... Substance abuse is characterized as a social problem in numerous parts of America. Substance abuse is defined as a pattern of harmful use of substances for mood-altering purposes (“Drug Abuse”). Drug abuse is the use of illicit drugs or abuse of prescription or over the counter drugs for purposes other than those for which they are indicated or in a manner or in qualities other than directed (“Drug Abuse”). Many people believe that substance abusers, drugs abusers, and addicts should be able to stop taking these substances and drugs if they are willing to change their behavior. What many people do not understand is that substance and drug abuse is a problem that needs to be addressed. It is not as easy as some people think to stop using these substances and drugs. There are several causes for substance abuse. Substance abuse ranges in many different ages from teenagers to elderly. This social problem can affect families and many different individuals. 50% of Americans have a beloved one who is suffering from a substance or drug abuse problem at any given time (“Home”). There have been multiple studies conducted of how substance abuse affects college students because of the pressure to do well and because of peer support from friends. The age group that is worst affected by substance abuse is 18-29 (“Home”). The...
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...researching both marijuana and alcohol, which are two commonly used drugs in my community that have the same effect, but yet differ significantly. While alcohol is the number one substance used and misused by people, marijuana is the number one illegal drug being [Doctoral rule (but good advice for any academic writer)--If not a noun (as in "human being"), the word "Being" is hard to imagine; it means "existing." Try to rewrite this without using "being"--with action words like "attending," "working," "living," "experiencing," simply "as"--or even removing "being" completely] used and sold in colleges, high schools, and communities’ particularly urban communities. With that being said, one might ask, “Which one is more harmful to their well being?”This will be up to you to decide. Marijuana is addictive and has an immediate affect during and after smoking. When consuming the drug it usually last up to two hours, but eventually wear off. Heavy usage [Check spelling: "Usage" refers primarily to legal procedures or grammar; most writing situations call for "use"] of marijuana can have effect the brain causing people to hallucinate or lose the sense of personal identity. The physical affect using the drug can cause abnormal heart rate and red eyes. Although researchers haven’t found a long term effect on the brain caused by the drug, it was said that using this drug can cause a gateway to another drug. Alcohol on the other hand can also be [This is...
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...whether marijuana is a source of medicine or whether it’s a gateway drug. This question may never truly be solved but there have been valid arguments for both sides. I would like to delve in on the topic by analyzing what the effects of marijuana are, what the positive and negative aspects of the drug are, and whether or not cannabis should be illegal. The first topic I would like to discuss is what the effects of marijuana are when it is used. The article Marijuana in Medicine: Past, Present and Future in the Western Journal of Medicine wrote about an experiment where marijuana was tested on animals. One reason why they found a lot of variability of reactions among the animals tested was because: “different batches of cannabis derivatives vary greatly in strength” (36). They go on to explain “there is a wide variation among humans in their individual responses to cannabis” (36). This brings light to a very important effect of marijuana, which is that it varies in strength from batch to batch. This is important to know when using the drug because it can affect people very differently based on the strength of the drug. Another effect of marijuana discussed by the Western Journal of Medicine is that cannabis “mildly stimulates, and then sedates the higher centers of the brain” (36). The article continues on to say that “this condition is probably associated with the other well-known symptom produced by the drug, namely, the prolongation of time”. This is essentially saying that...
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...11 1 June 2009 Steroids Steroids where invented by the Germans in the late 1930’s to enhance the physical performance of their athletes so that they could be better than every other country in the world for professional sports. Ever since then, people have been risking their health and their life by taking them. Some people take steroids to get stronger or to have a competitive edge in sports, others take them to get rid of rashes, like poison ivy, but no matter how or why steroids are taken there is always an enormous risk of permanently changing the way someone looks and sounds. Also if someone plays sports there is an even bigger risk because of fines, suspensions or accidental overdoses. There are many side effects from taking steroids and there are even more risks, one of which will result in death. The usage of steroids among high school students is on the rise. “Steroid use in high schools has been steadily increasing for the last thirteen years” (Mihoces 1), this is extremely frightening because there are many horrible side affects when people and especially teenagers use steroids. Males and females both have different reactions physically when they use steroids but they also share some of the same side effects including, liver damage, this is because these substances are normally absorbed in the liver, constant mood swings, and profound depression. Except the side effects don’t stop there, in males steroid use can result in premature balding, infertility...
