- According to a 2012 National Survey on Drug Use & Health, 23.9 million people reported they had used illicit drugs within 1 month of the survey.
- Emergency room visits for non-medical usage of prescription drugs rose 98.4% from 2004 – 2009.
- From 1998 – 2008, drug overdoses increased 56%.
- According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are 23 million addicts in the United States and only 2.6 million ever seek help or treatment.
- 8.4 million people who abuse substances also
suffer from at least one mental illness.
Drug addiction is a complex disorder, with mental health issues
being just one aspect of the disease.
Since treatment for abuse and addiction is delivered using a variety of
behavioral and pharmacological approaches, it can be hard to quantify the
number of treatment facilities and space available, but the estimate that I
could find was that there are 14,500 specialized drug treatment facilities in
the United States. 14, 500 may seem like
an adequate number until you realize that there are 23 million addicts! Even you are one of the few who seek treatment;
you may not be able to afford it. Health
coverage doesn’t always adequately cover treatment, which results in shorter
stays for many addicts who needs months and maybe even years to fully
recover. The Affordable Care Act
(commonly referred to as ObamaCare), includes parity of coverage for both
mental health and substance abuse problems, which only means the demand for
these services could grow even higher, resulting in a continued shortage of
treatment facilities.
It’s a tough problem, and one America hasn’t done a great
job of solving. We have either taken too
harsh of stance – in the case of marijuana, which is still classified as a
Schedule I narcotic, along with cocaine and heroin, or we have taken too
passive of a stance – as in the case of the 1980’s slogan made famous by Nancy
Reagan, “Just Say No!” I’m interested in
knowing your thoughts. So my question to
you this week is, “What do you think can be done to curb America’s drug
problem? Do legalizing “lighter” drugs,
like marijuana help or hurt the problem?
Should health insurance companies be mandated to cover drug rehabilitation
stays, or is the individual responsible for their own addiction?” You must answer all questions for full
credit. Answers are due no later than
Wednesday, October 21st, 2015. 
The best way to curb America's drug problem is education. I think there should be more people teaching about the cinsequences of drug abuse to young people. Looking at the situation with Lamar Odom you can see how far the problem can reach. He had money, fame, talent, etc. but he was still affected by this problem. Not to say it would have prevented anything. But in his position you would think that he or anyone with that status in life would be promoting a drug free life. Sad to say that many people in high places are using drugs just as much if not more than people without the same success. There is just little to no education on the matter.
ReplyDeleteLegalizing "lighter" drugs will help and hurt the problem. In the case of marijauna, it will make it more accessible but it will be decriminalized. More people will be using and growing it and eventually as time goes on it will have the same reputation of alcohol. But it won't make "harder" drugs go away. Marijauna is considered a gateway drug. And even though everybody who uses it may not try something harder, it definitely opens the door for them to accept the possibility of trying something else. As long as drugs exist there willbe people to try them. An educated person who knows the harmful affects and consequences might be less likley to try it and will teach their children and people around them about it thus breaking the cycle.
Health Insurance companies should be mandated to cover drug rehab. If they have the ability to do it, why wouldn't they. It would probably make them a lot of money. But it is everyone's respobnsibility to fight drug abuse and addiction. We are one community of people and we should care more about each other to want to teach eachother about this problem.
To help curb the drug problem we need to give people a better chance to rehabilitate them. We should use add people threw their full recovery instead of some of it. Some of the people going threw rehab need more time but are not getting the full help they need. We need to help people so that there is less of a drug problem in the United States.
ReplyDeleteLegalizing "lighter" drugs could be harmful because it is know as a gateway drug. People may start to smoke Marijuana but then decided they want a better high and use other more dangerous drugs. On the other hand if we use the money we get from Marijuana to fund the rehab for other drugs then we can lower the amount of drug abusers.
I think at this point in time we should mandate Health Insurance to help drug rehab. we can curb the addiction and stop drug addiction before it gets any worse then it already is.
To help curb the drug problem we should have better rehabilitate centers that are affordable and more convenient for people that seeking help. They need a program that will help them until they are actually ready themselves to leave the facility. Some people need more time than others.
ReplyDeleteI think that marijuana should already be legal. People that smoke weed and people that do heroin are in completely different categories. I think it would help our situation because it would eliminate a lot of people for going their. It will give people that are really going through a hard addiction a better chance to get into rehab.
