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The Difference Between Drug Use, Abuse, and Dependence

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1) How has society encouraged addictions? Provide examples in your response

2) What is the difference among use, abuse, and dependence? Why is it important to understand this difference?

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Solution Summary

In order to address illicit drug use issues, it is extremely important that one understands what makes someone a user, an abuser, or a dependent. This solution will help you understand those concepts and be able to apply them accordingly.

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An addiction is a behavior whereby an individual exhibits an obsessive compulsive disorder towards a habit. For example, an individual who is obsessively searching for drugs and is not able to resist the temptation of using the drugs is addicted to the drugs.
With that said, I don't think society has encouraged addiction. It may have encouraged usage, but not addiction. In fact, there have been many campaigns aimed at targeting the youth against drinking and using drugs and there are also many restrictions on the purchase of things like cigarettes. Moreover, society offers no incentives for drug addiction (i.e. imprisoning drug users, needing a drug screen to get a job, etc...). Has society encouraged use? The answer is yes, because society has made it available.

Drug use is the action of using drugs ...

Solution provided by:
Carmel Philistin, MBA/HCM
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  • BA, Brooklyn College
  • MBA/HCM, Phoenix University
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