Free Essay

Drug

In:

Submitted By Kilam
Words 1157
Pages 5
In this paper I'm going to compare depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogen. I've chosen alcohol as the depressants. Cocaine is what I have chosen as the stimulant. As my last choice, I've chosen Ecstasy. After I compare the aforementioned substances, I will give a theoretical explanation for why an individual would choose to use one or more of these drugs.
Let begin with alcohol. It is classed as a depressant, meaning that it slows down vital functions—resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions and an inability to react quickly. As for how it affects the mind, it is best understood as a drug that reduces a person’s ability to think rationally and distorts his or her judgment. Alcohol overdose causes even more severe depressant effects like: the inability to feel pain, toxicity where the body vomits the poison, unconsciousness, coma, or death from severe toxic overdose. These reactions depend on how much is consumed and how quickly. There are different kinds of alcohol. Ethyl alcohol, ethanol, the only alcohol used in beverages, is produced by the fermentation of grains and fruits. Fermenting is a chemical process whereby yeast acts upon certain ingredients in the food, creating alcohol. Fermented drinks, such as beer and wine, contain from two percent alcohol to twenty percent alcohol. Distilled drinks, or liquor, contain from forty percent to fifty percent or more alcohol. Today, an estimated fifteen million Americans suffer from alcoholism.
Next up is the stimulant, Cocaine. Cocaine is one of the most dangerous drugs known to man. Once a person begins taking the drug, it has proven almost impossible to become free of its grip physically and mentally. Cocaine is a drug in a powder form or crystal form. The powder is usually mixed with substances such as corn starch, talcum powder, sugar, or other drugs such as procaine or amphetamines. Extracted from coca leaves, cocaine was originally developed as a painkiller. It is most often sniffed, with the powder absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. It can also be ingested or rubbed into the gums. To more rapidly absorb the drug into the body, abusers inject it, but this substantially increases the risk of overdose. Inhaling it as smoke or vapor speeds absorption with less health risk than injection. Cocaine use can lead to death from respiratory failure, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage or heart attack. Cocaine causes a short-lived, intense high that is immediately followed by the opposite intense depression, edginess and a craving for more of the drug. People who use it often don’t eat or sleep properly. They can experience greatly increased heart rate, muscle spasms and convulsions. The drug can make people feel paranoid, angry, hostile and anxious. Today, cocaine is a worldwide, multibillion-dollar enterprise. Users range from all ages, occupations, and economic levels. In the United States, the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that thirty-five million Americans aged twelve and older reported having used cocaine.
Ecstasy is the last drug on the list. Ecstasy is a hallucinogen drug that can cause hallucinations. It is known as a designer drug because it is created for the purpose of making someone feel high. The drug is popular with teens and young adults who go to clubs, concerts, or "rave parties." Ecstasy often contains hallucinogens, which are drugs that act on the mind and cause people to see or feel things that are not really there. Hallucinogens can throw a person into a scary or sad experience from the past, where he or she gets stuck without even realizing it. Ecstasy, today contain a wide mixture of substances from LSD, cocaine, heroin, amphetamine and methamphetamine, to rat poison. Ecstasy is emotionally damaging and users often suffer depression, confusion, severe anxiety, paranoia, psychotic behavior, and other psychological problems. Ecstasy smothers the natural alarm signals given out by the body. As a result, after taking the drug, an individual risks going beyond his physical limitations and endurance. For example, a person on Ecstasy may not realize that he has become overheated and can faint or even die of heatstroke. According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated twelve million Americans aged twelve or older tried Ecstasy at least once in their lives, representing five percent of the US population in that age group.
Now I'm going to use the labeling theory as a why to explain why individuals choose to use drugs. Labeling theory is the theory of how the self-identity and behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them. It is associated with the concepts of self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotyping.

