Question

identify and briefly discuss the economic impact of drug use and abuse in the USA from a sociocultural perspective.. In your discussion, give at least one example of how this impact is manifested in our society.

Answer 1

The economic impact of drug use and abuse are:

• There is an increased incidence of crime due to drug abuse. Therefore a state needs to invest in policing measures, to increase the number of prisons (to house the perpetrators) and toxicology labs.
• Drug abusers are generally young people. As a result, there is an increase in the number of school dropouts. This leads to a lower level of literacy in a particular population. Therefore, there is less number of people with professional degrees. This negatively impacts a country.
• Drug abuse also increases job absenteeism and joblessness. As a result, the productivity of a nation decreases.
• Drug addiction also increases the risk of transmission of bloodborne infections like HIV, Hep B, and C. There is also an increase in the incidence of infective endocarditis in patients. As a result, the number of patients visiting the hospital increase. This puts pressure on the healthcare system.
• The government needs to invest money in the healthcare system.
• The problem of drug addiction can lead to a reduction in the good quality workforce. As a result, the government needs to import expertise.