why is there so much substance abuse in America?

America has been diagnosed substances abuse more than any country.while other countries substance abused is present and maybe more than USA but it is not reported .

for one reason only, USA obligated each doctor to report abused children,elderly,women,and substances not depending on the physical examination only but on his feeling also.in this way they discover to much substances abuse and other abuses.

Satan is the reason for substance abuse. He knows that if he infiltrates our minds he can buy some more time. He has introduced a lot of public lies. The hippie,"free love" movement was a great lie. I am a baby boomer and bought into that one. It is hard to teach my children different when I have lived with men before marriage. I do regret my actions. I also smoked pot. I do believe that alcohol is worse than pot. I never did crazy dangerous things when I smoked marijuana. When I drank, I was an idiot. Satan wants to destroy families. I agree that substance abuse contributes to disintegration of families. I have changed and matured. I devote my life to studying the Word of God and praying. Life is finally peaceful and happy. I am glad that God is forgiving and patient. Peace out.

I think the more society turns from God, the less hope they have. It's hard for young ppl especially if they don't have the Lord in their life, to filter through finding their identity, choosing a life career, choosing a life partner, discover the limits, responsibilities and delights of adult living. Compound that with the fact that so many of them are from broken homes and are confused and searching. I think they are "medicating" their condition. They are created deliberately with a peice of their "heart puzzle" missing. This was put into the design of every human being, put there to motivate human beings to search. The only puzzle peice that fits into the missing hole in their heart is the love of God expressed through Jesus Christ. They don't know this yet so try different puzzle peices to fill that hole. In their search they go into the bondage of addiction and sin. It's not a perfect fit for their heart but it fills temporarily. It numbs them to the search and is a welcome distraction from the work and stresses at hand. And considering many don't know the Lord, they don't have the tools by which to overcome these traps. It's a shame and I truly feel for those enslaved to addiction. It's not something that feeds their heart and heals it...it sucks the spirit out of a human being and damages their heart a little at a time so that after years of abuse, they are left feeling like an empty shell with no hope. But there is hope. They can be filled and healed. I hope if there's any addicts out there reading this and feels just as I've described that they know there is hope for hope. Don't give up. Your healing and wholeness is in Christ.

It's starts in most cases (I believe) for partying, socializing and otherwise looking for acceptance with groups of people.

A lot believe they can "control" the drug and therefore will not get addicted. So, it then degenerates into an addiction, where the kind of buzz they used to get is not as good as before, so they simply migrate to the next more potent drug.

This of course, causes a variety of collapses in either education, family, work, and integrates closer to criminal activities if the addiction itself causes the income to decrease or dry up.

In order to alleviate the "stress" of their circumstances (due to alcohol, drug addiction), they need a shot or a line to feel better, while they try to figure out what to do.

A lucky few can break the addictions; luckier are those who can refuse to even start, and find other healthier groups of people to associate with.

But of course, every generation of youth know better than the previous, with many who find their parents to be too strict by trying to enforce no-drugs.

So the cycle continues ...

You might as well ask why do smokers smoke, or overweight people go to McDonalds and continue to eat fried food, or why do people continue to sleep around without protection even though we all know about diseases and AIDS and pregnancy, or why do people drink and then get in a car? Everyone knows better, it's just a question of self control and reality checks and people seem to have this view that they will somehow defy the odds and not get sick or hurt. So until someone explains that aspect of human nature, this is not a question anyone can answer.

The Government allows them to advertise on TV now. This helps promote drugs many had not heard of and then they can go to the Doctor to obtain the drugs legally in a controlled manner.

it's because people like to rebel. and the war on drugs is useless. instead of using scare tactics, we should educate people on its effect. then i believe abuse will decrease. it's just how when prohibition was in effect, people still went out and got their hands on alcohol. i'm not saying legalize everything, but at least educate so people know the consequences.

Crystal meth is a case in point-it is an epidemic in the US but hasn't caught on anywhere else. I think Americans are increasingly disillusioned with the realisation that their make believe materialist utopia is in reality fast becoming a second rate country.

Even though this question is inappropriate to the category of Religion and Spirituality I will still give it my attention.

It could be down to the lack of employment opportunities which leads to poor neighbourhoods which lead to desperation of survival!

actually it's not marijuana and alcohol it's alcohol. crack, cocaine and heroin.Most people that smoke marijuana laugh and hang out, they aren't hung over in the morning, and they aren't beatig their wives. And to answer your question, Addiction isn't the cause of disfuntion in America it is the effect of disfuction.