Cause And Effect Of Drug Abuse

Across the world abusing prescription drugs causes more deaths than street drugs do combined (“International Statistics”). Prescription drugs are so easy to get ahold of and so easy to get addicted to. The misuse of prescription drugs have gotten out of hand. These drugs can cause unintentional overdoses easily. The misuse of prescription drugs can lead to addiction, affect the health of users in a dramatic way, and even cause death.

The notoriety of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has made the narrative about the duality of man humanity known even to those who have never open the book nor seen the famous film adaptation. However, though it may not be immediately apparent, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is, at its core, a story of addiction. Britain’s Pharmacy Act of 1868 had sought to identify and eliminate the use of narcotics, and though the effects were largely beneficial at first, by the 1880’s, when Stevenson’s novella was first published, deaths related to opium were on the rise. It is no coincidence that the title character is a chemist, like those affected by the Pharmacy Act, nor is it a coincidence that he is the victim of an addiction. Stevenson employs the narrative to explore the physical, psychological, and social effects of addiction, as well as the social response. The story, then, serves as an attempt to humanize and understand addiction.

This is a summary taken from “Saying Yes” by Jacob Sullum; Chapter 8; “Body and Soul”. An ever-present theme in Sullum’s book is what he calls “voodoo pharmacology”—the idea, promoted in large part by the government, that certain drugs have the power to hijack people and enslave them in an inescapable prison of craving and compulsion. Sullum seeks to show that this idea is a myth, that only a tiny percentage of illegal-drug users become addicts, whereas the vast majority of people who use illegal drugs live normal, productive, loving lives. The book is filled with valuable insights derived from deconstructing government statistics about drugs and drug use. Sullum shows how even the most vilified drugs, such as heroin and crack cocaine, are

The legalization of drugs has been at the center of interminable debate. Drugs have widely been perceived as a dominant threat to the moral fabric of society. Drug use has been attributed as the source responsible for a myriad of key issues. For instance, it is believed that drugs have exacerbated the already weak status of mental health in the United States in which some individuals suffering from mental illness administer illicit substances such as heroin or cocaine in an attempt to self-medicate. Moreover, drugs are blamed for turning auspicious members of the community into worthless degenerates. Thus, vast efforts have been made to regulate the alleged drug problem through various avenues. For example, programs have been created to steer

Pursing this argument further about the use of informant’s I would now like to observe the credibility of an informant is yet another attribute that leads to the wrongful conviction of the innocent. In the case of North Carolina vs. Darryl Hunt, there were multiple informants used to testify in case. Darryl Hunt who was wrongly convicted at just the age of 19 back in 1984 and spent 19 years of his life locked away after he was accused of the murder of young white beautiful Deborah Sykes a newspaper editor at the time. Although Darryl had DNA testing to prove his innocents, judicial system place the blame on this young, at the time African American male, in order to come to a resolution. Throughout the Darryl Hunt case there were faulty eyewitness testimonies that not only corrupted the

In Chris McGreal’s “Don’t blame addicts for America’s opioid crisis. Here are the real culprits” and Johann Hari’s “What’s really causing the prescription drug crisis?” both authors inform their readers about addiction. This topic is worthy of discussion because it effects each and everyone one of us whether it be up close or afar. The two authors have similar opinions about the problem of addiction, but offer different ways to cope with it.

“And do remember that a gramme is better than damn.” In the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, drug use is regarded as part of daily life and often glorified by the characters. While the characters in Huxley’s novel have no problem using drugs to replace their emotions, prescription opioid abuse has become a major concern in the United States. Prescribing guidelines for these drugs need to be stricter in order to prevent prescription drug abuse from growing.

Cocaine is a strong stimulant mostly used as a recreational drug. It is the most potent stimulant of natural origin. It is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant which grows on the mountain slopes of the Andes Mountains of South America. Illegal cocaine is usually distributed as a white crystalline powder or as an off-white chunky material. Cocaine base is converted into the powder form, which is usually cocaine hydrochloride, by diluting it with other substances. The substances most commonly used in this process are sugars, such as lactose and mannitol, and local anesthetics.

The novel Buzzed is a book written by three authors that talk about the most popular drugs in today’s world and what they do to our bodies. These authors include Scott Swartzwelder who is a professor of Psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine, Cynthia Kuhn, who is a professor of Pharmacology at Duke University School of Medicine, and Wilkie Wilson, who is a professor of Prevention Science at Duke University. Buzzed, based on the current psychological and pharmacological research provides a reliable look at not only the use but also the abuse of the popular legal and illegal drugs. The first part of this book includes chapters on each of a total of 12 kinds of drugs which include alcohol, caffeine, enactogens, hallucinogens, herb drugs,

The idea of drug decriminalization firstly stems from the prospect of which drugs are not inherently bad. Throughout history, drugs have been used for medicinal,recreational, and pleasureful purposes. Society has seen the impact of drugs in a person’s environment, vilifying an ever-present stigma to drug users and victims of addiction. This notion was furthered through the criminalization of such, conditioning the world to pair drugs with illicit activities; thus becoming an illicit activity. This essay aims to evaluate the true purpose of drugs- to see past their extremes, and to see past an end of misguided choices. It also aims to explain the true nature of decriminalization, and its overbearing positives not only on the population, but

Drug abuse and addiction create powerlessness and isolation. People often turn to drugs to help them forget. It is an increasing problem in today's society. In the novel In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate, the author makes a point that a “hurt is the center of all addictive behaviors.” Many dismiss their bad habits comfortably, giving them the idea that everything is okay. The effects that drugs cause can differ from person to person. Being out of touch with reality, addicts continue to use in spite of all the problems that are associated with it; brain problems, early childhood, and feelings.

Addiction is a disease that is compulsive and difficult to control which could result in harmful consequences. Most drugs affect the

Curiosity: Drugs being talked about and written about a lot, for example rap music and glorifying the drugs they use, drugs being shown in T.V shows and movies (breaking bad)

There are several temptations thrown at an adolescent’s way during the time the adolescent transitions to adulthood. As young adults are more exposed to recreational drugs during their “Emerging Adulthood” years, it is evident that they are at higher risk of substance abuse. Emerging Adulthood is the phase when adolescents transition to adulthood. This is roughly between the ages of 18-25 years old. During this period of time, people tend to explore themselves more and frequently change as a person. As many students begin college, they gain more independence. Because of the lack of parents around, a different environment, and the exposure to different people, they are more exposed to recreational drugs. It is important to understand how drug

There are many drugs sold on the streets that are laced with other substances that can be fatal, and, if too much of any drug is taken, even if it isn’t laced with anything, it can cause an overdose, which can lead to death. One example of a drug that is commonly overdosed on is fentanyl. According to a study published by the New York Times, 21,100 people died from overdoses on fentanyl in 2015 (Katz). This drug, among many others, kills hundreds or thousands of Americans every year. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens, which is a government run agency, in 2015, 4,235 people ages 15-24 died from overdoses (Drug). With this large number of overdoses, it is an important consequence of drug use and abuse to