...Millions of people are addicted to drugs and alcohol; thousands upon thousands of those people die every year due to drugs and alcohol. The trouble usually begins at a young age. A girl named Savannah first started taking drugs when she was only ten years old. Both of her parents were drug addicts, and her mom was the one who got her started with drugs and alcohol. She would constantly use drugs: taking pills, smoking marijuana, and drinking completely excessive amounts of alcohol. She talks about how her life changed when she went to The Phoenix House to recover from her addictions. After incredibly hard work, she has fought her addiction. Savannah is looking forward to the rest of her life, hopefully with no drugs or alcohol. With full optimism,...
Words: 1527 - Pages: 7
...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
...no harmful effects that would change how a person lives their life. I will list both sides of the issue in order to make a clear decision. Legalization: * Marijuana is not any more harmful than that of alcohol or tobacco products; in fact, thousands of people are killed every year from the effects of smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol. While there are no reported cases of people dying from the effects of marijuana. * Restricting the use of marijuana is an intrusion on people’s personal freedoms; the drug does not hurt the user or people around them in a way that should be considered a threat. So the government should not have the power to say you can’t use marijuana. * An estimated 21 billion dollars a year would be brought in if marijuana was legalized; this would come from the taxation of the crop, and also the money spent to prevent the use of “criminals” who use this drug, who would no longer be incarcerated saving billions of dollars nationwide. Similarly, law enforcements could turn their focus to more important crimes, such as murder, theft, etc. instead of ruining the lives of individuals who are trying to enjoy their life. * If Marijuana was distributed by the government, it could be safely monitored and made sure that harmful chemicals weren’t being put in it that the user wasn’t aware of. * Despite the fact that marijuana is illegal, teens across the U.S. report that out of marijuana, tobacco products, or alcohol, marijuana is the easiest drug to...
Words: 721 - Pages: 3
...Future According to the government’s national Survey in 2010 on Drug Use and Health, over 22 million Americans that are twelve years or older use illegal drugs. If so many people are already using them, why not make them all legal? Although the idea of making every drug legal would give a huge economic boost to the economy, it is extremely dangerous. Therefore, the American government should only allow a few less harmful drugs to be legal. Alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, caffeine, and herbal drugs should all be legal as the economic and overall benefit to society outweighs the detriment. Although caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and herbal drugs are already legal, marijuana is not. Marijuana should be legal as it has very little effect on the health of the user and it has the possibility of lowering the United States current debt. If marijuana is sold as a legal drug and is then taxed like alcohol or nicotine is currently, it would yield tax revenues of approximately 46 billion dollars per year (Ghosh). The legalization of marijuana would reduce government costs and raise tax revenues, saving the government roughly 8.8 billion dollars. As for health concerns, marijuana is not nearly as harmful as many other easily acceptable substances. For example, in Jodi Bullock’s article “Pot’s No Different from Alcohol, Legalize It,” she states that between 2001 and 2005, an average of 80 000people died from direct alcohol use or alcohol-related issues, such as vehicular accidents or violence (Jodi)...
Words: 1169 - Pages: 5
...the cannabis sativa plant. This drug can either be brown, gray, green or purple. It has multiple names; cannabis, grass, marijuana and weed are only a few of them. Marijuana can be used in multiple ways. It can be smoked through a water pipe, “joint”, smoking paper used to roll it into, or as a “blunt,” which is a hollowed out cigar filled with the drug. It can also be made into edible items such as brownies or cookies. It was originally brought to the “New World” in 1545, but was introduced and used as a cash crop in Jamestown in 1611. The drug never really caught on and had been used until the 1920’s. Many people believe that the prohibition was the cause of the cannabis use. It was mostly used by people in show business and was not considered a social threat, but yet a treat (Narconon). Marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia until 1942. The United States Federal Bureau of Narcotics conducted a campaign in the 1930’s to show that weed is dangerous to society and is very addictive. In 1937 the Marihuana Tax Act made Cannabis federally illegal in the United States. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana along with heroin and LSD as a Schedule I drug (Narconon). Should this product really be illegal? People look at it as being such a negative drug, but have they ever really looked at the positive views of marijuana, its effects, how it compares to alcohol and what Americans think of it. Cannabis is a drug that has many different uses. It can...
