Drug Addiction &

Catholic Views

BY: SUNYA SYED

 The Impact of Drug Abuse on Families

Many people who take drugs do not become homeless or poor. Some do, but there is often a
family who bears the emotional and financial weight of the drug user.

Economic concerns are a constant in addiction-affected families as they try all in their power
to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Money that could have gone towards rent or food is
sometimes spent on drugs, resulting in food insecurity and greater rates of homelessness.

There are several more negative repercussions of drug usage on families:

Family strife, which may involve physical and/or emotional abuse and neglect

Employment and income loss

An increased risk of emotional and mental problems (such as anxiety and depression) in
family members. (Genesis Recovery)
 The Drug Addiction and Crime Stigma

Since the 1950s, the American Medical Association has recognised addiction as a medical
illness. The difference has done nothing to promote the treatment of addiction as an illness
rather than a moral failing or criminal concern.

Since the War on Drugs started in the 1970s, jails have been overcrowded. More over
one-third of all offenders are imprisoned for nonviolent, drug-related offences. It is not an
exaggeration to say that the War on Drugs has centred on punishing those with substance use
disorders.

Arrests for possession not only make it increasingly challenging for people to get work, but
they also come at a high cost to society as a whole. Over a trillion dollars have been spent on
the "War on Drugs," resulting in over 45 million arrests.

So, if you believe that the most of the damage was done in the "good old days," think again. In
2017, someone in America was arrested for a drug-related offence every 20 seconds. (There
have been 1.63 million arrests for drugs alone). (Genesis Recovery)
 Addiction and Public Health

We are all aware of the risks of driving under the influence. The health implications of drugged
driving, on the other hand, constitute a similar public health issue. According to the 2017
Household Survey on Drug Usage and Health, 12.8 million people drove while under the
influence of illegal drugs.

It is practically hard to comprehend the role that substances play in vehicle accidents. There
are no reliable tests to assess the number of drugs, like there are for testing someone's BAC
(blood alcohol content). Driving while drugged is, however, extremely risky, since 44 percent
of persons involved in automobile deaths tested positive for narcotics.

Aside from the deaths caused by overdosing and driving, those who are addicted are more
likely to suffer from life-long health difficulties like as infectious illnesses (HIV, Hepatitis A and
C, etc.), COPD, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and other conditions. These illnesses
afflict persons at a greater incidence than the general population, even after they have
recovered from addiction. (Genesis Recovery )
Drug Abuse Has a Greater Economic Impact

The entire expenses of cigarettes, alcohol, and illegal narcotics are difficult to comprehend. The figures are
mind-boggling. Tobacco caused $168 billion in healthcare costs in 2010. In the same year, alcohol cost $27 billion
in health-care costs (a total of $249 billion).

Only in the first 12 months of 2013, difficulties connected to opioid drugs and addiction cost the country $26
expenditure on health care, with an overall cost of $78.5 billion encompassing crime, healthcare, and lost job
productivity.

According to even more recent estimates, the costs of drug misuse in the U. S. exceed $600 billion each year.
Unfortunately, more money is spent on incarceration than on rehabilitation and therapy. (Genesis Recovery)
 Canada Economic impact

Looking at the 2017 data:

The entire cost of drug usage was $46 billion, or nearly $1,258 per Canadian.
The entire cost increased from $43.5 billion in 2015, representing a 5.4 percent rise in Canadian substance usage
expenses.
Alcohol and tobacco accounted for about 63 percent of total expenses.
The four most expensive chemicals, accounting for 84 percent of total substance prices, are as follows:
Alcohol Alcohol is worth $16.6 billion (36 percent of the total cost)
Tobacco Tobacco is worth $12.3 billion (27 percent of the total cost)
Opioids Opioids are worth $6.0 billion (13 percent of the total cost)
Cocaine Cocaine is worth $3.7 billion (8 percent of the total cost)
 …

The breakdown by expense category is as follows:

Productivity Loss $20.0 billion in lost productivity (44 percent of the total cost)
Healthcare expenses are estimated to be $13.1 billion (28 percent of the total cost)
Criminal Procedure The cost of criminal justice is $9.2 billion (20 percent of the total cost)
Other Direct Expenses Other direct expenses are estimated to be $3.6 billion (8 percent of the total cost)
The top four provinces or territories in terms of per-person costs associated with drug abuse are:
Nunavut $5,608 Nunavut
Territories of the Northwest Territories of the Northwest ($4,045)
The Island of Prince Edward ($1,648) Prince Edward Island
Labrador and Newfoundland ($1,631) Newfoundland and Labrador
The following provinces or territories have the lowest per-person expenditures associated with drug use:
Ontario ($1,235) Ontario
Manitoba $1,294 in Manitoba
British Columbia (BC) $1,344 in British Columbia
New Brunswick, $1378
…

The economic and cultural benefits of treating drug addiction as a disease rather than a criminal
problem are considerable. A year in jail costs around $24,000 per person, which is a waste of
money. Treatment, on the other hand, is substantially less expensive and yields a high return of
4-7 dollars for every dollar invested. (Genesis Recovery)

That is, if society spends $10,000 on drug treatment and recovery, it will receive a return of
between $40,000 and $70,000. (Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms)
 ‘Deaths from drug use rose in first year of
pandemic to rate not seen since Australia’s late
1990s peak’
Amphetamines were responsible for about one-third of all drug-related fatalities.
Opioids, particularly heroin, were the most commonly lethal drugs. According to Dr. Amy
Peacock, the Drug Trends program head, the rate of amphetamine overdose in 2020 will
be the highest since data collection began in 1997. The preliminary number, which
excludes deaths from alcohol and cigarette use, equates to five drug-related deaths each
day, or 7.2 deaths per 100,000 Australians. "It appears that the damage from
methamphetamine and cocaine is growing." The Drug Trends program at the National
Drug and Alcohol Research Centre released a study on Thursday that revealed 1,842
drug-related fatalities in the first year of the pandemic.

