...Allen Poe). Is addiction a disease, or the life changing result of personal choices made by an individual in the efforts to reach a sense of self-efficacy? The battle against drug abuse has been a widespread problem in the United States for decades and continues to threaten its very existence. Research reveals that adolescents and teenagers are the largest majority among active drug users (CDC, 2014). Challenges in overcoming addiction lies in finding alternate things to do in order to occupy oneself that does not involve the use of drugs (Goldstein, 2001). The vast array of substance abuse treatment programs available has had no significant effect on the number of users that actually need treatment (Nationwide Trends, 2014). However, additional research suggests that once physically and/or mentally addicted relapse is inevitable and in most cases expected (Witkiewitz, 2007). Despite the numerous treatment programs available, addiction continues to dominate, having a negative societal impact claiming the lives of many of its victims every day (Reinberg, 2011). Addiction is prevalent everywhere, from the tabloids of celebrities, to television, to a close friend, or maybe even a relative. Addiction can come in many forms varying from gambling, to shopping, sleeping, working, and last but not least, drugs. For example, the following excerpt is from the disturbing Leaving Dirty Jersey: A Crystal Meth Memoir by James Salant: “I gave Doug the spoon and I tried to pull thirty units...
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...Social Problem In the USA Abuse of illicit drugs causes many social problems including crime. Up to 60% of adults in Federal prisons are there for drug related crimes. Crime and violence destroys families and peoples lives. 31% of American homelessness people suffer from drug abuse or alcoholism. These are just a couple of social implications drugs can have on society. Illicit drugs that have high incidence of abuse are: Narcotics, hallucinogenics, stimulants, depressants, bath salts or designer cathinones, DXM and salvia divinorum. In order to research one of the causes of illicit drug abuse I referred to a study conducted in 2012 that presented a lot of useful demographical information. According to the National Institute on Drug abuse, who conduct annual surveys, in 2012 an estimated 23.9 million Americans aged 12 or older had used or abused and illicit or psychotherapeutic drug. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. Some states permit medical marijuana. Twenty-one states currently have laws legalizing it in some form, whether for medical or recreational purposes. Marijuana is currently legal in Colorado and Washington for recreational use. Research has shown that more than half of new illicit drug users begin with marijuana. The next most common are prescription pain medications. Table1 represents the age and percentage of drug use in the past month. This graph is obtained from data collected during the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. We can...
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...Abuse vs Substance Use Disorder In discussing the difference between abuse and substance use disorder one must first look at the definitions of both. Abuse is considered the overindulgence in or dependence on an addictive substance, especially alcohol or drugs. However, substance abuse disorder is a condition in which the use of one or more substances leads to a clinically significant impairment or distress to an individual. One can abuse alcohol or drugs and not become addicted, however SUD’s are generally seen in addiction of drugs or alcohol. (Doweiko, 2015) While this essay mainly hits on drugs and alcohol, there are so many more types of abuse/addiction such as pornography, over eating, gambling, etc. These also can lead to major problems in a abusers life. (Clinton & Scalise, 2013) News Coverage In the news this past week has been numerous articles on drug busts, alcohol related accidents, and police storming a house making meth. The articles on drug busts stated that many of those arrested had multiple previous arrests for drug use, distribution, or making meth. The article went further to state the statistics and costs of the war against drugs that is going on today. There is the ongoing discussion/debate of parent-hosted parties for their teenager and his/her friends at their home, is it okay or not. This, in my opinion, is not even up for debate; anyone under the age of 21 should not be drinking with or without parental consent. Personal Biblical Worldview ...
