Repercussions of Substance Abuse

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Substance abuse consists of a vast range of destructive effects on its users, the people surrounding that individual and also society in its entirety. The repercussions of substance abuse has adverse consequences on families, such as finances and emotion turmoil. The abuser is likely to use all available resources to support the addiction they have developed, and disregarding other priorities and leaving them neglected. Due to the altered mental state of these individuals, it is not uncommon for them to initiate tendencies of violence and cruelty towards their family members which can occasionally enable a spouse to take on an unsound role to preserve their relationship. Unfortunately, children of parents who are substance abusers become a higher risk of experiencing physical and emotional trauma and possibly repeating the cycles. Substance abuse impacts society tremendously from every direction. The cost for enforcing drug laws and policies is a very expensive and extensive process, all ranging from street level enforcement, correctional facilities, as well as rehabilitation problems. Crime has always been associated with drugs in a large spectrum scaling from petty crime to more organized affiliations that wish to control drug trades. The violence and crime that these people create seriously disrupt our society and the citizen that abide by the law. Abusing drugs or alcohol is essentially allowing your body to be poisoned slowly over time and has a tremendously impact on multiple areas of one's health and wellness. These long-term abusers have an increased the risk of numerous ailments ranging from heart, liver, lung disease to nerve or brain damage. Substance abuse is seen as one of the most ubiquitous issues facing our nati... ... middle of paper ... ...be overcome with perseverance and hard work. Although costly, I believe that it can achieve significant prevention results with adolescents who are considered at highest risk because of multiple risk factors. Family bonds and parenting are crucial parts of a child's life. Parents should be able to provide important guidance through words and actions about the use of drugs or alcohol. According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), "the more often parents interact and talk with the children about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs, the less likely it will be for their children to experiment with them." If parents can establish and maintain good communication with their children, be a positive role model, get involved in their lives, and make clear rules and enforce them consistently, it can discourage them from getting started with drugs or alcohol.

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