Words: 1454 - Pages: 6
...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
...the third most popular recreational drug in America (only behind alcohol and tobacco). It also has been proven to be less harmful than alcohol and tobacco in numerous occasions. Which brings up the question why is this drug not legal. In 1905 El Paso, Texas banned marijuana as a way of discouraging Mexican-American subcultures from developing. By the 1930's it was banned over thirty states in America. Marijuana related arrest for possession sadly affect African-American and Hispanics reinforcing the perception that law enforcement is biased and prejudiced against minorities. According to the New York Times "Minorities were nearly four times as likely as whites to be arrested on charges of marijuana possession, even though the two groups used the drug at similar rates, according to new federal data". The laws against this drug are executed primarily against minorities in this country. On June 18, 1971 President Richard Nixon held a press conference regarding our nation’s drug abuse and prevention, the day that he introduced our country to the term "War on Drugs". On this day he declared drug abuse to be "public enemy number one", stating his devotion to more federal resources to the "prevention of new addicts, and the rehabilitation of those who are addicted". This was in response to the cocaine and heroin splurges in the 1970's but this epidemic focused on all illegal psychoactive drugs such as weed, meth, cocaine, heroin, etc. A "War on Drugs" Federal law passed in 1986 which...
Words: 1037 - Pages: 5
...Moises Roldan Drug, Alcohol and Behavior Prof. Aikens Alcohol Alcohol is not only one of the most consume drugs not only in the United States but worldwide but it is also one of the most dangerous drugs. There are many studies to support and prove this statement. According to a study made in London, England by CNN alcohol ranks as one of the most harmful among a list of 20 other different drugs including: heroin, and crack cocaine. A panel of experts from the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD) focused in not only the physical, but psychological, and social problems caused by the drugs and based on this determined that alcohol was the most harmful, almost three times (3) as harmful as cocaine and tobacco. The excessive drink of alcohol is a worldwide problem that a lot of people are involved in. People who consume this drug in excessive amount will potentially have short and long term consequences and effects. Some of the side effects alcohol can lead to are many different health problems. Not only physically but sociological problem as well. The effects that a person will be very likely to get when abuse of the substance are base in certain factors such as: 1. How much of the substance the person consumes. 2. How often the substance is consume; the more the amount consume and the more often it is drink the more dangerous and the more likely for the person to experiment and face the effects of it. 3...
Words: 1263 - Pages: 6
...debate regarding the legalization of soft drugs such as marijuana is capable of being characterized as one which pits the concept of freedom of the individual against the concept of a paternalistic State. Advocates of legalization argue that amongst other things, marijuana is not only less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, which are legal substances, but also as a matter of fact has been proven to possess certain medicinal property. The people who support the legalization are member of law enforcement and medical professionals, who really know how ineffective and unnecessary in stance prohibitionist. In contrast, those opposed to legalization argue that the legalization of marijuana will act as a precursor to increased addiction to harder drugs. This will necessarily lead to an increase in the crime rate and accident rate as well. In this article, I would like to explicate both sides of the debate and provide the evidences that support the idea of legalizing marijuana. Why marijuana should not be legalized? Critics claim that all drugs are addictive; they would rob the drug users of free will. Marijuana is considered a drug that associated with unfashionable lifestyles. It is often thought of as a drug for hippies and losers. Drug users can not have rational and informed decisions to continue using drugs because the use of the drug would eliminate their ability to think logically. The use of marijuana leads to the use of harder drugs like morphine and cocaine. This would ultimately...
Words: 2541 - Pages: 11
...negatively plagued society. The complexities surrounding addiction are not easily overcome. These complexities are even more defined in cases of substance abuse by pregnant women, including legal addictive substances such as 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
...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
...Introduction Marijuana is a psychoactive drug made from the dried leaves and flowering parts of the hem plant (Dudley, 1999). Marijuana contains an active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC. It is one of the most strictly classified illegal drugs in the United States. Marijuana is a schedule I substance. Schedule I means that marijuana has a high potential for abuse. It is illegal to buy, sell, grow, or possess marijuana in the United States. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. Marijuana is derived from the plant Cannabis. War on Drugs Marijuana prohibition comprises a large part of the federal government’s War on Drug’s. Law enforcement officials made 600,000 marijuana-related arrests in 1995 (Gerdes, 2002). The criminal prohibition of marijuana, this represents an extraordinary degree of government intrusion into the private, personal lives of those adults who choose to use it. People convicted of marijuana offenses face penalties ranging from probation to life imprisonment, plus fines and forfeiture of property. The government spends millions of dollars annually on preventative programs such as Dare Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), in which local police officers visit schools to teach young people to refrain from trying marijuana and other drugs. Marijuana Medical Uses Despite federal laws prohibiting marijuana in 1996, California and Arizona passed state initiatives legalizing marijuana for medical use by patients...