I think that the insurance that you have should have that on the plan as well. Some people just simply cannot afford to get help when they are in desperate need. People that have an issue with a drug should have that option for help. It is a disease and it needs attention brought to it.
I believe in order to curb drug problems we need to go to the source of why people do drugs. Which can be an extremely difficult task because they all have different reasons. As a community I feel we should offer a recourse like a hotline or a place to go when you need to talk about why you considered doing drugs. I assume we have something like this already but I don't think it is very well known about or advertised. We should also offer a free rehab center because in most cases those who abuse drugs have a low income or none at all. Those who have completed rehab should reach out to those struggling and showing the signs of drug abusers. Using there story as a testimonial to help others join recovery.
ReplyDeleteThe legalizing of lighter drugs can not be stopped. It has become an uncountable problem so rather then fighting it they legalized it. Marijuana has not proved to cause any long trim effects but it is a gateway into more dangerous drugs, and people who want to bring you into that world. Its harmful either way because even if its is not legalized people can still find ways to get there hands on it.
As you see from the statistics this problem isn't going away anytime soon. I do think that we should mandate having a drug rehabilitation center because we can't complain about the problem if we don't offer help.
I agree that in order to stop this growing drug addiction problem rehabs will have to become more accessible to lower income abusers. It seems the only ads I ever see for rehab facilities are big and luxurious and most likely very expensive. I also believe educating young people on the matter can help these astonishing numbers go down. I'm sure if they were to here some of the horrifying stories of drug abusers they would make the decision on their own to not try drugs.
ReplyDeleteI believe that legalizing marijuana would not increase these numbers but rather help decrease them. As said above marijuana and harder drugs that people are getting addicted are two totally different substances. I really like the idea of using some of profits from marijuana to help build new rehabs and help low income abusers into them.
I think a rehab plan should definitely be included in insurance plans because not all users plan on getting addicted to these drugs I've heard of many instances where people have been prescribed painkillers after a surgery and then can't seem to kick the routine of taking them after they are healed. I think it will also help to put many people with drug problems into rehab who otherwise couldn't afford it.
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DeleteWhat I think that could be done to curb Americas drug problem would be to start with creating a more ease of access way to seek help in rehabilitation. This goes straight to the third question if health isurwnce companies should cover rehabilitation stays, and I believe they should. I believe this because if anyone is having an addiction problem, they can get the help they need without the worry of the cost of heavy medical bills. Addiction is an illness and should be treated as one just like any other illness that is covered by insurance. Lastly, I feel that legalizing light drugs would have some benefits and would mostly ease people curiousity of harder drugs. But I don't feel that doing this would eliminate the problem with harder drugs because they will still be out there.
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ReplyDeleteLegalizing “lighter” drugs such as marijuana would not make “America’s drug problem” worse. Marijuana is a lot less dangerous than alcohol. It is crazy and illogical that marijuana was ever illegal in the first place. There are several statistics that have already come out stating that marijuana legalization has not hurt but helped the state of Colorado in many ways. And not to mention marijuana is not just a drug but a medicine as well. New research suggest that marijuana can kill cancer cells as well as treat disorders such as depression.
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/09/13/7-ways-marijuana-legalization-has-already-benefited-colorado-in-only-8-months/
I think health insurance should cover people to get treatment who have serious drug problems. I also think non-violent drug crimes, for instance heroin addicts, meth addicts, ecstasy addicts getting arrested for possession should not just get sent to prison. America has a reputation for just locking people up right away. The UN Office on Drug and Crime has recently released a statement calling on governments around the world to decriminalize drug use and possession for personal consumption for all drugs.
Stated by this article: http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/finally-a-change-in-course-on-drug-policy
“The UNODC has now unequivocally stated that criminalization is harmful, unnecessary and disproportionate, echoing concerns about the immense human and economic costs of current drug policies. In the US alone, over 1.5 million people were arrested in 2014 on non-violent drug charges, 83 per cent of those solely for possession. Globally, more than one in five people sentenced to prison are sentenced for drug offences.”
In conclusion I think drug reform is necessary for the United States.
