2014 marked a day where Colorado would experience many different changes with both good and bad effects. January 1 2014 marked the day Amendment 64 was in full effect which allows Colorado Businesses to sell recreational marijuana. This marked an influx of people coming into Colorado in hopes of capitalising on the ‘green rush’. With how popular and profitable the marijuana industry has became in Colorado many parents and politicians have concerns about how accepted and available this will be to the colorado youth, and if this lead to a trend of drug addiction. In this research essay I will explain the harmful effects of drug addiction and will relate it to colorado teens by using the social science of Anthropology.
To understand how drug
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There are many illegal black market drugs along with prescriptions that are very harmful to humans health. This is why many different drugs are controlled substances in the United States. A common concern that Many people have with drugs is abuse. Abuse breaks up relationships , affects your health, and even complicates normal tasks like catching up with with friends, or getting to work or school. What causes abuse most people tend to abuse drugs because of the high effects it brings them. This results in a change in the way the brain functions and receives these drugs. Drugs are substances that alter the way the brain functions. It changes the way it sends receives and or processes signals. There are two ways that drugs do this, by imitating the brain's natural chemical messengers, or by over stimulating dopamine in the brain, the brain’s natural reward system. Drugs like marijuana and heroin are similar to the brain's neurotransmitters. since they have an alike structure they can imitate them. Other drugs, like cocaine and methamphetamine cause the nerves of the brain to produce abnormally large amounts neurotransmitters, and prevent normal brain functions to happen such as resting periods between nerves giving off signals. Nearly all drugs, directly or indirectly, target the brain's reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the mind that controls movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure.It is related to natural behaviors of survival such as eating food, mating, or getting in shape. Doing such activities while on drugs tends to increase the euphoric feelings related to it. The ultimate result is addiction. There is no sure way to tell if someone is prone to drug addiction but there are factors that contribute to addiction. These factors include the person's genetics, age of usage, amount and frequency of usage, and social
The documentary Heroin Cape Cod, USA focused on the widespread abuse of pain medication such as Vicodin, Percocet, and Oxycodone that has led the U.S. into the rise of an opiate addiction. Many of the users within the video explained that it doesn’t matter where you go, there is no stopping, and you can’t just get high once. Instead, those who do it want that high forever. I think that this is a very important concept that those who aren’t addicted to drugs need to understand, no matter how hard it is to. The documentary featured many addicts including Marissa who first popped pills when she was 14 years old, Daniel who stated he started by snorting pixie sticks, and Arianna who started smoking weed and drinking before age 12. Additionally, the documentary interviewed Ryan and Cassie. These addicts explained that in Cape Cod you either work and you’re normal, or you do drugs.
About one out of five 10th graders and about 1 out of four high school seniors used marijuana in the past month (Facts for Teens, 1). It is the second most popular drug among teens in the US (Encarta, 1). Teens, ages 12-17, that use marijuana weekly are nine times more likely than non-users to experience with illegal drugs and alcohol (Fed. Study, 1). More 13 & 14 year olds are using drugs, fifteen pe...
Mekdlawit Demissie IGED 130-06 Informative Speech Outline Topic: Marijuana Speech Goal: To inform the audience about the long and short term effects of marijuana usage. Central Idea: Marijuana is the most commonly used drug amongst young people in the United States. Introduction: I. Attention getter:
There are many biological factors that are involved with the addicted brain. "The addicted brain is distinctly different from the nonaddicted brain, as manifested by changes in brain metabolic activity, receptor availability, gene expression, and responsiveness to environmental cues." (2) In the brain, there are many changes that take place when drugs enter a person's blood stream. The pathway in the brain that the drugs take is first to the ventral tegmentum to the nucleus accumbens, and the drugs also go to the limbic system and the orbitofrontal cortex, which is called the mesolimbic reward system. The activation of this reward system seems to be the common element in what hooks drug users on drugs (2).
National Institute on Drug Abuse. "The Nagative consequences of Marijuana Use." Marijuana (Contemporary Issues Companion). Tardiff, Joseph, ed. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2008. 34-44. Print
Substance abuse and addiction have become a social problem that afflicts millions of individuals and disrupts the lives of their families and friends. Just one example reveals the extent of the problem: in the United States each year, more women and men die of smoking related lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined (Kola & Kruszynski, 2010). In addition to the personal impact of so much illness and early death, there are dire social costs: huge expenses for medical and social services; millions of hours lost in the workplace; elevated rates of crime associated with illicit drugs; and scores of children who are damaged by their parents’ substance abuse behavior (Lee, 2010). This paper will look at the different theories used in understanding drug abuse and addiction as well as how it can be prevented and treated.
