Substance Use and Society: Reasons, Theories, and Attitudes

This essay provides a critical analysis of substance use within society, exploring the various reasons individuals turn to drugs, including seeking enjoyment, confidence, or escape from problems, and the influence of social environments and curiosity. It examines the prevalence of drug misuse, citing statistics on drug-related deaths and the attitudes of different sectors such as the public and government. The essay delves into the Rational Choice and Personality Theories to understand the behaviors associated with drug addiction, highlighting the impact on mental and physical health, relationships, and social problems. The essay also addresses societal perceptions and government policies regarding drug addiction, emphasizing the need for support and understanding for those struggling with substance abuse and how it negatively impacts society. Overall, the essay underscores the complex nature of drug use and its far-reaching consequences.

Substance Use and
Society 2019

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Critical Analysis of Reasons Why People Uses Drugs...............................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Drug is any substance with the exception of food and water which is taken into the body
and that alters the functioning of the body of an individual either physically, mentally and
psychologically (Care, 2019). It may be legal such as alcohol, caffeine or tobacco or illegal
which covers the cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin. The drugs impacts upon both the
physical and mental health of the individuals. An individual is not addicted to drug in a single
day but the is slow process in which later becomes the addicted to that drug and wants that in any
situation. The main areas of impact of these drugs are the impact upon the nervous system and
alteration in the mood, behaviour and thinking perspective of people. The psychoactive drugs
could be divided into four main categories which are Depressants, Stimulants, Hallucinogens and
“other”. The coverings in this essay will be about reason of taking drugs, the prevalence rates
will be examined, theories of addiction will be discussed. In addition to this, the discussion will
also be made about the attitudes of drug taking in different arenas such as public, government
and media.
MAIN BODY
Critical Analysis of Reasons Why People Uses Drugs
The effect of drug on the health of an individuals also depends and varies from person to
person because of difference in different individuals such as in the colour, physical fitness, size,
mood, diet, expectations, health, the drug itself and how the drug is taken and the environment in
which the individual is having drug. There are many reasons due to which individuals make use
of drugs and these reasons also differs from person to person. It is because the motive of every
individual to use drug is not the same. Some people make use of drug to have fun, relax, forget
problems or as a form of escapism. Drug Addiction starts from this point when people start using
drugs for their enjoyment, refreshment and in the bad situations when they get no one with
whom they could share their feelings (Volkow, Koob and Baler, 2015). At that time, the only
thing that they could find is the drugs that gives relax to their minds. And then the continuation
comes in the use of drugs by an individual. The second reason is because of gaining confidence
or socialising themselves. It is the another method of getting confident and socialising
themselves. Sometimes there comes some situations in front of an individual which makes it
harder fro them to face or they lack in confidence that could help in facing the situation. So the
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addiction of drugs is also related to the have confidence as after addiction the individual does not
have much knowledge about what he is doing, saying or anything. The reasons of addiction are
also related to the out of curiosity. This is because of the people with which an individual lives.
The environment also impacts much on the habits and nature of an individual. As such the
friends of individual makes use of drugs so it is possible that living with those people, the person
who do not make use of drugs will also start doing this. In this way the people living with an
individual and the environment also impacts much on the decision of addicting or not the drugs
to an individual.
There will be very less people who are making use of drugs and will advise others not to
make use. The purpose of making use of drugs is also related to the lesser the self consciousness
and anxiety in the mind. It is because the nature of some people is very shy that they do not talk
much or interact with other, some are self conscious who do not want to interact with other
people and some are short tempered so in order to overcome from the state of self consciousness,
anger the use of drug is done (Mackillop and et. al., 2015). The addiction of drug is also related
to the celebration and commiseration. In case of some functions or events, people make use of
drugs as a means of enjoyment for them. Sometimes the reason of making use of drugs also
relates to the reliving from boredom and stress. In situations of stress and anxiousness, people
make use of drugs and so that for sometime they could feel relaxed and good. The addiction of
drugs is also done by saints for the purpose of their medication as according to them it is a means
with the help of which concentration could be made in thinking about the God. These are some
of the main purposes of why people makes use of Drugs.
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(Source: Drug Statistics, 2018)
The following is the data related to the people in England and Wales who died making
misuse of drugs and it impacted upon their mental health and behavioural disorders. As from the
above table it has been clear that in 2016, the number of registered deaths in England and Wales
which was related to making misuse of drugs were 2593. As compared to 2015, the increment in
the death rate by making use of drugs is 5 percent and 58 percent in comparison to the deaths in
2006. Among the adults also, approx 1 in the number of 12 persons is making use of drugs in the
year 2016-17 of the individuals lying in the age in between 16 to 59. Moreover, the stats also
tells that in 2016, as compared to the stats of 2014, 24 percent of pupils have been founded that
they had ever made use of drugs (Statistics on Drug Misuse: England, 2018 [PAS], 2019).