Labeling can also mold the way someone behaves in their lives especially if they cannot shake off that label. There are many in society who view drug taking as something that should not be done because it is medically bad for you, breaks the law and leads an individual down what might become a dark path. For example, A 13 year old girl is caught taking drugs and is labeled a deviant by her friends when they find out. Her parents find out and reinforce the deviant label. Her parents tell her school. Her teachers search her bag on a random search and find drugs. She is permanently excluded from school and the police are informed. She's arrested and cautioned. She cannot find another school in time to take her exams and therefore can only find low paid work. She eventually starts to steal from the shop that employs her in order to buy the drugs that give her an escape from the things she calls her life. The shop finds out and she is fired and the police are informed. She is arrested and charged with theft. She now has a criminal record. She cannot get another job as she has to declare her criminal record to prospective employers. He steals from parents to get some money. She can't deal. She gets stressed. She then proceeds to take an overdose of cocaine that has been cut with impure chemicals and dies at the age of 21. While the above may seem stereotypical to some, others would see it as a self-fulfilling prophecy that is the result of being labeled.
All in all, the stimulant, hallucinogen, and depressant I chose have similarities and differences. I've chosen alcohol as the depressants. Cocaine is what I have chosen as the stimulant. As my last choice, I've chosen Ecstasy. The labeling theory validates the reason individuals use drugs.

References
n.a. n.d. Chemcial Compostion of Alcoholic Beverages, Additives and Contaminants.n.d
n.a.n.d Cannabis, Coca, & Poppy: Nature's Addictive Plants.n.d.
n.a.n.d. “Ecstasy” Kids Health. n.d. http://www.vadic.org/wp-content/uploads/ecstasy-the-big-lie.pdf A. Crossman.n.d.Labeling Theory.About Education.n.d

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Drugs

...DRUGS Raymarr Shivers COM/220 April 8,2012 Jennifer Gaylor Introduction Dependency on drugs is considered by many as different in kind and is a chronic illness. Some people think that a drug pusher is just like committing murder. Drugs have been with us since the beginning of time. Depending on different eras and cultures drugs are used differently and with agriculture large quantities of drugs are able to be produced. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that the drug epidemic has destroyed many dreams and lives of people of all ages and races. Just about anyone can become an addict when trying out a drug. Most people already know that pain medication is prescribed and available easy and too much and in turn this is creating addicts. In the year of 2010 pharmacies dispensed something like 42 tons of hydrocodone and 69 tons of oxycodone. That’s enough drugs to give each human being in the United States of America 24 Vicodins and 40 Percocet’s. Prescription drugs are exceeding all drugs in levels of abuse. The rates are staggering with deadly results all across...

Words: 2189 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Drugs

...DRUGS What is drug? A substance that alters the nervous system and consumed without a prescription, may be addictive and its use usually is socially or legally prohibited or restricted to the field of medicine. A legal drug complies with the rules or the laws established by the U.S. Department of Food and Drug Administration. Illegal drugs is contrary to law or is not permitted by law, it is illegal and is punishable in court with jail against crime to health to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States the Drug Enforcement Administration is in charge of that. Both illegal and legal drugs have a big impact in society, but their effects are different with individuals and in the society. Drugs not only hurt the person taking it. A lot of other people around you suffer the consequences. The drugs interfere with the relationship with the environment, family and work, and they can seriously compromise the learning process, especially for youth and adolescents. In addition, the drug increased the risk of all types of accidents. Therefore, in addition to the individual consequences, is the whole society (in varying degrees) that suffers from drug problems. And these problems are of all kinds: health, economic, cultural, of insecurity. No wonder, therefore, that drugs pose a collective concern and that, to deal with its consequences, many countries have implemented policies...

Words: 1335 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Drugs

...The Drugs at a Friend’s House scenario is a constant issue to most officers. Many officers want to go out with the same people or friends that they have had prior to the force. However, a lot has changed in the officer. Some will turn a blind eye and the others will do what they need to this is the moral issue that the officer has in front of him/her. I would say that policy dictates, different departments have different policies concerning the authority of off-duty officers, but in many places an off-duty police officer does have the legal right to detain an offender until an on-duty officer arrives to finish the process. The key factor in such an action is proper identification, however. An off-duty police officer who commits an illegal act has no more rights or legal protections than any other regular citizen. When placed in this kind of predicament, I would first tell talk to my friend and see if he has knowledge of the drug use. If he does, I would give him a chance to fix it and get rid of the users. If it is shown that my friend is unconcerned or do not know the users I would call the department and have officers come by the location. When the officers arrive, for safety purposes, I would approach the users and identify myself. Place a statement and have them arrested. I would explain my reasons to my friend and if he does not understand then they are truly not a friend. It is time to find other to hang out or to party...

