the
doctor recommends. Other people, also take medicine for reasons contrary to medical reason.
Examples of prescription drugs include opioid pain relievers, the medicine used to treat attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder and those for anxiety medicine. Cough and cold medicine that their
content is made of chemical contents which can create intoxication or drunkenness (Kolodny et
al, 2015, p. 580). Heroin, marijuana and cigarette are also abused more
Arguably, drugs and substance abuse are triggered by particular aspects. Even though the
causes are not yet exhausted in research, the basic three include genetic predisposition, co-
occurring conditions, and environmental circumstances. For the genetic aspect, the study reveals
a number of drug use cases that are acquired at the family level, hence suggesting genetics is
among the contributing factors. It is possible to raise a child in a family that has a drug user and
the child still grows a non-user (Visser et al., 2014, p. 34-46). This means genetic aspect is one
among other reasons. Concurring conditions include mental illness that leads to drug use too. An
assumption ignores the relationship between a mental illness and drug abuse but is a detailed
overview, one condition can complicate the other. For example, patients suffering depression
conduct self-medication to manage their depressive mood, in which the depression is not

HOW SUBSTANCE USE IS A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE IN THE HEALTH1
necessarily the cause but a factor of contribution. Third, the environment can convince a person
to abuse substance and drugs. Adolescents, in this case, are victims since they want to belong to
the same status of their peers who use drugs. A drug user, or the presence of drugs in the home,
can also be a major cause of drug abuse.
Contemporary issues in health impact differently on drugs on health care. According to
the service for preventing and treating of substances use disorders are traditionally delivered
differently from other health condition (Room 2014, p. 55-62). This is because substances use is
considered a social and criminal activity where prevention does demand healthcare systems. If
anything, a limited range of treatment options, some not insured. Moreover, the recent substance
use disorder workforce does not have the potential to achieve the benefits of integrated health
care. The healthcare staff are also inhibited inadequate training to deal with substance-related
problems. Health cares, therefore demand new recruits, more diversified to deal with skills to
handle the problem of substance use disorders and providing own care during care delivery.
Governments, through relevant, put in place particular policies to face the problem of
substance abuse. One key way is effective integration of presentation, treatment and recovery
services. This is significant in addressing the misuse of substance and it related consequence and
improves health care services. Introduction of law to fight drug use is a policy that sues drugs
users. This trend facilitates higher levels of integration to improve public health. Poland
introduced a law which guaranteed any possession of drugs is punishable in prison for at least
three years (Abuse 2013). Indeed over the years, a big number fell victims especially youths. A
proposed motion, however, changed the policy of the country. Another policy response is the
development of health care delivery organizations like nursing homes and registered care
organization for integration of care. The policy incorporates the role of any organization

HOW SUBSTANCE USE IS A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE IN THE HEALTH1
concerned with care delivery as a health center. For the organization that is existing, a policy
suggests for their expansion in order to meet the demand concerned with health.
Additionally, emphasis on education is a policy towards preventing substance abuse.
People are educated about the risks associated with drug and substance abuse. A percentage of
drug and substance use is as affected by lack of education. A good example in the care where
sick patients share medicine is in fact ignorance (Galanter, Kreiner, and Brady 2014, p. 559-
574). One, among other instances that can be solved by educating the public. A different policy
demands allocation and distribution of funds in state government. Mental Health Parity and
Addiction Equity Act is fit to deliver if financial requirement is sufficient. Besides, health cares
need funds to insure a higher number of substance users.
Lastly, a different policy is to increase the population that is insured. This policy implies
health cares are supposed to offer more prevention, care, screening services for suffering victims
at least to create an alert. Another policy, that is to recognizing substances us as a disorder as the
condition to deal with positively (Lynch 2012, p. 177). Substances users are thus treated like any
other health problem. This is leading to growing integration of behavioral health and general
health care and extra efforts to screen patients for substance use disorders addressing them
through early intervention and referral to appropriate levels of treatment.
Unfortunately, critiques continue to come up challenging the strategies set against
substance abuse. The Office of National Drug Control Policy, in charge of matters concerning
the nation and drug safety, claims that the world has reached a point is changing its decision to
fight drugs.as a fact, people have little effort to believe in a step. Data on drug use are deceptive
regardless when accurately reported and interpreted since the focus on use rather than on acute
and chronic drug abuse, and the war on drugs has been instrumental in blurring this very

HOW SUBSTANCE USE IS A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE IN THE HEALTH1
important distinction (World Health Organization 2014). Only a handful of drugs result in harm
whereas a lot do not and demonizing drug use creates additional human problems.
Either way, drug abuse, and chronic dependence, on the contrary, often lead to significant
problems for the user and community as a whole and many believe that this should be a primary
focus of our national drug policy. It is needless for the law to confine drug users in prisons, more
so in arguments that drug users are criminals. Crime is related to drugs uses but very few
incidents of criminal activities; robbery other burglaries relate to drugs (Burns and Boyer 2013,
p. 75). The relationship between the crime and drugs is complex and the data no support this
connection despite the common misperception that these two aspects relate. According to
Walker, the National Household Survey data show that few who use illicit drugs become addicts
or engage in other criminal activity (Nicholson 2013, p. 431-439). Unfortunately, other
contradictions dismiss the policies and argue corruption cases cannot allow for implementation
process and also some of these drugs used for positive reasons like marijuana in preventing
chronic pain.
Conclusion
Substance abuse is evident to be an issue in health today. The report has explored about
drug abuse to ascertain the habit is present in human beings. In sum, the conclusion recommends
additional policies due to a lot of contradiction in the current strategies.
More additional policy towards contemporary health issue- substance abuse is ensuring
good administration. In case America desires to be successful in the fight against drugs, the first
priority for the next administration whether Republican or Democrat, must be stable.
Restructuring Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDP) as an effective policy office
capable of leading the nation’s struggle with drugs (Gerber and Jensen 2014). This means the

HOW SUBSTANCE USE IS A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE IN THE HEALTH1
government must recognize the drug-fighting organization and show the willingness to work
together, by issuing support.
There is need fix the budgetary afresh. This process allows sufficient funding for health
care considering they face a lot of issues. ONDCP’s budgetary role must be fixed. Working with
the Office of Management and Budget to formulate and distribute an accurate drug control
budget to implement its policy priorities is the only way to ensure that research findings are
reflected in the drug control budget (Molfenter 2012, p. 16). Next is staying ahead of emerging
drug trends, and ensure knowledge development, data systems and research a priority. Finally, it
is essential that the government recognizes and supports the innovative efforts at the local levels
working to establish more effective and human response to drug and substance use. The
importance of working to involve new voices in drug policy reform debates by funding projects
like, which their pros seek the unintended costs of the war on drugs and encourage a cost-benefit
analysis of current policies (Stimmel 2014).

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