Too often, drug users or addicts are looked down upon and shunned by society. Their drug challenge is a personal problem and they are just hurting themselves…but is that all? No, that is a narrow view of what is a large-scale societal issue.
Drug addiction is not just a compulsion but an actual disease that requires treatment and compassion, just like any other chronic health condition.
It affects many more people than just the addicts themselves. Drug abuse touches many corners of society—and most likely even your life, though you may not realize it.
Ever thought about boarding a bus at the garage, with a driver who is probably under the influence of drugs? Have you ever considered the risk and danger you could be exposing yourself too?
An addiction to drugs comes at a great cost, on both an individual and community-wide scale.
The negative consequences of drug abuse affect not only individuals who abuse drugs but also their families and friends, various businesses, and government resources.
Drug abuse can also be detrimental to a person’s relationships. Drug addiction can overtake someone’s life, which means they don’t have the capacity to maintain healthy relationships with friends, family members, or even acquaintances.
The economic impact of drug abuse on businesses whose employees abuse drugs can be significant. While many drug abusers are unable to attain or hold full-time employment, those who do work put others at risk, particularly when employed in positions where even a minor degree of impairment could be catastrophic.
The most obvious effects of drug abuse–which are manifested in the individuals who abuse drugs–include ill health, sickness and, ultimately death.
The society must understand the depth of the menace of drugs and join hands to revive the family as well as social structures and values.
Everyone irrespective of sex or age must see it as a social and not an individual responsibility to fight drug abuse and correct its consequences.
That is the only way we could build a healthy society and save the lives of many who have fallen and may fall in the deadly grip of drugs.