Words: 277 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Drugs

...Illegal Drugs Kara Easler COM/220 July 11, 2012 Barbara Plyler Illegal Drugs is something you hear in the news on a daily basis. You hear about how some should be legal and how they should not be legalized. They are either talking about Marijuana, Cocaine or the number of illegal drugs that are out there in the world. Illegal Drugs affect everybody from young kids to grown up adults. Sometimes we see it ruin families and lives of people we care for. This essay is going to go over why drugs should stay illegal and ways we can help people stay off the drugs. First of all let’s talk about some of the drugs and what they are about. The first drug that is going to be talk about is Marijuana. They are trying to legalize that in every state for medical use. There are people who don’t want to see that happen. They want people to realize the effects it has one people. Some of the effects it has on people are “within a few minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke, an individual's heart begins beating more rapidly, the bronchial passages relax and become enlarged, and blood vessels in the eyes expand, making the eyes look red. The heart rate, normally 70 to 80 beats per minute, may increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute or, in some cases, even double. This effect can be greater if other drugs are taken with marijuana.” (Why illegal drugs should stay illegal). Well that could cause a person to have heartache, which is not good. It also gives you a natural high that makes you hungry...

Words: 2145 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Drugs

...and high school aged kids these days, and the fad is rapidly increasing. A drug is any chemical taken into the body that alters normal body processes. The proper use for a drug is to stablize a person who has an illness or is in pain. A drug can supress sensation, or increase it, depending on what the patient's problem is. In many ways this can be considered a good thing. A cancer atient won't have to sit out on everyday things because they are in too much pain. However, one of the leading causes of death today is due to drug-related accidents caused by people who were not supposed to be taking them. Drugs in our society are more common than people think. Until recently, caffiene, while only a mild drug, was offered in every school cafeteria. While caffiene isn't as bad as other popular drugs like marijuana, it's still very addictive. Harder drugs like Ecstasy and Cocaine can cause more lasting damage, such as hard addiction, heart problems, and even death on the first experience. While marijuana creates a high that can last all day, it damages much needed brain cells that could be used for more important things, like schoolwork. The worst part about the high use of drugs in schools today is ignorance from peers and teachers. Many people assume that since it's so common that it must be okay to do them, but it won't be okay when someone you love gets Drugs came in our life and destroyed any relations between parents and children. I...

Words: 437 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Drug

...standing in here. Well, I will begin my speech about “Drugs". Drugs are an illegal substance that some people smoke, inject, drink, eat for the physical and mental effects it has. Many students consume drugs for fun or of other reasons. They (drugs) deal in the environment through the network. The main target is the students. At the beginning, the students consume as a free try. After a period of time, they become the drug addict and always buy and consume it. The sale of drugs is very careful and neat. The students also involved on dealing it. Based on the observation, the students consume the drugs because of stress. They can’t solve their own problems, like family problem. The disorder in the family makes drugs to be the escape to finish the problem. It is to calm down the instant thought. Besides that, the poverty makes the students involve on selling and dealing the drugs in order to get the pocket money. The result of the observation is that the average of the drugs consumers becomes addicted. The students don’t realize that the drugs consumption has the negative impact for them, like the intelligence decreases, mental disorder, death and many kinds of disease. It is very hard to recover from this impact except in the drugs rehabilitation with the high cost. Many cases are found that rehabilitation can’t recover the patients because of the worst condition. I suggest all the students not to consume the drugs because they can destroy the health, future and can cause...

Words: 395 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Drugs

...Although illegal and prescription drugs are dangerous to use, in some ways prescription drugs are more dangerous. Prescription drugs are just as deadly and addictive as illegal drugs and often just as easy to get purchase without a prescription. All drugs can pose a risk and undesirable side effects, sometimes even serious ones. As to my opinion, I consider prescription drugs to be more dangerous to use. People are under the false illusion that prescription drugs are safe to use. The common misconception is that prescription drugs are not as dangerous or addictive as illegal drugs because the medication is prescribed by a physician. Some people believe that it is not as dangerous and the chance for addiction is not as high when in fact when not taken correctly prescription drugs are just as addictive. Prescription drugs are only safe when taken by the person they are prescribed to and always under a physician’s care. People experiment with prescription drugs sometimes because they feel it will make them have more fun, lose weight, fit in with the crowd and in the case of some students help them study more effectively. Prescription drugs can be easier to get than street drugs. Family members or friends may have them, but prescription drugs are also sometimes sold on the street like other illegal drugs. In 2009 a study from the Center of Disease Control, estimated that 20 percent of people in the United...

