...Name Name of Professor Course Date DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN TEXAS The Menace of Drug Abuse in Texas Drug and substance abuse has been a problem in our society for over twenty years now. Here in Texas Alcohol has been the primary drug of abuse till lately when other substance abuse have begun to infiltrate the society especially among the youth in society. Studies have been carried out within the cities and towns of Texas and tangible evidence can be found on the possibilities of a real problem in our society. Many may ignore but the truth beckons in the various research institute findings. “Today majority of the youth in university level of education may end up using or being part of a group that uses hard drugs.” This is according to the founder of Drug Care Centre Texas, (John Mark Sheddle, May 2015.) Drugs have grown among the youth to a level that the number of students at rescue and rehabilitation centers in the past decade have rose by over 30% an increase that is indeed disturbing. Many have left schools and began street life. We can note that this is a problem that requires urgent attention from all departments of society especially the media as I believe that media is accessible to everyone in society. Media can influence how a society trends. When an issue is voiced by the media many people will have knowledge of that substance and thus will have created awareness. I would like you as the editor to consider my application urgent which requires quick and...
Words: 896 - Pages: 4
...paper is to inform the reader about the fraud and abuse of controlled substances being committed by physicians and pharmacies. Academic sources are the main reference point in this paper and they are used to give insight of the various ways that this crime can be committed. In addition, participant-observation research is included from the DEA diversion group who regulates controlled substance fraud. Lastly, this paper explains how this crime affects America and what is being done by the government to manage this problem. White Collar Crime: Abuse of Controlled Substances The abuse of controlled substances is so underrated in our community that a lot of people do not realize how they are being affected by it. I chose to write this topic because I am doing an internship with the Drug Enforcement Administration and I got a first hand look at the magnitude of this problem. This issue is important because we as citizens are all being affected by this issue and most people don’t realize it because it is not in the media as much as street drugs. After reading this paper, the reader will have more insight on what controlled substances are, the type of fraud that is being committed involving controlled substances, and the consequences of committing these fraudulent acts. Literature Review What is A Controlled Substance? Controlled substances are any drug or substance that can be placed into one of five different...
Words: 6804 - Pages: 28
...SOWK 4800 MIDTERM EXAMINATION NAME: __Matthew Taylor Price___ DATE: _10/13/13___ INSTRUCTIONS: The questions should be answered in essay format. Put some time into your answers, brief answers will receive very limited credit. Get your answers from the provided material, the text book or a very reputable source (i.e., a research based journal article, you may use the internet). (1) Discuss treatment myths relative to ATOD. There are a number of myths about alcohol and other drug abuse interventions that affect the prevention and treatment of the problem. These myths can be held by clients, the general public, and professionals. One myth is that one treatment program is suitable for all clients. This myth does not seem believable because we are all created differently and respond to situations differently. A myth that is challenged daily is that recovered counselors are much more effective in treating recovering clients than are counselors who personally have not experienced dependency. This can be proven wrong, because the effectiveness of treatment depends on the relationship between counselor and client. The most challenging myth of ATOD treatment is related to the fact that many users also have mental health issues. These users must be treated differently, because some of these users will not respond to any form of normal treatment, and must be handled with extreme care. The treatment of ATOD involves a vast amount of time, and patience. ATOD treatment must...
Words: 2327 - Pages: 10
...Substance Abuse and Psychosis in Adolescents Over the past several decades, the U.S. population has grown significantly and continues to do so at a rapid pace. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau figures estimate that the population in the United States is currently nearing 304,800,000. Of this tremendous number, approximately one quarter are children under that age of eighteen years and over 40 million are adolescents (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001a). For the purpose of this examination, we will define adolescents as individuals between the ages of ten and eighteen years, although it is important to keep in mind that there are many different definitions and understandings of adolescents, most of which are not as directly related to chronological age (Santrock, 2001). Adolescents are a very special population because these are often the years in which childhood and adulthood become blurred, roles, expectations and needs change, as well as significant physical and psychological growth. As we also know, experimentation is often characteristic of adolescence and this experimentation can be physical, sexual or philosophical; all of which may possibly lead to drug use. This paper seeks to examine the question of whether or not drug abuse is related to psychosis in adolescents. Literature Review Adolescent Drug Use According to a national study in 2006, over 60 percent of reported that drugs were used, kept and sold on their school campuses on a regular basis. ...
