BACKGROUND
Society is a network of persons interacting within
a geographically sovereign area, with unique culture, social institutions,
values, Norms, roles, and sanctions governing each other’s behavior. This phenomenon is definitely the basis of individual behavior and personality
development as deeply believed by Sociologist. American Sociologist C. Wright mills;
stated that to understand the nature of individual behavior, the best context
to place the individual is the social context/environment; then we will
understand the reasons behind his/her behavioral patterns and the “individual
uniqueness” this is the core foundation of his concept of sociological
imagination. “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be
understood without understanding both” C. Wright Mills (1959).
The Society has without a doubt been the platform for the offshoot of great developmental strides: in technology, science, literature, in
culture, in globalization, in music, in religion, in trade. The power of the
society as the incubator of the individual character and actions has been
confirmed and reconfirmed through the revealing hands of time and through
individual scholarly engagements and findings. From nature and arrangement
of the political system to the efficiency or inefficiency of the education system, to
the Potency and impotency of the family institution, to economic stability or
crisis, the moral health of the religious institution, to media integrity or its
shambolic nature e.t.c. Society has the power to make or mar the health of
its own individual members and the world at large; based on its functionality
or dysfunctionality. From modern to developing Nations of the world: the rate
and level of Individual life chances, to literacy level, gainful employment,
and other key socio-economic indexes are greatly influenced by nature and the development level of various societies.
The functionality of each society’s various parts is
germane to the existence and sustainability of social development. When we take
a look at the direct opposite of social development which is social problems, we
would notice a more surprising effect e.g. just a fall in the education
standards of society can throw the economic system and other social
institutions into chaos. So what are social problems? Often argued as complex
to determine and define based on the tendency to apply subjective interpretation,
individual life experience, values, and cultural interpretation.
Be it as it may,
the fact remains that certain disruptions affect various social classes in the
society plus a significant amount of members notwithstanding ethnic or racial
affiliation, with enough media attention and yearnings for a solution. This makes the social problem a universal and critical issue.
From the agreed basis to the definition of social problems;
Four main important parameters are put into
consideration:
1.
That
the objective condition must be perceived to be a social problem publicly. That
is, there must be a public outcry. People must become actively involved in
discussing the problem. Public attention becomes directed towards the social
condition.
2.
The condition must involve a gap between social ideals and social reality. That is,
the condition must run counter to the values of the larger society
3.
A
significant proportion of the population must be involved in defining the
problem. (A large proportion of the population must be concerned about the
condition)It must attract national outcry.
4.
The
condition must be capable of solution through collective action by the people.
From the
definition of what social problems entails, the problem of Drug addiction as it
is generally known is not a new phenomenon. Drug addiction according to the NIDA;
(national institute on drug abuse) is a chronic, relapsing disorder
characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences.
It is considered a brain disorder because it involves functional changes to
brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control, and those changes
may last a long time after a person has stopped taking drugs.
Addiction or addictive behavior especially as regards to drugs and drug
substance abuse has been in existence from time immemorial; Drug addiction
could occur through accidental usage or individual random contact with an
addictive drug or through human association that promotes the usage of such
even though such practices are considered unlawful by the larger society.
However, the recent focus gained by drug
addiction in our time sterns from its continuous uprising which has become
consistent over the years, the large and growing network of illicit drug and
substance farmers, manufacturers, and trafficking syndicates, the inhumane
practices that accompany it, the disequilibrium effect that hits the society
from its aftermath; in crimes, gangsterism, and several antisocial behaviors
which according to the NIDA (national institute on drug abuse)
still Includes: violence, communicable diseases
inability to control stress level, conflicting judgment, e.t.c
Drug addiction
has become a consistent behavior, a learned behavior, a group/shared behavior ;
and the uniqueness of this phenomenon is not only about the ‘’Addiction”
itself, but that ‘’Addiction” (in which drug addiction Is a more global issue)
has now birthed a chain of distribution and redistribution of addictive
substances along coastal, air, road, and railway lines of several countries and
continents of the world through illegal and unlawful penetration that is destroying
the moral fabric of many societies, and continues to negatively affect
individuals across national, ethnic, racial and continental divides.
