...Smoking weed every day is not cool. It’s not healthy, it’s not wise- it’s illegal. All good reasons why you shouldn’t spark up, right? Wrong. As a young adult, it’s hard to not give into some of the pressures that you’re faced with everyday, especially throughout high school. I was originally introduced to weed as marijuana, and how evil it was. Not only would my mother preach about how bad it was, but the school system shoved it into our heads as well. Marijuana is a “gateway drug”. Might as well say, “if you smoke it, you will die”. Wrong- false advertisement- stop there. There’s no way something that “god created” should be illegal, or cause you harm. It’s just a plant! Boyfriend one: 18, stoner, fluent drug user, and drinker (what a great pick). The first guy to ever ask me to smoke with him. I barely knew anything about weed or what it does, how it feels, or even how to smoke it. I felt like the most ignorant, and immature person in my boyfriend’s life, but that never changed my opinion on how I felt about the matter. Weed was still evil and I was still immature, oh well. I tried to get him to stop, which really did nothing. And on top of that, I was trying to talk him out of doing and experimenting with all the drugs he was trying, which was much more difficult. Every weekend him and his friends would call me telling me what drug they were taking that day. Whether it be ecstasy, acid, MDMA, or xanax, they were always on something. My ex was never sober and no matter...
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...Fittest Life is hard and often times filled with tough challenges and difficult situations. In the past, African Americans were subjected to the tortures of slavery and isolation from mainstream America during the 18th and 19th centuries. Meanwhile, the harsh reality of life faced by African Americans is seen today with an increase in homeless people living on the streets. While some people look down on people they consider undesirable or inferior, one aspect of a person’s character that can never be questioned is their will to survive. Furthermore, survival in life requires a “never quit, never die” mentality that enables a person to keep fighting to realize a dream. “I, Too” and “Crusader Rabbit” suggest that survival requires courage, desire, and faith. In the poem “I, Too,” Langston Hughes portrays a black man bound into slavery who knows deep down in his heart that he “too” is part of America and is entitled to all the rights and freedoms that America itself stands for and represents. While held captive as a servant, the black man displays courage through his refusal to be recognized as an inferior human being. As Hughes notes, “I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong” (Hughes 2-7). The black man will not allow ignorance and neglect to destroy his pride. The black man’s mindset and spirit exemplify great courage to rise above unjust circumstances. In comparison, Jess Mowry’s...
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...Why Quit Smoking? You can reduce your risks. Smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Smokers have a higher risk of developing many chronic disorders, including atherosclerosis — the buildup of fatty substances in the arteries — which can lead to coronary heart disease, heart attack (myocardial infarction) and stroke. Controlling or reversing atherosclerosis is an important part of preventing future heart attack or stroke You can modify or control six major independent risk factors for coronary heart disease: • • • • • • Cigarette and tobacco smoke High blood cholesterol High blood pressure Physical inactivity Overweight or obesity Diabetes Smoking by itself increases the risk of coronary heart disease. When it acts with the other factors, it greatly increases your risk from those factors, too. Smoking decreases your tolerance for physical activity and increases the tendency for blood to clot. It decreases HDL (good) cholesterol. Your risks increase greatly if you smoke and have a family history of heart disease. Smoking also creates a higher risk for peripheral artery disease and aortic aneurysm. It increases the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease after bypass surgery, too. Smoking is also an important risk factor for stroke. Inhaling cigarette smoke produces several effects that damage the cerebrovascular system. Women who take oral contraceptives and smoke increase their risk of stroke many times. Cigars and pipes aren't...
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...Heroin: The Devastating Truth April Matthews COM/172 08-11-2014 UoP Heroin: The Devastating Truth The United States is in the grips of one of the worst heroin epidemics in its history, due in part to a flood of cheap doses of the drug. In some regions, heroin is deemed "highly available" by local police in more than three times the number of communities as it was just seven years ago. This drug has taken many lives in the past and it is now becoming very popular again. The resurgence of the deadly drug has sparked a flurry of action from governors' mansions and statehouses across New England. The addiction of this drug is devastating and the deaths are rising. Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine, is an illegal drug in the United States and many other countries. Heroin has devastating results on the brain and body. Estimates on the number of U.S. heroin addicts range from 300,000 to 500,000, up about 75 percent from five years ago. And while that is just a minor portion of the nearly 24 million Americans that abuse drugs overall, heroin use is growing faster than all others. Heroin is a powerfully addictive drug. Also known as smack, h, ska, dope or junk, this white or brown powdery or black, sticky substance is processed from morphine. Like all opiates, it is a depressant that inhibits the central nervous system. Heroin is administered in three ways: smoking, snorting, or shooting (injecting). Since...