So the above provided table helps in knowing about the number of people who had lost their
lives due to making use of drugs. They did not ended their own lives but also destroyed those
lives which were connected with them also. There are also some theories that impacts upon the
mindset of an individual and with the help of which it will be easy to analyse about the behaviour
of different people related to drug addiction (Fick and et. al., 2015). For example, the Rational
Choice Theories and the Personality Theories. Firstly the discussion will be made about the
Rational Choice Theories. The following theory focuses on knowing about the coming of people
by themselves in the self destructive behaviour. There are certain elements that impacts upon the
behaviour of an individual. These are related to the impacts of drug dependence of individuals.
The reason may be different for different people. But this theory tells that the individual have
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Illustration 1: Drug Statistics, 2018

impaired control over their use of the substances such as drugs. Further there is a regular increase
in the use of drugs by the people and this impacts upon hiStatistics on Drug Misuse: England,
2018 [PAS]. 2019s mental as well as physical health also. The individuals reaches to the
situation where it is not possible for him to make judgement at his own about making use or not
of the drugs. Even if he has not desire or will to make use of those drugs but after that situation
also the individual makes use of drugs. Their perception turns into tomorrow such as thinking
that only for today I will drink not from tomorrow, but that tomorrow never comes.
There are many reasons due to which an individuals is not able to stop the addiction of
drugs and then becomes the habit of that individual which is not possible for him to stop even
after his won wish. The reason may be related to personal life or some stress due to which the
drug has been used by the individual (Shepardson and Hustad, 2015). Another theory is the
Personality Theory. This theory says that there are some people who are more addicted to the use
of drugs in the depending on their personality, these kinds of people do not have any motive of
making use of drugs but simple they do not have to do anything and so they did this. It becomes
their personality profile to make use of drugs as something is incomplete in them if they had not
used it. Addiction reaches to that extent that it fulfils a certain purpose that is related to
individual's personality profile.
It is because their thinking is that drug addiction provides them benefit at the time of
making use of drugs but after sometime it will create many serious problems for the individual. It
has also been founded that the persons who are more aggressive, moody, irritable, anxious makes
more use of these substances. So the following theory says that the addiction of drugs are mainly
related with the nature and personality traits of an individual which makes them to make use or
not of these kind of substances. Even after knowing the consequences of drugs, use of drugs are
continued. The main impact of drug addiction is on the physical and mental health. The impact is
also on the relationships of an individual and also leads to social problems to an individual as
well as the family also.
According to Colleen L Barry, Emma Elizabeth McGinty, Bernice Pescosolido and
Howard H. Goldman, 2018, it has been founded that in relation the people with mental illness,
people holds more negative views for the people who makes use of drugs. As the addiction of
this will also make them among all those people who are suffering from mental illness or the
other option is related to the death of that individual who is making use of drugs. The social
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distance in between the mental illness and drug addiction is very much in the society that could
not only impacts upon them but also impacts on the society in which these people are living. As
they will also make other people addicted to these kind of substances also which will impact
negatively on their physical and mental ability (Orpinas and et. al., 2015). In UK, people are
highly opposed to public policies which are providing help to the drug addicted people when
compared to the mentally ill people. However, the main focus should be on helping the mentally
unfit people as the people addicting have no solution at all.
People who even have a background of using drug in their life are not accepted as their
neighbours by them. Some people has also said that the people making use or had made use of
drug are burden on the society. Some people say that they should not be allowed to work in the
public offices as they will spoil the complete environment of working in the offices. Overall it
can be said that people having any related background of drug addiction are not accepted by any
of the people living in a society. So looking on the attitude of people, it is clear that people with
the background from drug addiction are not preferred by the people living in a society as they
will prefer to have mentally ill people.
Looking on the perspective of Government, it can be said government have both the
attitudes for the drug addiction both in the positive and negative sense as well. As on the one
hand, government punishes to the people in contact with these kinds of activities whether related
to drug addiction or the sale or purchase activity of drug. Government makes it illegal and those
people founded involved in these kinds of activities are punished. However, there are some legal
drugs also which can be used with the permission of government such as the cigarettes, alcohol,
tobacco that can be used by individuals.
