How does sociology and psychology influence drug abuse in our society Research Paper

How does sociology and psychology influence drug abuse in our society - Research Paper Example The competition and struggle for existence and better living standards are growing day by day in the current societies which actually increase the stress levels of the common public. The current public is tied up with so many commitments both at their family, society and workplaces. It is difficult for them to avoid any of such commitments and hence the struggle for fulfilling such commitments is giving sleepless nights and restless efforts both day and night. Under such tremendous pressure, it is difficult for a lay man to stay calm or relaxed even if he gets some leisure time. Such people often use either alcohol or drugs in order to forget about their worries and to stay away from their commitments at least for a while. Thus social and psychological factors are equally prominent in drug abuse cases. â€Å"Societies define not only the meaning of drugs but also the meaning of the drug experience; these definitions differ radically among different societies and among subgroups and subcultures within the same society. Social groups and cultures define what kind of drug taking is appropriate. They define which drugs are acceptable and which are not. They define who takes drugs and why. They decide what amounts of each drug are socially acceptable. They spell out which social situations are approved for drug use and which are not. They define what drugs do, what their actions and effects on people will be† (Knopf, 1972). Drugs are normally used to cure diseases. Some drugs have the ability to change the moods of a person. Such drugs are utilized for treating mental patients in order to change their moods or bring back their mental equilibrium. Society has no objection in utilizing such drugs for treating mental patients. On the other hand normal persons who use same drug for getting some pleasant mood are misusing it as per the sociological perspective. Thus the same drug used on different occasions is