\Drug and substance abuse is a problem that has gripped the United States of America (USA) for a long time and continues to derail the nation's progress. The US drug and substance abuse menace poses a threat in practically every community throughout the country, with some places having higher prevalence rates than others. Approximately 19.7 million citizens above age of 12 years struggled with a substance use problem in 2017, with the most commonly abused drugs being alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Further reports indicate that drug and substance abuse cost the American population over $740 billion yearly in decreased productivity, health care expenses, and increased lawbreaking rates. The City of Atlanta is among the leading in drug use, which according to American Addiction Centers, had 60.5%, 20.4%, 1.8%, and 11.7% addiction rates for marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and meth, respectively as of 2019 (American Addiction Centers, 2021). Analyzing these trends, one will realize that failure for society to be proactive in dealing with the drug and substance abuse menace will result in further weakening of the social fabric. Crime and other related social vices will escalate, leading to an uninhabitable society. Like many other social problems, drug and substance abuse solutions cannot be single faceted, but it requires a multidisciplinary approach. There is a need for concerted efforts by scientists, academicians, and policymakers to develop worthwhile solutions to this problem. Scholarly efforts can leverage disciplines such as music, psychology, and chemistry to develop multifaceted solutions to the drug and substance abuse that faces the city of Atlanta and the rest of the country.
Leveraging Music to Develop a Viable Solution to Drug and Substance Abuse in Atlanta
Music can be perceived as a universal language that brings people together regardless of their backgrounds. People have used music for many centuries to express themselves in ways that mere words cannot. Emotions play a crucial role in an individual's addiction journey. According to American Addiction Centers, negative and positive emotions significantly influence how a person behaves, which implies that depression and anger can impact one's choices (Mosel et al., 2020). Negative emotions such as depression and anger have a positive correlation with addiction. Individuals suffering from drug and substance addictions have existing mental health conditions. Similarly, research has found that people with mental disorders are likely to engage in drug and substance abuse (Koob, 2015). Music can play a significant role in handling negative emotions that can push people towards drug and substance abuse. Listening to music can allow a person to release pent-up emotion, allowing one to channel their energies to an activity that makes them calm and relaxed (Harrison, 2019). These effects of music will form a foundation for enhancing one's motivation status, which is important in maintaining their journey towards sobriety. Good and positive music can enhance a person’s self-awareness while also improving cognition and memory retention.
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As an art, music is collectively beneficial for averting and remedying addictions. According to Harrison (2019), engaging in the art of making and listening to positive music can promote psychosocial integration and social interrelations through particular musical methods that can help alleviate addiction. Psychosocial dislocation, which is associated with vulnerable groups, is a significant contributing factor to Atlanta's high drug abuse rates. For example, societal dynamics have exerted pressure on the family and other social units such that children lack sufficient support systems as they grow. Due to this, they end falling to peer pressure and engaging in drug and substance abuse behaviors. Harrison (2019) asserts that musical culture can be constructively used to remediate this trend because music can be used as a platform for positive social connection. Further, the researcher notes that psychological connection through music can reduce the chances of a person becoming influenced to engage in drug and substance abuse and other social vices such as prostitution. For example, music characterized by messages that augment religious teaching and positive living can be crucial in handling drug addiction. Music therapy can be used in rehabilitation centers on patients who have symptoms of social dislocation. Traditionally, music has been used as one of the therapeutic techniques for alleviating co-occurring depressive symptoms (Carter & Panisch, 2020). There is a need to promote music content that does not glorify drugs and illegal substances while also developing viable models for leveraging music therapy in rehabilitation centers. Music has been a consistent purveyor of human history whereby both negative and positive historical information has been transmitted through songs. Scholars should find ways of taking advantage of music potency to help create meaningful solutions to the drug and substance abuse problem not in Atlanta but the entire country.
Basing Solutions to Drug and Substance Abuse on Principles of Psychology
Psychology is at the center of social vices such as drug and substance abuse. Essentially, principles from other disciplines such as music and chemistry should be hinged on psychology. Dependence on drugs and other harmful substances is one of the most intricate mental health domains (GoodTherapy, 2019). The complex nature of addiction makes it difficult to manage, which is exacerbated by the controversy surrounding causes of dependence on drugs and the best ways to treat it. However, mental health professionals are indispensable when dealing with drug addicts. According to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), most people who develop addiction conditions are also diagnosed with depressive disorders, and the converse is true (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020).
