...Heroin Addiction Heroin is an illegal, highly addictive drug. It is usually sold as a white or brown like powder or as a black sticky substance known on the streets as “black tar heroin”. Pure heroin is becoming more common on the streets, but most is cut with other drugs or substances such as sugar, starch or other poisons. Heroin abusers do not often know the actual strength of the drug, or what its contents are and are at risk of overdose or death. It is estimated that 9.2 million people in the world use heroin and first time users have risen from 85000 people in 1970 to 162000 in 2001. HIV and other diseases can be transmitted from abuser to abuser from sharing of needles or other types of injection equipment; about three to four percent of heroin addicts die each year from HIV and AIDS. Heroin, or as known on the streets as “smack”, “H”, “junk” and many others is usually injected, sniffed, snorted or smoked. Intravenous injection provides a heroin abuser with the greatest intensity and most rapid high, producing a drowsy state of relaxation and contentment, taking approximately fifteen to thirty seconds to get that intense high. Injection into the muscle or skin takes about three to five minutes for an abuser to get a high. When heroin is sniffed or smoked, the effects are usually felt within ten to fifteen minutes. Injection is the most used method of heroin users; however researchers have seen a shift in patterns from injection to sniffing...
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...Causes of Drug Addiction For many, the subject of drug use in any way whether it be the production, the exchange or the actual use is a touchy issue. Drugs such as meth, cocaine, and crack have been around for decades and drugs like heroine have been around for centuries. Drugs such as cocaine and heroin can cause major life-altering effects on a person by impairing internal organs, limiting one's abilities and skills that would make one suitable to interact with others successfully. They produce hallucinations, anger, forgetfulness and many other adverse causes. There are countless occurrences of users of hard drugs disregarding the law and committing a crime while in the pursuit of the drug of their choice or while on the drug. Drug addiction almost always leads to criminal conduct. Illegal drug use often leads to crimes such as murder, robbery, burglaries and assaults. Without a doubt drugs and criminal behavior are closely associated. “Drug offenders account for more than one-third of the growth in state prison population and more than 80 percent of the increase in the number of prison inmates since 1985.” (Dewey) In 2013, nearly 40% 0f the inmates in the United States said they committed violent crimes to support their drug habit. Surprisingly jail time alone has had little effect on the reduction of drug addiction or in promoting recovery. A large number of users who were addicted to heroin began with prescription painkillers and only substituted heroin when their prescription...
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...Causes and Treatments of Addictions Tracy J Lancaster Behavioral Satistics 325 July 29th 2012 Instructor Sasha Flearly Causes and Treatments of Addiction Introduction Addiction is a condition defined by an individual's intense need to consume a particular substance, usually an illicit drug or alcohol. Typically regarded as a disease or medical condition, addiction is seen by many as a form of disability. Addiction is generally diagnosed based on the following criteria: tolerance, withdrawal, and craving. Tolerance refers to the body's ability to metabolize, or tolerate, a certain quantity of a substance prior to reaching the point of intoxication. Withdrawal refers to the agitated behavior, ranging from mild irritability to severe physical illness that many habitual substance users display when they cannot consume their desired substances (Hamid, 2002). Finally, craving refers to a user's physical, and frequently psychological, need to consume a substance in order to offset withdrawal symptoms. People are believed to be addicts when they habitually consume drugs or alcohol, often to the point of intoxication, and when they display signs of withdrawal and craving in the absence of those substances. Recently some scholarship has examined how many behaviors like gambling, sex, and exercise can also be addictive based on these criteria. Thesis Statement Drug Addiction is a relatively recent construct in a social phenomenon. That is, regardless of the use...
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...available. This guide will give an overview of stimulants, depressants, opiates, hallucinogens, and cannabis. Stimulants Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that can cause severe damage to the body and brain. Meth has many street names, such as, ice, crank, crystal, glass, and speed. Most of these names are derived from the way it looks. It appears as crystals. Meth can be taken by snorting, smoking, injecting, or by dissolving it in water or alcohol. According to "National Institute on Drug Abuse" (2010), “Methamphetamine’s ability to release dopamine rapidly in reward regions of the brain produces the intense euphoria, or “rush,” that many users feel after snorting, smoking, or injecting the drug.” This aids to the addiction process. For those that chronically abuse methamphetamines, their brain will undergo changes in the way it functions. These changes include both cognitive, emotional and memory issues. The side effects associated with taking meth include increased wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration, rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and hyperthermia ("National Institute on Drug Abuse", 2010). Long term meth use can lead to extreme weight loss, severe dental problems (“meth mouth”), anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances, violent behavior, paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions("National Institute on Drug Abuse", 2010). Any chronic...