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...Mall USA, 2013). Medical marijuana is safer than prescription drugs, alcohol, and spice. Marijuana is more beneficial to use than prescription drugs because of the lack of serious side effects. The most common side effects of marijuana are coughing, wheezing, and bronchitis. These side effects are easily taken care of by using a vaporizer or preparing foods with marijuana. Marijuana is less dependable than prescription medication such as pain killers. Prescription medications are now killing more people in the United States than illegal street drugs. Even more importantly the consumption of marijuana cannot result in a fatal overdose. (Medical Marijuana Mall USA, 2013). Someone can’t even take a Tylenol or Aspirin without there being serious side effects to the liver and other organs in the body. Medical marijuana is not lethal, prescription and even non-prescription pills, powders, liquids, and injections are. (Medical Marijuana Project, 2012). A CBS news editorial by Dr. Mitch Earleywine mentions that medical marijuana can be marked cheaper to use than certain prescription drugs. This is especially relevant to patients in chronic pain who do not have medical insurance and need to pay out of pocket to see a doctor for a basic pain killer prescription. While THC, an active ingredient of marijuana, is available and viewed as legal, the FDA approved prescription drug Marinol, medical marijuana is substantially cheaper than Marinol. (Medical Marijuana Mall USA, 2013)...
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...contributes to the development of avoidance tactics. Adolescent dysregulations includes disordered eating behaviors and/or eating disorders, anxiety, depression, body dissatisfaction, and extreme attempts at weight control; all of which can be caused by child sexual abuse, maladaptive perfectionism, parental attachment issues, and the development of alexithymia. Other dysregulations include faulty coping mechanisms, which are also affected by anxiety, depression, and neuroticism. Thesis: An adolescent’s sense of self, self-image, and self-esteem are affected by dysfunctional family systems, including family systems that reflect child sexual abuse, poor attachments, alcoholism, and the development of alexithymia. The adolescents in families such as these have psychological reactions to their disordered self-images and the dysfunctional family systems. Dysfunctional Family Systems and Disordered Self-Image Adolescent development of eating disorders, disordered eating behavior, and/or subclinical eating behaviors may be caused by perfectionism, child sexual abuse, or other trauma such as having alcoholic parents. Poor self-esteem, poor sense of self, and family dysfunctions may be caused by perfectionism, childhood sexual abuse or other trauma as well. Attachment difficulties on the part of either the parents or the parents and children, and dissatisfaction with one’s body can all be associated with each other and used to describe the development of these issues. Efforts to identify...
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...Legalize USA COM/156 December 14, 2014 Patience Robinson Legalize USA As of today 22 states in America have now legalized medical marijuana, and 3 States have legalized not only medical marijuana but also recreational marijuana. According to USA Today as of September 2013 7.3% of Americans 12 years or older have tried marijuana. In 2012, a survey done by the New York Times reported that 18.9 million people were regular users of marijuana regardless if it was legal in their state or not. The battle across America has begun on marijuana legalization. Should it be legal for more than medical use or should it not? Everyone has a different opinion on the matter. Based on information and statistics from the 3 U.S. states that have legalized marijuana for recreational and medical use the answer is yes it should, based on the benefits each state can receive by legalizing the drug. According to the government information sites of these three states, the medical benefits are reaching unknown highs; crime rates are down, and the tax revenue alone can help rebuild the economy. One of the number one concerns of a human being is the health of their family and themselves. With over 20 states now legalizing medical marijuana, researchers have begun researching in earnest the medical possibilities contained within marijuana. It has been widely known for many years now that cancer patients can receive an enormous decline in the side effects of chemo and radiation from smoking marijuana...
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...University The Unbalanced Scale of Banned Substances and Sports There are over 2000+ recognized sports across the globe and the first reported drug abuse incident occurred in the late 1890s (Lajis, n.d.). Many sports have been played for centuries where their tactics have been mastered by the competing athletes. This is what separates a novice from a professional. Some athletes choose to elude the sporting guidelines and seek ergogenic aids, to include banned substances in order to win. Winning or losing determines a continuous paycheck, scholarships, athletic contracts and sponsored endorsements. The scale is unbalanced in relation to banned...
