Research Paper

Illicit drugs, and the transnational and domestic criminal organizations that traffic them,
continue to represent significant threats to public health, law enforcement, and national security in the
United States. [CITATION Dru19 \l 1033 ] The drug epidemic is one that doesn’t always have media
attention but is also always on the rise and there is almost nothing we can do to stop it. President
Reagan waged a war in the 1980’s to stop the drug trafficking issue, but to no avail. The number of
traffickers is growing at a rate that is hard to control, and drugs are being introduced into areas outside
of their traditional markets. Drugs kill or injure more people every year than any other source. In 2017,
drug poisoning was the leading cause of death in the United States and reached the highest number
recorded since 2011, showing approximately 192 died of drug poisoning every day. [ CITATION Dru19 \l
1033 ] The annual reporting published by the DEA have not changed in the way the trends are showing,
but rather reflect the addition of new drugs and higher numbers of injury/death. Fentanyl and other
highly potent synthetic opioids— primarily sourced from China and Mexico—continue to be the most
lethal category of illicit substances misused in the United States. [ CITATION Dru19 \l 1033 ] After
Fentanyl, heroin, prescription drugs, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana complete the main list
of drug threats to the United States. Drug availability is increasing at rates throughout the country, and
the world, making it impossible for authorities to keep pace.

Drug abuse and addiction cost American society more than $740 billion annually in lost
workplace productivity, healthcare expenses, and crime-related costs. [ CITATION Tho20 \l 1033 ] Many
reasons exist as to why people get addicted to drugs, or why drug and substance abuse are constantly
on the rise. Some of those reasons include, genetics, economic stability, social surroundings, social
media pressure, or underlying physical or mental health issues. Genetics is one of the primary reasons
for addiction as it makes up for 40-60% of a person’s likelihood to become addicted to a substance and
consequently abuse that substance. Substance abuse does not limit itself to certain demographics or age
groups. In 2017, approximately 4% of the American adolescent population age 12 to 17 suffered from a
substance use disorder; this equals 992,000 teens or 1 in 25 people in this age group [ CITATION Tho20 \l
1033 ]. The accessibility of drugs have made the numbers impacting youth increase dramatically. Kids
are being exposed to drugs at younger ages all over the world. The numbers stay high as we progress
through the ages of 18-65 but takes a steep decline as one looks at the statistics of those in the elderly
age range. More specifically, these numbers go from 992,000 in youth, to 5.1 million between the ages
of 18-25, 13.6 in those over the age of 26, and finally to 1 million for the elderly. In 2017, about 9.4% of
men and 5.2% of women age 12 and older had a substance use disorder. Men may be more likely to
abuse illicit drugs than women, but women may be just as prone to addiction as men when they do
abuse them.[ CITATION Tho20 \l 1033 ]

Even though the numbers illustrate a severe health crisis, only 1 in 7 people with a substance
abuse disorder will get treatment, and that reflects the global number. With the link between substance
abuse and crime, it is no shock to know how prisons are one place to find many struggling with
substance abuse. This is one area where the world is falling short in regard to treatment for substance
abuse. While some who struggle from this are imprisoned, there is little done to help curb their abuse or
addiction. Fifty-six countries reported that they provided opioid substitution therapy in at least one
prison in 2017, while 46 countries reported not having such a treatment option in prison settings.
Needle-syringe programs are far less available in prison: 11 countries reported their availability in at
least one prison, but such programs were confirmed as absent in 83 countries. [ CITATION Uni19 \l
1033 ] These numbers are striking, seeing as how this is one of the easiest ways to ensure those
imprisoned can be successfully rehabilitated into society and have a chance for a meaningful life. While
the stats seem depressing and may reflect the complex road ahead, there is some success within the
worldwide decrease in the use of new psychoactive substances (NPS). Global authorities have been able
to take control and assess this global threat in a timely manner to successfully curb its growth.

Previous cited reports have shown some of the highest numbers of those with substance abuse
disorders, being those between the ages of 12-26. Coincidentally, those are the ages using social media
the most. Since the rise of social media, drug usage has increased in the youth worldwide. Teens are
uniquely vulnerable to the effects of what they see on social media, as this age group is highly
susceptible to peer influences and pressure. Sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat provide an
environment where kids are exposed to famous and normal people alike engaging in risky behaviors
involving drugs and alcohol. [ CITATION Hil19 \l 1033 ] On a daily basis, teens and young adults sign on to
their social media apps to see celebrities, whom they “idolize” drinking, smoking or promoting their
favorite drinks. It is hard for this malleable age group to avoid this threat and, sadly, many give into the
temptation and pressure to be like those they see in the media. Recent studies show that 75% of
teenagers seeing photos on social networking sites of other young people smoking weed or drinking
alcohol encourages them to experiment in the same way. [ CITATION Hil19 \l 1033 ] Trend show, with
the increase of social media usage among youth, drug exposure and substance abuse will grow with it
globally. Peer pressure is now no longer limited to groups of friends at school but has increased to every
person one follows on social media or sees on TV.

Works Cited
Drug Enforcement Administration. "2019 National Drug Threat Assesment." 2019.

Hilliard, Jena. "The Influence of Social Media on Teen Drug Use." 16 July 2019. Addiction Center. 01 May
2020.

Thomas, Scot MD. "Alcohol and Drug Abuse Statistics." 2020.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. World Drug Report 2019: 35 million people worldwide suffer
from drug use disorders while only 1 in 7 people receive treatment. Vienna: United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime, 2019.