Vulnerable Populations Paper: Substance Abuse

The definitions have progressed from tolerance or withdrawal symptoms from a specific drug to chronic intoxication, continued use with increased dosage, dependence, and damaging effects to user (Reinarman 2005). Both of these definitions proved to be too restrictive because all drugs do not have the same effects on every user. The current definition used by physicians and the criminal justice system is based on seven criteria (Reinarman 2005). The constant evolution of how the professional world views drug dependence mirrors society’s change in the understanding of addiction. Historically, “the drink” was viewed as the devil and drugs were often thought to be the cause of many criminal acts (Schneider 2003). After the medicalization of addiction and dawn of decriminalization of drug abuse, public opinion of deviant alcohol and drug use has changed. For the family unit, it is much simpler to accept and approach treatment for addiction if it is classified as a medical disease. In society, drug users can be framed as patients instead of criminals based on current standards. By looking at addiction as a treatable set of signs and symptoms instead of holding the individual accountable for actions they committed while intoxicated, the disease concept releases a lot of the stigma that goes along with

Persistent substance abuse among youth is often accompanied by an array of problems, including academic difficulties, health-related consequences, poor peer relationships, mental health issues, and involvement with the juvenile justice system. There are also significant consequences for family members, the community, and society in

Substance abuse is any nonstop pathological use of a medication, drugs, or alcohol. Substance abuse is most likely to be diagnosed among people who have just started taking drugs or medication and is often an early symptom of substance dependence. However, substance dependence can show without any symptoms of substance abuse, and substance abuse can last long periods of time without changing into substance dependence. Substances that are abused are, but not limited to, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs for varied reasons. Substance addiction symptoms include the need for increasing amounts of the substance to maintain desired effects, withdrawal if drug taking stops, and a lot of time spent in activities related to substance use. Due to substance abuse and addiction our society pays a significant

Gender, ethnicity, and the presence of other mental disorders may influence risk for drug abuse and addiction also. Negative consequences go along with drug abuse and addiction. Estimates for the total costs of substance abuse in the United States, according to Drug Facts revised in November 2011, say that including productivity and health and crime related costs, exceed $600 billion annually. “This includes approximately $193 billion for illicit drugs, $193 billion for tobacco and $235 billion for alcohol. Indeed alcohol has the highest amount of expenditure for abuse. These numbers do not fully describe the amount of destructive public health and safety implications of drug abuse and addiction, such as family disintegration, loss of employment, failure in school, domestic violence, and child abuse.” Drug addiction, along with alcoholism, is a chronic disease. With medication and psychotherapy they can be overcome. Relapse is always a concern and a possibility when considering chronic disease. The actual fact is that they can reoccur and will continue to need the willingness and commitment of the patient to maintain sobriety. Often people think that because a substance may be addictive that it should not be used; however the fact is that there are many benefits to the supervised use of marijuana which are more evident every day now. Chemicals that effect the brain and

Substance abuse is the harmful or dangerous use of any psychoactive substances including drugs, alcohol and even tobacco. The term ‘Substance Abuse’, as understood today was first used in 1987’s DSM-IIIR, before that social & cultural factors were not considered. Even with that change, many Americans still today consider drug and alcohol abuse to be moral weakness or character defect.

In 2009, more than eight million children in the United States resided in households where their primary caregiver was dependent on substance use (HHS, 2009). Substance Use disorder (SA) is defined as exhibiting one or more of the four criteria while consuming alcohol or illicit drugs: failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home, situations in which it is physically hazardous, situations persistent substance-related legal problems, social or interpersonal problems caused by or exacerbated by the effects of the substance (American Psychiatric Association, 2005). One out of four children affected by SA will develop psychological, physical, and social health complications, and a tenth

Employment, family and friend are seriously at jeopardy when addiction overshadows and become more important. Family suffer tremendously from the neglected due to a family member plagued with this disease. The constant worry for the person’s welfare causes emotional stress that can break down the family structure. Children are the most venerable when a parent suffers with addiction. Child Protected services state approximately 50% to 80% of all child abuse and neglect cases involve some degree of substance abuse by the child’s parents (NIDA, 2000). Babies born with birth defects due to a mother cocaine use during pregnancy is another unfortunate reality (NIDA, 2000). There are over 45,000 cases of cocaine-exposed babies per

