Home > University > Criminology > Outline the personal and social problems associated with drug and alcohol abuse. What policies might be devised in order to deal with these problems?
Outline the personal and social problems associated with drug and alcohol abuse. What policies might be devised in order to deal with these problems?
Ages 16-24 more likely to have used drugs. (Home office, 2013)
2.6% adults between the ages of 16-59 have taken class A drugs (Home office, 2013)
Last 5 years Tobacco-related death 550,000, Alcohol-related death 125,000, Heroin-related deaths only 800. (Home office, 2018)
In 2011, 8748 alcohol-related deaths (home office, 2011)
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Main academic sources
John Major (1995), drugs consequence in crime
NIDA funded study (2015), the teenage population ignore risks in favour of reward
Newcomb and Bentler (1988), substance abuse linked with the deterioration of mental health
Strain theory - Robert K. Merton (1938)
Agnew (1985) - Research study linking substance addiction with strain theory (Canadian), when a person experiences strain = negative emotional response. People less likely to respond to strain with deviant mechanisms depending on levels of constraint, social support, social control + deviant peers and values.
Zammit (2002) research - Cannabis increases chances of schizophrenia + some drugs may even be the root.
Scottish Government - Minimum Pricing
Gov.uk (2010 - 2015) - aims to reduce crime + anti-social behaviour/change behaviours of those who drink to point of harm, alcohol-fuelled violence, reduce binge drinking + Reduce alcohol-related deaths
Drug strategy 2017 (gov.uk, 2017) - reducing demand, restricting demand + building recovery. Providing data at both national and local levels to track drug use. targetting most vulnerable when reducing demand.
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Effects and consequences
marriages being effected from unemployment or financial crisis = boredom or enjoyment
detrimental effect on relationships
mental health and physical health consequences (schizophrenia, paranoia, anxiety, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, cardiovascular disease
curiosity can lead to dependency
Frequent substance abuse can lead to changes in brain = interference with ability to resist urge
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why people may abuse substance
A solution to problem/defence mechanism -supplying temporary respite (stress/anxiety)
contribute towards pleasure + decreasing anxiety + and any other inhabitations a person may have
coping mechanisms are compulsions - destructive or maladaptive, but addiction is both
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