Introduction
A drug is any substance that, when taken, alters the normal functioning of the body and mind. Categories of drugs include stimulants, depressants, opioids, and hallucinogens. Continuous usage of these substances may lead to addiction, which one cannot do without taking them. One of the most commonly abused drugs in most developed countries is methamphetamine. It exists in powder form and can be consumed orally by smoking or injection. Most people combine methamphetamine and heroin and inject them directly (Jones et al., 2020). The main objective of this research is to examine the impacts of methamphetamine on society. Drugs have many negative effects, and it is necessary to be aware of them to make essential changes. Other purposes of this study are to know how people get introduced to substance use and how it affects them socially, physically, and emotionally. The main purpose of this research is to examine the impacts of methamphetamine drugs on society.
Literature Review
An important local contextual factor was identified during data collection regarding the relevant information gathered by looking into various literature. It has been used in southern Oregon by people working in the logging industries to stimulate energy (Lopez, 2019). They believe that using the drug can give them the energy needed to do the difficult. In return, the drug has been a source of leisure for the workers. He further argues that most people prefer taking the drug with heroin. The drug affects health, and most people in the hospital have symptoms associated which the drug (Cumming et al., 2020). Emergency cases, especially accident victims, have used the drug and lost control while driving or walking along the road. Patients with chronic diseases such as cancer and high blood pressure are at risk of being affected if they use the drug.
Methamphetamine use leads to psychotic disorders, which are very expensive to threaten. Mental health workers are also at risk as they deal with patients intoxicated with the drug (Unadkat et al., 2019). This shows the need for specialized care through the setting of wards made for the admission of such patients. They should also undergo training to know how to handle such patients without violating their rights. This is because such patients are delicate to deal with. The drug also impacts biotic organisms leading to suffocation and death (Qu et al., 2020). Organisms living in the water have benefits to the individuals as human beings feed on them.
Methodology
The research process applied data obtained from public records of patients who had reported cases of methamphetamine. The age, sex, and marital status records in the hospital were considered. The young children, adults, and youths were taken into consideration. In terms of gender, equity was a big tale where both male and female data were collected. The married and the divorced are also not forgotten. Possible reasons for divorce inquired and those with families. The record of how various patients took the drug was also examined. Cases of mental health disorders were not forgotten as they formed a basis for the research.
Research Finding
The number of patients admitted in the year 2018 was 200,000, and in the year 2019 was 350,000. The number of patients who had taken the drug with heroin had increased from 33.1% to 20.6%. Among the admitted in 2019, 240,000 were men, are the rest were women. Cases of pregnant mothers were also reported. The men were between the age of 26-35, while the women were aged 25-31. The youths were almost half the total number of patients.
The percentage of the patients who injected the drug into the body was 45%, 40% smoked, and 15%. Upon considering nationality, most were Americans, and a few were from other foreign countries. The records of deaths indicated that most patients succumbed to the drug’s effects. A ratio of 24:100 women died while giving birth due to complications associated with methamphetamine. The number of deaths in the year 2019 was 40%, while in 2018 was 20%. Fifty people had records of imprisonment and were further admitted to receiving specialized treatment. The suicidal cases also indicated 230 victims as a result of depression and failure to live anymore. Children under the age of 5 years were also admitted to hospitals due to poor brain development at the early stages of development.
Research Discussions
Data collected were compared with research conducted to examine its viability. According to results by (Jones et al., 2020), an increase in the number of patients admitted due to methamphetamine increased from 186,711 in 2008 to 372,926 in 2017. Patients who used heroin with the drug were also many. The common form of intake of the drug was through injection, which accounted for 47.1%. The emergency wards in the hospital were reported to have symptoms of methamphetamine drug exploitation, such as trauma, psychosis, and aggression. Thus, the trend led to an increased admission of patients in the infirmary wards. Data showed that several youths have been affected and have dropped out of school.
The data supported the theoretical findings where almost a similar trend was identified. Most families had broken up due to social challenges brought about by the drug. In the economic sector, there were noticeable glaring gaps in development since leaders had also adopted the usage of methamphetamine. Some people reported having lost their jobs due to failure to work with the set conditions. Cases of HIV spread among society were rampant as they engaged in sexual practices after taking the drug and losing their awareness. This results in spreading the disease since nobody knows their health status and the risks they might impact others. An increase in the number of deaths due to the effects of the drug was also noticeable.
Methamphetamine addicts recorded long and short-term effects which negatively affected their health. Short-term effects include headaches, increased energy, insomnia, and reduced appetite. Long-term impacts led to heart, kidney, and lung failure, depression, and a feeling of being extremely frightened (paranoia), while cases of suicide recorded resulted from depression. Some youths reported having feelings of pleasure and relief after taking the drug. They, therefore, thought that their leisure time would be better when they used the drug instead of engaging in other activities.
Implications of Study in Solving Real-Life Problems
The data analysis showed various impacts of the drug, both on people and animals. On health, various diseases associated with the drug are experienced in the economic sector, and developments drugs behind as more money is used on the drug rather than investment. This leads to poor infrastructure and affects trade since the movement of goods and services is a challenge. The health sector spends a lot of money in dealing with cases of drug abuse. The wards are congested, and in turn, poor health services are provided. The government, in return, has to spend more on subsidizing drugs needed to cure such diseases.
High rates of dropouts among school-going children also affect the education sector. Parents spend most of their money on their leisure activities and fail to pay school fees. This leads to more illiterate people in the society leading to the country having fewer people being learned. Some patients develop disabilities, making it difficult for them to feed their families. This, in return, brings about broken families. Parents must monitor the moves of their children as they might be using drugs without their knowledge, and give guidance whenever they find their children being victims. The spread of HIV and AIDS among young people is impacted negatively as their health has deteriorated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, methamphetamine is a drug that has more negative impacts on all spheres of life. When taken, it affects the social, economic, and health well-being of a person. However, with adequate knowledge about its menace, the intake can reduce, and therefore, people will dwell more on things that will benefit them. The responsibility of every individual and the community, if taken into consideration, will progress without any difficulties. It is critical that medical practitioners are able to recognize the signs of methamphetamine consumption, have the expertise to treat the related disorders, and direct the client to appropriate drug therapy. Otherwise, if the effects of the drug are ignored, society will always remain poor and unhealthy.
References
Cumming, C., Kinner, S. A., McKetin, R., Li, I., & Green, D. (2020). Methamphetamine use, health and criminal justice system outcomes: A systematic review. Drug and alcohol review, 39(5), 505-518.
Jones, C. M., Underwood, N., & Compton, W, M. (2020). Increases in methamphetamine use among heroin treatment in the United States, (2008-17).Addiction, 115(2), 347-353. Web.
Lopez, A. M. (2019). The Co-Use of Methamphetamine and Opioids Among Patients in Treatment in Oregon, USA.
Qu, H., Ma, R., Barrett, H., Wang, B., Han, J., Wang, F.,… & Yu, G. (2020). How microplastics affect chiral illicit drug methamphetamine in the aquatic food chain? From green alga (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) to freshwater snail (Cipangopaludian catharsis).Environment International, 136, 105480. Web.
Unadkat, A., Subasinghe, S., Harvey, R. J., & Castle, D. J. (2019). Methamphetamine use in patients presenting to emergency departments and psychiatric inpatient facilities: What are the service implications? Australasian Psychiatry, 27(1), 14-17. Web.