This document discusses how drug use impacts society from a sociological perspective. It notes that drug use costs society through deaths, emergency room visits, lost productivity, broken homes, and the costs of treatment, criminal behavior, and fetal alcohol syndrome. It then provides statistics on the extent of drug use in the United States and discusses how drug use relates to crime, either through intoxicated behavior, crimes to fund drug habits, or the illegal drug trade. The document suggests that preventing drug problems may be more effective through reducing demand through treatment and education rather than supply-side approaches like interdiction or preventing foreign production.

1. SOC 204 Drugs & Society
Chapter 2 Drugs in Contemporary Society

2. Your thoughts:
How does drug use cost society?

3. Consequences for Society
Deaths
Emergency room visits
Drugs in the workplace and lost productivity
Broken homes, illnesses, shorter lives, etc.
Cost of maintaining habit
Cost of criminal behavior
Cost of treating patients
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Blood borne illnesses

4. How was your weekend?
A. Awesome!
B. Okay
C. Too much
homework
D. Don’t ask
Awesome!
Okay
Too much homework
Don’t ask
54%
0%
4%
42%
http://www.usatoday.com/story/
money/business/2014/09/24/an
heuser-busch-budweiser-advertising-
puppy-dogs-drive-responsibly/
16163299/

5. Getting Information on Drug Use
Surveys
Hospital reports
Police reports
Can show trends over
time
What’s missing?

6. Extent of Drug Use
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2010)
 22.6 million Americans used illicit drugs
 7 million used psychotherapeutic drugs non-medically
 1.5 million were current cocaine users
 28.8 million drove a car under the influence of alcohol
 695,000 Ecstasy users, and 353,000 meth users
 16.3% of pregnant women smoked cigarettes
 2.5 million received substance abuse treatment for alcohol
 69.6 million Americans smoked cigarettes

7. Have you used marijuana in the
last 30 days? ANONYMOUS
A. Yes
B. No
Yes
58%
No
42%

9. Have you had 5 or more drinks in one sitting
in the last 30 days? ANONYMOUS
A. Yes
B. No
Yes
46%
No
54%

11. Have you used non-prescribed narcotics in
the last 30 days? ANONYMOUS
A. Yes
B. No
Yes
96%
No
4%

13. Drug Abuse Warning Network
 DAWN is a reporting system that
collects information on the number of
times drugs are implicated in both non-lethal
and lethal visits to emergency
rooms
 Illicit drugs were responsible for the
most emergency room visits,
followed by pharmaceutical drugs
 Data reflect acute drug problems,
not chronic drug use

14. DAWN gives information on:
A. The number of people
jailed for drug offenses
B. The number of times
drugs are implicated in
emergency room visits
C. The number of people
who admit drug use to
their doctors
92%
4% 4%
The number of times dru..
The number of people jail..
The number of people w..

15. Changing Attitudes
What made the
government change from
the laissez-faire attitude
of the 1800s to one of
control?
Toxicity
Dependence
Crime

16. Society’s perception of drugs:
Influenced by social and
psychological factors
Illegal drugs are condemned more
than legal drugs

17. What do you think about government
regulation of drug use?
A. The government
should be more
involved
B. The government
should be less
involved
C. Our government is
doing a good job
currently
The government should b...
The government should ..
Our government is doing..
38%
27%
35%

18. Toxicity
Physical toxicity:
 Danger to the body as a result of taking the drug
Behavioral toxicity:
 Drug interferes with one’s ability to function
Acute toxicity:
 Danger from a single experience with a drug
Chronic toxicity:
 Danger posed by repeated exposure to the drug

19. Driving while drunk is an example
of:
A. Acute physical
toxicity
B. Chronic physical
toxicity
C. Acute behavioral
toxicity
D. Chronic
behavioral toxicity
73%
12% 8%
8%
Chronic physical toxicity
Acute physical toxicity
Acute behavioral toxicity
Chronic behavioral toxicity

20. Cirrhosis of the liver is an example
of:
A. Acute physical
toxicity
B. Chronic physical
toxicity
C. Acute behavioral
toxicity
D. Chronic behavioral
toxicity
85%
4% 4% 8%
Chronic physical toxicity
Acute physical toxicity
Acute behavioral toxicity
Chronic behavioral toxicity

