02 psychosocial aspect of drug abuse

• Drug use and abuse have always been part of all human societies
• Nearly every culture has experienced drug abuse, and as part of its historical record, laws were enacted in order to control the use of certain types of drugs
• Drug use today


  • More acute and widespread than in any previous age
  • An "equal opportunity affliction" - no one is immune from the use and/or abuse of both licit and illicit drugs
  • Found across the many different income, education, social class, occupation, race and ethnic, lifestyle, and age groups
• Reasons for drug abuse

  • Search for pleasure and using drugs to heighten good feelings
  • Taking drugs to temporarily relieve stress or tension or provide a temporary escape for people with anxiety
  • Taking drugs to temporarily forget one's problems and avoid or postpone worries
  • Viewing certain drugs as necessary in order to relax after a tension filled work
  • Taking drugs to fit in with peers, especially when peer pressure is strong during early and late adolescence
  • Taking drugs to enhance religious or mystical experiences
  • Taking drugs to relieve pain and some symptoms of illness
• Impacts of drug abuse

  • Family and community
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Work and employment
• Family impact


  • Peaceful, loving homes can be divided by the strain caused by drug and alcohol abuse
  • Conflict becomes normal as family members fight to engage with a child who abuses drugs
  • Trust begins to erode
  • Marriages can end due to relationship conflicts caused by addiction
  • Communication becomes more difficult, highlighting frustration
• Community impact


  • Impact the social functioning of individuals and create a burden for society
  • Contribute to medical or psychiatric conditions, disability, and death
  • Higher rates of suicidality
  • Housing instability, homelessness, criminal behaviors
• Common addictive substances causing health hazards


  • Tobacco
  • Alcohol
  • Solvents (including glues, thinners and gasoline)
• Characteristics of common addictive substances

  • They alter the function of the human brain and have an impact on behavior
  • Contribute to medical or psychiatric conditions, disability, and death
  • Higher rates of suicidal cases
  • Transmission of HIV due to IV drug use (IVDU) or high-risk sexual behaviors
• HIV transmission in drug abusers

  1. Sharing of contaminated needles or syringes

  2. Infected drug abusers with common needles and syringes may travel widely
• Smoking during pregnancy


  Infants have a lower average birth weight and may be at increased risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorders, and childhood obesity
• Cocaine abuse during pregnancy


  Babies can be prematurely born and have low birth weights
• Tobacco use


  Contributes to 11-30% of cancer deaths
• Alcohol abuse


  Contributes to the development certain malignancies
• Abuse of tobacco, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), amphetamines, and steroids

  Increases the development of cardiovascular diseases
• Tobacco use


  Responsible for approximately 30% of all heart disease deaths each year
• Relationship between crime and drugs


  • Drug abuse often go hand in hand with violence
  • Drugs increase the likelihood of criminal activity
• Drug cartels


  • Powerful and dangerous illegal organizations responsible for the cultivation or manufacture, distribution, and sale of illicit drugs around the world
  • Violence takes its toll at all levels, as rival gangs fight to control their areas and associated drug operations
  • Innocent bystanders often become victims of the indiscriminate violence
• Findings on employees who abuse alcohol or other drugs


  • They are three times more likely than the average employee to be late to work
  • They are more likely to receive sickness benefits
  • They are more likely to be absent from work
  • They are more likely to be involved in job accidents
  • They are more likely to file compensation claims
• Employer responses to drug abuse in the workplace


  • Creating drug testing and employee assistance programs (EAPs)
  • Drug testing generally involves urine screening to identify which employees are using drugs and which employee may have current or potential drug problems
  • EAPs are employer financed programs designed to aid in identifying and resolving productivity problems associated with employees emotional or physical concerns, such as those related to health, marital, family, financial and substance abuse
• Many industries have responded to drug in workplace by creating drug testing and employee assistance programs (EAPs)