Drug abuse is a serious issue that can affect more than one person. It can affect an entire family. To take it a step further, an entire community.
That’s why it’s important for someone who is dealing with drug abuse to get the help they need. The clock does not favor those who are risking their lives each day. It’s time for your Epiphany Wellness journey to begin now if you’re facing drug abuse yourself.
Once you make this life-altering decision, things can get better. In the meantime, let’s discuss why drug abuse can affect a community according to health experts.
Overdose deaths
When someone overdoses and dies as a result, it can affect a community. Especially smaller populated communities where people know each other. These may be people who may have known this specific person at an early age.
A teacher may have lost a former student. An employer losing a valuable employee. And sadly, a family member loses one of their own.
Hundreds of thousands die across the United States die from drug overdoses each year. Even if the community is a large city, it’s still a big deal. Someone there may know the person that succumbed to their drug abuse battle.
It can cause economic issues
The economy is an important issue for a community. The connection between this and drug abuse is clear. Those who abuse drugs may be missing work all the time.
It can get to a point where they lose their jobs. A business will then need to fill the job vacancy with someone who is reliable and can get the job done. Those who are working while under the influence of drugs will risk making performance errors.
They may also drive up healthcare costs for their employers. Either way, it’s not good for a business to allow this. As an employer, you can do your best to make sure that an employee gets the help they need.
You may be short-handed albeit for a temporary time period. Yet, if someone is a hard worker but abuses drugs, you cannot afford to lose someone like that. You could terminate their employment or grant them a leave of absence (under the promise they get help).
Either way, it’s your call. Make sure it’s the right decision.
Drug abuse can lead to criminal activity
Drug abuse and addiction can get to a point of desperation. Someone may not have the money to cover the cost of the drugs they want. Therefore, they may commit crimes such as burglary or robbery.
While money or valuable items may be something they’ll look for, they may seek prescription drugs as well. Even more daunting is that nearly two-thirds of the American prison population is linked to substance abuse. The reason for this is someone may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while they are committing the crime.
While under the influence of these substances, they have lower inhibitions. Meaning they can feel like they can do anything so long as they don’t get into trouble. However, they pay a price for it and it can be costly.
What should be noted is that those who committed crimes due to past substance abuse should not be considered a ‘death sentence’. If you are getting the help you need, that’s a step in the right direction. However, you may be worried about your criminal record (especially when it comes to seeking employment).
There are several employers that are willing to help others who want a second chance. If you are seeking help, you can find information on how you can acquire employment after your treatment. It may be part of your post-treatment plan with the help of a career counselor or someone in a treatment facility who may help point you in the right direction.
Environmental problems can arise
The environment is another issue that people talk about daily. How does drug abuse relate to it? You may be in an area where you see discarded needles and syringes on the ground.
This poses a safety hazard in so many ways. The needles themselves may contain bloodborne pathogens and diseases. Likewise, cannabis can also be a problem due to its scent and also being an invasive species to other surrounding plants.
On top of that, there are chemicals that are also flammable as well. That’s because a meth lab in a neighborhood can explode if the production process is improper. Likewise, there are also toxic chemicals that will emit from the site.
These toxins can trigger serious ailments, especially in immunocompromised people living nearby. It’s not drug abuse itself that can affect the environment – but also the production process of said drugs that can also play a role.
It can affect relationships
Whether it’s professional or personal, a person’s drug abuse can hurt relationships. Especially when they behave a certain way. They may be under the influence or ‘coming off’ of a drug.
They may exhibit behaviors of paranoia, irritability, and depression among others. There may be so much a person can take in terms of receiving negative behavior from a person. And when relationships get damaged, a person who abuses drugs may lose the most important people in their life.
If this isn’t a wake-up call for someone to get help, there are other reasons why they should.
Final Thoughts
Drug abuse will affect communities in so many ways. That’s why it’s important for people who deal with it to get the help they need as soon as possible. If anything, a person getting help will provide positive net gains for themselves.
To that end, they are also doing their community a favor. They are setting an example for others to get help. If one person does it and succeeds, others may follow.
When this happens, that’s when communities can improve. It’s possible and it may take awhile before we see a trend reversal. If you need help with your drug abuse, be the positive example and get started on your path to recovery today.
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