Words: 490 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Drugs

...Christianity point of view. b) Law of the land. DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE. INTRODUCTION. DEFINITION. Drug. 1) A drug is any chemical you take that affects the way your body works. Example: alcohol, caffeine, aspirin, nicotine etc. 2) A drug is a substance which may have medicinal, intoxicating performance when taken by a human body. Drug abuse. 1) It is the use of illegal drugs, the misuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs for at least a year with negative consequences. 2) Compulsive, excessive and self-damaging use of habit-forming drugs or substances, leading t addiction or dependence, serious physiological injury(e.g. damage of kidney, liver, heart) and/or physiological harm(e.g. dysfunctional behavior patterns, hallucinations, memory loss),or death. Substance abuse. Harmful/hazardous use of psychoactive substances including alcohol and illicit drugs. Substance abuse is also sometimes referred to as drug abuse. Drug and substance abuse has become a disaster and an issue to be addressed urgently worldwide. In Kenya, drug abuse is one of the major problems alongside poverty, corruption and HIV/AIDS. However, whereas the HIV/AIDS prevalence is coming down, drugs and substance abuse is on the increase compounded by lack of a traditional control system and frustration arising from unemployment, idleness and poverty. WHY SUBSTANCE AND DRUG ABUSE IS AN ISSUE OF CONCERN. Since the issue of drug abuse came into existence, a lot of measures to curb...

Words: 3596 - Pages: 15

Free Essay

Drugs

...A drug is, in the broadest of terms, a chemical substance that has known biological effects on humans or other animals. Foods are generally excluded from this definition, in spite of their physiological effects on animal species. In pharmacology, a drug is "a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being." Psychoactive drugs are chemical substances that affect the function of the nervous system, altering perception, mood or consciousness. Alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine are the most widely consumed psychoactive drugs worldwide. Recreational drugs are drugs that are not used for medicinal purposes, but are instead used for pleasure. Common recreational drugs include alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, as well as other substances such as opiates and amphetamines. Some drugs can cause addiction and habituation and all drugs can cause side effects. Many drugs are illegal for recreational purposes and international treaties such as the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs exist for the purpose of legally prohibiting certain substances. Etymology In English, the noun "drug" is thought to originate from Old French "drogue", possibly deriving later into "droge-vate" from Middle Dutch meaning "dry barrels", referring to medicinal plants preserved in them. The transitive verb "to drug" arose later and invokes the psychoactive rather than medicinal properties of a substance. Medication...

Words: 924 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Drugs

...Drugs Javier A. Dominguez COMM/215 Professor Kenneth Frawley Drugs One of our most important worldwide issues today is the elimination of illegal drugs. However, getting rid of said drugs is extremely tough and complicated. Despite the constant fight to get rid of the illegal drugs, they remain and continue being used in our culture. So why is there little success in taking care of the problem? It obviously is not a lack of effort. A strong attraction to drugs still exists, but it is the prevention of this thirst for drugs that we need to put our efforts and attention in order to eliminate illegal drugs from society. The biggest mistake is that we are focusing on correcting drug abusers instead of getting rid of the desire to use them. However, applying more laws and more severe punishments against the drug abuse problem has yet to prove to be an effective method. Every day, drugs continue to be produced, distributed, and used around the globe. We have attempted to find locations of drug users and a drug producer to “punish them”, but this method does not stop anything. In one recent study from the National Health Service (NHS) information centre of “6,519 school pupils, about 12% of children in England and Wales are likely to have used drugs in the last year” (Guardian 2012). We manage to track down places where the drugs are, and close them down to prevent any further distribution and/or producing of drugs. But again, this method is not effective because it...

Words: 839 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Drug

...As one prescription drug abuser in his early 20’s explained: Once people (pill brokers) know you take them prescription opioids, they’ll start calling you. “Oh, it’s this time of the month.” Then they wait for that person to get their script. They know exactly in their head what day the script’s getting ready to come so they got the patterns down. Pill brokers and dealers reported congregating in open air drug markets typically strip mall and pharmacy parking lots, and outside methadone clinics to buy, sell, and trade prescription drugs. These markets were reported to involve a variety of transactions, including the purchase of prescription drugs for cash, as well as trades for crack and heroin. Pill brokers also reported the purchase of used fentanyl patches from nurses who have stolen them from pain patients or from disposal containers in hospitals. Some individuals frequenting the drug markets also barter their oxycodone for other opioids or benzodiazepines, typically alprazolam. Doctor Shopping focus group participants indicated that even in a small state like Delaware, doctor shopping appeared to be fairly easy. The vast majority of abusers reported obtaining medications through doctor shopping, and most reported frequenting at least four physicians in order to obtain sufficient amounts of their desired medications. Occasionally clinics and hospital emergency rooms were reported as locations for doctor shopping as well. A heavy user stated: Another focus group member...

