Drug Use and Abuse Project

Drug Use and Abuse Project Term Paper:

Requirements for Drug Use and Abuse Project Term Paper:

1. Identify an age group in which you are interested in learning more about substance abuse and use(e.g., adolescents, college students, adults). Why did you choose this age group?
2. Locate a national survey, and its results, that assess substance use among this population (e.g., Youth Risk Behavior and Surveillance System, Monitoring the Future, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey).
3. Most are available online. Identify the survey you selected and when/how it was administered among your age group.
4. Identify a non-prescription substance (e.g., caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, cocaine) in which you are interested in the prevalence of use and abuse among your population.
5. Why did you choose this substance?
6. What is the national and local (Maryland, Virginia or DC) rate of use and abuse of your substance among your specified age group? Does this surprise you? Why or why not?
7. Identify a subgroup (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, geographic location) of your population particularly at risk for use or abuse of the substance you have chosen. What is the rate of use/abuse among this subgroup? What do you think contributes to higher rates of use and abuse among this subgroup? How do you think this disparity could be eliminated?
8. Final reflections and conclusions.

Format for Drug Use and Abuse Project Research Paper:

1. Writing style: Your paper should be double-spaced with one-inch margins.
2. Cite all references and database(s) used.
3. If you choose to use internet sources, you may only use websites that end in .org, .edu, or .gov.
4. Please follow APA guidelines when citing your sources

Overview of Drug Abuse:

Looking across the broad scope of social problems that are seen overwhelmingly pervasive, it is evident that drug abuse has wide reaching consequences that impact almost every individual in society. This is because drug abuse has a myriad of implications for the function of society as a whole. In addition to the "acute and chronic health problems, car related injuries and deaths, poor work performance and attendance, psychosocial maladjustment, and involvement in criminal activity" that are typically associated with drug use, there is also "Considerable financial expenditures" that "result from substance use and abuse involving the health care system, law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and lost economic efficiency".