Question

Are drug and/ or alcohol use in the U.S. increasing? Which drugs do you think will represent the biggest problem of the next decade ? What social problems will it create ?

Answer 1

Are drug and/ or alcohol use in the U.S. increasing? Which drugs do you think will represent the biggest problem of the next decade ? What social problems will it create ?

Drinking trends in the US have been constantly on the rise since the 90s. From 1991-1992 to 2013, there has been a rise in the diagnosis of alcohol use disorder, which has increased by almost 12.7%. This has now become a health care crisis at the public level specifying that alcoholism has become one of the reasons that has driven mortality. Some of the biggest problems that has been seen from alcoholism are stroke, cardiovascular diseases, pancreatis and even type 2 diabetes.

In 2011, there were almost 20.6 million people who were known to be addicted. These stats were for people of the age 12. Almost 2.6 million people who are having addictions are dependent on both illegal drugs as well as alcohol. It has been observed that almost 90% people who have been diagnosed with addiction, have started using drugs before the legal age.

Some of the drugs that have been most difficult in managing are:

• Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl
• Opium, LSD as well as mescaline
• Cannabis
• And also some pain killers like vancomycin as well as OxyContin

Social problems that will be created are in the form of diseases, depression, suicide, homelessness etc. along with adding an economic burden.m