In the High Desert, we are far too familiar with the problems of drugs. In Febru
ID: 277582 • Letter: I
Question
In the High Desert, we are far too familiar with the problems of drugs. In February 2017 a major Sheriff’s Department operation precipitated in an arrest warrant for 50 known gang members.
Although Opioids were not the major drug of choice in that raid, and although death by drug overdose in San Bernardino County is not as high as in some California counties, it is a major problem here as well.
Discuss some of the reasons for the increase in opioid usage and other drug abuse/addiction in California, from a sociological perspective.
Explanation / Answer
Ans.) The most common reasons for drug addiction in California are as follows :
1. Location: California is a beautiful place where people from different cultures have melted along. It is also in close proximity to the Mexican border which gives the drug smugglers an easy passage.
2.Transportation: California has an excellent transport system and thus facilitates the transport of the drugs from one place to another easily.
3.Prescription painkiller abuse: drugs like methadone, buprenorphine have been prescribed by the doctors to overcome addiction from the harmful drugs but they are also being overused and causing further addiction as they also give a temporary high to the patients.
4.Rebelliousness: The young lot is very sensitive towards being accepted in the society, in order to fit in they start depending on the external substances to show their indifference.
5. Peer pressure : once in a group, the young kids and adults are very prone to consuming drugs as it's about being able to gel up with their counterparts.
6.Depression: today the world has become very competitive and thus people are susceptible towards diseases like depression and they try to self calm themselves by consuming drugs in the absence of proper treatment.
7.Experimenting :a huge section starts these drugs as an experiment and out of curiosity but ends up being addicted.
8.Feel good:Problems like stress and anxiety leads the way to temporary relief with the drug abuse.