Methamphetamine Epidemic as a Social Problem

Name

Instructor

Course

Date

Methamphetamine Epidemic as a Social Problem

Methamphetamine is an artificial stimulant categorized as schedule II restricted substance. The drug is currently widely abused and goes by names such as crank, meth, and sped crystals. The drug is distributed in powder form. However, in recent times the drug is circulated as crystals and tablets. The drug can be smoked, infused or be taken orally. Throughout the nation, law enforcement officers have always seized the drug in firms implicated for manufacturing illegal drugs. Methamphetamine is problem since there has been a rapid rise in trafficking of the drug. In addition, the drug is very cheap to produce. The components required to produce the drug are readily available in pharmacies across the counter. Approximately, materials worth $ 100 purchased in a grocery or hardware can be used to manufacture Methamphetamine worth $1000.

Moreover, the production of the drug is located generally in rural areas where law enforcement is a little bit weak. The drug is a powerful stimulant, extremely addictive with very hazardous consequences to the users. A combination of these factors has led to the development of a multifaceted approach to address the scourge. The underground manufacture of the drug has been has been the concern of law enforcement officer since 1960s. The distribution of the drug to the United States market started in Mexico two decades ago. The networks of these organizations are able to produce enough of the drug to supply in Mexico and the United States. The organizations are able to transport multi-pound quantities from concealed super labs able to produce more than ten pounds of the drug in a 24-hour period.

Effect of Methamphetamine on the Family

Methamphetamine trade has a negative impact on the family. A report published the national Jewish medical and research center revealed the extent of damage Methamphetamine has of the family as a social institution are huge. Family members are a target to violence resulting from meth use. A report on domestic violence in California in 2010 revealed that 90 percent of domestic violence cases they documented resulted from meth use ("The Meth Epidemic"). Meth use complicates family communication and affects social development of families. The drug's use among adolescents affect families since it makes the teens to fail in accomplishing developmental tasks associated with their age. In addition, meth use is associated with break up in families and abandonment of family obligations by parents who use it.

Effects of Meth Epidemic on Government (Police, Law Enforcement and Agencies)

The impact of Methamphetamine on law enforcement is huge. The drug has increased the workload of sheriffs' departments across the USA. Law enforcement officers are compelled to work overtime to counter crime that happens due to the use of Methamphetamine. It has been established that 73 percent of counties in the United States have reported an increased financial burden associated with paying police overtime to fight Methamphetamine related crimes . In addition, law enforcement officers are reporting more shifts in an effort to fight crime resulting from Methamphetamine55 percent of counties reported an increase in burglary and robbery in the United States in the year 2011. This increased the budget for counties and subsequent strain on the federal and central governments finances. Moreover, the fight of crime related to Methamphetamine use goes beyond the sheriff's office. Most counties have reported establishing interagency task forces to assist in the fight against the spread of Methamphetamine use. This leads to a financial burden on the United States government and the counties. The strain Methamphetamine use has had on law enforcement officers is huge. They have additional duties to fight crime related to the use of the drug. Furthermore, the number of surveys conducted to assess the impact of Methamphetamine use in counties is eating up on the finances of the central and federal governments.

Effects of Meth Epidemic on (The Discussion among Politicians about What Should or Not Be Done

Politicians have pushed up legislation that was enacted in 2005 to control the sale of pseudoephedrine. In 2005, the congress passed the pseudoephedrine act that sets up limits of the sale of the decongestant and other ingredients used to manufacture meth (Landau 84). The law mandated pharmacists to sale the products to people only after they identified themselves so that they could log in their details to curb the purchase of the drug beyond a certain limit. Politicians believe effort should be made to fight the use of the drug but they are in conflict on the penalties for the use of Methamphetamine. In addition, most politicians believe the penalty for Methamphetamine abuse should be the same as that for cocaine. Most politicians are concerned about the rate at which the use of Methamphetamine has increased. Politicians are afraid that there will be more people in jails than out of jail in 20 years to come if the use of Methamphetamine is not contained. A survey conducted in 1999 indicated that 9.1 percent of teenagers use Methamphetamine ("The Meth Epidemic"). This led politicians to be at the forefront in putting up programs that campaign against the use of Methamphetamine. A survey conducted in Arizona found out that some youth were of the idea that the anti- Methamphetamine was exaggerated. Most politicians have pressurized their areas of jurisdiction to adopt the Arizona meth projects approach to fight Methamphetamine use in different states.

Effects of Meth on the Economy

The economic cost of Methamphetamine use is linked to cost related to interdiction law enforcement and prosecution. By 2005, the economic impact of Methamphetamine use in the United States had reached $ 23.4 billion ("The Meth Epidemic"). This cost includes the burden of addiction, drug treatment death and other aspects of the drug. The largest cost of Methamphetamine use is due to premature death. The second largest cost is related to the cost incurred in crime and criminal justice expenses. The other costs are related to the cost of removing children from their homes given that their parents use Methamphetamine. In addition, the use of Methamphetamine leads to loss of productivity among individuals who are able to work. A new category of loss is the cost incurred in the making of Methamphetamine. Producing the drug requires toxic chemicals that may injure emergency personnel involved in urgent situation