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...Recreational Drugs Tiwander Aleck COMM/156 March 4, 2012 Instructor: Cheryl Mason Recreational Drugs We are risking our lives without knowing it! Any substance with pharmacologic effects used for satisfaction or personal pleasure rather than for medicinal purposes, is called recreational drug use. Examine this, individuals young and old have answered the question whether, recreation drugs are good for you. They have answered this question by suffering the consequences of misusing recreational drug. Society needs to be aware that recreational drugs such as Cocaine, Alcohol, and marijuana have contributed to health problems, criminal activity and addiction. Awareness of the effects of these drugs, without a doubt needs to be addressed in the United States, to help lower the negative statistics recreational drugs have caused, which will give individuals a chance before they decide to participate or misuse recreational drugs. Alcohol is one of the most used recreational drugs today. Alcohol can cause a variety of feelings such as relaxation, happiness, drunkenness and sleepiness. Any consumption of alcohol goes directly into the bloodstream and physically affects are body and mind. Alcohol is mainly used for sociability; it is very common for binge drinkers to abuse alcohol, and result with the disease of alcoholism. It is estimated by (National Institution of Justice U.S. Department of Justice, 2007) that more than half the people that...
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...Recreational Drugs We are risking our lives without knowing it! Any substance with pharmacologic effects used for satisfaction or personal pleasure rather than for medicinal purposes, is called recreational drug use. Examine this, individuals young and old have answered the question whether, recreation drugs are good for you. They have answered this question by suffering the consequences of misusing recreational drug. Society needs to be aware that recreational drugs such as Cocaine, Alcohol, and marijuana have contributed to health problems, criminal activity and addiction. Awareness of the effects of these drugs, without a doubt needs to be addressed in the United States, to help lower the negative statistics recreational drugs have caused, which will give individuals a chance before they decide to participate or misuse recreational drugs. Alcohol is one of the most used recreational drugs today. Alcohol can cause a variety of feelings such as relaxation, happiness, drunkenness and sleepiness. Any consumption of alcohol goes directly into the bloodstream and physically affects are body and mind. Alcohol is mainly used for sociability; it is very common for binge drinkers to abuse alcohol, and result with the disease of alcoholism. It is estimated by (National Institution of Justice U.S. Department of Justice, 2007) that more than half the people that are arrested in the U.S. test positive for alcohol. When alcohol is misused, it can lead to addiction. When an individual...
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...However, the menace of drugs can be fought. Education is the first battle. Children need to be told at home and in school about drugs. People need to be aware of the effects so that they can avoid this problem A second approach is to increase police manpower and create effective laws to stop dealers. However the main target should be the user Families and counselors need to talk to children and people at risk. Parents need to look at their children and help them to become responsible. Worthwhile jobs and housing are also needed to give people a role in society. Drug abuse today is a major cause for concern and has a negative effect on society at large. Drug abuse solutions can be viewed from many perspectives. On a national level, solutions are based and discussed in terms of the reduction in supply of drugs. From a social perspective, solutions are usually discussed in terms of prevention, early intervention and treatment. Prevention is better than cure. This adage holds good in fighting drug abuse too. Public education campaigns and stricter laws regarding purchase and use of legal substances are measures that have been adopted by states in the USA The first step is to educate the public, as drugs are still a touchy subject for most Americans. This solution involves shifting the American perspective on the issue of drugs into a whole new light. There would have to be tireless efforts to inform the public on the horrible injustices and blatant failures...
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... PSY/400 Substance abuse has been a main stay in our society for years and is seen as a nonproductive way of life. It can lead to dependency with certain drugs. There is a huge range of drugs that can be consumed in various ways such as alcohol by drinking, cocaine by free basing, smoking or snorting. amphetamines, benzodiazepines and opiates comes in pill or powder form and is just as deadly if improperly used. Some of these drugs are illegal in some countries and when improperly used in America can lead to criminal prosecution. If caught in possession of or under the influence of, a harsh penalty will be levied in a mix of monitory compensation as well as prison time. In this paper we will discuss the nature and historical issues of drug abuse accompanied by how it has affected the society in which we live. We will also present two elements or main points to suggest that drug abuse is a losing battle that will take you on a ride you will never forget. We will also justify the use of these elements by connecting them to various motivations of altruistic behavior as identified in social change theory. Our final discussion in this paper will be the implication of intervention and prevention. Public health practitioners such as doctors, psychologist and psychiatrist have undertaken a number of studies into drug abuse from an individual basis to social culture and availability. They have developed phrases...
