...Dangers Associated With the Use of Illicit Drugs: Article Critique Abstract “Health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and alcohol” written by the Cabarrus College of Health Sciences is straight to the facts and extremely informative. This article was a brief summary on: Marijuana, Cocaine, Crack, Barbiturates, Hallucinogens, Ecstasy, Alcohol abuse and Narcotics. This information was intended for health professionals and possible counsellors to better assist their patients with risks, side effects of illicit drug use. This article was clear and concise facts of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. It provided very key information such as the street names of the different drugs and their effects on the fetus in pregnant women. I felt that by providing this type of information to health professionals and counsellors, it aids them in being able to connect with their patients on an individual level by understanding their language. It is extremely important to know the lingo of drug terms so that the professional will know exactly what drug or drugs the patient may be referring to and be able to assist them adequately. It is also equally important to provide with pregnancy related drug abuse to be able to educate the mother on the dangers of continued abuse of illicit drugs and/or know what to look for in babies born to mothers that use. “Health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs and alcohol”, provided information that was in simple language...
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...Title: Harmful affects of illicit drugs Claim: Illicit drugs should stay illegal Argument: P1: Drugs are addicting and can cause overdoses P2: Drugs have harmful impact on the body. C: Legalizing drugs would give the wrong message to young adults. Discussion: Illicit drugs are non-medical drugs that are prohibited by law. "Drug abuse kills about 200,000 people worldwide each year, according to a new United Nations (UN) report. Global treatment for drug abuse would cost $250 billion per year if everyone who needed help received proper care, according to the UN" (drugfree.org). (P1), Drugs can be addicting, especially to teenagers because they are going through a rough change in life. Most teenagers turn to drugs to help them cope with the challenging difficulties they face. Some are peer pressured into using illicit drugs. Young adults can be hooked onto these "frenemies" and be distracted from their life goals. However, it only takes one mistake to put all their life to an end when they are "unknowingly" handed and overdose of that drug. If illicit drugs were legalized, the it would give more reason to...
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...Norman Jones Illicit Drug and Enforcement Strategies April 26, 2013 Professor David Makin In Project 2, I proffered that the proliferation of illegal drugs, has negatively impacted our economy, environment, learning institutions and society as a whole. I had mentioned that America had been fighting drug abuse for almost a century, beginning in the mid-nineteen century, but so far, the policies of government has yielded very limited results in the fight to stem trafficking of illegal drugs across our borders. According to an executive summary by the National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS), current drug use indicates, that although the number of casual users is declining, hard-core use remains high, use among young people is increasing and production and distribution of illegal drugs is on the rise. In this paper, I will examine the role of the Mexican drug market into the U.S., with the hope of finding enforcement strategies that will aid in crime reduction. There is little doubt, that the use of illicit drugs is a global problem. Not only have they affected nearly every country in the world, but also people of all ages (National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIDA 2007). Despite multiple efforts to fight against production, distribution and consumption of illegal drugs, it continues to be one of the biggest global businesses, at some $322 billion (UN World Drug Report, 2007). The nature of drugs, being a consumer item, means it is constantly in need of replenishment. The profits...
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...illegal drug problems. Although we hear terms like The War on Drugs and Drug Treatment, a fresh approach to this issue is overdue. The country should take a new look at drug legalization as a solution to a problem that has been long out of control. Addiction and drug abuse are such buzzwords these days that a clear clarification is needed of what is meant by these terms. Addiction has crossed the line from being defined as a physical dependency on drugs to include such classifications as religious addiction, shopping addiction, food addiction, work addiction, television addiction, and love addiction. Although a person may feel that he or she can’t live without their particular addiction, there is no scientific proof or medical test for an addict. To keep things in the broadest perspective, addiction will be defined here as the continual repetition of a normally non-problematic behavior to self-destructive access. This 3 definition leaves room for a broad range of behaviors without physical cause that will allow for a search of the real problem behind the behavior and not the excuse of saying that it is the result of a disease. Since addiction is believed to be a social problem then an attempt at cutting off the source of addiction, drugs in this case, is thought to cure the problem. If that be the case then gambling and food abusers should be treated the same as addicts. Since drug legalization is the topic of this essay let us focus on alternatives to the War on Drugs. One possibility...
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...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 in which drugs are produced ...
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...It was not until the 1920’s when cannabis became popular as a recreational drug in the United States. Edward M. Brecher (1972), in The Consumers’ Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs, attributes the increase of cannabis consumption to alcohol prohibition (Maisto et al., 2011). At this time, there was little public concern over the use of cannabis. However, in 1926 a series of articles were printed in two New Orleans newspapers, describing cannabis as a “menacing” presence and attributing many crimes and heinous acts to its use. Although these reports were fabricated and aimed particularly at minority groups, a law in Louisiana mandated a $500 fine or 6 months of imprisonment if caught with cannabis. Although this did not affect the rate...