DRUG ADDICTION; ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COST
The NIDA rolled
out statistics on the effect of drug abuse and addiction on the American
society: spanned High Health care spending, to loss of productivity, various
forms of accidents from drug abuse and addiction effects, including criminal
behavior. As of 2014, alcohol abuse accounted for a whopping $ 224 billion US
dollars in cost to the America society, it also accounted for $ 25 billion
dollars in cost to the society’s healthcare system, while substance abuse cost
the health care system about $ 11 billion US dollars, with the overall cost
reaching 193 billion US dollars.
The NIDA (national
institute on drug abuse) also reported a demographic trend in drug usage;
with an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older which constitutes
9.4% of the total population at that time was discovered to have used the illicit
drug in the past month. This number
scaled up from the previous 8.3% back in 2002. The increase mostly reflects a
recent rise in the use of marijuana, the most commonly used illicit drug.
Surprisingly
from the nature of American society and its well-known status as not only a
modern society, but the world – power in science, technology and several facets
of human endeavor; this society still witness soaring rates of drug abuse and
addictive behavior from a considerable worrying percentage of its total
population, from baby boomers to its 21st-century youths cutting
across both the poor and affluent class. I put it straight like this: “whatever phenomenon
wreaking havoc on the society irrespective of the latter’s nature/standard;
such phenomenon has its root still from some sort of dysfunctionality yet to be
addressed within that society’s social structure.
Statistics
reveals that most first-time drug abusers encountered the behavior as a
result of seemingly pressuring and loose – end social factors and conditions
respectively in the form of racial discrimination, Stress guild work environment
and processes, separated/divorced family, peer pressure and influence, rich kid
– low care/nonsupervision norm, increasing individualism arising from an ever
industrializing and complex American society, dwindling religiosity, negative media
contents and modern hip hop music culture and role modeling influence, Transfer
of grooming and socialization function from parents to nannies etc are just
part of the list of general issues fueling the proliferation of the drug abuse
and the addiction problem in American society.
In Nigeria
(western Africa) the rise of evident increasing drug abuse and addiction began
post-colonial era, aftermath oil discovery and the rise of a new social and
economic class, with the upsurge of corruption-related political practices in
government and the civil war that ruptured the country between 1967 and 1970.
This left many citizens in a state of “broken mirror’’ trying to pick
themselves back together, with so much economic downturn and a new import-based
economy; and offshoots of skyrocketing unemployment rates, the illegal trade
and trafficking of addictive drugs and substances held sway as an innovated the route to the “prosperity” that our society so much value as an ideal and
necessary achievement for individual members.
Since the 1960s
downward, the phenomenon of drug abuse and consequently addiction has
skyrocketed and holds sway amongst Nigerian teenagers and youths mostly living
in impoverished neighborhoods: characterized by high birth rates, poor
economic infrastructure, high rate of out – of - school children and general
illiteracy rate, negative media, and role modeling influence; that plunges most
slums, towns, and states in Nigeria; especially in the Northern parts and urban
regions of the Nation. The drugs that are
commonly abused include but not limited to: I) Legal, over the counter drugs
(Alcohol, cigarettes, inhalants, etc) ii) Legal, prescription drugs (, Tramadol,
Codeine etc) iii) Chemicals iv) Illegal drugs (cannabis or marijuana, cocaine).
A recent field study into the slums of Lagos (from Ajegunle
to mile 2) led to the discovery of wanton drug addiction and culture of
illegal drug sales and usage by almost every member of the slum society with
users cutting across every age grade. From marijuana or ‘’Igbo” as locally
called, to excessive consumption of Tramadol, Codeine; all believed to be routes
out of depression, frustration and impoverishment are laden in their locality.