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...are abusing opioids have been proven to be more delinquent, have more mental health problems, and have a higher chance of accidentally overdosing themselves. While it is common to talk about how addiction affects the user or a town, it is less common to discuss how vulnerable children are. In the United States, opioid addiction has effected many including children. A growing epidemic, opioid addiction, has torn apart towns, lives, and most importantly families. The addictiveness and accessibility of opioids have changed the lives of many, but most importantly it affects our future, children....
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...Effective Method to Treat Opioid Addiction Jason Yarborough SOC 490 Dr. C. T. Rowley September 16, 2012 A Combined Approach: Seeking an Effective Method to Treat Opioid Addiction Background Addiction treatment approaches can take many forms. From Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to long term inpatient rehabilitation programs, there are many different choices available to those struggling with addiction. Understanding the nature of each type of addiction and determining the best course of treatment for the individual is important to ensure success. For opioid addiction, maintenance based programs, though controversial, show high rates of treatment retention, reduction in criminality, gainful employment, and improvement in health; offering an alternative to those who have not had success in abstinence based programs. Addiction is a challenging and complicated health issue. It affects people physically as well as mentally and socially, impacting nearly every aspect of life. Families can be torn apart. The effects of addiction can cause a person to lose employment and fall into poverty. Health issues such as HIV and hepatitis can affect addicts who share needles, or engage in prostitution to obtain drugs. The greatest consequence of addiction is death. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states, “Drug overdose death rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990 and have never been higher.” The negative consequences of addiction are many. This highlights...
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...if drugs were legalized (Hartnett, 2005)? States like Washington and Colorado have made Marijuana legal, all other states and countries are watching the results. They are watching what legalizing marijuana does for the economy, tax revenue, and crime reduction. There is an international impact with marijuana legalization. History behind the drug war Throughout the history of the drug war, both state and federal law enforcement agencies have cracked down on both drug abusers and drug dealers. During the late 60s, the U.S. government founded the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD). The BNDD worked a study to find a correlation between crime and heroin addiction. They found that 44 percent of those entering the jail system in Washington, D.C. have used heroin (Innabi, 2014). The next year the Controlled Substance Act was passed by Congress to give schedules to regulate drugs by medicinal value and potential to be addictive. This started the War on Drugs with President Nixon. The criminal justice systems are spending huge amounts of $56 billion each year on working to contain...
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...illegal or legal has had both positive and negative impacts on the artists and their success. While the creative juices may be flowing while under the influence of drugs the final outcome (maybe years down the road) almost always ends on a negative note. Even dating back to 1830 when Hector Berlioz wrote his most famous work “Symphonie Fantastique” he detailed the effects of an opium induced dream, specifically in the fourth movement. In an interview on June 16, 1967, Paul McCartney was asked if he ever took drugs, he said “After I took it (LSD), it opened my eyes. We only use one-tenth of our brain. Just think what we could accomplish if we could only tap that hidden part. It would mean a whole new world." (Spangler, 1967) During the late 1960s there was a counterculture, teens of the day were disillusioned with society, the Vietnam War and the assassinations of John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert F Kennedy. To deal with these realities they turned to drugs that got progressively stronger. This was all...
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...CHAPTER 2. A HISTORY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE IN AMERICA Written by: Tammy L. Anderson To appear in: Harrison, L., Anderson, T., Martin, S., and Robbins, C. Drug and Alcohol Use in Social Context. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing -1- A HISTORY OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL IN THE UNITED STATES Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to review the history of drug use and its social control in the United States so that students can gain an improved and thorough understanding of today’s problems and policies. Our approach to this matter is sociological, i.e., exploring how the interconnection between culture, social institutions, groups, and individuals function to create drug-related phenomena. A sociological approach integrates many kinds of social, cultural, political, and economic factors that manifest themselves in everyday life. While pharmacology helps us comprehend how specific drugs impact brain activity, sociology can inform us about the social roots of drugrelated behaviors which ultimately shape beliefs and behavior and motivate social policy. Therefore, a review of drug use in the U.S. and the social response to it must consider many diverse phenomena. This broader framework will move us beyond domestic borders and into the international community, for the history of drug abuse is an international, socio-political marvel. Another idea warrants mentioning before we begin our history lesson. It centers on the idea that drug use and abuse are socially...
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...assignments will be collected. 5. If time allows, students may begin to review all study guides in preparation for upcoming final exam. In order to grasp the ramifications of illegal drug use by public service employees and the necessity of screening for the abuse of such substances by these individuals, it is necessary to have an understanding of how illegal drugs first became a problem in the United States. While substance abuse has challenged society for centuries, the abuse of illegal drugs in the United States dates back to relatively recent history. In America, drug addiction was a problem as far back in time as the original colonies when narcotic and opiate elixirs and treatments were being exported from England. Without any form of government regulation, let alone the medical knowledge necessary to understand the true nature of these substances, it is easy to understand how addiction became a widespread but misunderstood problem. The Revolutionary War brought an abrupt end to the importation of these substances and almost immediately American entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to establish some of the very first businesses peddling these highly addictive substances. These so called...