There are plenty of initiatives, interventions, or methods that can be taken or applied to help solve and resolve "drug problem" in America. Some of them include:
ReplyDeleteFirst, Drug and Substance Abuse education be taught in all academic institutions and not just high schools or middle schools. Make drug and substance abuse education vital in all schools, especially in colleges or higher education facilities. It is here where drug addiction becomes a problem, because college life, college social norm culture can sometimes become a contributing factor as to why some people take risks. From my previous degree in health sciences, i remember a health educator of my university, came up with a medical professional to talk about misuse of an ADHD medication among college students, who didn't had the disorder.
Second, the importance of making mental health screening available and accessible to people of all socioeconomic classes, and not just for the wealthy. For example, creating and holding community health events which would focus on mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, drug/alcohol addiction, and many other, which would explain more about some of these issues, how to prevent them, manage them, or seek help. Just like in most health fairs, where they have free blood pressure screenings or blood sugar level screenings available for public to make them aware of issue of physical health, such as obesity, etc., the same should be done at health fairs which focus more on mental health issues. Some examples of mental health screenings can include, tests for depression, anxiety or a specific type of addiction. Such tests are important, because whether its drug addiction or alcohol addiction or misuse of any other substance, the most common reasons people become addicts is due to anxiety problems, stress and lack of knowledge for healthy ways to prevent and manage stress in life. I say this confidently because I have an academic background in Health Sciences. Just like many other physical health issues, many mental health problems can also be controlled by the individual suffering from it. It is only when a person does all their best to control their problem and nothing seems effective, is where professional help is needed.
Third, even though mental health treatment services are limited and are not covered by health insurance, then the people, the government needs to bring in and create a health initiative, such as a community health program that would and can provide inexpensive treatment options or can cover the cost of mental health treatment services, basic mental health services to people of all backgrounds. Some of these can include rehabilitation services, such as counseling, joining a local support group regarding the problem, even for drug addicts.
Fourth, and most important of all, open more mental health clinic and treatment facilities, which can be accessed and afforded by people of all backgrounds, young and old, rich or poor.
When it comes to whether drugs like marijuana should be legalized, according to me, my point of view, I don't agree or support the legalization of marijuana use. I am strictly opposed to any chemical drugs, which are not approved by the FDA, and are known to be psychoactive. A person struggling from Drug addiction or any other addiction should not be blamed entirely for their problem. They should be seen as someone who needs help and wants help, just don't know whom to ask for.
how to curb the drug problem in the United States, well the drug problem is blown out of proportion and over looked at the same time. street peddler who moves roughly, and this is just an assumption on weights, about a pound of cocaine a week, or two pounds marijuana, or both. Now, these people are usually caught and put on public display on the nightly news as drug lords, or heads of sydicates or something to that nature. all the while, the harsher drugs like methamphetamines and or Krokodile (the Zombie drug) are being cooked in mass quantities and being evenly distributed from the countryside, to the city, and that person almost never gets caught, well not never but barely ever. Also, The government will only allow a certain percentage of narcotics in the country, that will be given to certain people, to then sell to lesser generals who then sell that to people who know the lower level individuals who, are usually in the public eye, who usually get caught.
ReplyDeleteAnd if the government legalized "lighter" drugs such as cocaine and heroine, I do not believe marijuana is a drug, the government will regulate the amount given, distributed and if possible consumed. That isn't all bad, but when the government regulates something people find pleasure in, the people will find faults, example, the level of THC that you can find in marijuana. Scientists find a way to regulate the amount of THC in marijuana, they price it based on the levels instead selling it all as a whole, the government taxes it heavily, makes the price double that cigarettes. So basically it still be bought on the street no matter what, because the government will tax everything and anything.
I think we could take a lesson from places like the Netherlands and Portugal, who have legalized or decriminalized the use of some or all drugs and the drug usage has decreased.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned before, I think legalizing drugs would help the problem. Taking the “bad” aspect out of using might take away some of the appeal. I think a large amount of people do drugs to rebel, someone they know and have feelings for are using, they’ve seen it in the movies or tv shows and it looks awesome, or they want a break from life. If the attractiveness of being a rebel is diminished it wouldn’t be so tempting. If you are allowed to do something it can take away some of your interest in doing it. Also, if drugs were legalized and people were set on doing a certain drug they could get it without having to go to a scary drug dealer and they would know what they were getting and so would the government. That could cut down on drug overdoses and people owing favors to dealers. One more plus side of legalizing drugs is that current users who want help wouldn’t have to be afraid of persecution.
