...Dangers of America’s #1 Drug: Caffeine What is a drug? According to the FDA, a drug is “any article [substance], other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals.” Does caffeine match this definition? Absolutely! A Nation on Drugs According to the Center for Science in the Pubic Interest (CSPI), 80-90% of Americans consume caffeine daily. So, it must be o.k., right? Reasons for Drinking Caffeine: The Truth Exposed Caffeine Gives You Energy Wrong! Caffeine does not provide energy, only chemical stimulation of the nervous system. Perceived energy is the result of the body’s struggle to adapt to increased blood levels of stress hormones. Energy can only come from food. The value of which is measured in calories. Caffeine does not provide calories. Caffeine Gives You a Lift Wrong! While the initial adrenal stimulation may provide an anti-fatigue “lift,” the ultimate mood effect is a letdown, often in the form of depression, anxiety, or panic attacks. Caffeine Sharpens Your Mind Wrong again! While caffeine users may feel more alert, the experience is really one increased sensory and motor activity (dilated pupils, increased heart rate, and high blood pressure). The quality of thought and recall is improved no more than the quality of music is improved by playing it at a high volume or speed. Some Effects of Caffeine on the Body: What the heck are adenosine receptors...
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...1st Draft Hidden Dangers of ADHD Drugs English 105 English Composition 1 January 20th, 2015 1st Draft Hidden Dangers of ADHD Medications Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, more commonly called ADHD, is a very common disorder found in children that sometimes lingers into adolescence and adulthood (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH]). According to the NIMH, there are three different classifications of ADHD. Predominantly Hyperactive-impulsive is a classification of this disorder that occurs when more than six signs and symptoms fall in the hyperactive-impulsive class. Another classification is predominantly inattentive. In this class, six or more signs and symptoms of these occur in the attention class. Finally, a combination of both hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive occurs in which six or more of the signs and symptoms are present. Children who are affected by this disorder exhibit a variety of symptoms ranging from the child being easily distracted, difficulty focusing, trouble completing tasks to having trouble sitting still, nonstop chattering, and impulsivity and inappropriately shouting out words (Harvard Health Publications, 2011). A lot of children with behavioral problems are mistakenly diagnosed with ADHD. “Most children get distracted, act impulsively, and struggle to concentrate at one time or another” (NIMH). Boys are often diagnosed with ADHD more than girls. “Based on currently available evidence, it appears that a variety of biological...
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...to Kids about Drugs at a Young Age/and Ways to Do So Toni Hale AIU Online Abstract I keep an open door when it comes to talking to my kids about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. It is very important that we, as parents, communicate often about drug and alcohol abuse to our children. If we did not inform them about the dangers who will? By keeping the lines of communication opened, we make are kids feel comfortable and they will find it easier to discuss drug and alcohol usage with you, without the fear of consequences. Let your kids know that you would rather hear it from them than from someone else. Talking to Kids about Drugs at a Young Age/and Ways to Do So Introduction As parents it is our duty to educate our kids about the dangers of drug and alcohol at a young age. As parents, we do not want to hear the truth about drugs and alcohol and our kids, unfortunately they try alcohol in high school, college, and before their 21st birthday. Kids using drugs is rapidly becoming a big issue in America. As kids become older, they are tempted to use drugs, because they consider it to be an adult activity. Unlike some adults, kids are more likely to get involved in risky and dangerous behavior, from the use of drugs. Parents are the strongest influence on children and have a big impact on their child’s decision to use drugs or not. Though parents can educate their kids about drugs, there is no guarantee that your child will not use drugs. All we can do...