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...It wasn't until about 1914, when the United States passed its first federal drug policy called The Harrison Narcotics Act. Drugs. This act restricted the manufacture and sale of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and morphine, and specifically targeted physicians and pharmacists who were over prescribing drugs. Drugs use continued to sky rocket well into the 1960’s, with administrations continuing to create stricter drug policies. The 1960’s, known as the “hippie era”, gave birth to rebellious movement that popularized drug use. Not only did marijuana become increasingly popular amounts college teens, but many soldiers returning from the Vietnam War had heroine and marijuana habits. In 1971, when President Nixon officially declared a “War on Drugs.” In this famous speech, Nixon depicted a battle between the United States and drug users in which the United States was greatly loosing. Nixon states “ Drug abusers continue to fill out courts, hospitals, and prisons…the only beneficiaries of this war are organized crime members and drug dealers.” In 1973, Nixon created...
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...Illegal Drugs (What should we do now?) BorudeManoj L. Herzing University What is drug abuse? A habit of taking drugs which are illegal or habit of taking any drug as an addiction. Drugs invaded every aspect of our society since 1960s. Around 208 million peoples take drugs as per survey done by National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The most commonly abused drug is alcohol. Which is the reason for more drink and drive cases and teen's deaths in road accidents Marijuana is again commonly used drug. 3.9% of global population aged between 15 to 64, abuses marijuana as per Unites Nations 2008 Drug Report. Cocaine and Heroin is abused globally nowadays. Why peoples abuse drugs? Peoples take drugs to seem grown up, to relax, to relieve boredom, but this solution eventually turns out a biggest problem for these peoples. Some abuse drugs to because they have problems in life, but taking drugs becomes the worst problem in their life. Some examples of same are below: “I ended up homeless and on the streets, living and sleeping in a cardboard box, begging and struggling to find ways to get my next meal.” —Ben (Source-http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/the-truth-about-drugs.html). “I felt that I was more fun when I was drunk. Soon after I started drinking. I was introduced to marijuana. Later, I was hanging out at a friend’s house smoking marijuana. when someone pulled out a bag of cocaine. Snorting cocaine quickly became a daily habit. I was stealing money from my parents’...
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...was that Kurt’s parents divorced when he was eight years old, leaving him emotionally scarred. Some bands that influenced Nirvana were Kiss, Black Sabbath, The Sex Pistols, and The Beatles. Some setbacks Nirvana faced was that they had a very new and unique sound that most people in the music industry felt would be unmarketable. Another issue was that the band was using drugs, such as heroin. A break for the band when when their first album, Bleach, sold 35,000 copies, which was impressive for a small indie band. The major break was when they signed to a record label for $287,000 and knocked major artists such as Garth Brooks and U2 off the charts (Raz). One impact that Nirvana had on America was that they showed that non-commercial bands could be successful. They started the grunge movement and inspired a generation of teens (and practically every generation there after) to rebel. Sadly, Nirvana also brought drug culture to the forefront of America. The band had always used drugs, including heroin, but the issue was brought to light when Kurt Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love admitted to using heroin during her pregnancy. This caused the public to scrutinize their drug use, but it was still glamorized by the media. The band also inspired many bands such as Weezer, Cage the Elephant, Fall Out Boy, and numerous other artists (Linder). When Kurt Cobain commited suicide on April 8, 1993 the legacy of Nirvana was forever cemented as the symbol of teen rebellion and the grunge...
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...Drug Addiction: To Cure or Not To Cure Chris G Kinney University of Phoenix Abstract Drug addiction is a huge social problem to some people feel there is no end. People either try to fight this disease or just put their hands down preferring to think that nothing could be done. This paper investigates what drug addiction really is and why some people believe it is incurable. Primarily the main focus of the work is dedicated to the issue of how this challenge may be addressed and the basic factors that would help to make the treatment work. Various visions of this problem are studied, and the conclusion is that any disease is possible to cure however the success of these actions in what concerns drug abuse is mostly dependent on the willingness of the patient to fight the illness. Drug addiction is a global social problem, a war sweeping away millions of lives and demolishing national gene pools. There is no exaggeration in this definition. It is not a disease in a common sense of this word however it’s not a usual aspect healthy people may have. Drug abuse is a complete affection of the personality combined usually with the following complications of physical health. The most significant peculiarity of drug use is that being a pathological illness it is rather nonreversible, provided those negative changes of the person’s soul and mind which happened as a reaction to...
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...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 higher risk for developing an addiction later in...
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