I think the first treatment or stay could be covered by health insurance. The second could be split 50/50, the third would be 25/75 then the fourth would be solely on the person. I also think instead of putting drug users in a normal jail they should make a rehabilitation center type of jail just for addicts who want help. It would keep them away from others in jail who could use their addiction to their advantage.
Many people do not understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. It is often wrongly assumed that drug abusers need moral principles or self-control and that they could stop using drugs simply by choosing to change their behavior. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting takes more than good purpose or a powerful will. In fact, because drugs change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse, quitting is hard to do, even for those who are ready to do so. we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and lead productive lives.
ReplyDeleteI believe that legalizing a minor drug such as marijuana would not only be economically beneficial, but socially as well. I think the real issue regarding marijuana doesn't truly have much to do with the drug but more to do with incarcerating drug "offenders" who were in possession of marijuana to enhance the prison industrial complex. Colorado is already a good example of the benefits of marijuana legalization. Not only are we seeing a rise in economic stability in the state of Colorado, but there has even been a slight decline in youth use rates. Regardless, better marijuana than alcohol.
ReplyDeleteAs for mandating health insurance companies for drug rehabilitation, I can say that I've had personal experience with this exact issue. I spent a year and a half working in a nursing home/drug rehabilitation center and saw many cases of this exact issue. I believe it is a good idea to mandate these issues. While some responsibility does fall on the abuser, these people need help. I believe the issue actually lies in the unstable, low funding for the facilities who take care of drug abuse patients. I'd like to know more about how health insurance and the facilities that take care of these patients interact monetarily. From personal experience, drug and alcohol abusers are receiving the bare minimum amount of care from underpaid, underprivileged, and undertrained nurses and CNAs. I feel this ties in because these health insurance companies make plenty of money - where does this money go? Should this money not go to the patients they supposedly support? Occasionally I felt that our facility was entirely inadequate for the people it was required to support due to lack of funding. This is what truly worries me about health insurance.
I forgot to say this, but I also believe the issue of hard drugs is mostly unrelated from marijuana use. If anything, legalizing a drug as minor as marijuana would probably lead to at least a slight decline in hard drug use. A drug is a drug, and with a drug readily available (other than alcohol of course) these is probably less incentive for some people to delve into the world of hard drugs.
DeleteI believe that when children are showcased the negative results of drugs they are able to self analyze and make a decision about their future and health. When factual information is implemented as well as stories of the effects to individuals and their loved ones around them it helps paint the not so beautiful picture of what a person should want for their life and what is completely detrimental to it.Society as well as parents themselves should show the effects of drugs to crime,education the community and what truly is harmful drug and what can be a relaxing substance that reduces stress and enhances happiness.
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ReplyDeleteFrom being from a family and being in a relationship with someone that has drug addictions, it can be very tough for the addict and their loved ones. I don't know if the legalization of lighter drugs would be hugely beneficial, one addict I know in particular deals with chronic pain, that is why he uses such hard drugs to ease the pain, or to get high. Medical marijuana can be used as a pain relief, if taken seriously I think it could be beneficial for the problem. I believe that the addicts need to maintain in a drug therapy program until they have a better control over their illness. I also think that parents need to be more strict on their children growing up, show the effects of drugs, the crime that can come with, and so.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to curbing the drug problem, I believe it takes more steps than just one step. First of all education about drugs is something that helps people understand the consequences of the drug(s). Secondly, having more rehabilitation centers would be helpful if they are more accessible. As far as legalizing I think it could have positive and negative effects. When something becomes more accessible it becomes more common for people to have. When it is illegal some people will loose interest in it, because there is no "thrill" in doing it. Having something more accessible at the same time may grab new users. So would it help the drug problem its hard to say a definite yes, but also a no. I'm not denying how financial legalizing would help as proved by Lauren in her statement, but when it comes to drug problem it hasn't lowered addiction rate. I think drug rehabilitation should be assisted by health care. It would help people who want to stop their addiction.
