...addicting and harmful to your body. A drug may be considered dangerous because the possession and distribution of the drug generates an increase in crime. A drug may be considered dangerous because it is mentally addicting and the likelihood of an overdose is high. In my opinion, heroin is the most dangerous drug to our culture because it is one of the most physically and mentally addicting substances in our culture. Furthermore, addiction to heroin leads to heavy, compulsive use, which greatly increases the risk of overdose and death. According to our text, there is only a small number of heroin users in the United States. Most of these users are physically and psychologically addicted to the substance and use heroin on a regular basis. Our text states, “Heavy heroin users inflict a great deal of damage on the rest of society—and in turn, society inflicts a great deal of damage on them.” (p.267). Although there is only a small number of heroin users in our society, heroin use is problematic because heroin accounts for almost all drug-related overdoses, compared to drugs with more widespread use such as cocaine and marijuana. Not only is heroin dangerous because of the likelihood of addiction, it is also dangerous because there is a narrow gap between the effective dose and the lethal dose. The effective dose is the amount of the drug it takes for the user to feel the effects, while the lethal dose is the amount of the drug that it takes to cause death. Heroin only allows a...
Words: 1264 - Pages: 6
...nicotine and alcohol. This issue has been pushed to the forefront of the public consciousness over the course of the past 30 years. Murphy and Rosenbaum 1999, describe maternal prenatal substance abuse as “chronic use of alcohol and/or other drugs by pregnant women”. It is my belief that the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs during pregnancy is still child endangerment .All these tetatogen’s can kill your baby or cause serious problems for them with the development of cognitive, physical, social, and emotional abilities. It is unfair to the child to have no control over what has caused them problems with development as a result of their mother’s teratogen use; therefore there should be consequences as a result of their harmful decisions. It is understood that a women has the right to do with her body what she wants and that some that are pregnant: drink, smoke, or use illegal drugs with no signs of birth defects apparent in the born fetus. In addition, I do have compassion for those addicted to drugs that may require...
Words: 2198 - Pages: 9
...Heroin- While researching heroin I learned it is basically morphine! Heroin is extracted from the seed pod of the Asian opium poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black sticky substance. In 2011, 4.2 million Americans aged 12 or older had used heroin at least once in their lives. 9.2 million people use heroin in the United States! It is estimated that about 23 percent of individuals who use heroin become addicted to it. Heroin can be injected into the body, snorted, or inhaled. All of the ways of doing heroin are harmful and addictive. If someone takes it once and then it wears off then that person will go through withdraws and crave more. When heroin enters the brain, it is converted back into morphine, which...
Words: 757 - Pages: 4
...illicit and licit drugs that millions of people use every day are heroin, morphine, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), fentanyl (Duragesic), codeine, oxycodone (Oxycontin and Percocet), and hydrocodone (Vicodin and Hycodan). These drugs are known to have serious side effects and withdrawal symptoms on the human body and brain. “More than half a million people in the United States are addicted to heroin, with an estimated 156,000 new users in 2012” (Davison & Neale, 297). Opiates can be smoked, taken orally, and by injection. There used to be speculations that only men where using opiates, but now are women too. Opiates, “Relieve...
Words: 1150 - Pages: 5
...suffer from this, Pakistan is the worth victim of the drug trade in South Asia. Today, the country has the largest heroin consumer market in the South-West Asia region. It was not always this way. Pakistan became a major explore of heroin in the 1980s, following the influx of Afghan refugees escaping the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The major consequences of this have been a significant increase in domestic consumption of heroin in Pakistan. Heroin was once upon a time a drug which was virtually unknown in the country until the late 1970s. Today Pakistan is not only one of the main exporters of heroin; it has also become a net importer of drugs. It is estimated that about 50 tons of opium are smuggled into Pakistan for processing heroin for domestic use. Almost 80 percent of the opium processed in Pakistan comes from neighboring countries. Drug situation is witnessing changing trends, as in fashion. Chars, opium and heroin used to be the primary choice of drugs. But now a synthetic drug such as Ecstasy and finding their place in parties which are held in posh localities; almost the educated, the upper middle and the rich class and this development concern us greatly. Drug production for Pakistan’s domestic market is estimated at close to $1.5 billion. Drug addiction is a condition characterized by compulsive drug intake, dependency, and causes harmful effects....