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...Although drug abuse and addiction were considered as an overwhelmingly urban problem previously, as the number of drug problems increased, drugs started to stream into even small towns in America. In big cities, people began to be exposed the danger of drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine, more than ever. As the number of use of drugs increased, crimes associated with drug trafficking also have increased. In America, crimes associated with drugs put a huge burden on the finance of the government. Furthermore, according to a study released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, in 2000, the rate of drug abuse in countryside is higher than in urban areas. The study stated that eighth graders, who live in countryside of America, were 104% more likely to use amphetamine and methamphetamine than children living in urban areas. Recently, drug traffickers have found out that a money-making market in these areas. In addition, one most disturbing statistic of this drug concerns children who are present during methamphetamine laboratory seizures. According to Associated Children Report in 2001, 1698 children present during the seizure of methamphetamine laboratories. Six hundred of them were reportedly exposed to toxic chemicals and 597 children were placed in child protective custody. Nine children were reported injured. These facts reveal that many children, especially those who are in rural areas, are in danger of drug abuse even though rural areas are often viewed...
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...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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...Prescription Drugs Reaction Paper 1 By Jessica Lieurance Being the parent of an 8, 9, and 10 year old, I was in total shock reading this article. You can imagine the fear that struck my gut when I read kids are starting to abuse prescription drugs as early as the age of 12. How does a 12 year old get access to prescription drugs? Well, the answer to this question was less shocking but equally disturbing. This article was an eye opener and a learning lesson for me. Not only do we, as parents, have an obligation to be involved in our children’s lives, we also must gain awareness to the dangers that surround them outside of our homes. Everyone knows that illegal drugs are a threat to our children on a daily basis. We are all taught in elementary school to “just say no”. Kids are told all kinds of horror stories about drug deals gone wrong, chemicals added to the drug that were lethal, and the physical effect of the drugs. Not once in school do I remember being warned about prescription drugs. After all, who wants to confuse a child by telling them that the medicine a doctor gives them can be equally harmful as the drugs sold on the street? However, failure to inform our children of the dangers of abuse of prescription drugs leads children to trust that these drugs are not harmful to them. Doing so results in children believing illegal drugs are bad and can hurt you, but prescription pills are good and were made to “fix” you. Unfortunately, children are unaware that both drugs are...
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...Synthetic Drugs In the Good Morning America article “’Bath Salts’: Use of Dangerous Drug Increasing Across U.S.”, the many dangers of designer drugs are exposed. One of these dangers being the creation of the new designer drug: Bath Salts. Bath salts have become the hot new thing in teenagers today because of how easy it is to obtain the drug. Although the drug may be easy to find, the designer drug is not easy to get rid of in your body. Recently, there have been many attacks from people that were high on the new drug. The most famous being a Miami man who was killed after he ate almost all of a homeless man’s face. Because of this incident, the drug became more popular and the U.S. began to take action in order to ban the new designer drug. Recently, a Delaware senator, “ praised pending legislation proposing a nationwide ban on "bath salts," a dangerous synthetic drug that's on the rise in the United States and might have led to the recent attack in Miami where a man allegedly ate off 80 percent of a homeless man's face.” (Dolak). By the senator praising the pending legislation, it shows how America is concerned with the new drug and the effect it has on their people. Through the use of ethos, pathos, and logos, as well as different sources Kevin Dolak’s article “’Bath Salts’: Use of Dangerous Drug Increasing Across U.S.”, portrays the dangers that bath salts has on the many Americans that are using the designer drug today. The author applys to ethos throughout the entire...
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...in America? Marijuana has been in America for quite some time now, and approximately one hundred million of people in the U.S. have tried this drug at least once. Marijuana is also the most common drug used in the U.S. today that is illegal. So imagine if marijuana was legalized and how much money could be made and profited from its legalization. Dangers with other drugs such as alcohol and smoking tobacco outweigh the dangers involved with marijuana by a landslide. So the simple fact of the matter that is brought to our attention as Americans, is that marijuana is bad for us and worse than all of the other legal drugs and that we have no benefit from using it, when in actuality it can benefit us in many ways especially medically, it is really not bad for us all in all and should be a legalized substance. Marijuana has always been and always will be used one way or the other in America. The question is should it be legalized, and why should it be. Well this question and argument has been going around for some time now, and is getting to the point where a serious decision needs to be made on the legalization of marijuana. All of the lies about how marijuana is bad for you and that it is not good for your health is all we seem to hear about marijuana, when in fact marijuana has more health benefits than any other legal drug that is out there. In fact there has never been a death from marijuana usage ever recorded, while every year there are four hundred thousand Americans...