Certain rules are also made by the government related to the use of these drugs such as in
some places these products could not be sold late night like cigarettes and alcohol. And there are
some illegal drugs also which the government does not provide permission to make use of but in
case anyone founded having addiction of illegal drugs will be treated according to the prescribed
law. On the other hand, the government also work for the betterment of those people who are
suffering from illness which is caused because of the use of these drugs (Holmes and et. al.,
2016). Some non profit organisations are also working for the betterment of people who are
making use of drugs. These are also programmes launched by the government to make the
people aware about the ill effects of making use of drugs. National Curriculum Science has also
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passed the order related to making the people aware about the use of drugs in the key stages itself
so that they could be prevented from making use of drugs in the future. Children at the earlier
stage are made aware about the use of ill effects of drug addiction and how they impacts upon
the body organs of an individual in the negative way. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of
Drugs (ACMD) has also published two articles related to making the people aware about the bad
effects of drugs. Recently it has also provided the recommendations list for prevention policy
and practise in schools. Currently the government is working on reducing the use of drugs to the
possible extent. From the above information it has been made clear that government has high
concern with the effected people and is their responsibility to make reduction in the usage and
also work for the betterment of the people who are effected by making use of drugs (Earnshaw
and et. al., 2015).
Looking onto the attitude of media also, it works for both the positive and negative. But
the most of the work of government is related to the saving the people from the use of drugs as
this will not only spoil their lives but also the lives of their families also. According to Amie L.
Nielsen and Scott Bonn, 2018, media works for both the betterment of people suffering from the
diseases caused due to the use of drugs and also makes the people aware about the ill effects of
these drugs so that the people who had not made use of these kinds of drugs could be saved from
the being effected from these.
In newspapers, articles are founded related to the impact of using drugs or these kinds of
products and their impact on the health. Wide information is provided about the impacts,
prevention, causes on the human body that could be caused to an individual by making use of
these drugs. It also makes aware about the preventive measures from the use of drugs so that they
could make themselves safe from the use of these kind of products (De Chesnay and Anderson,
2019).
CONCLUSION
From the above prepared essay, it has been concluded that there are different reasons for
making use of drugs by the people. The reasons differs from person to person, their perceptions,
mental conditions, and depends on many more characteristics. Additionally, the conclusion has
been made about that there are some theories and models made for knowing the nature of human
and the reasons due to which they make use of drugs. Lastly, the conclusion has been made
about the attitude of people, government and media who also works for the betterment of people
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and provides them knowledge about preventing themselves and other from the addiction of
drugs.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Care, D., 2019. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2019. Diabetes Care. 42. p.S81.
Volkow, N.D., Koob, G. and Baler, R., 2015. Biomarkers in substance use disorders. ACS
chemical neuroscience. 6(4). pp.522-525.
Mackillop, J. and et. al., 2015. Predictive validity of a cigarette purchase task in a randomized
controlled trial of contingent vouchers for smoking in individuals with substance use
disorders. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 18(5). pp.531-537.
Fick, D. M. and et. al., 2015. American Geriatrics Society 2015 updated beers criteria for
potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society. 63(11). pp.2227-2246.
Shepardson, R. L. and Hustad, J. T., 2015. Hookah tobacco smoking during the transition to
college: prevalence of other substance use and predictors of initiation. Nicotine &
Tobacco Research. 18(5). pp.763-769.
Orpinas, P. and et. al., 2015. Cigarette smoking trajectories from sixth to twelfth grade:
associated substance use and high school dropout. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 18(2).
pp.156-162.
Earnshaw, V. A. and et. al., 2015. Intersectionality of internalized HIV stigma and internalized
substance use stigma: Implications for depressive symptoms. Journal of health
psychology. 20(8). pp.1083-1089.
De Chesnay, M. and Anderson, B. A., 2019. Caring for the vulnerable: Perspectives in nursing
theory, practice, and research. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Holmes, A. J. and et. al., 2016. Individual differences in cognitive control circuit anatomy link
sensation seeking, impulsivity, and substance use. Journal of neuroscience. 36(14).
pp.4038-4049.
Online
Barry, C. L., McGinty, E., E., Pescosolido, B., and Goldman, H., H., 2018. Stigma,
Discrimination, Treatment Effectiveness and Policy Support: Comparing Public Views
about Drug Addiction with Mental Illness. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4285770/>
Nielsen, A., L., and Bonn, S., 2018. Media Exposure and Attitudes Toward Drug Addiction
Spending, 1975–2004. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01639620701839492>
Statistics on Drug Misuse: England, 2018 [PAS]. 2019. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-drug-
misuse/2018#key-facts>
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