Further, the NIDA report states that 50% of people dependent on harmful drugs and substances have mental illnesses, with 60% of this population being youths. These findings indicate that research efforts should be concentrated on the causes of mental health issues and their link with the youths. Some of the most common mental health disorders associated with drug and substance use include anxiety, panic, and depression (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020). It is important to note that several complications can develop from substance use and abuse, each with its unique set of symptoms. Some people engage in drug abuse as a way of addressing underlying mental health disorders. However, they create new and complicated problems while also aggravating the severity of the original mental health symptoms.
There is sufficient scientific literature that draws links between mental health disorders and drug abuse but there a need to shift focus to the impact of the stigma associated with the two health issues. According to Birtel et al. (2017), stigma directed at people with mental health and addiction disorders is a leading cause of bottlenecks in addressing these two public health problems. Lack of sufficient information on drug abuse, its impacts, and how to address it is a major cause of stigma in Atlanta society, especially among minority communities. Research and policymaking efforts should be channeled towards creating frameworks and models that help solve drug and substance abuse. Other forms of stigma are found within healthcare settings whereby African Americans and Latinos face discrimination during treatment compared to their white counterparts (Mays et al., 2017). Going forward, psychology scholars should prioritize developing measures to counter the negative effects of stigma and prejudice that surround the drug and substance abuse menace in Atlanta and the US as a whole. Although researchers have developed effective medicinal and behavioral treatments, they are hardly used in rehabilitation centers (Winerman, 2013). One reason for this is the stigma problem, which is a hurdle to eradicating drugs in society. Due to the stigma and bias associated with drug and substance abuse and the associated mental health problem, most African Americans and Latinos find it difficult to seek medical care. The magnitude of the drug problem, especially in Atlanta, should not be limited to drug use but also other equally adverse factors such as stigma. Collins et al. (2018) write that federal and state governments must have a collaborated initiative to streamline funding for holistic efforts aimed at curbing drug and substance abuse and associated stigma and prejudice. Importantly, all stakeholders, including academicians, policymakers, health experts, and the general public, should support research endeavors.
Significance of Chemistry in Alleviating Drug and Substance Abuse in Atlanta
Chemistry is a core science and one which is fundamental in the fight against drug and substance abuse. Principally, drugs used to manage dependencies in hospitals and rehabilitation centers are a product of chemical processes. Irrefutably, drug dependence and associated disorders such as mental health issues are major threats to individual and public health. According to Heekin et al. (2017), to date pharmacotherapy has majorly concentrated on agonist medications such as nicotine alternatives to tobacco use addiction and methadone for people entirely dependent on opioids. The other traditional area of priority includes antagonist treatments such as disulfiram for full-blown alcoholics. However, with the rising drug and substance use cases in cities such as Atlanta, research should develop a viable immunological framework that will inform vaccine development. However, it is important to note that such efforts are underway despite several challenges encountered during clinical trials of SUD vaccines (Heekin et al., 2017; Pravetoni & Comer, 2019). Research efforts should prioritize devising strategies that will enhance efficacy. Other challenges, such as those concerning immunogenicity, should also be considered in future scientific studies. All these processes of developing and testing vaccines are predominantly hinged on chemical processes and principles. The US is among leaders in chemical studies, including vaccine development and testing, and any progress will be felt in cities around the country, including Atlanta.
Summary
The drug and substance abuse problem that faces Atlanta's city requires a multi-dimensional solution that will address several underlying issues. Scholars can borrow principles from several disciplines such as music, psychology, and chemistry. From a scholarly viewpoint, these three disciplines' principles can be integrated to provide a complex solution that befits the intricate nature of drug and substance abuse in Atlanta. Music has been proved to help people release built-up negative emotions associated with behaviors such as drug abuse. Also, positive messages can be packaged in music to discourage people from using drugs. However, music's most potent use promotes psychosocial integration and social cohesion through specific cultural and music mechanisms. Music will be the foundation for individuals to establish a sense of belonging in constructive social groups. Music therapy can be integrated within treatment models currently used in rehabilitation centers around Atlanta. Psychology is a discipline whose principles are central to drug and substance abuse. Through psychology, scientists have been able to link mental health issues with drug and substance use. However, stigma and treatment bias should be the new focus in research efforts to address this persisting problem. Scholars in social sciences and psychology should find ways to address the impacts of stigma directed at people dependent on drugs and other illegal substances. Chemistry is the last discipline that can be leveraged to develop viable treatment options. Fundamentally, studies should shift towards developing clinically viable vaccines for people with drug dependency problems. Scholars from the three disciplines should combine efforts and develop multisided solutions to combat the drug and substance use menace in Atlanta and the US in general.
References
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