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...tobacco. Some may do it just because it seems cool, or because they want to fit in. However, they are totally unaware of the dangers of smoking tobacco because of the poor safety warnings on the back of every deadly carton. According to U.S. Senate of Massachusetts Edward M. Kennedy,” Nationally, cigarettes kill well over four hundred thousand people each year.” I strongly suggest that tobacco shouldn’t be legal because it’s bad for one’s health, and it can be the most preventable cause of someone’s death. Tobacco is one of the most deadliest, yet legal drugs known to mankind. According to CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), “Smoking causes 443,000 deaths each year in the United States. 443,000. That’s more than the population of some small cities in America. Cigarettes take more lives than automobile accidents, alcohol abuse, illegal drugs, AIDS, murder, and suicide all combined. (Edward M. Kennedy). Tobacco contains nicotine which is one of the most addictive chemicals that exist. Nicotine is actually used to kill insects, and is more addictive than the illegal drug famously known as crack cocaine. But nicotine is just one of the many deadly chemicals in cigarettes. The deadly habit of smoking tobacco has actually existed for centuries. According to an article titled “Smoking” from 2010,” The dangers of tobacco were not always well known. It was smoked by early Native Americans during religious ceremonies. European explorers...
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...| Reasons and Prevention Strategies for Epidemic of Prescription Drug Abuse among Teens | Prescription Drug Epidemic Among Teens | Walden University | | Reasons and Prevention Strategies for Prescription Drug Abuse among Teens Overview Increasing abuse of prescription drugs among teens can be attributed to psychological, environmental, or behavioral conditions.Drug abuse in teens can be linked to other disorders or conditions which lead to drug abuse. Teens who abuse drugs are likely to become adults who abuse drugs. It is necessary to understand and address these underlying issues if successful prevention is to happen. First it is necessary to understand the magnitude of the problem 2.3 million Teens were abusing prescription drugs in 2003. (Controlled Prescription Drug Abuse at Epidemic Level, 2006) This is a very large number of teens abusing potentially addictive and deadly drugs. These numbers indicate a major problem with the potential to rapidly grow out of control if not addressed appropriately. In fact recent studies have found there has been an increase in prescription drug abuse among teens at an alarming rate. From 2005 to 2008 there was a 12% increase in prescription drug abuse among teens. (Elliot, Souder, Privette, &Richardson, 2008) This is a very large increase in a very short period of time. An increase such as this calls for further explanations on why this increase occurred so rapidly. Prevention methods need to be developed to avert...
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...should be legalized even though it can be harmful to adolescences. Through Sheff’s article, appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos, and knowledge about the subject has an impact on the article as a whole. They help develop his argument that weed is great thing, and it should be legalized. Sheff believes the benefits of adding marijuana to the United States' economy outweighs the dangers it can cause, but that they should be recognized also. Especially those dangers that involve minors. Sheff affectively and ineffectively persuades his audience by using ethos, pathos, and logos. Sheff does this by using some persuasions over zealously and some not enough. Sheff's article develops the ideas of how marijuana has negative impact on adolescence, but a positive impact on society as a whole. This article published on August 4, 2014 strives to inform everyday people on the effects of marijuana and persuade them to understand how marijuana usage and proper regulation are a positive attribute in the everyday outlook of users. The other point they make is Children, teens and young adults should be educated about this drug. They should know what warning signs to look out for and know what kind of help they should get if they develop any issues. Many organizations have taken the time to research, survey potential and current marijuana users, and predict methods to help combat all of these issues that...