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...UNDERSTANDING DRUG ADDICTION Chartorieah Shinez Sanders COM/156 03/26/2012 Nicholas Delzotto Understanding Drug Addiction All over the world, people are losing their loved ones to a mind altering disease called drug addiction. If something isn’t done; the disease will continue to grow, destroy happy homes and take more young lives. Drug addiction is a severe illness that people should be taught to avoid the continuing overwhelming of the nation. First you should learn what the disease is, who is affected, what causes the disease and how we can help those that are suffering from this disease. Drug addiction has been described as a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use (What is Drug Addiction?, Section para.3). Yes, it is true that individuals have the option to refuse these mind altering substances that cause addiction and other health risks but there are several risk factors that could influence the individuals decision such as, a person’s biology but that problem drinking and problem drug use are not caused exclusively by biologic traits says Christopher Freed (2010). While biology is not completely the cause of drug addiction, some people were born into a family that has a history of drug addiction and if you combine that with peer pressure or, the feeling of wanting to fit in; your outcome will be another individual who uses or is addicted to drugs. This is one of the biggest influences on many teenagers and young...
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...analyze how prescription drugs affect the demand and supply of other products and services in this country. Third, I will formulate a reason why the elasticity of demand is an important consideration when analyzing the impact of a shift in supply and why the elasticity of supply is an important consideration when analyzing the impact of a shift in demand, while including at least one (1) example in each scenario. Fourth, I will provide two (2) examples of increasing-cost industries in your state and propose why they would have a positively sloped supply curve. Finally, I will suggest how, under certain conditions, a perfectly competitive market is economically efficient. Principles of Economics Alcohol Abuse Alcohol abuse is a major problem in today’s society. With a down an economy, there are more and more people turning to alcohol while actually helping the local package store to thrive. Economist may see it differently. They may see it as a way; first they will “Use Assumptions to Simplify”. (O'Sullivan, A., Sheffrin, S. M., & Perez, S. J. (2012)) Why are these people drinking? Is it because they struggle and worry how they are going to pay their bills, or is they are stressed out. Next they must “Isolate Variables – Ceteris Paribus.” That is they must find out the relationship between two variables (O'Sullivan, A., Sheffrin, S. M., & Perez, S. J. (2012)) like the down economy and the loss of jobs, with the number of people abusing alcohol. The third...
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...When a child starts school, that experience is an eye-opener for parents. At that time, they see their child’s development and behavior in comparison with other children. Most of their ‘problems’ arise from the fact that they process emotional and intellectual information somewhat differently from ‘normal’ children (Wrights Law). Children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may exhibit symptoms as early as the age of six or seven but sometimes even sooner. Children with ADD suffer in many ways if their condition is not diagnosed and is left untreated. They tend to be more inattentive, careless, unorganized and also impulsive. ADD has symptoms that affect concentration and a child’s ability to focus (Native Remedies). ADD can also cause mood swings and other social problems. Children with ADD should receive treatment in the form of counseling and the appropriate medication so the child can have a more ‘normal’ and happy childhood. Usually, ADD symptoms will appear over the course of many months rather than all at once. If the appearance of these symptoms is not managed correctly, it can lead to low self-esteem and other behavioral problems in the years to come. Deciding on what ADD/ADHD medication is best fit for the child can be difficult, but doing your homework helps. The first thing to understand is exactly what the medications for ADD and ADHD can and cannot do. ADD medication may help improve the child’s...
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...to himself, but twenty years later he’s standing in the same spot he started. His condition has now made him homeless, each day feeling as though he’s reached rock bottom. Eric is one of many suffering from a disorder...
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...and the answer to this question is far from clear. Drug addiction is said to be a brain disease that affects behavior, the brain’s anatomy and chemistry. These brain changes interfere with your ability to think clearly, control your behavior, and feel normal without drugs. While under the influence of drugs, some people commit acts that they would not normally do. So does that mean a person addicted to drugs should not be held accountable for their actions? Rehabilitation offers to change a person’s negative lifestyle habits into positive ones, by correcting the behavior of offenders through treatment, education, and counseling. For that first and second time nonviolent, simple drug possession offenders, drug abuse treatment in a rehabilitation canter can be effective. The same cannot be said for a repeat drug offender and a person under the influence of drugs that commits a criminal offense. People are sent to prison for committing crimes. Why should a drug abuser committing crimes be any different? Drug offenders should be held accountable for their actions and sent to prison. Prisons detour recidivism, as well as, provide specialized services and programs to meet the needs of the offender. Drug addiction is a problem in our society, and it is spread in almost every country over the world. People who are addicted feel an overwhelming, uncontrollable dependence for the drug, and will continue using the drug despite the harm it causes them, or the family and friends...
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...like acting out in class and not being able to get along with other children. Predominantly inattentive, a child could be sitting in class normally but not focusing on what is being said. Finally the combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive, is a mixture of the both. Most children have the combined category. (Attention) Children with ADHD not only suffer from inability to focus or calm down, but also it is not uncommon for low self-esteem from doing poorly in school or being bullied for their behaviors or school work. Although sometimes symptoms tend to be less severe as a person grows older, some people never grow out of it, but almost all learn how to better cope with their symptoms and how to focus and remain attentive for day to day activities. (Mayo) Often times feeling of guilt is felt by the person who has ADHD or by one of their family members. Educating people who know or have ADHD is very important to make sure that no false feelings or myths are supported either unintentionally or unknowing that the ideas are wrong. ADHD is nothing to be ashamed of and should not be kept a secret. It is a fairly normal condition and treating someone with ADHD negatively could be detrimental to their treatments, as well as their social skill development. (Attention) ADHD is treated most commonly by medicine. The medicine is instantaneous in action, but it might take trial and error to find the right dose for each individual. These...