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...the world. The drug is well known in cultures all around the globe and any topic that is tied to it generates intense reactions that are aligned in different directions. The conversation on the legal status of the use of Marijuana is always heated, with supporters and opponents all convinced that they are right (Hudak & Wallack, 2016). However, this essay analyzes this issue since it is one that cannot be ignored. Even the opponents must agree to consider what legalization of cannabis achieves, given that public support for it is only growing. It also seeks to lay out the negative implications of the legalization and finally balances them off against the benefits and makes its conclusions based thereon. Proponents argue that marijuana has been proved to have the ability to influence life positively. This is best captured by the medical use of marijuana in treating diseases. The drug has been proven to have palliative qualities and it has been accepted as a palliative agent in civilizations such as Canada on prescription. Additionally, opinion polls discovered that more than half of the American population would vote in support of using the drug for recreational purposes among adults (Ghosh, 2010). It would be imprudent to ignore the opinions of such a big proportion of the population for political leaders. The widespread support also indicates that usage of the drug is high among the populace. It is hard for the government to regulate the usage of such drugs, to prescription...
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...Prenatal Substance Abuse Effects on the Exposed Fetus Substance abuse during pregnancy has become a significant problem worldwide. Studies show that drugs taken by a pregnant woman can cause many short and long term health risks to the fetus. The substance reach the fetus primarily by crossing the placenta, the same route taken by oxygen and nutrients, which are needed for the fetus growth and development. Drugs that a pregnant woman takes during pregnancy can cause direct impact to the fetus. Prenatal drug exposure increases the risk of giving birth to babies with developmental delays. Women who use alcohol, cocaine or tobacco when they are pregnant may have brain structure changes that persis into early adolescence. The negative effects...
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...Drug Addiction is a Problem in Today’s Society Tony E. Harbour Research Writing/Com/220 April 3, 2011 Cheryl Drug addiction is one of the major problems in American society. Actually, almost every country faces such problems today. A lot of measures are taken to fight against drug abuse, and, definitely, some changes for the better are evident. However, this problem is not eliminated and, perhaps, will never be. Today, Americans are losing their jobs, families, and even their lives over the abuse. There are a lot of legal drugs that Americans are addicted to, but there are also a lot of Americans who are addicted to street drugs. Either way, drug abuse is drug abuse. Who does drug addiction affect? Drug addiction affects everyone from infants to adults. According to 2006 statistics from the Department of Health and Family Services concerning drug abuse there was an estimated twenty million Americans aged twelve or older who were current illicit drug users. These drugs included, but were not limited to marijuana, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or addictive prescription drugs. (Drug Addiction Support). (2006). Every day, you hear about people having babies who are addicted to crack as well as other drugs and most of us say to ourselves or other people “I’m glad that’s not me or anyone I know”, but what people fail to realize is that according to statistics, drug abuse and addiction cost Americans four hundred and eighty four billion...
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...Economics: Healthcare in the USA I believe that the most important economic issue facing the USA at this time is healthcare and prescription drugs. Affordable healthcare and prescription coverage should be available to everyone. Coverage should also have options for small businesses and the self-employed. Recent surveys state that some 47 million U.S. residents have no health insurance, and the numbers keep growing. This is a very personal issue for me as I am one of the 47 million people without health insurance coverage. I am employed full-time for the State Comptroller’s Office as an Administrative Assistant. I actually am employed by Accustaff, a temporary agency. I have worked for them for 2 ½ years without any benefits. Prior to this employment, I had 22 years of employment with the County of Columbia and always had benefits, which included health insurance. I was making $50,000 a year and I am now making $21,000 a year. I was told that I make “too much money” to be eligible for Medicaid. The health insurance available through my employer is extremely expensive and the coverage is “limited” and is full of deductibles and exclusions. I was recently sick and went to St. Peter’s Hospital Emergency Room. The ER doctor saw me for 2.2 minutes and diagnosed me with an upper respiratory infection. No other diagnostic testing was done. He gave me prescriptions to fill and I was sent home. I had to request prescriptions that were on the Wal-Mart $4.00 list otherwise...
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