Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Alcohol and Other Drugs Chapter 11 Alcohol and Other Drugs This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; Any rental, lease or lending of the program.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Myth or Fact? Heroin addicts are as likely to be high on alcohol as heroin when they commit crimes. The most serious drug problem in the U.S. is the flow of heroin, cocaine and marijuana from overseas. Myth Fact

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. What is a Drug? A drug is any substance that, when consumed, alters one or more of the functions of the human body.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Drug Use and Abuse Opinions about drug use vary greatly as to whether drug use itself is a social problem. Much of the concern about drugs of abuse relates to their effects on people: Dependence Drug addiction Tolerance Cross-dependence Cross-tolerance

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Social Costs of Drug Abuse Accidents Alcohol consumption is associated with fatal traffic, airplane, and occupational accidents. Crime In well over half of homicides in the U. S., the victim, the perpetrator, or both were drinking at the time of the crime.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Social Costs of Drug Abuse Family Problems Alcoholics are seven times more likely to become separated or divorced from their spouses. Studies find that 29-71% of spouse abusers were drinkers at the time of the attack.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Social Costs of Drug Abuse Work Problems People who abuse alcohol or illicit drugs have higher rates of absenteeism, are more likely to jump between jobs, are more likely to be fired and are more likely to be involved in workplace accidents. Health Problems Most psychoactive drugs that are taken in large quantities produce severe health problems and even death.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Extent of Drug Abuse in the U.S. Alcohol Alcoholism is the consumption of alcohol at a level that produces serious personal, social, or health consequences. People with certain social characteristics are more likely to become alcoholic. Rates of alcoholism vary by gender, age, religion and socioeconomic status.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Extent of Drug Abuse in the U.S. Types of Drugs Marijuana Stimulants Depressants Narcotics Hallucinogens

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Biological & Psychological Explanations Biological explanations suggest that hereditary factors may be involved in people’s proneness to addiction to various drugs Psychological explanations suggest that abuse arises from some psychological process or is the result of some emotional or personality disorder

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sociological Explanations The Functionalist Perspective The strains, inconsistencies, and contradictions in the social system contribute to the drug problem.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sociological Explanations The Conflict Perspective Whether a drug is considered dangerous or not depends on which groups have the most control over the political and legal systems. Some groups benefit in economic and other ways from the consumption of drugs by others and it is in their interests to make drugs available and to encourage their use.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sociological Explanations The Interactionist Perspective Drug use and abuse arise from the social influences that can be found in a particular context. Cultural transmission theories view crime and drug abuse as learned behaviors that are transmitted through the socialization process of a particular culture.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Future Prospects Drug abuse is a serious and complex problem for which there is not an easy answer. Some programs can help mitigate some of its more serious consequences. Prohibition Legalization Prevention Rehabilitation Behavior Modification