Societal and Individual Impacts of Substance Abuse

A drug, distinct from food, is a chemical substance that alters physiological and psychological functioning. Drug addiction, resulting from repeated drug consumption, poses a periodic or chronic state of intoxication that is detrimental to both individuals and society. Its defining features include an overwhelming desire to continue drug use through any means necessary, a tendency to escalate dosage, and a psychological and sometimes physical dependence on the drug’s effects. Drug abuse has emerged as a growing threat in contemporary society, eroding our cultural fabric day by day. The rise of the drug wave, starting in the 1960s within industrialized nations and subsequently spreading worldwide, has witnessed a significant surge in the utilization of cannabis, stimulants, hallucinogens, heroin, and cocaine. According to recent estimates from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2021, 36.3 million people, accounting for 13% of all drug users, grapple with drug use disorders. While this discussion encompasses the global impact of drug addiction, it places special focus on India. The societal burden resulting from drug abuse is immense, encompassing health impairments, disabilities, and far-reaching social and economic consequences. In this chapter, the authors delve into the influence of social factors in the onset of addiction, underscoring the significance of family, peer groups, and living environments. Moreover, this chapter sheds light on the detrimental repercussions of drug misuse on businesses, education and training systems, families, and its contribution to crime, violence, financial hardships, housing issues, homelessness, and vagrancy, with relevance to the Indian context.