The drug problem affects all types of students. All regions and all types of communities show high levels of drug use. Thirty percent of 1990 high school seniors in non-metropolitan areas reported illicit drug use in the previous year, while the rate for seniors in large metropolitan areas was 33 percent. Although higher proportions of males are involved in illicit drug use, especially heavy drug use, the gap between the sexes is closing Bibliography lists 4 sources. California has been considered a leader in the fight for drug control. With its 'three strike and you're out' program, the west coast state has demonstrated its firm stance on the issue of illegal drugs. However, the writer discusses that at the helm of this controversial topic is the mandate of minimum drug sentencing for what some consider to be insignificant usage; as such, people caught with what would have one time been considered a negligible amount of cocaine are now – under new and forceful laws – looking at a mandatory minimal jail sentence. An 8 page paper that argues against the legalization of marijuana from a sociological and psychological perspective. The writer suggests that while there is considerable data about the usefulness of this drug from a medical standpoint, the general legalization would have considerable social and psychological implications. A 6 page research paper that examines the effects of parental substance abuse on their children and argues that such abuse greatly increases the chances that their children will, likewise, develop substance abuse problems.
Over 24 million United States residents 12 and older are facing drug addiction, but shockingly only 10 percent will obtain help from an expert facility (“Substance Abuse and Mental Health”). Abuse and addiction negatively effects the addict along with humanity. An estimated $600 billion is spent annually as a result of substance abuse. As surprising as this number may be, it does not explain the depth of damaging public health and safety implications of drug addiction, essentially there may be child abuse, domestic violence, and loss of employment (“Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction”). Addicts face critical health complications, monetary problems, ruined families, illnesses, or even death. As an addict falls further into their addiction, they will lose control of their drug usage, and most times exhibit harm to themselves and others (“Drug Abuse Ruins Lives”). Drug abuse takes a major toll on the addict, their family and on work relationships; on the other hand, there are numerous of people who have dealt with substance abuse overcame their situation and used it as motivation.
The use of drugs and mind-alternating substances has been a part of society for decades. The ‘high’ that people attain from the use of such substances is very attractive and exciting however, the effects of this use are minimized. Particularly for youth, a group of individuals who are seeking independence and experimentation, drug use represents the balance between taking risks and taking responsibility for one’s actions. However, the developmental processes of adolescents are known to not encompass the maturity required to fully think through such decisions. As such, the use of a ‘smaller-scale’ drug like marijuana is even more minimized. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what the risks of using marijuana are for youths, why they are the most affected, how this problem has progressed over the last three decades, and what preventative measures and treatment options are in place. It will also discuss what schools, parents, and government agencies could be doing to help improve the issue, and the impact that this issue is having on society.
Without contrast, the primary reason for drug abuse in individuals comes from the conscious state of addiction. According to Webster’s, addiction is described as “the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity (Hacker, 2011).” Sure, human nature’s desire to conform to peer pressure might cause one to first try a certain drug, but the euphoric mental states found in drugs mentally trap many individuals into becoming dependent upon these sensations. With that being said, these sensations vary depending on the type of drug used.
187. The. (2013) n. page. print. “Marijuana Abuse.” National Institute on Drug Abuse: The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction.
Abuse can cause countless medical problems to the body. A person who is addicted will continue to stimulate themselves regardless if they are aware of the negative chain reactions. Once addicted, it becomes difficult to stop due to how the body has become dependent. Health will be harmed the more a stimulant is used. Health effects include: cardiovascular disease, strokes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, lung disease, mental disease, birth defects. Mental health is what keeps a person in the right mind to make better decisions and have better control in life. Drugs have the ability to change mood and behavior. If drugs have affected the brain already, the desire increases which changes mental health. Some may not realize that they have been affected their health negatively. “A person who abuses drugs may not realize they have a problem until pronounced effects of drug abuse are seen, often physically. While drug abuse effects on the body vary depending on the drug used, all drug abuse negatively impacts one 's health (Addictions Community). Since drugs create many health issues, treatment is not a simple task. Treatments are hard to obtain and addictions often go
From cocaine to marijuana, drugs come with different names and different symptoms. Cocaine for instance has symptoms of increased body temperature, increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure. Methamphetamine (meth) on the other hand includes symptoms of a wired feeling, extreme weight loss, shaking, anxiety, and hallucination. Another drug is marijuana which includes side effects such as compulsive eating, bloodshot eyes, occasional paranoia, and hallucinations. Lastly and one of the most addictive is heroin which includes symptoms of euphoria, entering into a dreamlike state, or heroin could even act as a stimulant. All these drugs are different in their own way but some are connected because of their classification. Classifications of drugs include stimulants, cannabis, hallucinogens, antidepressants, depressants, narcotics, and inhalants.
The use of illegal drugs in the United States and other countries around the world is one of the biggest problems in today community. Illegal drugs are drugs that are restricted by the government. Moreover, some medical drugs have chemicals that can help people with pain and stress. But when people are under the influence of illicit drugs, they can experience many side effects such as: liver cancer, heart, and brain disease. Illegal drugs are being used by many types of people around the world; they cost a large amount of money and negatively affect people both psychologically and physically.
Illegal drugs are used by people as a way out when feeling down about themselves. As the effects of the drugs may stay the same throughout, causes show that there are a large number of reasons for use. Being lonely, isolated, and frustrated in life help start off the drive to escape. In many cases, using drugs is a coping mechanism, especially in teens. Emotions become numb as people try to escape the pain of reality. This is seen in the youth of today as they deal with everyday pressures.. Drug abuse can make people think they are re-creating their former negative self image. This rebellious action gives the attention that is desired. From trying to fit in to hiding from problems, people will always have a choice. In the end, the reality of drug use is damaging to the user's body, mind and relationships.