Drugs and Deteroriation of Society

Introduction: According to a recent study, nearly 24 million people in the United States abuse illicit drugs, nearly 18 million people abuse alcohol, and in 2012 alone 22,114 people died of prescription drug overdoses. At any given time, approximately 10 percent of the US population is abusing drugs and alcohol, with multitudes of families, friends, neighbors, employers, and co-workers being directly affected. The costs associated with drug and alcohol use total nearly $600 billion in lost revenue, health care, legal fees, and damages each year. Drug abuse is associated with higher rates of foster care child placements, child abuse, college sexual assaults, prison sentences, and lost productivity coupled with increased work-related injuries.     How Drugs Impacts Society: Those closest to a drug-addicted individual are the hardest hit. Common patterns emerge within families where at least one individual is addicted to drugs and hence affecting the quality of enviro...