Since birth, children are always told to “not take drugs” even sponsoring a “Red Ribbon Week” to promote a drug free way of living. However, once those kids enter the world and become adults they are pushed to take prescription drugs to ease their lives. The constant theme seen is simply “Feeling down? Take a drug!” The problem is that children are only informed about the “bad drugs” such as tobacco, cocaine, and morphine to name a few; they aren’t notified at all about a pharmacy’s over-the-counter drugs. Pharmaceuticals are typically known to improve people’s lives that are suffering of medical issues. However fatal drug abuse are at an all time high and these are not the “bad drugs,” they are the drugs that doctors give to their clients. …show more content…
Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Joan Rivers, Heath Ledger, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson all died by drug overdose. Shockingly enough, these were prescribed drugs meaning that doctors handed over a “death bill” to their patients. Physicians are not ethically responsible enough and remiss their patients of a prescription. For example, physicians do not have a lot of time in their day so when a patient comes in asking for a medication, many doctors will readily hand it to them. If the doctor thinks the medication is not necessary or appropriate, it would take some time to dissuade the …show more content…
She believes that criminal liability would prevent physicians from prescribing unnecessary medications to their patients. Doctors are currently able to face civil liability for the death of a patient by the victim’s family for monetary value. A civil liability is when another person is suing for they have suffered an actual loss, i.e. personal injury, damage to property, and/or financial loss whereas a criminal liability is when a state prosecutes against the defendant and can face fines and imprisonment. Criminal liability can deter physicians of selling their services for profit and violate their Hippocratic Oath (where physicians swear under oath to uphold specific ethical standards). Doctors are also capable of being convicted for the fatal drug abuse of a patient via the Controlled Substances Act as seen with Dr. Murray. The Controlled Substances Act requires any physician that wishes to prescribe controlled substances must register with the Drug Enforcement Association, which then must follow their specific guidelines. These guidelines include that prescriptions must be dated and include the name and address of the patient and the prescribing doctor (Trachtman). Most violations lead to a temporary suspension of all medical licenses however, if the physician is convicted of homicide “under a
We are introduced to the story of Matt Schoonover, a young man who had recently obtained his masters degree from Yale. He had grown up “attending a Christian private school, and a prominent church” (2). Matt had begun abusing pills, though he was originally prescribed them by a doctor. Even after undergoing detoxification and then rehab, Matt could not curb his addiction. “Unable to afford street Oxycontin, Matt switched to black tar heroin, brought in from Mexico” (3). We are told how this is unfortunately quite common. People who are prescribed pills often end up abusing them; and once they can no longer afford the high prices of OxyContin they switch to black tar heroin. This transition is often what leads to overdoses, as black tar heroin is extremely deadly and overdoses like Matt’s are common. This is just one story out of tens of thousands of similar stories that all have the same ending. The opiate crisis is a problem that few recognize because it crept up on a majority of Americans. Young people throughout the nation were not using drugs in public, but privately in their own
More than often, American’s argue that if we have the technology to gain access to these “miracle meds”, then we should take advantage of it. To receive an opposing view, the National Institute of Drug Abuse asked teens around America why they think prescription drugs are overused, and the results were shocking; 62%: “Easy to get from parent's medicine cabinets”, 51%: “They are not illegal drugs”, 49%: “Can claim to have prescription if caught”, 43%: “They are cheap”, 35%: “Safer to use than illegal drugs”, 33%: “Less shame attached to using”, 32%: “Fewer side effects than street drugs”, 25%: “Can be used as study aids”, and 21%: “Parents don't care as much if caught”. I believe the major problem here isn’t the medication, but instead the fact that our nation is extremely uninformed on the “do’s and dont’s” of prescription medication. When “the United States is 5 percent of the world’s population and consumes 75 percent of the the world's prescription drugs” (CDC), there is a problem present, no matter the reason. Clearly, many critics believe the breathtaking amount of pills we consume in America is simply for the better good, but tend to forget the effects that are soon to follow.