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...Drug use, Dangers and Preventions | Final Project | | Chris Furtado | 12/7/2011 | Chris Furtado Crim 120 12/7/11 Final Project Option #3: Drug use and prevention. For my final project I’m focusing on illegal drug use in the juvenile society and how it affects their livelihoods, the different types of drugs teens are becoming addicted to and what new types of drugs they are experimenting with in their society, and why they choose to start using drugs. I will be researching the street cost of these drugs, and the ways that they are being introduced into the American market and juveniles are profiting from it, as well as researching the pharmacology, psychology, sociology, treatment, and the business of drugs. Then I will be finalizing my research with ways to prevent juveniles from becoming addicted to these types of drugs and who to further education juveniles about the dangers and harms of drug use. Researchers have determined that “youngsters who have conduct problems are more likely than others to be exposed to illicit drugs” (Abadinsky: 21). Most juveniles who have emotional and behavioral problems are more than likely to start abusing alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs, according to a study done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study done by the (SAMHSA) also found that juveniles were inclined toward substance abuse admitted to delinquent behavior such as stealing, cutting classes or skipping school, and...
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...Drug abuse and addiction starts after drug use, usually after multiple uses. Addiction is less about the type or amount consumed, but more about how frequently you use the substance. If the drug use is causing problems in different areas of the users life, it is likely that there is an addiction or abuse of that drug. Some of the risk factors of addiction can include a family history of addiction, such as a close family member being an alcoholic. Past instances of abuse, neglect, and other traumatic experiences. If the user has a mental disorder, like depression and anxiety. If the use of the drug started early, like if a 13 year old started smoking cigarettes. The method of use is also a risk factor, as different methods may increase the chance...
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...To inform my audience of the epidemic of addiction painkillers. INTRODUCTION 1. A deadly epidemic is happening at a rapid pace with Americans and pain medication 2. Reasons Americans abuse these medications. 3. General facts about the danger of these drugs. A. Physically B. Mentally C. Overall behavior 4. Review and conclusion. 5. Thesis: Addicted and overdosing, Americans of all ages are abusing prescription pain medications. People need to be better educated about the danger of these legal painkillers. Better ways to prevent the rising addiction among Americans needs to be talked about more often. 1. What are the drugs being most abused and the shocking numbers of death due to addiction? A. These drugs are known as opiates or narcotics. 1. Most abused pain medication includes, Hydrocodone which includes iodine, Lora tab, and Lori tan. 2. Oxycodone which includes oxytocin, Percocet, and Percodan. 3. Morphine and codeine are on the list as well. B. The shocking numbers of increase dangers from these medications. 1. 3.7 million people filled 21 million legal prescriptions for opiate pain pills in 2007 (Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 2012). 2. There were 6,000 deaths that were accidental drug overdoses in 1990. In 2007 27,658 people died from overdoses from prescription pain medication (Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 2012). 3. There are 15 states that have replaced motor vehicle incidents as the leading cause of accidental...
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...example. When talking about HGH the wiki page seems to stray from the fact that the drug is dangerous, and highlight only the positive attributes. When you look at any site, you must look for unbalanced information. In the case of the wiki page, the section called side effects portrays the drug as a safe drug when “used properly”, “Use of GH as a drug has been approved by the FDA for several indications. This means that the drug has acceptable safety in light of its benefits when used in the approved way. Like every drug, there are several side effects caused by GH, some common, some rare.One survey of adults that had been treated with replacement cadaver GH (which has not been used anywhere in the world since 1985) during childhood showed a mildly increased incidence of colon cancer and prostate cancer, but linkage with the GH treatment was not established” This section of the wiki page down plays the serious health issues concerning HGH. It also leaves a very vague understanding of what a responsible way of taking the drug is. The way that wiki talks about the drug seems one sided in that they don’t offer a balanced opposing side. After reading this section one is left with an idea that the drug is not really as bad as people say. The fact that this section compares the side effects to any other drugs side effects lessens the potential danger that people might see in the drug. According to Drugs for Life, by Joseph Dumit, he supports this idea when he states, “medical sociologists...
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