Drug Abuse And Its Effects On The United States Essay

Drug abuse is worldwide problem and one that has plagued the United States for decades. Drug abuse negatively impacts not only the individual user, but also our society as a whole. The fight to prevent the manufacturing and trafficking of illegal drugs into the country has made very little impact on its accessibility to those that wish to partake. According to the National Drug Control Budget Report for 2015, the President of the United States request $25.4 Billion in Fiscal Year 2015 in order to reduce drug use and its consequences in the U.S. (National Drug Control Budget, 2014). In addition to enormous amount of money the federal government has pledged to fight this social problem, there are numerous organizations and institutions committed to keeping people off drugs and rehabilitating those fortunate enough to have survived their use. Two organizations working to do solve the problem of drug abuse and the associated destructive behaviors are the Drug Abuse Resistance Educat ion also known as D.A.R.E. program and Narcotics Anonymous. The D.A.R.E. program is a prevention-oriented program aimed specifically at school-aged children. The program focuses on teaching effective peer resistance and refusal skills in order to try and prevent the use of drugs before they start. The program was created and launched in 1983 by Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates and the Los Angeles Unified School district as a result of unparalleled drug abuse among the L.A. youth in theShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Drug Abuse On The United States1717 Words   |  7 Pagesdemonstrate the absurdity of the drug abuse problems in the United States, it should be brought to light that the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use Health estimated that â€Å"27 million people aged 12 or older have used an illicit drug in the past 30 days† (Hedden, Kennet, Lipari, Medley, Tice, 2015). As gun violence has become a popular topic in America over the past few years due to its’ rela ted deaths, many Americans’ fail to realize that more people are dying from drug overdose than by weapon. In today’sRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Abuse On The United States947 Words   |  4 PagesNgoc Do Drug Abuse Drug abuse is a problem that has been increasing immensely in the United States. The amount of people using drugs is increasing drastically with people starting or trying illegal substances as a younger age. Drug abuse is the over use of legal and illegal substances. The abuse of drugs is the number one health related problem. Types of drugs commonly abused include alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, painkillers, depressants, cocaine, stimulants, hallucinogens, heroin, and methamphetamineRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Abuse On The United States1479 Words   |  6 PagesNational Survey on Drug Use and Health, 669,000 Americans reported using heroin in the year of 2012. The number of people using heroin for the first time is dramatically high, with 156,000 people starting in 2012, doubling from the year 2009 (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014) Those using heroin are typically adults aged between 18-25 years old. The impact of heroin is felt all over the United States affecting many peop le. 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