Substance Abuse is one of the major problems facing youths since many generations. Despite a large set of policies and programs the problem of substance abuse has persisted and the cure takes careful medical intervention and therapeutic approach lasting for months. A therapeutic approach cannot be successful until the patient is convinced of the utility and benefits of returning to the normal life. By definition substance abuse is a condition that leads to substance dependence in the user causing psychological dependence and physiological dependence.
A substance abuser is a person who is heavily dependent on alcohol, tobacco or chemical drug use where the level of abuse may range from early dependence to life threatening use (Isralowitz and Telias, 1998). Substance abuse constitutes one of the most serious issues facing USA. Effects of substance abuse on individuals have created a pattern of drug addiction, economic dependence and loss in dignity and inability to meet social responsibilities (Moore, 2001)
From the perspective of substance abusers, the main problem faced by them relates to their normal integration with the social structure that they were erstwhile a part of. Substance abuse often leads to a complete schism from the social setup and they are faced with a situation that is similar to virtual ostracism from the community. It is therefore one of the prime concerns in the substance abuse intervention to restore patient’s link with their immediate community for their normalization and to prevent chances of their relapse.
This paper explores the community related aspects of substance abuse and presents the nursing interventions required in the treatment of patients of substance abuse. Effect of Substance Abuse on Society The effect of substance abuse on society is comprehensive and costly, both from social as well as financial angles. Reports from government research and NIDA surveys suggest that substance abuse leads to death of more than 35,000 Americans every year (Lundy and Janes, 2007).
In a report published by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF, 2001) substance abuse including alcohol and tobacco use, has come out as the leading cause of unnatural deaths, diseases, disabilities and psychological stress than other health conditions. The report further states that more than 5 hundred thousand deaths take place in US every year caused by use of alcohol, illicit drugs, or tobacco. According to the estimates of The Department of Health and Human Services, alcohol and drug alone cause more than 120,000 deaths in the United States each year).
Death , although the biggest visible casualty of drugs abuse, does not present the only dimension of the issue, rather its one of the many in the ramifications of issues created by drugs, alcohol, parental negligence, child and spousal abuse, increased chances of sexually transmitted diseases, truancy and school failure, teenage pregnancy, accidents, reduced worker productivity, reduced health stamina and rising health costs, poverty, and homelessness.
It is a well established medical fact that persisted use of alcohol leads increased chances of acquiring cancer, heart disease, , liver disease, pancreatitis, and fetal alcohol syndrome (HHS, 2000; (Lundy and Janes, 2007)). Conservative estimates have put the cost of alcohol and drug abuse to society at more than a staggering $275 billion per year (RWJE 2001).
These figures are reflective of the entire cost incurred by society in with illness, deaths, medical care, crime, other related costs (for example, motor vehicle crashes), and special conditions related to substance abuse (for example, HIV/AIDS attributable to substance abuse). In the report published by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the number of Americans substance abuse treatment in 2002 is estimated to be 18 to 26 million (SAMHSA, 2003).
A more disturbing fact was that in its 2002 survey, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health classified 22 million people age 12 or older as dependent upon substance abuse. Recent emerging trends show that there is an increase in number of people with an illicit drug problem needing health care intervention, community help and medical (SAMHSA, 2002a). Contrary to the notion that drug abuse and alcohol consumption are problems exclusively faced by youngster, SAMSHA has also found that the problem of drugs abuse is quite pervasive, affecting 17 percent of adults age 60 or older (SAMHSA, 2002b).