How Does it Feel to Be Sober in America?
By Alesia Dorsey
Is the practice of sobriety becoming taboo here in America? Sobriety can be something hard to manage for many. Addiction can be a punishing struggle that consumes individuals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Some Individuals as young as 12 are involved in some drug use.
Studies have shown the horrific drug epidemic in America. As of 2020, there is an overwhelmingly high number of American drug users staggering around 35 million, which is troubling news. The drug crisis in the United States has killed adults and teens, with the Drug Abuse Statistics of 2020 stating that the number of overdoses stands at roughly 70,000 deaths a year. The deaths are increasing at a rate of 4 percent annually. Their statistics also documented that in 2017, 28,466 deaths were fentanyl-related, 17,029 deaths were prescription opioid-related, and 15,482 deaths were heroin-related. This tragic news sits heavily on many Americans' hearts being that multiple people have experienced their loved ones being taken from them due to their love for drugs. Some individuals yearn for the peace of sobriety but the noise of narcotics is overwhelmingly loud.
Addiction to substances can not only cause death but also destroy families. Many parents are addicted themselves, causing a rift between them and their children. Kids are left without proper care due to their parent's addiction, causing them to be taken or endure a troubled life. Over the last 20 years, the 2020 NCSACW Statistics display that there has been an increase of 20.5 percent of children removed from the home based on substance abuse. The removal of children from their parents may cause depressive issues in some, causing them more trauma than other children who do not have the same upbringing.
Additional family problems consist of parents dealing with their children being on drugs heavily, which can cause the child to act erratically due to their drug use. This conduct can consist of them violently abusing people in their lives or turning to a life of crime.
Drug obsessions can create a path of destruction, with numerous individuals being arrested for drug-related crimes. Many of these are violent offenses due to the behavior changes caused by the user's drug habit. The 1994 Bureau of Justice Statistics correlated alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana to 1991 arrests at 26.1 percent compared to none at 2.7 percent. 59 percent of reported offenders were under the influence of some substance according to a 1992 survey. Distribution is a big issue as well, with the distribution of drugs and possession standing at 79 percent for males and females.
In 2019, the Pewtrusts reported that 1.5 million people were arrested for drug-related offenses other than any other crime. These numbers reflect the rise of crime over the years in America that can be attributed to explicit drug use and the demand for drugs.
The 2023 CDC shares how psychologists and researchers think that extensive prevention strategies are needed to reduce this drug epidemic problem in America, starting with public safety. Treatments consist of inpatient rehabilitation facilities that house addicted individuals with full-time support removing them from triggers. Therapy encourages individuals to accept their addiction as a disease and begin a 12-step program, and counseling helps people understand their triggers so that they can avoid them. These treatments help dig into the drug addiction problem so that individuals can create a safe way of living. Americans are dying and living tragic lives due to drug addiction, so the spread of healthy prevention is being pushed through mass media and other outlets more frequently. Hopefully, one day America’s deadly problem can be stopped.