Words: 1485 - Pages: 6
...Drug Profile Paper Lainie Goodell PSY/425 September 27, 2010 Dr. Maria Cuddy-Casey Drug Profile Paper Addiction is an illness that usually progresses over time. Addiction is something that the body and the mind become used to and therefore all control is lost. Most addictions are caused from substances that are used to alter the mind and body. The psychology of addiction is the mind and physiology is the brain. Both the mind and the body can become addicted to substances and have altering, often painful, effects on the body if there is withdrawal. Even some substances, though legal, such as prescriptions are often abused the most. The following will address the different types of substances, including prescription drugs, their effects and withdrawal symptoms. Psychology and Physiology of Addiction “The brain is greatly affected by the disease of addiction. It's the kind of addiction that targets the brain” (Powers, 2010, para.3). The body brain becomes addicted to the substance when it is taken on a regular basis. When the brain is affected it caused a person to lose all sense of what is right and willpower is no longer relative. The person who becomes addicted now has to have the drug simply to keep their body from failing them; almost like the person needs the drug to stay alive. Specific Drug Substances Every drug has a category to which it belongs. Stimulants increase the activity in the brain. Depressants are exactly like their namesake and lead to such...
Words: 1162 - Pages: 5
...The Effects of Drug Addicts in Neighborhoods Is your neighborhood being turned upside down by drug addicts? Do you really understand the effects of drug addiction and how you may be able to help to kick the habit? Taking part in your neighborhood can help to take the drug war at hand. Drug dependency is becoming more than just physically harmful, but is turning neighborhoods and cities upside down with drug dealing, prostitution, and violence. Drug Addiction is not only physically harmful, but can become an expensive habit that is able to destroy a person’s life. According to drugabuse.gov approximately ½ Trillion dollars is spent a year in drug addiction for treatment, health and crimes, Including 181 billion for illicit drugs, 168 billion on tobacco use and 185 billion on alcohol. Alcohol and tobacco are well known to addicts because of the availability. Drug addiction can be physically harmful by destructing your brain and liver. Prescription drugs are considered safe and not physically harmful, but illegal use can cause addicts to overdose, becoming physically harmful. Narconon Drug Rehab states that “Drug addiction is a biological, pathological process that alters the way in which the pleasure center, as well as other parts of the brain functions.” For example, “When cocaine enters the brain, it blocks the dopamine transporter from pumping dopamine back into the transmitting neuron, flooding the synapse with dopamine. This intensifies and prolongs the...
Words: 1393 - Pages: 6
...over congress, the media, and in community is about drugs. One of the primary focuses of the war on drugs is Marijuana. What is marijuana? How is it used? Marijuana remains the most widely used illegal drug and stirs up constant debate everywhere. Marijuana, also known as weed, grass, pot, chronic, joint, blunt, herb, cannabis, hashish, or Mary Jane, is the most commonly used illegal drug in America. It could come in the color green, brown, or gray and its made of shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of a plant called the hemp plant. Like other drugs, marijuana has many side effects. Marijuana is the most widely used drug in the United States and considered to be the most harmful by the government with its anti marijuana stance and laws aimed at limiting its use. With marijuana use rapidly growing, the United States national debt has never been so high, and the search for seemingly 'incurable' diseases raging on, marijuana has the potential to solve many problems if it were to be legalized. Should marijuana be legalized? Proponents of marijuana argue that there are numerous medical benefits and that the drug is not more harmful than tobacco or alcohol so prohibiting it encroaches on personal freedom. On the other hand, opponents argue that marijuana is too dangerous, its legalization would increase the chances of the drug falling into the hands of kids and that marijuana use often progresses to the use of more dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine. In the past decade, a number...
Words: 1534 - Pages: 7
