Psychology of Addictions Psychology Research Paper

Psychology of Addictions
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Psychology of Addictions
Introduction
Do you believe the general reasons why people use, and abuse drugs have changed over the years? And if so, how?
The history of drug abuse extends across many centuries back. The research by the University of Pennsylvania posits that alcoholic beverages were already being produced as early as 7000 B.C. further, there was the production of hallucinogens as indicated by samples found in caves in Peru that were as old as 5600 B.C. The concept of understanding the means of providing guidance alongside treatment requires an understanding of the history of drug use and extensive research on the impact of drugs, which will be essential in finding trends in the 21st century (Jalal et al., 2018).
There have been numerous bad reports concerning the use of drugs in the last decade despite the show of some good signs. For instance, the statistics reveal that the use of drugs by the young generation across all substances shows a downtrend from a peak of approximately 34% in 1997 to 27% in 2014. However, such statistics do not represent the true picture since there are specific cases where drug abuse has shown worse trends. A good example is the age-adjusted rate for deaths resulting from drug poisoning, especially the use of heroin. This is since the number of deaths almost tripled from 0.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2000 to 2.7 deaths per 100,000 in the year 2013 with the graph heightening from early 2010 (Jalal et al., 2018).
The aspect of drug and substance abuse as applicable in this study does not only refer to just illicit drugs such as heroin that could easily lead t addiction. But also refers to the various prescription medications such as painkillers or sleeping pills that can easily trigger similar issues. It is evident from research that in the United States, prescription painkillers provide one of the groups of most abused drugs followed by marijuana. There are more deaths reported on those using an overdose of powerful opioid painkillers as compared to deaths resulting from traffic accidents or guns. Currently, the abuse of these painkillers is seen as the major risk factor in the use of heroin (Mital et al., 2018).
Evolution of drug addiction
There are numerous cases concerning the act of people taking various substances that are mind-altering. Some of the cultures consider alcohol consumption as part of their daily pleasures. There has been evolution and changes made on drugs from natural substances owing to technological advancements. Some of the drugs used from prehistoric times include; alcohol, Cannabis, opium, blue lotus, cocaine and tobacco (Ngwu et al., 2020). In the 21st century, despite the same substances being used, the aspect of science and technology increases the level of drug as well as alcohol potency alongside the creation of new kinds of drugs and synthetics. For instance, some of the additional drugs common in the 21st century include; Amphetamines, prescription painkillers, morphine, crack cocaine and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). It has been difficult for patients undergoing extreme pain to withdraw from the various drugs as prescribed in recent years. The current socio-economic pressures within modern society have forced some individuals to turn to illicit drugs as a means of escaping such pressures (Mital et al., 2018).
Increased potency
The use of modern science and technology, especially in the 20th century, has led towards the creation of various powerful drugs that have impacted the level of drug abuse within the 21st century. The various changes within the drug potency incorporate several aspects. For instance, in marijuana, the THC percentage was initially at 10%, but currently, the levels are more than 30%. Some studies reveal an increased level of purity to be over 150% for the last decade. Concerning alcohol, a smaller beer known as lager was popular within Medieval Europe. The beer had an ABV of less than 2.8%, but currently, the level is far above 4%. In heroin, the level of purity has increased to above 60% with cocaine showing an increase of 11%.
Drugs such as Cocaine, heroin and marijuana have become cheaper and stronger over the last twenty years. This is despite the increase of drug seizure cases by anti-drug units on the global platform. The global data from Europe and Australia reveal similar trends on a high level of purity, decreasing prices alongside an increase in drug potency. Such low-level prices alongside high-level purity of such drugs reveal an increase in the level of illegal supply of drugs with the last 20 years. In this case, the various patterns showing the level of drug seizures also reflected an increasing trend. This is a clear indication of the deteriorating level of surveillance and law enforcement as pertains to supply on illicit drugs (Ngwu et al., 2010).
According to the United Nations reports, the drug industry on the global platform is approximately $ 350 billion on an annual basis. There are various reasons associated with health and social concerns in relation to drug abuse. Some of these factors include drug addiction, overdose, HIV transmission alongside an increase in crime rates and violence within the community hotspots. However, there have been countless United Nations conventions within the past decades concerning the consumption and manufacture of illegal drugs. In this case, various countries have utilized the approach of law enforcement for the purposes of reducing the level of supply (Mital et al., 2018).
Evidence on changes
Further, there are reports indicating that the level of war on drugs has become too costly, therefore, not having the much-required impact on reducing the level of addiction. This calls for the implementation of other control methods which may include but not limited to standard regulation as well as providing treatment instead of incarceration. The global supply of illicit drugs has increased, especially the supply of marijuana and heroin. This is attributable to the higher potency levels as well as lower prices within the global market. Such results impact the development of policies based on evidence-based drug use. This is in particular to the interest in the novel approach drug policy within a number of setting across Latin America, Europe and North America. However, such findings highlight the need for reexamining the level of effectiveness on strategies applicable for drug control that places a disproportionate emphasis on the reduction to supply instead of asserting prevention mechanisms (Jalal et al., 2018).
The changing demographics on drug use is also one of the factors that are attributed to the various changes in drug use in the 21st century. The current trends are totally different from those of the 20th century. Some of the reasons include an increase in the population of the wealthy. Previously, the mention of the word drug addiction was mainly attributed to the homeless or the poor. However, according to research by Healthy Kids Survey (2007), the children from the various wealthy families in California were found to have a high probability of abusing drugs as compared to fellow peers from poor regions (Hanson et al., 2007). Some of the reasons behind such influx may include less family-centered interactions where parents and society spend less time with their children. In some instances, children usually spend more time with house-helps than with their parents. Further, the nature of overscheduled lives that basically create some level of mental distress may also be the cause, including the availability of disposable income alongside increased pressure to succeed (Mital et al., 2018).
The changing trends of age groups are also considered as one of the factors. The researc...