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Substance Abuse In Tempe, Arizona

1481 Words6 Pages

The problems in a modern college town are plentiful, but perhaps none identify and affect as many residents as the issue of substance abuse. Tempe, Arizona is one of the largest college towns in the country, making the spread of illicit drugs among students and residents a “substantial” issue. The rampant use of mind-altering substances has extremely detrimental effects on both the users’ brains and the community in which they live in. This fact is nothing new, and has been noted by the government on both state and federal levels, and precautions have been taken accordingly. Granting this, these precautions tend to create only further problems for both the users of the drug and the community; landing young adults with criminal records, while …show more content…

The issue at hand is universal, but remains prominent specifically in Tempe, Arizona, with synthetic drugs and opiates trickling into the Arizona State University campus and the surrounding metro alike, causing family issues, drug related crimes, as well as contributing to the increasing the rate at which students drop out of college. This large college-town has its fair share of problems, though few as detrimental as drug abuse, and the current methods of combating it seem to raise more problems than solutions. The issue at hand is how to minimize community risk while still treating those who abuse illicit substances and offer an alternative to the current habits of living. The drug problem in Tempe is increasingly rampant and especially severe due to the large amount of student residents, and legislature must be passed to improve these …show more content…

The problem is real, but so is the ability to change it, and obviously the methods already in place are not alleviating the issue as it is. It is easy to just say pour resources into the police force and perpetuate the war on drugs, but this only causes more tragedy through the incarceration of citizens and the other detrimental effects that drugs have on the community. Those that create laws are those that have the power to enact such a bill, and it is in the best interest of everyone that resides in Tempe. It doesn’t have to be a tragedy, as it should not be, so make it a progressive change for the sake of those living in the

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