Words: 2009 - Pages: 9
...healthcare professionals. It stands to reason that prescription drug abuse within the elderly presents a much higher risk than prescription drug abuse among younger generations. Ignoring this problem leads to a diminished quality of life and a less attentive healthcare system. Sadly, prescription drug abuse is a silent epidemic among the elderly population and it is a growing problem. With proper attention and diagnosis, there can be a reduction in injuries, such as hip fractures from falling, excessive hospitalizations, and even untimely death. Prescription drug abuse is overlooked by our healthcare professionals every day. Elderly patients are prescribed more medications than younger...
Words: 1507 - Pages: 7
...Lin Article Critique: Part 11 Tabitha Orr Phone: 404-472-7914 Liberty University COUN 503 Dr. Heckler February 17, 2013 Summary This particular article Effect of Forgiveness Therapy on Anger, Mood, and Vulnerability to Substance Use among Inpatient Substance-Dependent Clients looks deeper into the effects of Forgiveness Therapy on anger, mood, and vulnerability to substance abuse among impatient substance-dependent clients. The group of researchers consisted of Wei-Fen Lin, David Mack, Robert Enright, Dean Krahn, and Thomas Baskin came together to gather more information in forgiveness therapy focusing on certain targets such as anger, anxiety, and depression. The group of researchers gathered 14 patients with substance dependence and began weekly alternative individual treatment sessions with each client. After the time frame for the study had ended there was a four month period that showed the positive effects of forgiveness therapy. As stated within the article, “Forgiveness therapy may prove effective in the future because it moves to the heart of the matter of some clients. Deep hurts borne out of unfair treatment seem to play a part in substance use and abuse,” (Lin, Mack, Enright, Krahn, Baskin, 1119). The group of researchers recruited the population for this study from a drug rehabilitation center that offers intense, structured, residential treatment to individual suffering from alcohol and other drug dependencies. There were forty-three potential participants...
Words: 1569 - Pages: 7
...Comparison of Assessment Tools Julia Ray Capella University Abstract Julia selected substance abuse assessment tools for this report. She will be comparing two of the eight substance abuse assessment tools used in the mental health counseling field, the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory - Adolescent Version and the Adolescent Drinking Index. The comparison will compare the tools based on key test measurement concepts of reliability and validity. There will be a description of the results interpreted concerning both test based on standard statistical methods and procedures including scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, and correlations as they apply to each assessment tool. Finally, there will be a discussion on which assessment tool is the stronger assessment instrument using measurement concepts based upon the literature gathered. Comparison of Assessment Tools Substance abuse assessment tests are an important tool in the counseling field since many psychological issues occur as the result of drugs and or alcohol. Drugs and alcohol are often used by the client to self-medicate which in turn compounds their psychological issues. Substance abuse assessments can be subjective or objective, meaning they may or may not result in a standardized score. Drug and alcohol addiction is a touchy subject for most; therefore, it is beneficial to build a rapport with the client prior to testing to ensure...
Words: 1923 - Pages: 8
...NEW RESEARCH Does ADHD Predict Substance-Use Disorders? A 10-Year Follow-up Study of Young Adults With ADHD Clancey Bateman, Timothy E. Wilens, B.A., M.D., MaryKate Martelon, M.P.H., Gagan Joshi, M.D., Ronna Fried, Ed.D., Carter Petty, M.A., Joseph Biederman, M.D. Objective: High rates of substance-use disorders (SUD) have been found in samples of adolescents and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Predictors of SUD in children with ADHD who are at risk for the development of SUDs remain understudied. The main aims of this study were to identify clinically meaningful characteristics of children that predicted the future development of SUDs and to see whether the role of these characteristics varied by sex. Method: Subjects were children and adolescents with (n 268; mean age standard deviation 10.9 3.2 years) and without (n 229; mean age 11.9 3.3 years) DSM-III-R ADHD followed prospectively and blindly over a 10-year follow-up period onto young adult years. Subjects were assessed with structured diagnostic interviews for psychopathology and SUDs. Results: Over the 10-year follow-up period, ADHD was found to be a significant predictor of any SUD (hazards ratio 1.47; 95% confidence interval 1.07–2.02; p .01) and cigarette smoking (2.38; 1.61–3.53; p .01). Within ADHD, comorbid conduct disorder (2.74; 1.66 – 4.52; p .01) and oppositional defiant disorder (2.21; 1.40 –3.51; p .01) at baseline were also found to be significant predictors of SUDs...
