Research Paper on Drug Abuse: Examining Public Policy and Its Effectiveness

Introduction

For decades now, drug abuse has been a public policy issue affecting all sections of the society, which in turn causes strain on criminal justice systems, health care systems, and the economy as a whole. Although drug abuse has been dropping in different nations over the past 20 years, it remains a public policy issue (Csete et al., 1427-1480). This paper will analyze the policies around drug abuse, determine the effectiveness of the current policy in addressing the issue, and also provide a recommendation on how it can be addressed better.

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Policies and Laws Around Drug Abuse

The drug abuse policy, usually controlled by the government, involves the control and regulation of drugs (Csete et al., 1427-1480). In the United States, drug policy includes laws that govern the distribution and use of prescribed and illicit drugs. Overlooked by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the United States, the policy focus on the eradication of illicit drug use, drug manufacturing, drug-related crime and violence, trafficking, and the other drug-related health issues (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). Also, the drug policy incorporates federal laws that ensure that drugs abuse is regulated. The federal laws deliver specification in that certain drugs carry appropriate penalties. For instance, milder substances such as cannabis carry lighter punishments, while the harder drugs deliver high penalties and punishments.

In other cases, the American drug policy is significantly invested in different foreign policies and support paramilitary actions in places such as South America to eradicate the growth of opium and coca. For example, through the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT Act) for the Patients and Communities Act of 2018, the act was made a law to help control opioid abuse. Other policies signed into law in line with the drug policy include the 21st Century Cure Act, Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016, Affordable Care Act of 2010, Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, among others. In the criminal justice laws governing drug abuse, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) categorizes drugs into five primary schedules whereby they range from the most dangerous (Schedule I) to the drugs with the least potential for abuse (Schedule V). Due to the increasing rates of incarceration due to drug abuse, the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act has been developed to fit in with the current drug trends (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). Legalization and decriminalization are amongst the significant measures that the U.S criminal justice system reforms on the drug abuse issue.

Effectiveness of the Current Policy in Resolving Drug Abuse

With the administration of the drug policy through bodies such as the Office of National Drug Control Policy, National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) the updates to the current drug abuse policy are proving useful in resolving the drug abuse problem. The current drug policy has helped in strengthening international partnerships helping in countering the issue. Furthermore, the drug policy is strengthening the efforts to prevent drug abuse in communities by ensuring that the people in the community are educated on the effects of certain drugs (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). Within the communities, drug abuse has been a developing issue requiring immediate response and adherence to the set regulations and federal laws on drug use. As such, the drug policy is resolving the problem integrating the treatment for drugs use disorders into the health care systems (Babor et al., 2010). The intervention has helped expand support for recovery signifying the effective of the current drug policy. In drug abuse, most individual show the willingness to stop the substance use; however, addiction of the drugs remains a major problem to them. Hence, the current drug policy is improving information system for the analysis, assessment and local management, which has helped in dealing with addiction cases.

Recommendation on How Drug Abuse Could be Addressed Better

Nonetheless, the issue of drug abuse could be addressed by directly linking the criminal justice systems with health care to ensure that legalization and decriminalization work as anticipated. It ensures that instead of drug courts sending an individual to prison for using drugs, the person is sent to the relevant health care centers for treatments. Further, breaking the cycle of substance abuse, crime, delinquency, as well as incarceration can help address the drug abuse issue. Along with the recommendation to break the drug abuse cycle, specific policies can be developed to disrupt any domestic drug trafficking and production. In extreme cases, the drug abuse issue can be addressed by examining risk factors such as biological, environmental, and physical that could lead to substance abuse. It will help develop the necessary measures for treatment before it results in drug abuse. In conclusion, substance abuse and mental illness go hand-in-hand as people turn to drugs to ease stress and pain. Hence, individual citizens can help bring the change in drug abuse by creating drug awareness, behavioural counselling, and helping people seek mental help to overcome compulsive drug use.

Works Cited

Babor, Thomas F., et al. Drug policy and the public good. Oxford University Press, 2010.

Csete, Joanne, et al. "Public health and international drug policy." The Lancet 387.10026 (2016): 1427-1480.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. "Laws and Regulations." Samhsa.gov. N.p., 2020. Web.