...Evidence Based Practice: Nursing Care of Infants Affected by Heroin Abuse Christina Anderson Cochise College Lisa Benson February 16, 2011 Evidence Based Practice: Nursing Care of Infants Affected by Heroin Abuse According to Wang (2010), the prevalence of prenatally exposed newborns to one or more illicit drugs averages approximately 5.5 percent. Substance abuse during pregnancy can negatively affect the fetus and neonate. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center (n.d.), heroin is a highly addictive and rapidly acting opiate that is produced from morphine. According to Murray & McKinney (2010), the signs and symptoms observed in the neonate will be different depending on the type of drug used by the mother, but common signs seen in a neonate experiencing neonatal abstinence syndrome include: irritability, jitteriness, diarrhea, frequent regurgitation, and tachypnea. In cases where heroin is used, these signs and symptoms most commonly become apparent 1 and 144 hours after birth, and may last from 7 to 20 days (Cloherty, Eichenwald, & Stark, 2008). Nursing Diagnosis An appropriate nursing diagnosis for an infant experiencing withdrawal from heroin would be disturbed sensory perception related to altered sensory reception as manifested by irritability, jitteriness, and restlessness (Ackley & Ladwig, 2008; Cloherty, et al., 2008). This disturbed sensory perception could exacerbate the infant’s already increased heart rate, respiratory rate, and fluid loss...
Words: 1317 - Pages: 6
...Crime, Organized Crime, Illicit Drugs and Violence. Illicit drugs affect everyone. They may cause family problems, health problems even effort jobs or your performance. Even with the use of drugs that may have to be swallowed or even injected into your own body could increase chances of obtaining the HIV virus. But drugs that we smoke like marijuana could cause lung cancer. Illicit drugs can also affect the brain, by causing the brain cells to die and in cases resulting in permanent brain damage. The abuse of drugs also affect the economy, people using drugs are accident waiting to happen. Each year drug uses is the cause of a large number of accidents at home, office and on the roads. Everybody pays the price of drug abuse more cops and prisons more hospitals and treatment centers and many lives lost. Australia has approximately one drug overdose death each year. Broadly speaking, the prevalence of illicit drugs has been falling since the late 1990’s though some drugs have increased over that period. The authoritative reports below will summaries the trends as follows. In 2010, approximately 15% of the national population 14 years and above had used one or more illicit drugs in the past 12 months, with Cannabis the most commonly used illicit drug (10.3%), followed by MDMA (ecstasy),(3.0%) and amphetamines and cocaine (each used by 21%). Non – medical pharmaceutical use (0.2% to 0.4%). Just by using drugs they become part of the drug world. They are already committing...
Words: 2184 - Pages: 9
...Introduction Marijuana is one of the most controversial drugs in the world and is a subject to serious discussion in the United States today concerning its illegal status. Marijuana should be legalized in all 50 states because the positive effects outweigh the bad effects, especially when it is associated with medicinal usage. “In the last two years, four states have voted to decriminalize it within their specific jurisdictions” (Allen, 2015). “In December 2013, Uruguay, a South American country, became the first country to make marijuana possession and use nationally legal. In other countries such as the Netherlands, retail sales are allowed but commercial production is still widely prohibited” (Netzley, 2014). Marijuana growth and use in...
Words: 1234 - Pages: 5
...America's War on Drugs: Policy and Problems In this paper I will evaluate America's War on Drugs. More specifically, I will outline our nation's general drug history and look critically at how Congress has influenced our current ineffective drug policy. Through this analysis I hope to show that drug prohibition policies in the United States, for the most part, have failed. Additionally, I will highlight and evaluate the influences acting on individual legislators' decisions to continue support for these ineffective policies as a more general demonstration of Congress' role in the formation of our nation's drug policy strategy. Finally, I will conclude this analysis by outlining the changes I feel necessary for future progress to be made. Primary among these changes are a general promotion of drug education and the elimination of our current system's many de-legitimating hypocrisies. However, before the specific outcomes of Congressional influence and policy impact can be evaluated it becomes important to first review the general history and current situation of drugs today. Our present drug laws were first enacted at the beginning of the century. At the time, recreational use of narcotics was not a major social issue. The first regulatory legislation was for the purpose of standardizing the manufacturing and purity of pharmaceutical products. Shortly after, the first criminal laws were enacted which addressed opium products and cocaine. Although some states had prohibited...
Words: 4953 - Pages: 20
...There are several presidents who ran their campaigns on combating the War on Drugs; during their time in office they established or enhanced policies and laws that affected the incarceration rates and drug awareness in our country. During the Nixon administration, the Controlled Substance Act was enacted and made effective May 1st, 1971. The Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention also was established in 1971. The Drug Enforcement Administration was created by Nixon in 1973. Since Nixon publicly declared the War on Drugs, stating that drugs were the public's number one enemy, it is clear when his administration’s intent to commit mass incarceration and racial inequality began. During the Nixon Administration, according to the Sentencing...