Words: 8941 - Pages: 36
...DRUGS AND ALCOHOL Introduction The use and misuse of alcohol and other non-prescription drugs is one of the more controversial issues in our society, and often a source of conflict between generations and between sections of society. It’s not the purpose of this page – or of the NTU student counselling service – to tell people how to behave or to seek to label them as alcohol or drug abusers. However alcohol and other drugs are powerful substances with a potential to harm users; we would encourage people to take care of themselves when considering using them and to avoid taking any risks which they might regret later. No universal classifications ignore the fact that significant alcohol and drug use is an accepted part of many social groups. What is seen as risky or inappropriate behaviour by one group is accepted as normal by another. Use of drink and drugs can be classified as – 1. Abstinent – no use is made 2. Controlled – people have made a conscious decision have evaluated the risks and can stop if they want. 3. Impulsive – use is unpredictable and can lead to unexpected accidents and harm. However this is not continual or dependent use. 4. Habitual – the use of alcohol or drugs have become a significant and important part of the person’s lifestyle. Stopping would not be easy. 5. Dependent – there is a high degree of physical and psychological addiction. Alcohol and drug use disrupts or rules the person’s life. Stopping is not possible without considerable support...
Words: 3956 - Pages: 16
...Substance abuse The 5th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) combines substance abuse and substance dependence to mean the same thing (American Psychiatric association, 2013). Substance abuse refers to the habitual non-medical substance seeking, and the substance taking behavior which is suppression or resistance through its pharmacological consequences. Substance abuse may therefore include the use of alcohol, abuse of cigarettes, food, sniffing of solvents or even the abuse of nicotine and caffeine (Nordegren, 2002). Substance abuse has been taken to generally refer to the use of hard drugs such as cocaine and marijuana. Every year, United States spends billions of dollars on increased health care cost, low productivity and increase in crimes. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance abuse costs United States 524 billion dollars a year of which 181 billion dollars is as a result of illicit drugs. Given the huge expense, there is therefore a need to understand the physical, social and psychological effects that substance abuse presents, analyze the factors contributing to substance abuse, examine the range of interventions used, and examine how managing substance abuse is influenced by cultural, legal, as well as political issues. Though at times substance abuse is completely something that an individual may pick from nowhere, there are some risk factors which may play a significant role in an individual’s substance abuse...
Words: 3417 - Pages: 14
...head: SUBSTANCE USE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE/COMORBIDITY | 1 | Substance Use and the Risks on Your Health Cassy L LaFave SUNY Empire State College PART I Substance use poses great dangers and can cause serious health problems ranging from heart disease and liver disease, to respiratory issues, just to name a few ("Risk of Disease with Drug Use - Alcohol Rehab," 2008). An individual who uses substances also increases their risk for contracting infectious diseases, such as, sexually transmitted infections and blood borne diseases, including Hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. These infectious diseases may be treatable conditions, or terminal illnesses (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1999). Many people are aware that intravenous drug use and needle sharing (or sharing drug preparation equipment – “works”) can transmit blood borne diseases (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014). What isn’t as widely known is the role substance use plays in general, contributing to the dangers involved. When an individual chooses to engage in substance use, no matter the route of administration, the substance causes a person’s immune system to be lowered. Therefore, their body is more susceptible to infections and harmful diseases ("Risk of Disease with Drug Use - Alcohol Rehab," 2008). Under the influence, a substance user lacks the ability to make sound judgements and often engages in high risk behaviors and activities. Fueled by the substance or the need for the substance, a drug...
