Major Issues in the Substance Abuse Field
- Although addiction is only one aspect of the problem of substance abuse, it is central to the public perception of drug use. Addictive behaviors are usually associated with hard drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, and with products that contain addictive substances like alcohol, tobacco (nicotine) and cough syrup (codeine). In addition to these physically addictive substances, addictive behaviors that are centered primarily in the mind can be associated with any number of other substances or activities, from marijuana to computers to sex.
- Substance abuse is associated with crime for two primary reasons. First, many addictive drugs are illegal, so people who are caught by the authorities using them or dealing in them are perceived as criminals. Second, because of the large amounts of money that some people require to service their habits, some drug abusers turn to crime to acquire needed cash. Once they become enmeshed in the legal system, many drug abusers begin associating with other drug abusers and criminals, thereby reinforcing their association with crime. Many legal drugs are also regularly abused, particularly pain killers, but because these are more easily acquired through legal means, their abusers less frequently end up in the legal system.
- The health effects of different drugs vary widely. A drug such as crystal meth is notorious for its annihilating effects on human health, while other drugs such as marijuana or psilocybin are consumed by some people for decades. Heavy alcohol use destroys the liver, while cigarette smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. Some negative health effects are the results of lifestyle changes rather than the direct impact of the drug. For example, a heroin addict who spends all his money on his addiction may not eat properly or live in a healthy environment.
- The question of what causes drug abuse is just as controversial as the question of a solution for it. Some people advocate a purely medical model and define the propensity for drug addiction as an illness. Others see drug use as a sign of moral degeneracy. Still others believe it to be a reaction to childhood trauma and an attempt to numb the pain of an uncaring world. The situation is complicated by the fine line that must be drawn between drug use and drug abuse; this line may be drawn at different points for different individuals.