Past and Current Trends Of Use and Abuse of Substances in the United States Essay

Current trends show that illegitimate drugs ar a inception of substantive ca expend of mortality in the linked States. It accounts for close to 17,000 deaths yearly nearly a thousand in persons aged 12 to 21 old age. Illicit drug work is also associated with signifi poopt morbidity and has far-r to each oneing domain wellness effects. A National Ho aim Hold Survey on drug ab habit in 2003 showed that an estimated 19. 5 million Americans aged 12 or over were stream personars of drugs at that time. The survey showed that marijuana was the to the steepest degree commonly spendd illegitimate drug.There was also the use of non-medical use of any prescription-type pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives or stimulants. Marijuana even currently is widely used be lay down of its low cost and easy availability. New drugs that choose gradually been noned coming into the market include methaqualone in the youthful 1970s, crack cocaine in the early 1980s, flunitrazepam in ear ly nineties and most recently Oxycontin (Bulletin on Narcotics, 2003). Teens are the group that is most touched by the drug use in the US.National Survey on dose Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that among the drugs highly used in the unify States are Marijuana which has a the highest consumption, then followed by Psycho- therapeutics, cocaine, Hallucinogens and inhalants. alcoholic drink is a substance that has a detrimental effect on peoples health and is as commonly used. The survey shows that over 50% of teens pitch tried an illicit drug by time of high school completion. This is an alarming dowery bearing the devastating effects drugs have in individuals lives.However, there is a notable decline in the use of nicotine among the youth- this trend in the autobiography of survey that began in 1997. This is particularly notable since nicotine is often used forwards any other drugs of abuse (it is used by armatures), and tobacco dependance is the perishing contributor to many of Americas public health problems. It is estimated that 19. 5 million Americans aged 12 or older are current users of illicit drugs. The use of cocaine in the US has evenly declined over years while that of crack has increased.This has been attributed to the risk that comes along with injecting of ones self thus risking AIDS infection. Marijuana was the most widely used illicit drug, in 2003, with an estimated 14. 6 million people being users of marijuana. 2004 reports show that approximately 23% of the students in grade 7-12 had 5 or more(prenominal) drinks on one occasion during the olden year. The rate of binge drinking is fall from 27% in 2000 to 26% in 2002. Among the 18 to 25 years old group, about 58% were current drinkers and 40% were binge drinkers.The current drinkers among the older group drops to about 50%. Binge drinkers drops to about 23%, and 5% heavy drinkers. About 14% of students in grades 9 done 12 admitted they had driven a car after having had a inviola ble bit to drink at least once in the past year, and 24% of the seniors utter so. 11% of students in grade 9 by means of 12 reported having driving when they were high on drugs and 18% of the seniors said so. Cocaine has high prevalence in the United States especially in Texas State.Approximately 7% of the 18 to 25 years old cosmos reported using cocaine. Use of alcohol, but not cigarettes, marijuana and cocaine, is high among college students than among non-college youth of the same age. There is a significant difference in the use of cocaine amid border and non-border Hispanics. More recently, while the use of crack cocaine was decreasing among some populations, in particular African-American, it was increase among Hispanic youth. The finding shows that there is a disparity by moral principle/racial group.Although African-Americans have lower rates of substance abuse prevalence, they have a higher rate of homicides. The attitudes towards the use of drugs have swopd over the end of times in American culture. (Kozel, 2003) argues that substance abuse or use in American society reflects a wrenching tension between conflicting ideals of liberation and communal obligation. This has been noted by the increase of use of drug during the period of national crisis like American Revolution, in the polished war and the 1960s, as drug use was linked to independence and hammer of new identities.In one way or another change in prevailing ideological and religious beliefs, fluctuations in norms and values and transformations in technology are some of the cultural fluctuations that affect drug use in American society. The African American music, which glorifies drug and violence, is a significant example of how culture gains and encourages the use of drugs. It is also the norm in the United State for young people to have alcohol as a regular drink forgetting that alcohol is addictive this culture works to promote the use of drugs.Drugs use has adverse effects on the health of Americans. noetic health of individuals is affected when people use drugs. Drugs use and abuse has been associated with risk-taking behaviors that leads to triplex consequences, including the on going transmitting and acquisition of HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmission distempers. These are some of quite challenging health hazards in the present-day(a) world. In addition, impairment due to drug use can lead to unintended pregnancy, impacts of which are far reaching, as teenage mothers are more likely to not finish high school or college.Drug use is the source of degenerative liver disease. Americas chronic liver disease prevalence rate is high at 9. 5. everywhere 90% of deaths due to this disease happened to individuals in the older age groups. Hispanics have a greater rate of deaths due to chronic liver disease (25. 5) than other groups, 18. 6 for Whites and 12. 7 for African-American. This reflects the effect of Hispanic culture and the deflect it has in encouraging drug use. Tobacco is the leading draw of preventable deaths in the United States.Lung cancer, heart disease, and illnesses such as emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airways thwarter are responsible for largest number of smoking related deaths. Majority of individuals whose cause of death is lung cancer were in the 65 years old or older group. The age disparity shows long-term effects of cigarette smoking. Alcohol is the substance that is used by the greater percentage of population who use substances. Its use begins early, and the percent of users peaks in early adulthood.Its use continues to be high during adulthood, but the percent of users decline with age. Most hard drug users scram from the use of alcohol and thus alcohol acts as a bridge. Essentially, each drug has its physiological effect on the user. Most drugs are not used in their pure form and may be motley with harmful substances. In addition the way the drug is used can have health effects. For i nstance, injecting drugs, in particular with unclean needles, can cause emboli or clots, sepsis and other infections that require medical attention. Sometimes users overdose and die.