...Drug Policies and Laws CRJ 212 4/28/11 Michael Hall The use of drugs in America is a consensual crime; meaning it involves individuals who commit the crimes willingly. Consensual crime enforcement is a highly debatable topic that attempts to enforce morals in which not all people believe. Scholars debate on which policies better benefit society, whether it is legalization, decriminalization, or restriction, and each have valid arguments. This is important to an American policing standpoint because law enforcement official are the one who have to enforce these policies on a daily basis. To first understand these positions on drugs we must look at their history and effects. A society with little to no drug use is rare in human history (Barkan, 2009). Drug use has occurred throughout history, and was very common in the United States in the late 18th century (2009). Natural drugs (tobacco, marijuana, ergot funguses, coca plants, poppy plants, etc.) and manufactured drugs (ecstasy, methamphetamine, derivatives of plants listed above, etc.) both serve or attempted to serve medical purposes in order to help people. Most people use drugs at one time or another and many frequently use them; aspirin, tobacco, and caffeine are just a few common ones used. In the American society there are “good” (legal) drugs which are socially acceptable, and “bad” (illegal) drugs which are socially unacceptable. Both “good” and “bad” drugs can cause psychological and physical dependence. It is...
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...DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY TERMS Drug and alcohol abuse contributes to billions of dollars of lost productivity and thousands of work place injuries every year. Our policy is to employ a work force free from alcohol abuse or the use of illegal drugs. This company takes drug and alcohol abuse as a serious matter and will not tolerate it. The company absolutely prohibits the use of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs at the work place or while on company premises. It also discourages non-work place drug and alcohol abuse. The use, sale or possession of alcohol or drugs while on the job or on company property will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination, and may have legal consequences. Employees are expected and required to report to work on time and in appropriate mental and physical condition for work. It is our intent and obligation to provide a drug-free, healthful and safe work environment. [Company Name] reserves the right to demand a drug or alcohol test of any employee based upon reasonable suspicion. Reasonable suspicion includes, but is not limited to, physical evidence of use, involvement in an accident, or a substantial drop off in work performance. Failure to take a requested test may lead to discipline, including possible termination. The company also cautions against use of prescribed or over-the-counter medication which can affect your work place performance. You may be suspended or discharged if the company concludes that you cannot...
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...Case Study Choice 2 Drug testing is a touchy subject for most companies. If a company does not already have drug testing in place then it is a hard topic to bring up to employees. Drug testing is an essential way to make sure there is safety in the workplace. Not all employees are using drugs but the ones who are, need to be weeded out. Castulon should establish a drug testing program to ensure safety of employees and their company. The program they need to start is 100% testing on all new hires, and random testing on current employees. They would need to tell all employees that there will be random drug testing and that any employee who fails will be subject to disciplinary actions to include up to termination. Before the testing starts all managers need to have a meeting with their employees and inform them of the new testing and how it will be done. They also need to inform them of the disciplinary results if they fail the drug test. All testing procedures and policies need to be posted and accessible for employees to view at any time. The testing that would be set up would be a urine test. Once you are selected you will enter a room and not be allowed to leave until you have provided a sample. All samples will be private and the results will only be shared with the manager and the employee who took the test. If an employee fails due to prescription medication that they have a valid prescription for they will need to provide proof of that prescription, and no disciplinary...
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...In order to understand this complicated web of drug policy in America, there must be quite a bit of backstory provided. This can be traced as far back as 3,400 BC with the usage of opiates in China. Fast forward a couple thousand years to the 1820s in America, thus we can see that opiates came along with the migration of Chinese men. These men were coming for better opportunities, work, and freedom. By 1898, opium usage had become an integral part of society wherein people smoked opium in opium dens. White men were not allowed to the Chinese opium dens and vice versa. Then came along the development of heroin, to help curb morphine addiction, synthesized from the opium poppy, by Bayer. This plan backfired and had extensive unfavorable consequences....
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...current 'war against drugs' and its success or otherwise, globally and/or locally. Explain the debate and present an argument, supported by evidence, for either the continuation of a 'war against drugs' or for an alternative. Introduction The use of prohibited drugs has been predominant in Western society since the 19th century, with cannabis introduced to the United States in 1839, while opium was introduced to Europe and the United States through trade with China. These drugs were initially used for pharmaceutical benefits, but over time various legislatures introduced laws to administer, regulate and prohibit the use of various drugs. The declaration of ‘war on drugs’ took place in the United States of America (USA) in 1971. The historical response to the ‘war on drugs’ has been prohibition: the complete banning of drug use. This approach, which involves strict enforcement of illegal drug laws, has proven costly and ineffective (RCAP & RANZCP, 2004). This essay will focus on Australia’s current drug debate regarding the legalisation of certain prohibited illicit drugs. Whilst examining the Australian position, this essay will use international examples to illustrate how the current strategy fails and survey workable solutions. Firstly, this work examines the historical position of the ‘war on drugs’. It will outline the history of drug use in Australia and the nation’s current drug policy. This essay will then discuss the criminal, social, health and policy issues surrounding...