Words: 3476 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Drugs

...Drugs and the Brian People use drugs every second, every minute of every day they are just a devastating part of our lives, but it’s your choice to use them or not. The first drug every recorded was ethanol [alcohol] around 4000 b.c. Over a hundred years ago drugs were used for “special’ occasions (Bishop). Nowadays kids use them like they’re candy and by their 45th birthday they’re almost dead. Drug abuse is one of the leading causes of cancer, death and mental illness. Drug abuse is the second largest form of abuse in teens ages 13-18 (alcohol is number one). The Effects of Drugs Drugs can quickly take over your body, like somebody is controlling you from the inside making you 35% more likely to steal, fight, and getting a D.U.I [driving under influence] (“Marijuana Myths and Facts”). Next they hijack your “reward” circuit and make you overdose on dopamine [gives you good feelings] this will happen in your limbic system (is the set of brain structures that forms the inner border of the cortex). Certain drugs will interfere with your nervous system and change the way you send receive and process information (“Teen Drugs”). THC [delta-9-tetrahyfrocannbinol] is a very harmful substance found in many drugs it rapidly passes though the lungs into the bloodstream and leads to your brain. This will have many short and long term effects, for example memory loss, hard time thinking/concentrating and problem solving. Short term effects like time/perception loss or anxiety...

Words: 521 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Drug

...11/14/2014 Drug Addiction Treatment in the Criminal Justice System | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Home » Related Topics » Criminal Justice » Drug Addiction Treatment in the Criminal Justice System Drug Addiction Treatment in the Criminal Justice System Revised April 2014 Print Drug Use, Crime, and Incarceration The connection between drug use and crime is well known. Drug use is implicated in at least five types of drug-related offenses: [i] 1. Offenses related to drug possession or sales 2. Offenses directly related to obtaining drugs (e.g., stealing to get money for drugs) 3. Offenses related to a lifestyle that includes association with other offenders or with illicit markets 4. Offenses related to abusive and violent behaviors, including domestic violence and sexual assault 5. Offenses related to driving while intoxicated or under the influence, which can include property damage, accidents, injuries, and fatalities. [ii] Incarceration Drug use and intoxication can impair judgment, resulting in criminal behavior, poor anger management, and violent behavior. Sometimes drug users steal money or property to be able to buy drugs. Often they will commit crimes while “high” on drugs, and many drug users are sent to jail or prison. In 2012, nearly 7 million adults were involved with the criminal justice system (State or Federal prisons, local jails), including nearly 5 million who were under probation or parole supervision. [iii] A 2004 survey by...

Words: 2473 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Drugs

...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...

Words: 771 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Drugs

...advantage of certain type of drugs that cause them to be dangerous. When people hear the word “drugs”, they automatically assume something negative. Drugs can come in all shapes, forms, or fashion. Drugs can come from a doctor, bought from a dealer off the street, or in a grocery store, either way; a drug can affect people in different ways. Alcohol is also considered to be a drug, and can also be addictive and toxic if too much is consumed. Prescription and illegal drugs can have different names for identity. Some examples of prescription drugs are: Hydrocodone and Adderall, these drugs must be provided by a doctor. Some examples of illegal drugs are: LSD and Ecstasy AKA X or Ex, and these can be bought from a dealer off the street with no prescription. According to the website of Illegal Drugs, “Cocaine is the powerful stimulant found in nature and is considered to be a Schedule II controlled substance. It is illegal to possess, sell, or grow and cannot be used as an anesthetic.” According to the website of Illegal Drugs, “Cocaine comes from the leaves of a cocoa plant which grows in South America and transformed into a white powder.” This particular drug can be addictive because it causes the blood vessels in the body to become narrow, constricting the flow of blood. Prescription drugs can be taken for different reasons, but can also be addictive if not taken properly. According to the website of Turning Point of Tampa, “Prescription drug abuse is a modern day plague...

Words: 786 - Pages: 4