My Reflection On Ecstasy Rising

Final examinations will soon be taking place on college campuses across the United States, and on these campuses many students will resort to taking amphetamines in an effort to achieve the grades they desire. Whether they be blue, pink, or orange, there are few things in higher demand at universities during finals than these pills. Adderall, nicknamed Addy, is probably the most prominent, and is heavily relied on by students that want to speed through their remaining assignments. Despite being considered a “live-saver” by members of the college demographic, claims that it is the most abused prescription drug in America still exist. (cite)

Look at the world and think about what has changed over the past centuries and see if we can determine why it has now become what it is today. Our history has plenty of technologies and other products that have risen in the past five or six centuries, but now have changed a bit that might not be good. Almost everyone has some type of habit in their lives that they deal with and some are worst than others, but a habit can lead many down the wrong path if the habit is used extensively. The book that I read was Forces of Habit and it deals with the history of alcohol to drugs that we know of today. It leads through the whole process of the products and how it has changed throughout the years. This book was written by David Courtwright and

The inventor of LSD, Dr. Albert Hofmann, was known to microdose in his old age. He said in an interview (https://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/hofmann_albert/hofmann_albert_interview1.shtml), however, that his first “trip” with the psychedelic was crushing and that “the unpredictability of effects is the major danger of LSD”.

College can become very overwhelming and stressful for most students. Long nights of studying, troublesome exams, and lengthy papers soon begin to weigh down most college students. Staying focused becomes difficult in college and most students turn to taking "smart drugs". The most commonly abused drug amongst college students is Adderall. The generic name for Adderall is amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Generally, Adderall is used to treat disorders such as narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Amphetamine and dextroamphetamine are central nervous system stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control (Drugs.com). According to Martha J. Farah, director at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, more than 25% of college students on some college campuses have used this study drug in the past year. Adderall changes the amounts of certain natural substances in the human brain. It also is a stimulant, meaning it helps increase your ability to pay attention, stay focused on a specific task or

I. I know most of you in here either know someone, or have heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Maybe you’ve had family who has gone to war, or you have been in a bad car accident a few years back.

3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine better known as MDMA or by its street name of ecstasy or Molly is a man-made, psychoactive drug that is mainly used now days by young “ravers” to get high and have hallucinogen effects. It makes one feel that they have increased energy, exhilaration and emotional warmth. This drug highly distortions ones senses and time perception. Today I will demonstration to you the effects that MDMA have on ones Neurophysiology, behavior and how greatly harmful it may be on ones body.

LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide, can change the thought patterns of the people who use them, potentially erasing their identity completely. Millions of people around the world have experimented with LSD outside of lab conditions, “exploring reality”, themselves, and what is known as Ego death in what experienced users call “a trip”. What most do not know however is the repercussions of LSD in the long term. LSD is also known as Lucy, L, the electric kool-aid, and tabs; along with a few other recreational drugs is known under the umbrella term as acid; acid has been known to give people forms of Psychosis. Psychosis is a mental disorder where a person’s thoughts and emotions are impaired by a lost connection with reality. People with psychosis

This paper will discuss the ensuing difficulties regarding teenage non-medical prescription drug use and the possible alternatives to reduce abuse in the youth population.

Illicit drugs are drugs that have been considered illegal, such as, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, in some locations (Levinthal, 2016). Legislating drugs began around 1900. In essence, the government let society govern the use and opinions of drugs. Most of society looked down upon the nonmedical use of drugs. Furthermore, several acts were enacted to regulate the use of specific drugs as well as the federal prohibition of alcohol. But in 1933, Prohibition ended, making it legal to consume alcohol again. In the 1970’s, drugs were categorized based on their “potential for abuse” (Levinthal, 2016). Unfortunately, many of the illicit drugs are manufactured outside of the United States. As such, the war on drugs has to be fought on a global

Non-medical use of prescription drugs is prevalent among college students. Various publications have indicated that the abuse of prescription drugs on campus is becoming a major concern of medical practitioners (Weyandt and DuPaul). Although there are policies in place to reduce the access to prescription drugs, studies have revealed that these drugs are very accessible to students on campus. Stimulant medications, which are used to to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, are heavily used by college students. ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that first appears in childhood and often continues well into adulthood. A person suffering from this disorder may have difficulties concentrating

These pills, such as xanax and oxycodone allow people for short periods of time to withdraw from the harsh reality faced today. “Between 1997 and 2002, sales of oxycodone and methadone nearly quadrupled” (Okie). Around 15 years later and the prescription pill problem is continuing to skyrocket. Since prescription pills are dispersed out to anyone by doctors, many people do not realize that it is as much of an illicit drug as cocaine and heroin is. “Misinformation about the addictive properties of prescription opioids and the perception that prescription drugs are less harmful than illicit drugs are other possible contributors to the problem” (NIDA). When people take these synthetic heroin pills, they do not feel as though it is a drug addiction as much as it is a way for them to deal with pain, over-stimulation, and as a tranquilizer. Today, we are currently facing an epidemic with drug addiction and continuously trying to solve the problem with a war on drugs. “The U.S. spends about $51 billion a year enforcing the war on drugs, and arrests nearly 1.5 million people for drug violations, according to Drug Policy Alliance, a drug policy reform group” (Ferner). Since the United States spends so much money on this epidemic, the numbers should start to go down, but it is instead doing the opposite. It is easy to figure out the numbers through doctors, “Increases in prescription drug misuse over the last

The results of my research will just identify the problem and make known the extent of Adderall and stimulant abuse. Future research will be needed in three distinct directions in order to elicit a change in policies. The directions for future research are: (1) the effectiveness of stimulants on individuals without ADHD; (2) the long-term health effects of stimulant abuse in non-ADHD users; and (3) mechanisms to easily test for Adderall use in students. Research in the first field will determine if Adderall abusers are truly gaining an academic advantage over their non-abusing peers. If it is found that they are gaining an academic advantage, universities will be forced to make a change in order to preserve equality. Research in the second field will determine the dangers of Adderall abuse. If Adderall is found to be extremely damaging to the brain or body, then health organizations will place pressure on universities to act in a way to slow the illicit use of Adderall by college students. The last field of research will provide the universities with tools to determine the students who are abusing Adderall. As of now, universities have no way to enforce policies against the illicit use of Adderall or other stimulants because they have no effective way to determine if a person is using Adderall. Right now the only way for a university to

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

“Turn on, tune in, drop out.” (Cite) Psychologist Timothy Leary made this hypnotic phrase popular during the 1960s. Having many ways of perceiving it, the majority of the people at the time viewed it as a creative slogan for taking psychedelics. These psychedelics were mind-altering drugs such as LSD, mescaline, or psilocybin mushrooms. The youth’s curiosity and desire for expanding your consciousness made the use of these drugs increasingly popular. The result was that this phrase was echoed among thousands emerging into the psychedelic rock era. An era bombarded with cold wars, racial discrimination, and social turbulence that tossed and turned eventually developing a new way of bringing people together through experimentation with drugs and music.

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,