ReplyDelete“What do you think can be done to curb America’s drug problem? Do legalizing “lighter” drugs, like marijuana help or hurt the problem? Should health insurance companies be mandated to cover drug rehabilitation stays, or is the individual responsible for their own addiction?”
ReplyDelete- Drug usage and addiction are a big problem in America. When it comes to actually curbing the the problem, I believe its going to take more than just trying to get rid of it all because that will never happen. Its going to take consistent education and supporting of other outlets to prevent people from trying it all together.
Legalizing marijuana I don't think will hurt the problem but I also think nor will it help either. If people use marijuana and abuse it then it can cause them to try something harder or stronger for them to get "a new high". So for the people that's always looking to get higher than the last time, marijuana will no longer be a drug they will want to turn to.
When it comes to health insurance assisting in drug rehabilitation just might be a good idea to maybe try to see if it has a positive outcome. The help of insurance may help the financial needs of the person or family that is seeking the support.
I think that in order to curve the drug problem we need to start with the youth and not just educate them but create more programs that would keep the youth busy and not looking for things to do. legalizing marijuana would be a step forward since making it legal in my opinion would make it less attractive to people. I always think that its the forbidden things that make lead people into temptation. in a way it should be the individuals responsibility to cover their own rehabilitation stays but at the same time by that point the individual most likely does not have any money do so which if they have insurance it would make sense that they cover the stays as well.
ReplyDeleteI feel when people are exposed to the negative outcome of drugs they will be able to a decision is this worth my life, future and health . As far as legalizing I think it could have negative effects. Because there are negative side effects such as short-term memory and increased risk of lung cancer its just not worth It is useless and dumb.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad when I can name off a few people I know that needed help from places like these and never got any. One of my best friends struggled hard with her drug problem and only had friend's and family to help her through it. If we had more rehab facilities it would help a lot of people. Maybe having them built by communities or counties.
ReplyDeleteI think there are many things that can be don'e about drug addiction in the US. I agree that legalizing lighter drugs would be a great idea. This is something that has already been taken into action only in certain parts of the states and already has been know to decrease violence in the areas that they have legalized marijuana. I feel like a decrease in violence defiantly means a decrease in drug addiction. I would have to say that i feel like insurance carriers should cover addiction habits because of the large increase in addict throughout the last century. This is a problem that takes someone from the outside to step in and most drug addicts would spend little money that they do have on the problem instead of the solution. Other things they could do to slow up addiction is put the people who are being put into jail into drug classes instead because when they lock these people away it takes a effect on other people in the household and they make follow the same path.
ReplyDeleteI think that extensive and attainable research should be done to help the problem. What I mean by attainable research is the the public should know what is happening as it happens. We as people of America have a right to know what could be done to our bodies and what can harm us. Even though I am all for the legalization of marijuana it will not help nor hurt the problem. Some people here and there may say something about it but in the long run it will not be great effective. There are still many legal drugs that are far more deadly then heroin or crack. The insurance companies should pay for rehab though. I take this stance because drug abuse is a disease like mental health problems. 'We' as people don't truly want to be in that situation but the dependence we are given from outside forces make it harder.
ReplyDelete-Hayley Rains
As an addict in recovery, I can say that our healthcare system shames us for having a major disease, but treats alcoholism differently.( Allowing more programs to be funded, especially) Im not ashamed of my past and am definitely better for it, but when I needed the help to get into some sort of program, I was kicked to the curb because I didn't have thousands of dollars lying around for treatment. Fortunately, I never hit rock bottom before I found help, but many do, and don't come out alive. In Indianapolis, there are thousands of AA meetings and tens of NA meetings. What we need to curb the issue isn't legalization of select drugs, although I support legal weed. What we need, is much more funding for this epidemic that has been sweeping our nation, killing almost as many as DUI accidents, I believe.
ReplyDeleteEducation when you're in the 3rd grade is not going to save you. We need constant support from the government on funding rehabilitation for anyone who wants to be sober, as well as a steady flow of education. Of course, harsher laws have been put in motion for prescription drugs, but there are doctors who still pass this shit out like its candy, and that should be 100% inexcusable!
I lost so much time dealing with this issue and still, I struggle to get through each day. I go to bed with this constantly weighing me down and wake up to a constant burden of knowing this will not just "go away". In short, Better education, more funding for programs, and actual statistics of the local drug problems would be a start.