Words: 1136 - Pages: 5
...work, is less predictable, and is more likely to cause birth defects should the abortion fails. Political Issue – There are suspicions that the Harper Government is politically involved in the Mifepristone’s latest delay as it will conveniently postpone the decision until after the fall election. Canadian Women Rights – Since the medication has been approved and has been greatly beneficial to women in many other countries, Mifepristone’s delay has also been seen as an issue of women’s right to a medical treatment that is considered as the Gold Standard for medical abortion. ANALYSIS – Policy Cycle, Key Interests, Institutional Factors, and Ideas Stage of Policy Cycle: Health Canada reverted back to the Policy Formulation stage from the Decision Making stage as they requested Linepharma for more information regarding Mifepristone, consequently delaying the ruling on the drug even longer. The decision is being made at the Federal and Legislative level, which has nation-wide effects. Key...
Words: 807 - Pages: 4
...Department of Justice IG/GAO Report Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 3 CONTROLS OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING NEEDS IMPROVEMENT 3 Recommendations 4 Management Response 4 REPORTING OF NON-VALUED EVIDENCE 4 Recommendations 5 Management Response 5 INADEQUATE FUNDS MANAGEMENT CONTROL 5 Recommendations 5 Management Response 6 BIBLIOGRAPHY 8 \ DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IG/GAO REPORT INTRODUCTION The Department of Justice (DOJ) is led by the Attorney General and consists of forty-two agencies, which cover a variety of responsibilities. DOJ prosecutes federal law offenders and represents the U.S. Government in court. DOJ is responsible for enforcing the law and defending the interests of the United States. The objective of the Department of Justice’s internal control program is to provide reasonable assurance that operations are effective, efficient, and comply with applicable laws and regulations; financial reporting is reliable; and assets are safeguarded against waste, loss, and unauthorized use. The Department identifies issues of concern through a strong network of oversight councils and internal review teams. These include the Department’s Senior Assessment Team, the Justice Management Division’s Internal Review and Evaluation Office and Quality Control and Compliance Group, and Departmental component internal review teams. The Department also considers reports by the Office of the Inspector General...
Words: 1581 - Pages: 7
...DRUGS ARE NOT FUNDING TERRORISM Vanda Felbab-Brown, who is an expert in international conflict and organized crime and a senior fellow in the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Washington, DC-based Brookings Institution, argues that the narrative of terrorist organizations involved in drug trafficking is founded on “half-truths.” Felbab-Brown contends that is agencies use some cases, and manipulate facts in the drug trade to justify its involvement. "Many of these links are vastly exaggerated, and based on extraordinarily shabby evidence, the narco-terrorism narrative is based on a lot of drama and myth” says Felbab-Brown.(71) Felbab-Brown dismantles the idea that terrorist organization are narco-terrorist by saying...
Words: 809 - Pages: 4
...Non Technical Executive Summary: Police Drug Seizures Effects on Admission into Drug Treatment Facilities The United States executes yearly reports on illegal drug activity. These reports contain statistical information on supply estimates of four major illegal drugs (cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine). The data retrieved from police seizures on illegal drugs constitute important information to formulate policy, execution, and monitoring. Estimations have been difficult to develop due to unreliability of the nature of drug production and trafficking. Credibility has been sustained due to new approaches developed within the last decade. Evolution of methodologies due to the inadequacy of methods in the past which produced contradiction based upon supported evidence presented in the United States. Methodologies have been confirmed as more useful for long term changes as year to year variation have made conclusions inadequate (Cala, 2012). The Office of National Drug Control Policy sponsored research to update previously published estimates of illegal drug availability on the streets based on both demand and supply data. The demand-based methodology estimates the magnitude of drugs by calculating consumption based on surveys of drug use and frequency. Drug Availability Estimates in the United States (DAEUS), estimates the magnitude of drugs based on supply indicators such as potential production estimates and seizures (Cala, 2012). The studies contribute to prevention...
Words: 611 - Pages: 3
...Introduction Youth residential facilities all across America are filled with the future of our workforce. While in these facilities young people are taught to be functioning attributes to society, and the main way to do this is by obtaining employment. Often these youth are plagued by physical and mental disabilities that will give them a harder road than someone applying for the same position. The U.S. Census Bureau says that about 49.7 million Americans have a disability. Those with a physical disability were 9.4 percent, mental disability was 5.6 percent for people age 16 and older, and 6.9 percent had an employment disability (census.gov). When youth leave facilities were they have been groomed and ultimately institutionalized, they are stuck without skills that will help them obtain employment and be able to compete in today’s society. The research in this paper will explore the laws that protect those with disabilities and how they may be improved to provide them with equal employment opportunities. These youth put so much of their self-worth into having a job but are often discriminated against. Getting up and being involved in a working society puts forth an image of belonging as so many times in their past they have been shunned aside and made to feel inferior by those most important to them. Disability discrimination occurs when an employer or other entity covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, or the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, treats...
