alcohol and abuse

This chapter investigates some of the social implications of drug abuse and also examines some of the solutions undertaken to limit this social problem on society. It reports that our nation has stepped up its pursuit of finding and punishing those that sell and use drugs by declaring a War on Drugs forty years ago. Changes in federal laws, increases in drug arrests, and tougher sentencing have all added to the debate about what the ultimate goal for how society should treat drug abuse.
While biological and psychological theories of drug abuse emphasize the individual, sociological theories focus on the social or structural determinants of drug abuse. Functionalists believe that while there are a set of social norms that identify the appropriate use of drugs, society also provides norms regarding the excessive use of drugs. Conflict theorists maintain that powerful political and business interest groups are able to manipulate our images of drugs and its uses and furthermore argue that certain groups have been unfairly targeted in the war on drugs. Feminists suggest there has been a lack of sensitivity and understanding when exploring the impact of drugs on minority groups including women. Finally, Interactionists believe that drug abuse is learned through others and that we must explore how individuals or groups are labeled and how society responds to those labels.
Alcohol related problems have been associated with intimate partner violence and child abuse. Drug abuse costs businesses billions of dollars annually in lost productivity and in healthcare charges. Binge drinking among college students has been called a major public health concern because of the high-risk behaviors associated with it. Finally, while a few members of many groups have used ecstasy, members of other groups, like homosexuals, are more inclined to use it than others.

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