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...available information about drug-related policies that have been effective based on outcomes that have been reviewed. In most cases, crime occurs as a result of individuals engaging in alcohol and drug abuse. When individuals consume alcohol and drugs, their thinking gets impaired which can easily lead to crime. Crime and drug and alcohol abuse have a direct relationship; which affects the policy that is made in the field of drug control and public health by the government. One of the best available evidence based approaches has been an increase in taxation of alcohol so as to individuals’ numbers in the population that consume alcohol. An evidence-based treatment plan in drug policy...
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...Drugs have been produced since the 18th century in the United States. There are essentially seven types of popular illegal (and some legal) drugs that are used improperly in many ways which are: marijuana, LSD(acid), opium, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, codeine, and oxytone. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, anti-drug policies were ineffective, politicized and possess questionable data. Drugs were coming from different parts of Latin America, eventually coming to the U.S. from Europe. Drug policy in America has been ineffective more than actually being achievable or successful. Drugs are the enemy of the nation bringing crime, violence, addiction, foreign and economic policies in an immense catastrophe....
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...Public Policy: Prescription Drug Abuse According to the National Center for Health Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1999 and 2007, there has been a 402% increase in the number of prescription opioid pain relievers consumed by the U.S. public. From 1999 to 2007, the rise in prescription drug overdoses in the U.S. has increased by an astounding 17,000 and the deaths have increased from three deaths per 100,000 population to nine deaths per 100,000 (Chen, Hedegaard, and Warner). There are many experts declaring that there is an epidemic in regards to the amount of prescription drug abuse in America; others believe that the epidemic is a myth. But whether or not there is, the statistics are alarming. In order to...
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...Deborah Bristow Soc 318 Prof. Rinciari Drug Report/ Week 11 Molly AKA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Molly, Molly, Molly, I am a huge fan of all types of music and in the last couple of years I feel like I should know Molly on a personal level. Molly seems to be referenced in almost every hip hop song that you hear on the radio and I do find myself singing right along with the lyrics with references to Molly’s. I knew I had to find out what Molly actually was once I heard grade school kids referencing it and I honestly at the time could not explain what Molly was because I myself did not know. The references of Molly and drugs in general have come apart of our music culture…references to Molly can be seen a lot in hip hop with lyrics such as: “MDMA got you feeling like a champion/the city never sleep better slip you an Ambien.” Jay-Z “Empire state of mind; “Something about Mary, she gone off that Molly/Now the whole party is melted like Dali.” Kanye West “Mercy”; “Taken four door Bugatti/I’m the life of the party/let’s get these hoes on the Molly.” Rick Ross “Pop that”; “Now you know I’ on that Molly/told her I’m not trying to polly.”-French Montana “Molly”. It’s clear that the talk about Molly runs rampant through hip hop but it’s not only just there. Miley Cyrus is catching steam behind her coming back on the scene summer song “We Can’t Stop” that references using Molly while partying “So la da da di we like to party/dancing with...
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...Tyuleubekov Sabyrzhan Policies used to tackle illicit drug markets. In this essay, I want to define how the problem of illicit drug market is tackled by the governments one by one and jointly. I will try to determine which policies are the best in preventing illicit drug market and what policies international community regarding that problem uses. There are 4 types of illegal markets defined by Jens Beckert and Frank Wehinger, and the one I want to focus on is of type 1 (“illegality due to the outlawing of specific products”[1]). Free sale of hard drugs (excluding alcohol and nicotine) is prohibited everywhere and of soft drugs is prohibited almost everywhere. However, the global illicit drug market is huge and it has big impact on international community because of drug trafficking, drug-related crimes and the number of people involved in producing, transporting and selling drugs. States and international communities are making efforts to eradicate drugs from the society spending substantial parts of their budgets. As to international community’s efforts, the United Nations is the prime organization that “controls” drug flows around the globe. Since 1912 Hague Opium Convention, the international community decided to focus on supply side of the global drug market. They decided to allocate all resources on battling the supply side, because they thought that once they control supply side they would prevent drug use and abuse. Such supply-centric policies are damaging countries...
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...United States Drug Policy on Mexico and Colombia Drugs are not new to this Earth. Mankind has grown and consumed drugs for millennia. Marijuana, or more appropriately Cannabis, is indigenous to Central and South Asia, and has been consumed widely since 3000 B.C.E. (ElSohly 8). In more recent times (1938), Albert Hoffman synthesized Lysergic acid diethylamide, more commonly known as LSD, while searching for treatments for psychiatric diseases (Hoffman). Initially, many drugs were used in religious/spiritual functions. In several instances, the strong fibers of the Cannabis plant were used for building, much like jute, and the narcotic aspects of the plants were not even explored (ElSohly 8). However, today, drugs are frequently used recreationally, and as a result are highly profitable commodities. It is common knowledge that across the world, the vast majority of drugs are illegal or are restricted in some way. Almost nightly, proponents for the legalization of drugs, decriminalization of certain drugs, and the continued ban on drugs debate their positions through the media. This debate is a hot button issue that is almost entirely centered upon the views and policies of the world’s largest drug consumer, the United States of America (CIA Factbook). Governments and the media very often focus on drug consumption trends and drug flow into the United States, while largely ignoring Latin American perspectives and impacts on Latin America. Though drug production and drug use are major...
