As many as 20 million Americans currently have to deal with drug addiction in one way or the other. That is statistic made public in November 2016 by the US Surgeon General. The drug problem in America is real, and it’s big. Since the Drug Enforcement Administration was initiated in 1973, well over $3 trillion have been spent to deal with the problem.
As funding for dealing with drug addiction increases, so too unfortunately, is the number of people who get addicted. And a new study shows that many more children between the ages of 12 and 17 are exposed to addiction at home, and have now become a growing category of those who get addicted.
Thousands, probably millions of children go through rough moments in their life because they have lived in environments where addiction was rampant. Studies reveal that as children who are exposed to drug addiction and its consequences get older, the chances of them becoming drug addicts is extremely high.
If you were wondering how exactly drug addiction can impact not only American children but the country as a whole, consider this: because of addiction, family, friends and work are impacted. With these come serious depression and other mental disorders on the addicts, and even on their children. The consequence is that they will likely turn to more drugs for consolation.
Like already mentioned, the number of people getting addicted to drugs in the United States continues to go up. And with this increase, many more children get exposed and consequently initiated to addiction.
As the number of addicts continues to increase, America is stepping up its efforts to control the situation. A good number of treatment centers exist already, and many more continue to develop. The problem is indeed serious, so it will be in the best interest of every American who is in one way or the other affected by addiction, to make use of these treatment facilities.