For a long time now, the issue of drug abuse has been a topic of conversation in both social and scholarly aspects. This called for the drastic measures to be put in place to come up with ways of addressing the issue. The establishment of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agency to curb the menace has not been entirely fruitful as drug abuse is not easily comprehended as many substances are consumed (Anglin, 1992) . Thus, to understand the issue of drug abuse, it is essential to understand the policy approach put in place to address the issue. Be able to give a vivid description of current policy goals that are aimed at addressing the issue of drug abuse. In understanding the issue of drug abuse, one has to have a description of the demographic location which the approach covers and whether they can address the issue of drug abuse. The effect to risk populations is also significant as it will help one understand the issue of drug abuse through the adopted approach. It is also prudent for on to analyze whether the policies adopted for the study met the needs of most of the affected groups and it is crucial for one to give recommendations through alternative policies about drug abuse which may be used to address the menace in future. Drug and substance abuse has affected the society, more especially the youth, and it is therefore vital for measures to be put in place which may go great lengths in addressing the issue for the good of all and a better society.
Various approaches have been adopted to focus on addressing the issue of drug abuse in the society. Policies adopted for combating drug abuse are complex which encompass primary and secondary prevention strategies which are focused on reducing drug-related fatalities. Prohibition, legalization, and medicalization of drugs are some of the approaches adopted to address the issue of drug abuse in the society. Legalization of drugs, especially narcotics, has been an issue of contention in the health and scholarly quarters as there are different views about whether it is a lasting solution (Farabee, 1998) . This is because some stakeholders, especially DEA and religious institutions, believe if drugs are legalized then they will be abused even more. While supporters of legalization believe drugs are abused more when there is a scarcity of it. Prohibition supporters believe that drug abuse is caused by immoral behavior, which can be tamed through by imposing sanctions on drugs and substances. Medicalization approach is considered as an effective policy approach which has been applied in the rehabilitation of drug abuse patients. This is because it involves medical attention to individuals battling drug abuse. The current policy approach adopted to address the issue of drug abuse is an effective framework that if implemented will efficiently address the drug abuse epidemic.
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The policy approaches adopted for combating the drug menace have goals which they target to achieve at the end of the day. The main goals are preventing the use of drugs and controlling the rate of drug abuse to those already affected. The policy goals also have objectives which include; identifying the characteristics of drug abuse and understand how the environment influences drug abuse and the related risk factors (Inciardi, 1986) . The policies are also geared towards applying the knowledge gotten in the process of implementing the approach towards the development of strategies that are more effective to keep people away from drug abuse and combating the issue of drug and substance abuse completely in the society.
The demographic location of the policy approach plays a crucial role in the control of drug abuse (Goode, 1989) . The adopted policy approach to combating drug abuse covers a special population which includes the youth, children, and prisoners. This is because of their vulnerability to being swayed into the use of drugs. The youth are the most focused in the policy approach as they are developing, and it is crucial that they are informed and possess a vast knowledge about the effects of the substance and drug abuse later in life. Children, on the other hand, are psychologically affected by the level of drug abuse by a family member. The psychological effect is more severe especially if it involves parents who may become violent or even neglect their children as results of drug abuse (Hawkins, 1992) . Drug abuse may lead to violence in the household and also may contribute to poor performance of children in school as a result of battling depression. The current policy approach is important if it covered prisoners to control drug abuse because excessive use of drugs and its addiction will make them exposed to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted Infections thereby making their lives be at critical conditions.
Policy approaches geared towards combating drug abuse have always relied on funding from the federal government, State funds, and help groups to carry out their activities. At times the funding may not be in terms of monetary value but in terms of resources such as equipment and professionals. Other ways of sourcing funds can be through enrolling drug addicts to health care plans which will see the remit some fee towards the course which will thereby play a big role in sustaining and implementation of the policy approaches of drug abuse. Nonprofit organizations are also sources of funds as they receive grants to carry out their course. Although this may not be reliable because the availability of the grants is not guaranteed. It will depend on the budget planned by the granters. The funding levels will be determined by the services rendered, the care provided and the plans for implementing the policy approach geared towards addressing drug abuse.
The United States government has put in place strategies which are geared towards stopping the abuse of drugs especially to marginalized, and risk-population such as children and the youth. This is because they are in the development stages of their lives, and exposure would put them at a greater risk of abusing drugs in later stages of their lives (Petry, 2005) . This policy will come handy as it will involve adopting strategies and measures to curb the menace among children and the youth through counseling and psychological support to those already affected as this will play a part in stopping drug abuse in the society.
The policy approach adopted plays a significant role in meeting the needs of those affected by drug abuse as it involves these groups in the day to day activities aimed at ending the menace. For example, Access to Recovery (ATR) policy is aimed towards rehabilitating the marginalized and those affected by drug abuse. It has proved to be affected as most of those who have gone through the program have come out drug-free to lead a successful life.
Through the policy approaches, stakeholders such as National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) have come to support the approaches through research, funding, and workforce which are aimed towards treating of the population affected by drug abuse (Yudko, 2007) . The policy meets the needs of the target population as it oversees the implementation of the approaches which determines how best the policy may become effective, and how it could be adapted for treatment of affected population countrywide. The policies also contribute to increased partnership with different stakeholders such as the federal and state governments as well as various agencies to lobby for funds which are aimed at treating drug abuse.
Identifying causes of drug abuse is an important recommendation suggested by the policy in understanding the abuse of drug and substance in the society. Drug testing is also crucial as it will help victims overcome the denial that they go through daily. The intervention policy is a key recommendation as it will play a key role in monitoring the level of drug abuse among those affected. The approach of legalizing is recommendable as it will make those already affected not to have withdrawal effects as it may be fatal especially to victims in rehabilitation (Manchikanti, 2006) . The policies also recommend for full collaboration and accountability by partners to meet the needs of those battling the menace in future.
Conclusion
It is without a doubt that drug abuse has become a menace in recent years thereby calling for the need to adopt sustainable policies which will be effective towards combating the issue in the society. Various approaches have been adopted, and it calls for the collaboration of all stakeholders for the realization of a drug-free society. Complete eradication may prove to be an uphill task, or even impossible, but f clear policies are formulated then the issue of drug abuse may be controlled and reduce that number of fatalities experienced as results of drug abuse.
References
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Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., & Miller, J. Y. (1992). Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: implications for substance abuse prevention. Psychological bulletin , 112 (1), 64.
Inciardi, J. A. (1986). The war on drugs: Heroin, cocaine, crime, and public policy (Vol. 1). Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Manchikanti, L. (2006). Prescription drug abuse: what is being done to address this new drug epidemic? Testimony before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. Pain physician , 9 (4), 287.
Petry, N. M., Stinson, F. S., & Grant, B. F. (2005). Comorbidity of DSM-IV pathological gambling and other psychiatric disorders: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. The Journal of clinical psychiatry .
Yudko, E., Lozhkina, O., & Fouts, A. (2007). A comprehensive review of the psychometric properties of the Drug Abuse Screening Test. Journal of substance abuse treatment , 32 (2), 189-198.
