Unit IV Project Campaign Speech Read the following scenario, which is also Application 8.4 on page 146 of the course textbook. “Alcohol and drug abuse are associated with crime on the streets, healt

Campaign Speech

Nicole Marcum

Columbia Southern University

Introduction

Hello Everyone. My name is Nicole Marcum and I am her today to discuss the topic of alcohol and drug abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse is on a rise and we must do something about it. Over the years, crime on the streets, health problems, family breakdowns, and poor job performance have been linked to alcohol and drug abuse. This type of abuse with drugs and alcohol are known are substance abuse. I am sure that we all known someone who suffers from this type of abuse and could use some help overcoming the addition. These types of addiction are only going to continue to rise unless we try to help those in need.

Alcohol and Drugs Linked to Crime

Alcohol and Drugs have been linked to crimes that range from driving under the influence, domestic violence, robberies and assaults. Yes, it is true that not all crime is linked to substance abuse but a person that uses alcohol or drugs is more prone to commit the crimes discuss earlier. According to the NCADD, an estimated 80% of offenses that lead to incarceration in the United States are linked to alcohol and/or drugs (Alcohol, Drugs and Crime , 2017). Of that 80%, 40% accounts for the alcohol abuse and the other 40% is drugs abuse which relate to crimes.

Health Problems Associated with Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Let’s now look at the health problems that are associated with alcohol and drug abuse. Health issue are on a rise in individuals that have or are experience alcohol and drug abuse. Some of the health effects associated with alcohol include liver cancer, cirrhosis, kidney disease, gout, diabetes, and heart muscle disease or heart failure. This is just a small list of health issue that are associated with alcohol. Drugs like marijuana have effects on your health as well and can also become a major addiction.

Long-term users of marijuana may develop tolerance levels requiring more and more marijuana to achieve the same “high” (Health Risks Associated with Alcohol and Drugs, 2017). Some common side effect from the use of marijuana include emphysema like symptoms, sinus infections, and lowered immune system. Cocaine can have health effects which include elevated blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature and death by cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.

Family Breakdowns & Poor Job Performance

Alcohol and drugs play a larger role when it comes to family breakdowns and poor job performance. Families that have individuals abusing alcohol and drugs are suffering because of the individual’s actions. Alcohol and drug abuse will tear a family apart mentally, physically, and financially.

Poor job performance is more common in those that use alcohol and drugs. This abuse will affect the individual’s job performance for several reasons. These reasons could include a hangover, feeling sick, becoming less patient, not staying focus, incomplete work task. Etc. When a person abuse alcohol and drugs it affects their mental state as well.

Solving the Problem

Now I am sure all of you are wondering where this is going. These individuals need people like us to help them overcome this abuse. With all the facts presented above we need to create a plan to help as much as we can. We need to help these people that have families falling apart. We need to help these people that are committing crimes. We need to help these people that are suffering from some health issue. We need to help these people that have poor job performance.

The questions are, how can we help these individuals? What actions can we take to help these individuals? How can we remove these individuals from the environment that has the abuse? We all know that when you are trying to help individuals with alcohol or drug abuse issues, there may be times that it will not work. But we have to not dwell on the failures because the ones that are successful are the ones that wanted to change.

Helping these individuals can be done with several different methods. One thing we could do is start a nonprofit organization that would provide room and board for these abusers to attend just for reasons of hearing the way we can help them. Also, we can find medical staff that would be willing to volunteer with the individuals. This would allow for the individual to get an understanding of what is going to happen during the course of time. By starting here, it would allow for them to think about if they can commit to the help that will be provided. Once they accept the guidelines, the process would start.

Another way to help would be creating a group that would allow for these individuals to attend and talk about their problems. A lot of time alcohol and drug abuse are related to the extent of the problems the individual has. Sometimes just being able to express your problems to people can help steer you in the right direction. There will be ones that will ask for advice and others will not say much. Just because they are not talking does not mean they are not listening.

Either way we look at it, alcohol and drug abuse related to several factors in human life. Sometimes it takes us as the people to try and help when it comes to addiction. Let’s not watch anymore families be torn apart. Let’s try to help individuals avoid poor job performance. Let’s help decrease the crime related to alcohol and drugs. Let’s help reduce the health problems associated with alcohol and drug abuse. So, what do you say? Are you in or are you out?

Reference List

Alcohol, Drugs and Crime . (2017). Retrieved from NCADD: https://www.ncadd.org/about-addiction/alcohol-drugs-and-crime

Health Risks Associated with Alcohol and Drugs. (2017). Retrieved from nau.edu: https://nau.edu/student-life/student-handbook/health-risks-associated-with-alcohol-and-drugs/