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...This is due to a long history of the United States of America’s war on drugs and its negative effects within underserved communities. Prior to the government’s pursuit against drug use, “many currently illegal drugs, such as marijuana, opium, coca, and psychedelics have been used for thousands of years for both medical and spiritual purposes” (Drug Policy Alliance). However, after certain drugs became associated with particular minority racial demographics, drugs gradually became criminalized. The Drug Policy Alliance, a group of advocates pushing for advanced drug policies, states that, “The first anti-opium laws in the 1870s were directed at Chinese immigrants. The first anti-cocaine laws, in the South in the early 1900s, were directed at black men. The first anti-marijuana laws, in the Midwest and the Southwest in the 1910s and 20s, were directed at Mexican migrants and Mexican Americans.” A large amount of the drug laws that are still in place today were initially established based less on science and testing and more on disparaging communities of people of color. This was displayed in the mid- 20th century when U.S. lawmakers stated that the term, marijuana, was Mexican slang for cannabis and enacted a ban on the drug that was laden with racist anti-Mexican rhetoric (About News). This type of bias criminalization was also demonstrated in...
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...NURSE PRACTITIONERS HAS A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS Primary care is usually the patient’s first contact with the treatment system, according to chapter 1 of Barton, Roemer’s model of a health services system defines primary care as the entry point into the health services system where diseases are diagnosed and initial treatment is provided, episodic care for non chronic illness and injuries is rendered, prescription drugs to treat common illness are provided, routine dental care done and potentially serious physical or mental health conditions that require prompt referral for secondary or tertiary care are diagnosed. A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has achieved an advanced level of education and training with a master degree as well as a higher level of training in the diagnoses and treatment of a range of common medical conditions and illnesses. Some nurse practitioners seek training in highly specialized areas of medicine as well. Their job is very similar to that of a physician. In fact, these professionals often have working relationships with physicians. They can perform the duties of a primary health care provider and can offer medical care to patients of all ages and are legally allowed to prescribe medications. Nurse practitioners will be in high demand, according to healthcare industry experts because of shortage in the number of primary care physicians available to treats patients, a growing and aging population combined with the need for healthcare services...
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...The laws for marijuana use varies a lot from the federal and state level. On a federal level, marijuana still remains a schedule 1 controlled substance. It is very much still treated like cocaine and heroin, in that it is highly addictive and has no medical value. The consequences of getting caught with it and charged on the federal side, can be very harsh. On a state level, the legality of marijuana is based on their laws that may have passed so people can have a certain amount. With that being said, there can still be issues with having marijuana dispensaries in the state of California. Since it’s still illegal on a federal level, they have been raided many times by the DEA because of this. When this happens, people are afraid to open up these shops in fear they will be forced to close because everything will be confiscated. On the state side of dealing with marijuana, the fines if any are a lot better, if there are any. In California, As of January 1 2011, possessing one ounce of marijuana or less is a minor infraction, with a maximum fine of $100. Having a larger amount, can be punishable with fines of up to $500 and six months in jail. But California medical marijuana card holders are able to grow and possess a certain amount as long as they don’t have the intentions of doing selling it. California Proposition 215 (Prop 215), Patients may have up to 8 ounces of processed marijuana or 6 mature plants. It is possible to get a medical marijuana card, depending on...
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...As public attitudes towards drugs begin to change, and the failure that is prohibition slowly dies, the populace is demanding a better drug policy from the state. The status quo of developed nations’ drug policies is prohibition, which has had minimal success to date. It continues to unfairly punish those who choose to use narcotics, and only harming themselves. In 2008, the United Nations estimated that globally, approximately 200 million people took illicit drugs at least once in the past year. The use of illicit drugs has proven to be nearly impossible to control, and the state would be better off allocating its drug enforcement resources to other sectors, such as drug treatment. Portugal portrays an accurate depiction of the effectiveness of a decriminalized state focusing on harm reduction. The state’s drug policy should be a total legalization of all drugs, with an emphasis on harm reduction, public health, and strict regulations. Prohibition has caused more harm than good for minorities and developing nations. For over a century, prohibition was believed to be the only effective method of controlling drug usage; this is no longer the case. Thus, the main objectives of prohibition are pointless to begin with. The current prohibition laws have created vast economic disparities for millions of minorities. The skewed enforcement of drug laws on minorities allows for discretionary arrest, making victimization is all too easy. Tougher drug laws are the reason why 29% of black...
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