Describe the impact of substance abuse and addiction on individual people and their families, communities, and nations.

Addiction and substance abuse have devastating effects on families, nations, and communities. Substance abuse can cause physical harm, such as mental disorders and death, on an individual basis. Additionally, it can interfere with one’s relationships with family members or friends as well as their ability to function in school or work.

The increased accessibility of illicit drugs can lead to an increase in crime on the local level. It also puts a financial burden on agencies dealing with law enforcement. It can also lead to poverty due to the reduced productivity of addicts who cannot or do not want to study or work.

Substance abuse costs countries millions of dollars in lost productivity (e.g. unemployment benefits), as well as healthcare expenses for addiction-related diseases. The problem of drug violence also affects many other countries. This is because illicit drugs are often traded in black markets, which further destabilizes societies.