Drug Abuse in the United States of America In the United States of America, we, the people, value many things, some of which are freedom, expansion and taking care of our families and our financial security. We, the people, take these things for granted. We also discourage certain behaviors, such as crime, laziness and the use of illegal drugs. Drug abuse is one of the most discouraged behaviors in our country. Illegal drug use is harmful to the user and everyone they come into contact with. Today there are over 40 million illegal drug users in the world and America represents the largest market for drugs1. There are more drug dealers than dentists in this country. Illegal drug abuse must be stopped; it hurts our society, it hurts us, and most importantly, it hurts the user. Drug users are parasites who feed on society's money, taxes and insurance. Every type of insurance increases due to drug abuse, including auto, health and homeowners insurance. What's worse is that the crime rate will skyrocket if we let this behavior continue. Illegal drugs and their abusers are a blight on society for many different reasons. Drugs have very harmful effects on those who use them and on the people they interact with. Those who use it are affected in many ways. The most popular drug in America, alcohol, is generally considered socially acceptable and relatively harmless. But it can have devastating effects. Alcohol might seem very harmless, but it can very easily harm those who use it. Alcohol is easy to obtain and consume. It is taken as a drink and, since it is legal, you can buy it in the shop near your home. The immediate effects on the user are relaxation and a slight anesthetic effect. Alcohol is a highly addictive drug. There are more than 18 million alcoholics in America2, an indication of how widespread its harmful effects are. Alcoholics typically drink heavily in the mornings and on weekdays, at times that differentiate them from normal "social" drinkers. Alcohol often brings out a violent character and alcoholics often abuse, physically and mentally, their friends and family. Drinking makes the drinker feel more confident. The drinker thinks he is in control, if a little stoned, and could get behind the wheel of his car and go for a drive. Drunk driving is deadly. Hundreds of thousands of people die every year due to drunk driving. More physical......middle of paper......a real problem among teenagers and teenagers are our future. Our society is harmed economically because each year millions of American dollars leave this country illegally, invested in places like Turkey and Colombia, as a result of Americans being trafficked into drug trafficking in those countries. Drug abuse must be stopped. We should attack supply and demand. We should prevent drugs from entering the country and jail drug dealers and smugglers. To attack the question, we should educate young people about the risk of physical harm, mental harm, and harm to family and relationships. Legalizing some less harmful drugs, such as marijuana, could help reduce crimes associated with them, but it would be difficult to regulate, and legalization would eliminate only some of the direct criminal consequences, not the actual harm of the drug. a plague on society and must be stopped. It is harming our country by causing increased crime and soaring insurance rates, stealing taxpayer money, harming families, and hurting children. If fighting drug abuse were a top priority, we could probably lead..