Words: 730 - Pages: 3
...Society felt the need to be protected by the dangerous effects these substances offer. Not to mention, there are still communities who have a strong support for prohibition to continue against these drugs. There is no doubt that anti-drug campaigns have tremendous influence on people’s behavior. Nevertheless, media is considered an area of focus in our lives. For example, in our country, you have television, newspapers, and even magazines to shine light on society in regards to the reality of drug use and abuse. That way these media contributors can show the people that most of these social problems that occur can be reduce to such an extent where the individual can come off...
Words: 1752 - Pages: 8
...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 and when you come down you usually pass out, like if you got drunk. It also impairs a person driving ability and sometimes it can make you see things that are not really there. “A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more...
Words: 2145 - Pages: 9
...the main dilemma is how to exactly stop it. Some people believe that making drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, and methamphetamine legal in the United States would put a stop to drug trafficking, but this is just going to do nothing but make things worse for the people of the United States and cause the drug war to begin in our own country. It is believed by some that making drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, and methamphetamine legal in the United States will stop drug trafficking from other countries and help the United States in other ways. People believe that making drugs legal in the United States that it would reduce the prison population which will save the government money, it will make money for our country because the government can tax the drugs, reduce the chances of drug overdoses because the drugs will be more pure and the amount sold will not be deathly, help cancer and glaucoma patients, and stop trafficking and smuggling from other countries. This all may be true in some ways but making these drugs legal would just cause more problems within the United States and for our people. These problems vary from more crime within the United States to more jobless people in the United States. Also it is not going to make the drug traffickers disappears they will find ways to stay in the drug trade. So if people would research the effects of these drugs and what legalizing them would do to the United States they might think twice about this and find...
Words: 2196 - Pages: 9
...Drug abuse is one of the most discouraged behaviors in our country. Use of illegal drugs Is harmful to the user and all those with whom the user comes in contact. There are over 40 million illegal drug users in the world today. Illegal drug abuse must be stopped as They hurt our society. Drug users are parasites, feeding off society's money, taxes and insurance. Every type of insurance goes up because of drug abuse, including auto, health and homeowners. Worst of all, the crime rate will sky rocket if we let this behavior continue. Illegal drugs and their abusers are a plague to society for many different reasons. Drugs have very harmful effects on the user and the people that the user interacts with. The user is affected in many ways. The most popular drug, alcohol, is generally thought of as socially acceptable and relatively harmless. But it can have devastating effects. Alcohol might seem very harmless but it can harm the user very easily. Alcohol is easy to obtain and consume. It is taken as a beverage and, since it is legal, it can be purchased at the corner store. The immediate effects on the user are relaxation and a slight anesthetic effect. Alcohol is a very addictive drug. There are more than 5 million alcoholics in Australia which is and indication of how widespread its harmful effects are. Alcoholics normally drink a lot on mornings and weeknights, at times which separate them for noraml "social" drinkers. Often, the alcohol will...
Words: 946 - Pages: 4
...Heroin has become a very popular drug of choice in the American drug culture today and has a very strong addiction to the user. The name Heroin is the name for a modified version of morphine that is very addictive and illegal opioid drug in today’s society. When the user of this drug Heroin is takes in the heroin, it will become very harmful because continued use of heroin can destroyed the user mental health and will also effected your Physical appearances as well. When the user uses Heroin there are many ways that it can be used, heroin can be injected into the body. Heroin can be smoked or even snorted it to the body which will go into your systems. Heroin has been in use from now and has been in used from even the mid to late 1800’s....
Words: 970 - Pages: 4
...Kevin Belanger English Comp 2 Analysis Response Marijuana, Medically Benign: A Look Into its Effects Phillip Boffey, formerly the president of the National Association of Science writers and currently the director of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, is an editorial writer for the New York Times. He recently published an article about the health effects of marijuana titled “What Science Says About Marijuana.” The article is delivered in an informative and scientific tone by using research and proven facts to an audience most likely advocating the use of marijuana. It’s clear that anyone who picks up this article is most likely a user of the drug interested in its effects, or someone advocating for the legalization, or medical regulation of marijuana on a national scale. Boffey argues in his thesis that “It needs to be kept out of the hands of minors. But, on balance, its downsides are not reasons to impose criminal penalties on its possession, particularly not in a society that permits nicotine use and celebrates drinking.”(2) Boffey aims to educate his readers about how marijuana is far less harmful to the human body than some other completely legal substances like alcohol, tobacco, and prescription medications. While marijuana’s health effects may be minimal, these effects largely depend on the frequency of use, the age of the user, and if the user has any previous existing medical conditions. Phillip Boffey launches his debate on the subject with...