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...The illicit drug trade in France is a very controversial topic in such country because of the variations it can have and of the many exceptions that are sometimes allowed. France has taken a firm position in encouraging the development of prevention centers and programmers rather than actually punishing the consumers. It believes, though it believes that more effort must be put into restricting the consume of these products and punishing those who distribute it. France developed a Three-Year Plan to Combat Drug Use and to Prevent Dependence (1999-2001) where it clearly states that the aim of such program is not “to change the law or modify the hierarchy of prohibitions”. While France has created successful institutions to deal with this problem, estimates have shown a high percentage of consumption especially cannabis, alcohol, tobacco and heroin. Since 1982, France has counted on the Inter-departmental Mission for the Fight Against Drugs and Drug Addiction (MILDT). “The MILDT prepares the government plans for the fight against drugs, and monitors the application of these plans.” While enforcing the policies made to combat drug traffic, the MILDT believes that users should be placed instead of punishment, in rehabilitation centers where there addictions will be treated. Another two relevant institutions are French Monitoring Centre for Drug Addiction that collates available data on drugs and dependencies; and the Drug Information Service, a service that offers telephone...
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...Impact of Illicit Plant and drug production on Colombian Deforestation Introduction Illegal substances hurt and destroy not only the lives of the users; they devastate the environment they are grown and manufactured in as well. Since the 1970’s the illegal drug industry in Colombia encompassing everything from growing coca plants to the perceived government solutions have been destroying the lush Colombian ecosystem. Colombia is geographically superior to every other country in South America for three reasons. The first reason being that that it is the only country in the continent that shares a border with Latin America. Next reason is they have both pacific and Atlantic coastlines. The third reason is they have huge amount of biodiversity and unbeaten growing conditions. For these reasons along with a global high demand for illegal substances and certain indigenous plants have made illicit plant/drug production flourished in Colombia for over 40 years. The boom in demand for cocaine came in the 1970’s and has continued to today. In the year 2000 it was estimated Colombia is responsible for 75% of the worlds coca. (Energy & Ecology business editors, 2011) Not to mention the large-scale opium poppy and marijuana production occurring in Colombia. This illegal drug industry wreaks havoc on the Colombia’s Environment more specifically their forests. Deforestation has gradually been getting worse and worse in Colombia since the introduction of the illicit crop and drug trade...
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...Illicit drugs n effects -Herion: Heroin is an opiate processed directly from the extracts of the opium poppy. It was originally created to help cure people of addiction to morphine. Upon crossing the blood-brain barrier, which occurs soon after introduction of the drug into the bloodstream, heroin is converted into morphine, which mimics the action of endorphins, creating a sense of well-being -Cocaine: is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. It is both a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant, giving rise to what has been described as a euphoric sense of happiness and increased energy. the initial signs of stimulation are hyperactivity, restlessness, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and euphoria. -Methamphetamine: popularly shortened to meth or ice, is a psychostimulant and sympathomimetic drug. Methamphetamine enters the brain and triggers a cascading release of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. Since it stimulates the mesolimbic reward pathway, causing euphoria and excitement, it is prone to abuse and addiction. -Lysergic acid diethylamide: LSD, LSD-25, or acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the tryptamine family. Arguably the most regarded of all psychedelics, it is considered mainly as a recreational drug, an entheogen, and a tool in use to supplement various types of exercises for transcendence including in meditation, psychonautics, and illegal psychedelic psychotherapy...
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...[pic]Drug dependence - Overview Alternative Names Drug addiction; Addiction - drug; Dependence on drugs Definition of Drug dependence: Drug dependence means that a person needs a drug to function normally. Abruptly stopping the drug leads to withdrawal symptoms. Drug addiction is the compulsive use of a substance, despite its negative or dangerous effects. A person may have a physical dependence on a substance without having an addiction. For example, certain blood pressure medications do not cause addiction but they can cause physical dependence. Other drugs, such as cocaine, cause addiction without leading to physical dependence. Tolerance to a drug (needing a higher dose to attain the same effect) is usually part of addiction. Causes, incidence, and risk factors: Drug abuse can lead to drug dependence or addiction. People who use drugs for pain relief may become dependent, although this is rare in those who don't have a history of addiction. The exact cause of drug abuse and dependence is not known. However, a person's genes, the action of the drug, peer pressure, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and environmental stress all can be factors. Peer pressure can lead to drug use or abuse, but at least half of those who become addicted have depression, attention deficit disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or another mental health problem. Children who grow up in an environment of illicit drug use may first see their parents using drugs. This may put them at a...
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...Illicit Financial Flows From Developing Countries: 2001-2010 Dev Kar and Sarah Freitas December 2012 Illicit Financial Flows From Developing Countries: 2001-2010 Dev Kar and Sarah Freitas1 December 2012 Global Financial Integrity Wishes to Thank The Ford Foundation for Supporting this Project 1 Dev Kar, formerly a Senior Economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is Lead Economist at Global Financial Integrity (GFI) and Sarah Freitas is an Economist at GFI. The authors would like to thank Simón Ramírez Amaya, an intern at GFI, for assistance with data research as well as Raymond Baker and other staff at GFI for helpful comments. Any errors that remain are the authors’ responsibility. We are pleased to present here our analysis of Illicit Financial Flows From Developing Countries: 2001-2010. In our previous annual reports we have utilized the World Bank Residual model adjusted for trade mispricing, presented in both gross non-normalized and in filtered normalized calculations. In this year’s report we are adding a second form of analysis, the Hot Money Narrow model adjusted for trade mispricing, again presented in non-normalized and normalized calculations. The results for 2010 are summarized as follows: World Bank Residual Plus Trade Mispricing, Non-Normalized World Bank Residual Plus Trade Mispricing, Normalized Hot Money Narrow Plus Trade Mispricing, Non-Normalized Hot Money Narrow Plus Trade Mispricing, Normalized US$ 1,138 billion US$ US$...
