Drugs are not a problem solely of the poor, minorities, or inner-city residents. In fact, while the majority of these do not use illicit drugs, they are often victims of those who do. Drug users come from all walks of life and from all parts of the country. The drug problem affects everyone, and all Americans must be involved in its solution.
Substance abuse is an integral part of every day life. It is implicated in murder, robberies and other violent crimes, deteriorating schools, welfare, vandalism, fires, unemployment, worker absenteeism, on-the-job accidents, reduced productivity, high cost of doing business, heavy taxes, destroyed housing and damaged neighborhoods.
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs affect the education and socialization process. For children and teenagers, it affects how they go to and from school, their learning and where they go to play or hang out. It is implicated in the burgeoning number of child abuse and foster care cases and rising juvenile crime. It is connected to the high number of school drop outs, the epidemics of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS. Many girls and boys who use and abuse substances in high school and college become addicts as adults.
The heavy toll drug use exacts on the United States is most easily measured by the criminal and medical costs imposed on and paid for by the nation’s taxpaying citizens. CASA's (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University) study, Substance Abuse and Federal Entitlement Programs, showed that the total impact of substance abuse on Federal entitlement programs (including Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans, Federal employee and other health programs; SSDI; AFDC; Food Stamps; SSI; and Unemployment Compensation.) can be conservatively estimated to be $77.6 billion.
To begin to deal with substance abuse, individuals and institutions must take responsibility to prevent and combat it. By understanding the overwhelming and all encompassing impact of substance abuse people can begin to take responsibility for it.