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...Drug abuse is the use of drugs, or the abuse of over the counter drugs as well as the drugs. Marijuana is the most common abused drug in America today, people would use this plant to simulate their brain cells, in other words to get 'high'. My opinion among drug abuse is that using drugs for non medical reason is stupendous. Abusing drugs could cause harm to someone and and the others around them. Using drugs could harm ones body, and the way that the brain functions, it will cause them to become lazier and they would participate less in outside activities. The people who smoke who have smoked marijuana would most likely say that it gave them a nice feeling, others who have only experienced it once would say they were scared, the drug is not so strong, it is still quite effective to the human brain. Drug abuse is a common topic today, some people are for drug abuse others are against. A lot of people would not understand why so many people in American today become so addicted to drugs so easily. Sometimes drug abusers, take drugs that affects the brains, and the drug causes the brain to make it harder to quit the drug even when a person has already quit smoking. Most Drugs contain chemicals that travels to the brain and messes with the nerve cells, and it also makes it more difficult for the brain to process the information that is given to them. Some drugs have a similar way to cause disruption to the brain, they all mess with the receptor and nerve cells, and they would...
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...|disease, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers. The individual can start slow and gradually increase their level and intensity of physical activity | | |whenever they feel like it is needed. If the individual participates in physical activities regularly and are getting healthier there will be many beneficial effects on their | | |body, for example, their cardiac muscle (heart) will get bigger and stronger and the risk of heart diseases will reduce. The individual’s blood pressure will lower and then | | |there will be an increase of good cholesterol and a decrease of bad cholesterol. Regular exercise can also help to improve the individual’s skeletal system as...
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...English 111 Kennedy, Cecilia Proposal Paper October 27, 2010 To Finish or Quit? High School dropouts represent an important problem that affects thousands of students each year. Roughly one third of all students will drop out of high school without having received their diplomas. According to The National Center for Education Statistics, "only 86% of the class of 1998 graduated." Many students today choose to graduate from high school and continue their education further whether it is technical training or a more formal degree. Why is it that 14% of high school students do not graduate? There are various plausible explanations that could alter a student from completing high school. Some examples for not graduating could include pregnancy, poor influences, no friends, poor grades, or simply lacking the motivation to finish. Dropping out of school is not only an educational problem but a significant social problem as well. Indeed, it has obvious psychological, economical, and social ramifications. For example, dropouts may undergo a loss of self-esteem and turn to drugs or become a financial burden to society. Nearly every student struggles with meeting their personal goals pertaining to grades. Some students may strive for all A's while others struggle to complete an assignment. Students who are struggling to receive credit may find it easier to quit. For some, this option may be less embarrassing than trying to graduate and fall short and not being able to...
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...don’t because what he did hurt his coaches and teammates and it cost him to go to the youth pennatinry because he did drugs. But when he did come back he started off bad for example he started a fight with money and it caused money to walk out. He was suspended for fifteen months and he talked to coach bill every day to see if he could come back to the football team if he didn’t mess up again with the drugs and he didn’t use them any. He got in an argument with the assistant coaches and coach bill asked him what happen and he said nothing and kept walking away. The only reason the coaches let him return is so he could try to become a good person and try to do better with his life because...
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...basis. They are recurrent and often unconscious patterns of behavior and are acquired through frequent repetition. Many of these are unconscious as we don’t even realize we are doing them. Personally, I have a smoking habit. I believe that I picked this habit by watching both of my Parents, my Grand Parents, and most of my Aunts and Uncles smoke. Some would consider smoking and addiction. In my opinion, a habit can also be an addiction. Some believe the term addiction should be reserved for describing a physical dependency on chemical substances such as alcohol and drugs. Other addictions include a range of compulsive behaviors such as gambling, eating, shopping, playing video games, work and internet usage. This type of addiction is typically described as ‘psychological addiction,’ a state that can also accompany physical addictions. Neuroscientists explain that people continue to smoke because they are too addicted to halt. This is why TV ads promote various pharmaceuticals to enable the truly...
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...PSY/B1A Bakersfield College May 4, 2013 Autobiography My name is Erik Maceda; I am 18 years old and still live with my parents. I was born in Kern County Bakersfield CA. My two brothers and my older sister also lived with my parents. My second oldest sister Sully has her own life and sees us often and my oldest sister Diana lives in Mexico, I don’t see her much because she lives to far but we talk on the phone. I have lived in Bakersfield about 15 years now. Growing up was not easy but with family always by my side anything can be accomplished. My sister’s Sully and Rosy use to boss me around when I was young. They made my life fun because it gave me a reason to always bug them as well. Even though they treated me like dirt we always got along most of the time. My dad use to take us to fun places during summer. I remember going to Universal Studios and water parks, when we did not go anywhere my dad would grill on Sundays and we would all get together and eat. Family time was always important to my parents. When I was four my mom and I experience a horrible car accident. When we turned on a street light to go to McDonald’s an incoming car hit the front of our truck. I remember the whole thing perfectly. Although the accident scared me it did not affect my life. Thankfully no one got badly injure except for our truck. As a kid I spent most of my days playing with my friend Jake, we would play soccer on the street or head to the park. My friend Jake...