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... Jane Manson Can Medication Generate a False PTSD Event? During the past few decades, many soldiers have returned from war (Dessert Storm, Dessert Shield, Iraq, and Afghanistan) with having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic experience and sleep disorders. Traumatic experiences have a different effect on each person. Each person that went to war had a different mission. Each of these soldiers has experienced different variations of the war from their contributions. Some of the soldiers have been medicated during the wars, and some are being treated after the wars. Many have been on medication prior to the war and sent with these medications. This doctrine is going to depict if medications and drugs, whether legal or illicit, have caused a kind of PTSD event within this special group of people. The people that make up the military force and veterans are approximately one percent of the population of the United States. This is a much-diversified group of people. They comprise of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. These are further broken down to reserves and national guards. They also come from different ethnic backgrounds, race, male and female alike. Many reports have been made in the media about the soldiers that have returned about the various treatments they have experienced and care that has been provided them. The purpose of this proposal is to find out if medications have generated a false PTSD-like state...
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...Insite: The Battle over Supervised Injection Sites In the 1990’s there was an epidemic of HIV outbreaks in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Injection drug users were found to be the leading cause of this, and a public health emergency was declared (Fafard, 2012). The “mortality and morbidity” resulting from this increasing injection drug use became a major political issue. This resulted in the adoption of harm reduction by the government as one of their four pillars of their drug strategy (Fafard, 2012). Harm reduction “is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use” (Boyd, 2013). In September 2003 Insite, North Americas first harm reduction supervised injection site, was opened (Boyd, 2013). It was a three-year pilot project sanctioned by the Federal government under Canada’s Controlled Drugs and Substance Act. The goal of Insite is to “improve the health and welfare of injection users, reduce the spread of disease through sharing on needles, reducing public injection use, and reducing overdose deaths due to injections” (Boyd, 2013). Since it’s opening it has been under constant political scrutiny. It had support under the Liberal government from 2003-2006, but lost that support once Stephen Harper and the Conservatives secured control (Boyd, 2013). Despite support for Insite from international organizations such the World Health Organization, the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Public Health Association...
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...potential benefits and risks to each patient before prescribing medications. They understand that drugs affect the body in many ways and take into account things like the patient’s age, weight, and medical history; the drug’s form, dose, and possible side effects; and the potential for addiction. People who abuse drugs might not understand how these factors interact and put them at risk, or that prescription drugs do more than cause a high, help them stay awake, help them relax, or relieve pain. Personal data. Before prescribing a medication, doctors take into account a person's weight, how long they've been prescribed the medication, and what other medications they are taking. Someone abusing prescription drugs may overload their system or make themselves vulnerable to dangerous drug interactions that can cause seizures, coma, or even death. Form and dose. Doctors know how long it takes for a pill or capsule to dissolve in the stomach, release drugs to the bloodstream, and reach the brain. When abused, prescription drugs may be taken in inappropriate doses or by routes of administration that change the way the drugs act in the body and brain, presenting overdose risk. For example, when people who abuse OxyContin crush and inhale the pills, a 12-hour dose hits their central nervous system all at once—which increases the risk of addiction and overdose. Side effects. Prescription drugs are designed to treat a particular illness or condition, but they often have other effects on...
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...In: Other Topics Mock Code Cardiopulmonary Arrest PNCI - Learner Robert Johnson Age: 60 Weight: 70 kg Base: Stan D. Ardman Patient History Past Medical History: Hypertension well-controlled by medication, hypercholesterolemia and obesity; minor car accident three weeks ago in which he sustained whiplash Allergies: No known drug allergies Medications: Lopressor (metoprolol), Zocor (simvastatin) Code Status: Full Code Social/Family History: Married with two adult children who live locally; Does not smoke, drink or use illicit drugs Handoff Report Situation: The patient is a 60-year-old male in room 425 on the Orthopedic Unit who is recovering from an anterior-posterior interbody fusion of L4 – L5 performed two days ago. His has had an uneventful recovery. He is in his room eating breakfast. Background: Hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and obesity. The hypertension has been well controlled by his medication. He is wearing a soft neck collar for support following a minor car accident three weeks ago in which he sustained whiplash. The patient has no known drug allergies and is awake and alert. Assessment: Vital signs: HR 87, BP 128/62, RR 18, SpO2 has been 98% on room air, Temp 37.1oC Cardiovascular: No telemetry; HR regular Respiratory: Clear in both lung fields GI: Advanced to full liquid diet and tolerating it well GU: Voiding clear, yellow urine Extremities: Pink, warm and with adequate turgor; Movement is strong in all...
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