In Northern Nigeria; the situation is alarming due to high
rate of out of school children, teenagers and youths in the area, with an
alarming birth rate and relatively unstable family structures which has made a lot of children become street urchins and a menace to the society, from Kano to
Kaduna, Nasarawa to Gombe and several Northern states; the usage of excessive
Codeine, Gums, Tramadol, Marijuana and several illegal drugs and substances have
become an issue of national and international interest. Early 2018; the UNODC
(United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) called on the Nigerian government to
arrest the increasingly widespread use of pharmaceutical drugs among the
country’s youth. The call was made in a memorandum sent to the country’s
national assembly dated 26th march 2018, and it showed that Tramadol
and Codeine is the most abused pharmaceutical substances. Reports also showed
a steady rise in nonmedical use of pharmaceutical drugs and substances.
WHY DRUG ADDICTION PROBLEM IN
MODERN AND DEVELOPING
SOCIETIES?
from the general
point of view and our sequence of analysis of the social origin of drug
addiction as a problem of inefficiency in societal structures, institutional deficiency
and imbalanced social relations in society; we would observe that the trend
in the linkage between the various social factors responsible for the ugly uprising
of drug abuse and subsequently drug addiction in both developing and developed the world is the fact that they erupt from social disorganization of some sort that
are inflicting damage and could inflict catastrophic damage on the respective
societies if they are not checked. From the peculiarities confronting the 2
divides, society is fighting a disease that erupted from its own malfunctioning,
where do we look for a solution to such issue? It’s obvious from the root of
the malfunction, which is inherent in social disequilibrium.
LITERATURE REVIEW
April
Shaw et al (2007) under the auspice of the Scottish drugs forum examined the
social dynamics of drug abuse and addiction through the subject matter of
deprivation. According to their executive summary, there are strong links
between poverty, deprivation, widening inequalities and the problem of drug use but
the picture is complex. It may involve fragile family bonds, psychological
discomfort, low job opportunities, and few community resources.
In
the US post-war period as some of the big cities encountered the first shocks
of de-industrialization. A series of studies by the Chicago School of Sociology
showed clearly that poverty and decay in inner cities were the key causes of
the heroin epidemics of the 1950s and 1960s in New York, Chicago, and other US
cities. In the 1980s those same factors helped to fuel the crack epidemics in
the US. An influential study by Parker et al (1986) undertaken in the Wirral
during the 1980s showed the average prevalence of heroin users across the
peninsular was 18.2 per 1,000 among 16-24 year-olds. But the spread ranged in
different districts from zero to 162 per 1,000. The variation in geographical
prevalence was highly correlated with seven indicators of background
deprivation levels in each area: unemployment rate, council tenancies,
overcrowding, larger families, unskilled employment, single-parent families and
lack of access to a car.
THEORETICAL
PERSPECTIVE AND MODEL
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
in the analysis of the dynamics of drug addiction; theories
like social inequality/Marxism buttresses point blank; the inherent imbalance
in wealth and privilege distribution in the society as the breeding ground for
such a trend as fast rising cases of drug addiction; this assertion points to the
case of slum and impoverished locality residents; accounting for more than 2 -
3rd of victims of drug addiction cases and crime perpetrators in
developing nations like Nigeria and many others. The concept of social inequality is a social reality in every society in the world; but the rate and prevalence differs from
one society to another; here the economy is the superstructure and determinant
of balance or disequilibrium in the society; Unequal distribution of economic
wealth flings certain class to the lowest rung of the wealth lather, creating conditions
like: unemployment, poverty, poor health delivery services and infrastructure, poor
education and literacy level. Addiction is a response to the prevailing
inequality witnessed by the lower class or haves not; a perceived route out of the frustration of structural lack and deficient societal arrangement, even though
most abused drugs and substances only give momentary escape out of the ugly situation,
the persistence that leads to addiction is the reflection of how dire the the situation has developed into. The restoration of equal rights and the reduction of
inequality will ultimately create a more healthy society, with more
inclusiveness.
SOCIAL LEARNING
MODEL
Explains addiction as learned
behavior associated with conditioning and a series of processes that are
behavioral and cognitive; its assumption includes; that addiction only surfaces
through conditioning, or repetitive drug abuse behavior. Addiction is also said
to exist in degrees, the greater the addiction, the greater the negative
feeling witnessed in the absence of the drug. The propositions of this model are
numerous; but all attached to the explanation of dependency or addiction as a
behavioral phenomenon and not necessarily a chemically initiated issue.