Addiction is a complex disease that is influenced by several factors including: genetic, developmental, experiential and environmental factors (Goldstein & Volkow, 2002). Alcohol dependence, otherwise referred to as alcoholism, is characterized by frequent use of alcohol resulting in intoxication, a preoccupation with alcohol, compulsion to seek and consume alcohol, the inability to limit alcohol intake and the emergence of negative emotional state when the drug is absent (Gilpin & Koob, 2008; Ernst et al., 2012; Kunce, & Newton, 1989; Crews, 2012). There is an estimated 85,000 deaths annually caused by unhealthy alcohol consumption. Medical issues such as liver disease, neurological problems and malignancies, in addition to behavioral and

In research conducted by Kyzer, Conners-Burrow, & McKelvey (2013), it is estimated that more than 8 million children under the age of 18 live with at least one parent who abuses substances. This leads to a host of other issues for the children in their care, including abuse, neglect, placement in foster care, poverty, and homelessness or poor-quality neighborhoods. The children from these environments are exposed to several different risk factors, thus are facing a long road in front of them. One of the most troubling aspects of parental substance abuse is just how pervasive the detriment to the family can be. If parents spend needed resources to obtain their drugs of choice, they cannot pay for needed essentials, such as safe transportation or good housing. Exposure to poor neighborhoods, where the child is exposed to violence and disadvantaged areas, can put him or her at risk in the future (Kyzer et al.,

This paper was prepared for SOWK 615.01: Substance Abuse & Dependency. Taught by Dr. Susan Schoppelrey.

In this paper, I look at forms of substance abuse and the effects on children. I will be using the following headings to break down the different issues associated with this social problem: social causes, phenomenon, and consequences. I hope to educate those that may be ignorant to the situation, and help to spark a flame that can be used to not be a bystander, but a solution to the problem at hand.

A vulnerable population are people that have specific characteristics, or risk factors, that increase the probability of developing health problems (Harkness & DeMarco, 2012, p.103). A Vulnerable is important because anyone can become a part of this population. One is going to be describing the characteristics of substance abusers. Next, give the common health issue and needs. Then, give specific resources that Peoria have to offer. Finally, how substance abuse relates to Healthy People 2020. Overall, this will give one an overview of the vulnerable population such as substance abusers.

Substance abuse can be very detrimental to an individual’s life. According to the World Health Organization, substance abuse is defined as, “the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs” (2015). It does not matter what type of substance a person abuses, any one of them can alter one’s perception, judgement, and physical control, which leads a person being destructive in the future. If a person is fully dependent on a substance, by the time they withdraw it can cause a lot of issues such as, vomiting, shakiness, constantly worrying, hallucinating, and much more. Abusing any type of substance can start at any age but it usually begins early in childhood. Many children who are placed in foster

In society today, Substance abuse comes in many different forms. Such as prescription to illicit drugs. Anyone is susceptible to developing some sort of substance abuse. Because many people use, abuse or will develop some sort of substance abuse dependency in their lifetime. They will develop a dependency on a substance .Whether it may be legal or illegal.

About 10 years ago drug abuse was diagnosed in nearly 22.6 million people in the United States. Broken families, time spent in jail, sexually related diseases and death are common consequences of drug addiction. Addiction related disease pose a major load on society every single day, costing our economy more than $500 billion just annually. That is about $181 billion for illegal drugs alone. Drug users are more likely to have workplace accidents, harming themselves and also fellow employees around them, opposed to those who do not do drugs. Drug-related crime can damage communities due to violence among drug dealers, threats to residents, and the crimes of the addicts themselves. In some neighborhoods of drug abusers, younger children play the role of being lookouts and helpers because juvenile offenders do not have such harsh sentences as adults and guns have become usual among young children and teens.