Words: 8776 - Pages: 36
...cons when it comes to this debate and some physician, US government and other officials are against the legalization of medical marijuana. Bill Frist, a former US senator stated that” although I understand many believe marijuana is the most effective drug in combating their medical ailment, I would be caution against this assumption due to the lack of consistent repeatable scientific data available to prove marijuana’s medical benefits. Based on current evidence, I believe that marijuana is a dangerous drug and that there are less dangerous medicines offering the same relief from pain and other medical symptoms.” The US government officials John Walters believe that smoked marijuana damages the brain, heart and immune system. It impairs learning and interferes with memory, perception, and judgment. Smoke marijuana contains cancer- causing compounds and has been implicated in high percentage of automobile crashes and workplace accidents. Through out the years marijuana has known to be a gateway drug. A new federal report release that younger children are when they first use marijuana, the more likely they are to use cocaine and heroin and become dependent on drugs as adult. Increase in the likelihood of cocaine and heroin use and drug dependence are also apparent for those who...
Words: 1187 - Pages: 5
...cons when it comes to this debate and some physician, US government and other officials are against the legalization of medical marijuana. Bill Frist, a former US senator stated that” although I understand many believe marijuana is the most effective drug in combating their medical ailment, I would be caution against this assumption due to the lack of consistent repeatable scientific data available to prove marijuana’s medical benefits. Based on current evidence, I believe that marijuana is a dangerous drug and that there are less dangerous medicines offering the same relief from pain and other medical symptoms.” The US government officials John Walters believe that smoked marijuana damages the brain, heart and immune system. It impairs learning and interferes with memory, perception, and judgment. Smoke marijuana contains cancer- causing compounds and has been implicated in high percentage of automobile crashes and workplace accidents. Through out the years marijuana has known to be a gateway drug. A new federal report release that younger children are when they first use marijuana, the more likely they are to use cocaine and heroin and become dependent on drugs as adult. Increase in the likelihood of cocaine and heroin use and drug dependence are also apparent for...
Words: 1188 - Pages: 5
...The program to control the entry of illegal drugs into the country was a failure in 1987. If the program had been successful, the wholesale price of most illegal drugs would not have dropped substantially in 1987. 13. The argument in the passage depends on which of the following assumptions? (A) The supply of illegal drugs dropped substantially in 1987. (B) The price paid for most illegal drugs by the average consumer did not drop substantially in 1987. (C) Domestic production of illegal drugs increased at a higher rate than did the entry of such drugs into the country. (D) The wholesale price of a few illegal drugs increased substantially in 1987. (E) A drop in demand for most illegal drugs in 1987 was not the sole cause of the drop in their wholesale price. A) Opposite. Passage implied that the supply of illegal drugs did not drop. B) Out of scope C) Out of scope D) Our of scope E) The passage implies that the whole price of drugs fell because they were not able to stop the illegal imports. So a drop in demand was not the only reason. | http://gmatclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=139&t=23306&bookmark=1 | Insurance Company X is considering issuing a new policy to cover services required by elderly people who suffer from diseases that afflict the elderly. Premiums for the policy must be low enough to attract customers. Therefore, Company X is concerned that the income from the policies would not be sufficient to pay for the claims that would be...
Words: 3140 - Pages: 13
...levels (1). Mass incarceration is a concern, as high rates of incarceration cause considerable disadvantages to society (16). Policies derived from the War on Drugs influenced the widespread of mental and substance abuse disorders among populations of incarceration (16). In order to accomplish the goal of preventing incarceration, evidence based treatments within corrections focus on prevention strategies (16). Evidence supports the idea of healthcare interventions aiding in the reduction of crime, and recidivism rates (16). These types of interventions can reduce costs to society, and improve the therapeutic outcomes of individuals who suffer from substance abuse and mental disorders (16). Mental health courts (MHC) offer a promising alternative to incarceration. Crime can produce inevitable effects, and cause society to experience considerable economic costs (1). The combination of correctional and drug policies in the United States have contributed to the rise in prison populations across the country, resulting in billions of dollars in economic losses (1). Programs such as problem-solving courts can generate benefits by reducing costs caused by crime. The objective of many MHC studies is to provide evidence that...
Words: 1143 - Pages: 5
...How effective have harm reduction interventions been in reduction of Hepatitis C incidence among Injecting Drug Users in the UK? 1.0 Introduction The prevalence of Hepatitis C (HCV) internationally is largely unknown mainly due to the fact that most individuals have no symptoms in the early stages of the infection. The WHO estimates the figure at 170 million people infected with HCV and it is estimated that approximately 3-4 million people are newly infected each year . Injecting drug users (IDUs) are at greatest risk from HCV through the sharing of injecting paraphernalia. In the UK estimates from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) data has the number of people chronically infected with HCV at 216000 of which 90% are attributable to IDUs with over 40% of the IDU population being HCV antibody positive . Some estimates of numbers with HCV in the UK suggest about 500000 . In 2010, new HCV infections diagnosed in the UK was 10,381 of which there were 7384, 106, 2129, and 312 in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales respectively . There appears to be higher rate of transmission among IDU now than a decade ago; 23% compared to 12% in 2000 Although UK is classified as a low prevalence country for HCV; The HCV poses numerous challenges for public health in terms of potentially preventable mortality and morbidity. According to NICE guidance, it would cost the NHS about £1.6 billion to treat all Hepatitis C patients. The cost therefore of failing to diagnose and...
Words: 4151 - Pages: 17