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...Becoming Addicted to Marijuana “Marijuana is the most commonly used drug illegal drug in the world.” (“What is Marijuana”, 2013). It has recently become legal in a couple states, and more states are sure to follow their lead in the upcoming months. People can make the argument that marijuana does not have any negative effects, but they are wrong. Becoming addicted to marijuana is easy, and it only opens up the door for you to try other harmful drugs once marijuana quits getting you high. You need to know the whole story, how people become addicted, the negative effects it has on your body and mind, and what you can do once someone you know has become addicted. Many people experiment with drugs at a young age, usually marijuana is the first drug that many people start off experimenting with. Why do people decide to experiment with drugs? “People experiment with drugs for many different reasons. Many first try drugs out of curiosity, to have a good time, because friends are doing it, or in an effort to improve athletic performance or ease another problem, such as stress, anxiety, or depression”. (Robinson, Smith...
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...Jessica Sandoval SWU 171 Stacey Moreno April 6, 2015 Research Project The number of women who are suffering from alcohol or drug addiction while they are pregnant or once they have given birth, is growing more and more every day. Addiction during pregnancy can have a negative impact on the health of the mother and her unborn child. The baby could suffer from different types of abnormalities and defects. The mother, on the other hand, may suffer from high blood pressure, sexually transmitted diseases, premature labor, and skin infection along with many other problems. Addiction during pregnancy is a serious problem, and these women who are suffering from drug or alcohol addiction should seek help immediately. According to Social Work Today, an individualized program and flexibility are among the top recommendations for treating pregnant or postpartum women addicted to alcohol or other drugs. Different facilities offer different programs and a different length of treatment depending on the woman’s needs. Education and life skills are taught in all of the programs for pregnant or postpartum women with addictions. For example, they learn to cook, clean, and how to manage their household. At Gratitude House facility, they teach parenting classes and instruct patients on how to care for their baby. Individual therapy is required once a week as well as group therapy sessions and other group activities. Peer support is essential to women with addictions while pregnant or...
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...Conclusion: I challenge you to stop smoking. Statement of purpose: To argue why one should not smoke. There are different reasons as to why one should not smoke; because people are different some people do choose to smoke. One may smoke because smoking can make one feel as though he/she is a part of a particular group. Smoking can give a relaxing feeling, thus, smoking can make one feel good, according to some smokers. If one already smokes and his/her smoking is out of control, he/she just might not be able to quit smoking without a very strong desire to quit, an extremely good support system and serious education as to the disadvantages of smoking. So, they are some of the reasons why some people smoke. Now, let’s consider why one should not Smoke, which is without a doubt much more serious. Smoking can be a hinder to us for socialization. Smoking is bad for your health. It can kill you! Smoking is an extremely expensive bad habit. Smoking is a drug addition, a serious reason to stop smoking if you already smoke. And for sure an important reason not to start smoking....
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...happily. Bullying is like smoking, it can kill. Cancer cures smoking. Cigarettes are killers that travel in packs. Cigarettes burn holes in your pocket. Cigarettes: You take my breath away. Did you know your mouth is on fire? Don’t be a Butthead. Don’t let your future go up in smoke. Don’t pout, put it out. Don’t puff your life away. Don’t smoke – there are cooler ways to die. Don’t smoke you will choke! Don’t smoke, it’s not a joke. Everyone has a right to clean air. Hang tough, don’t puff. I like smoking. It kills off a lot of stupid people. I quit because my kids love me. If you can’t stop smoking, cancer will. Lions, and Tigers and Bears oh my… Drinking and Smoking and Drugs? Goodbye! Live it or Burn it… Please keep smoking. Our planet is overcrowded. Put it out before it puts you out. Quit smoking before smoking quits you. Quit smoking. It kills! Quitting has never felt so good! Save Money – Quit Smoking! Save your lungs, save your life. Share clean air. Smart folks don’t use smokes. Smoke and choke. Smoke away your worries, not your lungs. Smoke can cause a slow and painful death. Smoke. Stink. Die. Smokers are jokers – Don’t smoke. Smoking – Suicide for Cowards. Smoking BATTERS your Health. No-Smoking BETTERS your health. Smoking cigarettes is so yesterday. Smoking FAIL your Health. No-Smoking BAIL your health. Smoking INJURES your Health. No-Smoking INSURES your health. Smoking is like paying someone to kill you. They’re rich; you’re...
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...past century it has been labeled as an illegal drug and criminalized in many states. Marijuana has become a very popular downtime drug that pot users enjoy to smoke on a regular basis to achieve a calming sensation. Unlike other illegal drugs, marijuana has no mental or physical effects that will alter how a person thinks in the long term or overall appearance of body features. Our generation have been exposed to the "negative and positive side of this drug" that has been promoted through music, TV, magazines, and society as a whole. Since the time this unique plant surfaced it has been scrutinized and formed ridiculous laws behind its name, many people have expressed their feelings of concern on how it could help people medically and also destroy people mentally. Marijuana is generally used daily by people for the benefit of healing and relaxing and it is also used illegally to sell and make a profit. The current drug laws are doing more harm than good, Legalizing marijuana would benefit the country in many ways. Typically, people who use marijuana do not progress to using the drug daily, or for long periods of time. There are in fact some who do and people argue that its a dependency upon it. If there is a dependency associated with this drug, then lawmakers would never utilize their time in making it legal in some states, especially if its mind crippling or cause erratic behavior to oneself and other human kind. The drug is simply misunderstood and many people assume that...
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