21. Patterns of Use
 Experimental Use
 Infrequent use motivated by curiosity
 Social-Recreational Use
 Taking drugs to share pleasurable experiences among friends
 Circumstantial-Situational Use
 Short-term use to contend with immediate distress or pressure

22. Patterns of Use
 Intensified Use
 Taking drugs on a steady basis to relieve a problem
 Chronic Use
 Indicates some extent of physical or psychological dependence
 Compulsive Use
 Acquiring and consuming drugs is the main focus of life

23. Changing View on Dependence
Early medical model
 true addiction involves physical dependence; key is
treatment of withdrawal symptoms
Positive reinforcement model
 drugs can reinforce behavior without physical
dependence
Psychological dependence is increasingly
viewed as the driving force behind repeated
drug use
 This refutes the sometimes common belief that drugs
that aren’t as strongly physically addicting are less
dangerous

24. What do you think causes
“addiction”?
A. Genetics
B. Biology
C. Environment
(family/peer)
D. Weak personality
E. Properties of the
drug itself
Genetics
Biology
Environment (family/peer)
Weak personality
Properties of the drug itself
16%
12%
48%
4%
20%

25. Substance Use Disorder DSM-5
 Substance use disorders span a wide variety of problems
arising from substance use, and cover 11 different criteria:
1. Taking the substance in larger amounts
or for longer than you meant to
2. Wanting to cut down or stop using the
substance but not managing to
3. Spending a lot of time getting, using, or
recovering from use of the substance

26. 4. Cravings and urges to use the
substance (psychological dependence)
5. Not managing to do what you should at
work, home or school, because of
substance use
6. Continuing to use, even when it causes
problems in relationships
7. Giving up important social, occupational
or recreational activities because of
substance use

27. 8. Using substances again and again,
even when it puts you in danger
9. Continuing to use, even when the
you know you have a physical or
psychological problem that could
have been caused or made worse by
the substance
10. Needing more of the substance to get
the effect you want (tolerance)
11. Development of withdrawal
symptoms, which can be relieved by
taking more of the substance.
(physical dependence)

28. Happy Tuesday!
What’s your favorite food?
A. Burgers & Fries
B. Steak & Lobster
C. Mexican
D. Chinese
E. Italian
F. Thai
G. Chocolate
Burgers & Fries
Steak & Lobster
Mexican
Chinese
Italian
Thai
Chocolate
9%
22%
13%
0%
4%
22%
30%

29. Impacts of Drug Use
Family stability
Social behavior
Education and career
aspirations
Personal and social maturation

30. REMEMBER:
CORRELATION DOES NOT
EQUAL CAUSATION!

31. A correlate is:
A. A variable that
causes something
B. A thing you keep
horses in
C. A variable that is
associated with
something
A thing you keep horses in
A variable that causes s...
A variable that is associa...
13%
88%
0%

32. Family
 Association between drug use and the likelihood that a
couple will separate or divorce
 Women subjected to violence have higher rates of alcohol
dependence and other drug abuse problems
 Family interventions into adolescent alcohol use reduce the
initiation and frequency of alcohol use
 Marijuana use by young Black males is significantly reduced
when both parents are present

33. Family
 Parental substance abuse is a
factor for 1/3 to 2/3 of all children
involved with the child welfare
system
 Substance abuse is a factor in
many cases of child abuse and
domestic abuse
 Alcohol use is associated with the
perpetration of sexual aggression,
especially toward boys **

34. Which of the following is not associated
with drug use in the family
A. Increased
violence
B. Higher divorce
rates
C. Low IQ
Increased violence
Higher divorce rates
Low IQ
0%
100%
0%

35. Social Behavior
 Drug users display more independence, rebelliousness,
acceptance of deviant behavior, and rejection of moral and
social norms than nonusers
 Children of parents who use drugs are more likely to engage
in delinquent behaviors
 Stimulants such as methamphetamines and cocaine are
associated with violence, while marijuana and heroin are
more likely to produce a passive response

36. Social Behavior
 Alcohol is the drug involved with the most violent
incidents
The level of aggression associated with alcohol is
dose related
 Binge drinking is associated with unsafe sex and
violence, and with nonconsensual sex
 Most cases of dating violence occurred in the
South, and in many instances, involved alcohol **