Deaths were most prevalent in cities. (Deaths from drug use rose in first year of
pandemic to rate not seen since Australia’s late 1990s peak)
 Cathlolic teachings (views on drug addiction)

Addiction is considered as a direct threat to both a person's physical body and their spiritual
route towards the kingdom of heaven in Catholicism. For decades, the Catholic Church has
maintained a hard position against all types of drug misuse. However, the Church recognizes
that individuals make errors and that addiction is a disease that cannot be simply prayed away. If
a parishioner falls victim to addiction, the Catholic Church offers options to help them recover,
including direct drug and alcohol therapy. Throughout the United States and Canada, there are
currently several Catholic-based addiction treatment centers that are directly associated with
the Church and Church agencies. The Catholic Church believes that if a person want real
healing, a deeper truth must be engaged. Under this sort of religion-based treatment, sin must
be confessed in order to receive the therapeutic components of the faith, and while this may be
difficult, admitting wrongdoing frees the mind and body, allowing a person to fully recover from
addiction. (Catholic Drug and Alcohol rehab)
 Catholic Treatment

The Church thinks that anybody who attends a genuine rehabilitation program and commits to a sober
Catholic sacramental life may overcome addiction. Catholic addiction treatment clinics include aspects
of religion to uncover the fundamental cause of addiction and develop members' relationships with
God, in addition to treating them through detox and personalized treatments.
These Church-affiliated programs have features that are comparable to those found in other
non-denominational addiction treatment and recovery programs, but they also incorporate the
following religious aspects:

Faith-based 12-Step programs that include Bible study sessions and associated scriptural teachings
Prayer and contemplation periods are held every day.
Addiction is discussed in terms of the Catholic faith in lectures and sermons.
Pastoral and ministerial counselling
Regular attendance at church services
(Catholic Drug and Alcohol rehab)
General prayers (catholic)

O Lord, I trust that you understand people. You have carried him in the hardest times. Only you
have seen each despairing moment and only you have walked beside them. Now I ask that you,
with your gentle, healing hands would lead him away from their drug addiction. Cover his mind
and body as he faces the withdrawal and fill his heart with songs of hope. Help them see what
you can already see. (name) cleansed of all the upset and brokenness, free to live and love,
restored and redeemed. Amen.

Dear lord turn my weakness into strength. Transform my pain info happiness. Amen.
Original Prayer (catholic prayer made by me)

Dear Lord,

Please protect me from drugs and people from all around the world. Those addicted please heal
them and grant them happiness instead of pain. Please ease their sins and mine. Instead of
hatred please put love into their hearts, make them value their life as a human life should not be
taken for granted. Dear Lord please untie the knots in their life and mine. Please give me the
strength to help people with addictions.

Amen.
Reflection

While researching for this presentation I have learned the economic factors on drug addictions. I
knew a couple of people who were addicted to drugs. I know the impact of them and how it
affects not just them but everyone. The money they needed for drugs could have been used for
something better. At the end of the day they were in pain and wanted to take it away, even if it
was for a second. Many people think it's selfish for people to just start taking drugs but don’t
think of how much pain they're in. I also think the psychiatrists prescribe drugs for every little
thing which is why drugs are becoming common and become an addiction. Even when
prescribed drug is a drug. Withdrawals are faced when the drug is stopped (example xanax or
adderall). My conclusion is I think drug addictions should be taken seriously but also the
person's reason should be noted and addressed.
 Work Cited

“4 Prayers for Addiction - for Freedom from Alcohol, Drugs, Gambling & Smoking.” Www.lords-Prayer-Words.com,
www.lords-prayer-words.com/topics/prayer_for_addiction.html. Accessed 22 May 2022.

“Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms.” Csuch.ca,

csuch.ca/resources/national/#:~:text=The%20overall%20cost%20of%20substance.

“Catholic Drug and Alcohol Rehab.” Addiction Center,

www.addictioncenter.com/treatment/faith-based-drug-and-alcohol-rehab/catholic/#:~:text=In%20Catholicism%2C%20addictio
n%20is%20viewed. Accessed 26 May 2022.

Daley, Dennis C. “Family and Social Aspects of Substance Use Disorders and Treatment.” Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, vol.
21, no. 4, Dec. 2013, pp. S73–76, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfda.2013.09.038.

“Deaths from Drug Use Rose in First Year of Pandemic to Rate Not Seen since Australia’s Late 1990s Peak.” The Guardian, 25 May
2022,
www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/may/26/deaths-from-drug-use-rose-in-first-year-of-pandemic-to-rate-not-seen-sinc
e-australias-late-1990s-peak.

“Drug Use - Psychotropic Drugs.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/topic/drug-use/Psychotropic-drugs.

Recovery, Genesis. “Why Is Drug Abuse a Social Problem? Impact on Society.” Www.genesisrecovery.com, 6 Feb. 2020,
www.genesisrecovery.com/why-is-drug-abuse-a-social-problem/.