Drugs Crime & Violence in America

The current status of drug use in America is a little shocking, however, not very comparable to what the 60s and 70s was like. However, today America is a self medicating society as we have a drug for anything and everything that one can think of. Many start their day with ingesting the drug caffeine. Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant that many say they cannot start their day without which can be defined as an addiction. Another large percentage of Americans smoke cigarettes and consume alcohol. These are not perceived by many as drugs because they are legal, however the opposite is true. There are prescription and over the counter pills that are taken by consumers on a daily basis. There is alcohol in our mouthwashes and cough syrups and are also ingested by Americans daily. Illegal drugs continue to be used by many today as well. America can definitely hold the title to a “self medicating society”.

Finding who is to blame for the continued illegal drug use in America is difficult. The first conflict that must be solved is whether the person or society is to blame. Emile Durkheim’s view of anomie places the blame on society. He believes that within today’s society many people start to feel frustrated and alienated because norms and values have changed and has caused social disorganization. According to Durkheim and his contemporary followers, “modern industrial society has become so diverse and impersonal that consensus about what is right and wrong has broken down, and many people no longer belong to strong supportive groups that regulate their behavior”.

If society is indeed the cause of the continued illegal drug use then is it true that the government-societal is conspiring to target minority people of color? From a Marxist conflict perspective this certainly proves correct. The conflict perspective states that much of the high crime rate among the poor is attributable to a lack of legitimate opportunities for improving their economic condition. This will cause people in these situations to want to “escape” through alcohol or other substances, or commit acts of violence. For a capitalist society this means that there is an oppressed society that will be willing to provide the cheap labor that is necessary for the employer to remain in control of the power.

People will generally turn to drugs to escape their frustrations or to simply have a good time. There are many different options available to the public and some have larger consequences then others. While alcohol and tobacco are legal, they hold severe consequences and can be considered to cause more problems than other drugs. Many people continue to drink and drive and cause many fatalities. Smoking cigarettes kills about 400,000 Americans every year, and another 53,000 die yearly from passive smoking. Another level of drug use is that of cocaine, opiates, psychedelics, and club drugs. These are drugs that are powerful and do not last very long. They are very addictive as irritability and depression often occur when the drugs wear off. Withdrawal symptoms can be very difficult for users and they will often spend their entire days trying to maintain a “high”. This is when destruction of their lives begins. It is difficult to hold down a job when addicted to one of these drugs. Often time’s users will do anything to get the drug including but not limited to stealing. The consequences on the body are devastating. With intravenous use, there is the risk of AIDS and other diseases.