37. Drug users show higher levels of
acceptance of deviant behavior
A. True
B. False
True
16%
False
84%

38. Alcohol is associated with
0% A. Higher level of violent incidents
0%
0%
0%
100%
B. Dating violence
C. Unsafe sex
D. Nonconsensual sex
E. All of the above

39. Education
There is a higher dropout rate from school for
those who used alcohol, illicit drugs, and cigarettes
There is a relationship between academic
performance and drug use
 Drug use is assumed to be a predictor of welfare
dependency
 Higher Education Act of 1965: College students
who are convicted of a drug offense are denied
federal financial aid

40. Do you feel that the regulations about
financial aid and drug convictions are fair?
33% A. Yes
33%
29%
4%
B. No
C. Sometimes
D. I’m undecided

41. Employment
 Employed drug users have less stable job histories
than nonusers
 Alcohol abusers earn significantly less money than
moderate drinkers and abstainers
 Drug use is associated with higher accident rates
on the job and lower productivity

42. Drugs in the Workplace
 Substance abuse in the workplace results in:
 Lessened productivity
 Increased accidents, absenteeism, and health care costs
 Highest rates of drug use are food service workers and
construction workers – identifying drug problems in top-level
managers is more difficult
 Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) help workers deal
with problems that affect job performance, including alcohol
or drug problems

43. Effects of drug use by pregnant
women
Women whose babies
test positive for drugs
such as cocaine are
subject to losing custody
of their children
 Risks to the baby:
 Low birth weight
 Premature birth
 Miscarriage
 Birth defects
 Difficulty bonding
 Learning disabilities

44. Drug Testing
 In 2011, the federal government earmarked $283.1 million for
drug-related activities in schools
 Random workplace drug testing has effectively identified
frequent users of illicit drugs
 In many jurisdictions, physicians are required to report
women who use drugs during pregnancy or infants who test
positive for drug use by their mothers

45. Types of Drug Testing
http://www.aa
fp.org/afp/201
0/0301/p635.
html
 Immunoassay is fast and less expensive than other
methods but may give false positive readings
 Gas chromatography is more expensive and time-consuming
than other methods
 Thin-layer chromatography is simple and inexpensive, but
requires expert interpretation
 Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is highly
sensitive, but is time-consuming and expensive

46. Problems with Drug Testing
 False positive
 A person tests positive for a drug even though no drug is present
in the person’s urine
 False negative
 A person tests negative even though drugs are present in the
person’s urine

48. Legality of Drug Testing
 Debated in two cases
before the U.S.
Supreme Court:
 Skinner v. Railway
Labor Executive
Association
 National Treasury
Employees Union v.
von Raab
 In both cases, the
Supreme Court ruled
that the testing
program was justified http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/
free-books/employee-rights-
book/chapter5-3.html

49. How is drug use related to crime?
 Intoxication causes behavior and personality
change
 Crimes may be committed while intoxicated
 Drug use/possession is a crime
 Crimes to fund cost of drug use
Society tries to protect itself through regulation
Current laws may not be part of a logical plan,
ineffective or unrealistic

50. Crime: Drug Business
 Drug trade is a big business with no signs of slowing down
 Tactics for stopping drug flow into the US – military force,
reducing aid to drug-producing countries, and promoting crop
substitution – are ineffective
 Results in thousands needing medical care for drug
overdoses, and has an economic impact on the criminal
justice system and environment

52. Crime: Drug Business
 Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine
 In Laos, Burma, and Thailand, opium production has largely
been replaced by methamphetamines
 In addition to domestic production, marijuana is grown in
Asia, the Caribbean, and Mexico – Colombia is the largest
exporter

53. US National Drug Control Budget

54. Crime: Drug Enforcement
• The narcotics trade is
tremendously profitable
• Even after billions of dollars
were spent on curbing drug
production, coca growth in
Colombia rose 27%
• Preventing drugs from
entering the United States or
reducing the amount of drugs
grown in the country is a
matter of demand, not supply

55. How should we deal with drug
problems?
13% A. Legalize drugs
13%
35%
4%
13%
22%
B. Stop drugs at borders
C. Reduce demand (treatment/education)
D. Prevent production in other countries
E. End the “War on Drugs”
F. I’m not sure

56. How should we deal with drug problems?