Social Factors Related to Substance Abuse

Some of the greatest risks of becoming a substance abuser come from the social factors a person is exposed to. Social factors come from the environment the person lives in, as this shapes his views on life.
  1. Significance

    • Social factors can greatly add to a person's potential for substance abuse. The more of these factors a person is exposed to, the higher the risk. Social factors are more potent for someone who has a biological predisposition to abuse.

    Types

    • There are several types of social factors that influence substance abuse: individual, family, peer, school and community. Accordingly, examples of these include aggressive behavior, lack of supervision, peer substance abuse, availability of drugs at school and poor economic conditions.

    Effects

    • Each social factor will influence each person differently. Some might be more detrimental at certain developmental stages such as exposure to peers who abuse substances during adolescence.

    Time Frame

    • Exposure to social factors can lead to a greater risk of substance abuse at any point in a person's life. But exposure during major life changes is especially influential as substance abuse is frequently because of a lack of coping skills.

    Theories/Speculation

    • Several theories have been proposed for why people start to abuse drugs. One major theory is abusing substances might lead to socializing with others who use drugs. These people might use different drugs, exposing the abuser to greater peer pressure to try new substances.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Identifying the social factors related to substance abuse can drastically reduce the risk of these factors on a person prone to abuse drugs. Pinpointing specific factors can help a person become aware of the potential effects they can have on him and take steps to reduce exposure.

Public Health - Related Articles