Words: 2715 - Pages: 11
...Names are being withheld for legal purposes, although they gave consent to let me interview them I agreed not to put their names in my interview at all. Me: Let’s start by flashing out the connection between drug abuse and alcohol abuse. What I have observed from personal experiences and just living in the city of Chicago is being aware is that in most cases alcohol and drugs are like a tandem actually, People that uses drugs are more likely to consume alcohol as well, and this is vice versa someone that use alcohol at some point and time in life has also used some form of drugs. Me: Since you two are married do you mind me asking how long have you all been doing heroine? John Doe: Well it’s like this brother, I’ve been doing heroine off and on for almost 30 years. I got clean about 5 years ago but relapsed and this is what has become of me. Me: Aren’t the both of you concerned with your health? My reason for asking this question is because of Intravenous drug use. Jane Doe: Man didn’t nobody tell you we shot up dope Me: I’m sorry for assuming that so please accept my apology Me: Snorting can still affect your health especially if you’re putting that stuff into your bodies on a daily basis. On the other hand, it may be the victim who has the substance abuse problem. High levels of alcohol and drug consumption negatively affect people’s health, mobility, and short term memory and may even lead to cognitive impairment and respiratory problems. Fist, let me start by defining...
Words: 524 - Pages: 3
...1973. At this time and point in American history, President Nixon was fixated on creating a “single unified command to combat ‘an all-out global war on the dug menace.’” At its time of creation the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) had only 1,470 special agents and a budget of seventy-five million dollars. Today the DEA has a budget of $2.02 billion and nearly 5,000 special agents. (Vanita, 2010) The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration is to “to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction.” (Unknown, 2008) On the government website, the Drug Enforcement Administration spells out nine specific responsibilities for enforcing the controlled substance laws and regulations. These responsibilities include but are not limited to investigating and preparing for the prosecution of violators, enforcement of the provisions in the controlled substances act, and a liaison with the United Nations, Interpol and other organizations on matters relating to international drug control programs. (Unknown, 2008) The Drug Enforcement Administration is separated into three basic components in regards to its leadership structure. At the top of this leadership structure is the administrator and the deputy administrator. (Leonhart, 2013) These two hold precedence over the office of chief counsel and the office of congressional and public affairs...
Words: 2189 - Pages: 9
...Drug abuse is probably one of the most relevant social problems faced by the United States considering that a study recently published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that one fourth of the American citizens consume illicit drugs on a regular basis (NIDA, 2013). After alcohol, the most commonly consumed drugs are marijuana, pain relievers like morphine or vicodine, cocaine, heroin, stimulants, tranquilizers, hallucinogens, inhalants and sedatives. In this regard, the data reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse point towards more than 4 million American citizens meeting the criteria of marijuana abuse, 1.9 million inappropriately using pain relievers and 0.9 million Americans abusing of cocaine (Figure 1, NIDA, 2015)...
Words: 1094 - Pages: 5
...SOCI 388 RESEARCH PROJECT STAGE TWO: PRE-SENTENCING REPORT TEMPLATE INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Please TYPE all responses. The file has been saved using Microsoft Word. If you cannot access the document, please let me know ASAP and I will provide it for you in another form. Word is available in all university computer labs, including the SOCQRL. 2. DO NOT CHANGE THE QUESTIONS/HEADINGS! I will be comparing them to my master copy while grading your work. 3. Information needed to complete this form can be found within the case file documents. If required information is missing, unavailable, or does not exist, please make a note of that in your report. DO NOT MANUFACTURE MISSING INFORMATION! 4. The space provided for your answers are recommendations as to how long your responses should be. You may use more or less space, depending on what you feel should be included. There is no page limit for this assignment. 5. Please be sure to clearly indicate where your answers begin. Feel free to adjust the font, use bold type, or some other means for setting your responses apart (but please do NOT change the color of the typeface). 6. When you have completed entering your responses, print out your final copy and sign the last page. Also, be sure to attach any necessary documents before you submit the final copy. DO NOT INCLUDE THIS SHEET WHEN SUBMITTING STAGE TWO FOR GRADING! KANE COUNTY ADULT COURT SERVICES PRE-SENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORT Please type...
Words: 2805 - Pages: 12