Looking at American society and other Developed nations
plunged with drug addiction; the spate of youth modeling in drug abuse and
subsequently, drug addiction is quite high; the majority of youngsters had learned
drug use and substance consumption through experimentation and peer pressure,
also as a stress coping strategy (including Adults), escape route from
emotional struggles, and a desire to escape. According to Addiction center;
Majority of adults with addiction first experimented with drugs before they
turned 21. From the teenagers to the youth and adults to the work force and
baby boomers, drug abuse have been so wide spate a culture, a coping strategy,
an escape strategy, a group or subgroup culture, a behavior that has become
entrenched through the attempt to rise above the challenges of an ever complex
and changing modern society that often fails to take full supervision of the
actions of its population across the age grade, which inequality would not be
substantial enough to provide the needed answers and explanation too.
RECOMMENDATIONS;
We must first note that every behavior that has social
consequences has a social origin which is often linked to social structural
gaps and inefficiencies. Drug use causes crime; crime fosters drug use, other
factors include unemployment rate, divorce rate/single parenthood,
overcrowding,
And we must also note that solution to such problems as drug
addiction entails concerted effort by every other institution and agencies in
the society; in the manner in which the whole body gets into action when there
is a bruise, fracture or ailment in the Body; the Government, family, media, health,
military and security forces, religious institutions must take on the mantra of
making the society first a peaceful arena, then a functional context, then consistently
promote discipline and inculcation of healthy values, functional information
and role – modeling effect that wards of the attitude of drug use and addiction
as a route out of personal or social challenges; most especially amongst the
youths who have been discovered to be the most affected age grade across the
societies of the world in illegal drug use, addiction, and distribution across
regional and continental borders.
A concerted effort through rehabilitation programs that
involves:
Proper orientation and affective education, family support,
sports engagement, vocational skill acquisition, vitally; Media content and
drug abuse consequences - awareness should be worked on keenly; as many learned
drug use and addictive behaviors come from negative media content and wrong role – modeling effect from
this medium.
The option of meting out violence on convicted drug addicts
should be kept in check by the various societal governments, as this has been
discovered as not only incapable of keeping drug behavior at the check, but further
aggravates violence which is fuelled by continuous drugs use and trade; with a
case study of president Duterte’s war on drugs in the Philippines which has
lead to violence and bloodshed and reprisals of Drug use and addiction; the the goal should be rehabilitation with the various benefits and reformation
approach; as the society needs each and every one of its members for her to
succeed.
REFERENCES
Addiction center, 2018. Teen drug
experimentation. Publication. Ft Lauderdale, Florida: Addiction center
Delphi Behavioural Health Group.
Buchanan,
2004. Drug use and deprivation. Literaure review. Glasgow: Scotthish
Drugs Forum.
C.Wright,
M., 1959. Sociological Imagination. Academic analysis. London: Oxford
University Press Oxford university.
Lolu, O.,
2018. Opinion Drug Abuse By Nigerian Youth: Curbing A Resurgent Menace.
1st ed. Lagos: leadership News paper.
NARCONON,
2009. Overview of Drug addiction problem in Nigeria. Drug abuse
information. Oklahoma: NARCONON REPORTS NARCONON.
NIDA, 2014. Trends
and statistics. Trends and Statistics on Drug abuse. Kensington: National
Institute On Drug Abuse National Institute On Drug Abuse.
Phelim, K.,
2018. Philippines’ Duterte Confesses to ‘Drug War’ Slaughter’. Dispatches.
New york: Human right watch News Agency.
Shaw.et.al,
A., 2007. Drugs and Poverty. Literature review. Glasgow Caledonian:
Scotthish drugs forum Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams.
Unity
Behavioral health, 2018. American drug use is on the rise. Trends.
Florida: Unity behavioral Health Unity behavioral Health.
UNODC, 2018.
Analysis of Drug market; opiates, cocaine, cannabis, synthetic drugs.
Annual trend report. Vienna, Austria: The UNODC office on Drugs and Crime
United Nations.
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