"Is there really a drugs problem today, or is it merely an invention of the Media?"

The second problem society has is Alcohol. Alcohol is the most commonly consumed drug and considerably serious, consumed by all nearly all of 12 year old and above in the USA alone. In addition to this Alcohol lowers consumer’s inhibitions, which can set them up for dangerous or embarrassing behaviour. 10,000 deaths are reported each year relating to Alcohol. On the contrary adolescents who use Alcohol are more likely to become sexually active, which places them at a greater risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. In addition to this Alcohol is a drug which is heavily advertised in the media (companies such as Guinness). This links with the hypocrisy of the media; and how in one sense it exaggerates the problem of drugs, and yet at the same time encourages it, leading to the “drugs problem in society”.    

The third problem which society has is Cocaine. Cocaine is a drug which causes restlessness, anxiety and pain, with addition to cardiac and respiratory problems. According to most people the first dose of Cocaine is the most lethal, and yet people take it for the pleasure. The high school seniors taking cocaine has increased from a small figure of 5.9% of the population to a staggering 9.8% in the present year. However, on the contrary it has enhanced from previous years, especially the 1985 figures in which there was 17.5% of the population taking cocaine.

Another problem which society faces is the problem of Heroin. Heroin is a highly addictive drug, which causes collapsed veins, diseases like HIV/Aids and a mental state of depression. Presently 600,000 people need treatment for the addiction of heroin itself. The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) names heroin as the most lethal drug, so we can see the severity of the drug already. The consumption of Heroin has increased by 19% in the years from 1994 to 1995.

In conclusion we can clearly see that that is in fact a “drugs problem” within the society alone. The government are to blame due to the VAT charge being associated with the consumption of Alcohol and Tobacco which are both undesirable products. What seems to be the problem in the present day “if you cannot stop it, legalise it” which seems the easy way out, like Tobacco & Alcohol. The government are also thinking of legalising cannabis, because they cannot stop “the drugs problem”, we are left to think that the government are responsible for the “drugs problem in society”.