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...The answer is in their DNA and brain activity. “Brain scans revealed that psychopathy in criminals was associated with decreased connectivity between the amygdala , a subcortical structure of the brain that processes negative stimuli and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex” (Brogaard). Psychopaths who are people just like others had brain development that was unusual which triggered the “evil” that is in each and every one of us already to react. “..the Minnesota Twin Study is a project originally led by Minnesota Professor of Psychology Thomas Joseph Bouchard, Jr. The Minnesota twin study has shown that psychopathy is 60 percent heritable” (Brogaard). Psychopaths who commit murder and other evil acts are born naturally selfish and greedy that there isn't anything that can be done about it because it is heritable in their genes and abnormal brain development. Many disclaim this concept because it would give an easy getaway to criminal’s actions, but in general many scientists agree with this...
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...New York State Inebriate Asylum in 1864 after Founding Father Benjamin Rush brought to light the concept of addiction as a disease (Patterson.) Addiction causes people around the world to suffer from the loss of the ability to resist craving despite the negative consequences of the craving (Addiction.) Two basic types of addiction are highlighted: behavioral addiction and drug or alcohol addiction. Both behavioral and drug or alcohol addiction come from changes in the make up of the brain. This factor essentially makes it a brain disease (Leshner.) Leading factors of addiction are very important to look at as well as how to diminish the addiction population in the context of society. Addiction is important to look at from a sociological perspective, seeing how it affects the everyday interactions within a society. Behavioral...
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...changed, and the interpretation of the constitution has changed also. Numerous organizations wholeheartedly still support the right to bear arms. However, many believe that in recent times the right to bear arms should be more stringent and selective. The media has shown the US public countless examples of how guns have been used to massacre citizens by the masses wantonly. Every American should not be allowed to carry a gun; there are individuals who do not merit the right to bear a weapon. The Mentally ill should not be permitted to carry guns. Mental illness has been proven to immensely affect cognitive function, which affects decision-making, empathy, self-restraint, self-awareness, and critical thinking. Any person who does not exhibit the latter traits...
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...Bunting November 12, 2011 Elizabeth Hermans ITT Technical Institution The legalization of marijuana would benefit the United States for several reasons, which is why the government needs to seriously consider legalizing it. There are many advantages medically that help many patients who have terminal illnesses. The money from legalizing marijuana could also generate several billions in new revenue a year. Marijuana is also safer for people than alcohol, cigarettes and many of the prescription drugs that are available. Despite the many arguments as to why marijuana shouldn’t be legalized there are many benefits as to why it should be and the government needs to take a look into the issue. Medical marijuana has been known to help patients with terminal illnesses be able to handle the pain and nausea. Studies have shown that it makes patients be able to eat and keep their food down which enables them to maintain their weight. The active chemical in marijuana is THC and is what allows the patients be able to manage the pain for many illnesses. Studies have also shown that when patients use medical marijuana it causes the sells to undergo a process called autophagy. What this does is it makes the cancerous cells feed on each other leaving the healthy cells alone. It has also been known to help keep Alzheimer’s patients from getting worse. The THC in marijuana has the ability to capture the formation of plaques...
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...economy, there are more and more people turning to alcohol while actually helping the local package store to thrive. Economist may see it differently. They may see it as a way; first they will “Use Assumptions to Simplify”. (O'Sullivan, A., Sheffrin, S. M., & Perez, S. J. (2012)) Why are these people drinking? Is it because they struggle and worry how they are going to pay their bills, or is they are stressed out. Next they must “Isolate Variables – Ceteris Paribus.” That is they must find out the relationship between two variables (O'Sullivan, A., Sheffrin, S. M., & Perez, S. J. (2012)) like the down economy and the loss of jobs, with the number of people abusing alcohol. The third element of economic way of thinking involves “Thinking at the Margin”. Economists have to think about slight changes in one variable to see the outcome of the decision. (O'Sullivan, A., Sheffrin, S. M., & Perez, S. J. (2012)) For instance, if the price of the alcohol tax was raised significantly would it lead to less people abusing alcohol, or will it lead to more crime and bootlegging back from yesteryear. Finally, economists need to think about the last element. “Rational People Respond to Incentives” Economist tends to think that most people act rationally and act in their own self-interest. (O'Sullivan, A., Sheffrin, S. M., & Perez, S. J. (2012)) There are two possible solutions to abuse of alcohol; one is to have the economy turned around and get people hired, while the next possible...
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