Words: 1412 - Pages: 6
...psychologically unsafe. (interruption) Throughout history, as mentioned, two sides of this subject arise: one side suggests that marijuana use is not usually harmful; the other side suggests that marijuana use is harmful. Both sides have the common ground of the individual user’s health and the tendency to advance to other narcotics. However, the side that supports that marijuana is harmful has the stronger argument. One side of the argument, covered by J. M. Rey, A. Martin, and P. Krabman (2004), in an article “Marijuana Use Is Harmful,” urges that adolescences are unaware of the lasting effects of cannabis use. First, Rey, Martin, and Krabman (2004) make a case for action by reporting that adolescences who use marijuana gain a lifetime dependency for the narcotic. (introduction) In New Zealand, data collected suggests one in ten people exposed to marijuana develop a dependency (p. 21). Next, Rey, Martin, and Krabman (2004) affirm the evidence supporting that marijuana is a gateway drug. The authors state that cannabis use could gradually escalate to the use of an illicit, life-threatening narcotic such as heroin (p. 22). Rey, Martin, and Krabman (2004) continue by making a connection between cannabis use and poor school performance and eventual unemployment (p. 24). The authors cite various causes and explanations for the effects on users. For example, Rey,...
Words: 1221 - Pages: 5
...What is substance abuse Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. Psychoactive substance use can lead to dependence syndrome a cluster of behavioral, cognitive, and physiological phenomena that develop after repeated substance use and that typically include a strong desire to take the drug, difficulties in controlling its use, persisting in its use despite harmful consequences, increased tolerance, and sometimes a physical withdrawal state . What happens to the brain during addiction? The first time an individual takes drugs is usually a voluntary decision. With continued...
Words: 2024 - Pages: 9
...Meaning it’s the drug that leads you to other harmful drugs, like cocaine, coke, heroin, etc. I’ve known of a lot of people who have died from drugs like cocaine and heroin, but I have never heard of someone dying from marijuana. From my knowledge marijuana is a plant, and you can consume any amount of it and won’t have severe side effects. The side effects that I’ve heard comes from marijuana is sleepiness, and eating more than usual. Marijuana is only legal in a few states, like Colorado, and Washington. There are 23 states that have legalized medical marijuana, and 7 states that are on the verge of legalizing it. The issue is marijuana is illegal in most states and a lot of people are getting in federal trouble because they have been caught with it by the police. Not only that most people think of marijuana as a drug that causes harm to our society. I believe that marijuana should be legal to some extent. Marijuana has been used for decades, and no one hasn’t suffered any death from it. I wouldn’t consider it a drug because of the fact that you can’t overdose using it. People use other medical drugs such as ibuprofen, Tylenol, and other pain relievers, which is legal to use. People that use these drugs can overdose and kill themselves. What I don’t understand is how something that isn’t harmful as other drugs be illegal, but drugs that have or can cause possible harm is legal. I understand that people think that the side effects of marijuana is worse than other drugs but every...
Words: 665 - Pages: 3
...Andre Williams Mark Davis English 101 19 November 2014 Legalization of Marijuana Cannabis, more commonly known as marijuana, is a plant that originated from South Asia and the Central continents. This unique plant is grown from a plant and its intended use is for medical reasons, but more so people smoke it sociably. Over the past century it has been labeled as an illegal drug and criminalized in many states. Marijuana has become a very popular downtime drug that pot users enjoy to smoke on a regular basis to achieve a calming sensation. Unlike other illegal drugs, marijuana has no mental or physical effects that will alter how a person thinks in the long term or overall appearance of body features. Our generation have been exposed to the "negative and positive side of this drug" that has been promoted through music, TV, magazines, and society as a whole. Since the time this unique plant surfaced it has been scrutinized and formed ridiculous laws behind its name, many people have expressed their feelings of concern on how it could help people medically and also destroy people mentally. Marijuana is generally used daily by people for the benefit of healing and relaxing and it is also used illegally to sell and make a profit. The current drug laws are doing more harm than good, Legalizing marijuana would benefit the country in many ways. Typically, people who use marijuana do not progress to using the drug daily, or for long periods of time. There are in fact some who...
Words: 1045 - Pages: 5