Black women have been imprisoned for having the ‘girlfriend role’. This is when a woman is dating a drug dealer and gets caught in the drug conspiracy charge due to her boyfriends or husbands drugs in one form or another (acluvideos, 2008). This does not just hurt the woman who was convicted but also here children and other dependents. Black women who live in poor neighborhoods are disadvantaged within their disadvantaged neighborhoods and are often exploited by men who hold the power.
The dependence on hard core drugs in the United States is on a continuous climb. Heroin is the leading reason for this. Considered by many to be the hardest of hard drugs, thus making heroin a very popular choice among drug addicts. Heroin is a narcotic produced from the opium of the poppy plant and poses a serious risk to society. Since it could be injected, snorted or smoked heroin also causes health complications and the possibility of death. Sadly, none of that matters to an addict because they only want their next fix. A century ago the doctors who developed heroin were only hoping for a way to help patients, they were unaware their new found medicine would lead to decades of addiction, abuse, health problems and even death for many.
One of the most common questions asked to children is: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Responses typically include professions such as teachers, firefighters, police officers, doctors, etc. Foster children are no different; they too have hopes and dreams, aspirations to be someone in life. As with anyone else, they must first go through the proper curriculum and training to establish a career. The problem, however, is that early on foster children start falling behind academically. Research Highlights on Education and Foster Care (2014) provide numerous data based on studies throughout the states that exemplify the magnitude of the issue and the need to address it through modified policies and interventions. First, it recognizes
The minimum sentencing regarding drug crimes should be reduced because it negatively impacts everyone involved and is an unjust punishment across the board. I will discuss how the War on Drugs came about, how the current system for these crimes is racist and classist, the negative impacts that come from it across the board, the prison overcrowding issues, and how the minimum sentencing policy is ineffective. No matter how you look at it this issue, one wins in this situation and it’s time for a change.
Drug use and abuse has become a common situation with today’s citizens. Drugs are more easily accessible today than they ever were in the past. The drug trend is frightening to say the least. From the legal substances, such as alcohol and tobacco, to the illegal substances, such as marijuana and cocaine, there has been an increase in their use amongst all ages of people. It seems that the ages of the users are getting younger as time goes by. Because of this trend there are more people addicted to substances and who need treatment. There are many treatment programs out there where people can go to get help with their addictions. Programs range from alcohol treatment to substance abuse treatments and detoxification processes. Unfortunately,
Prescription drugs are making parents more overwhelmed than ever before about their teenaged child! Why must they worry so much about their teenaged child? “When you can stop you don’t want to, and when you want to stop, you can’t…” (Davies). This quote signifies that adolescents and adults have the option to quit or not try the drug when being introduced, but when they get started on the drug and they are thinking abouting quitting, they cannot because of the addiction they have on the drug. Each day they try to stay away from the drug, but they are having really bad withdrawals. Rockingham County Schools should inform parents about the strategies for preventing, recognizing, and addressing prescription drug abuse.
A major problem of the legalization of euthanasia is that doctors are taking advantage of their power. These doctors are performing euthanasia for many reasons just to make their own lives easier. “When these doctors are brought to trial for these acts, they are rarely found guilty. Their excuse is that they are acting out of higher necessity for the hospital system, which is an accepted excuse in the courts” (Fenigsen). Involuntary euthanasia is another problem that is coming up often. According to Diane Gianelli from the American Medical News, 2,000 physicians claim to administer pain medications to kill their patients. This shows that these physicians are either incredibly unskilled at providing the appropriate dosage of pain medications, or they are purposely ending their patients lives without their consent. Euthanasia is also being used as an excuse for the doctors’ mistakes. “...
Years ago, the common image of an adolescent drug abuser was a teen trying to escape from reality on illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. Today, there is a great discrepancy between that perception and the reality of who is likely to abuse drugs. A teenage drug abuser might not have to look any further than his or her parent’s medicine chest to ‘score.’ Prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. Also, teens are looking to prescription drugs to fulfill different needs other than to feel good or escape the pressures of adulthood. Teens may be just as likely to resort to drugs with ‘speedy’ side effects, like Ritalin to help them study longer, as they are to use prescription painkillers to check out of reality. Pressures on teens are growing, to succeed in sports or to get high grades to get into a good college (Pressures on today’s teens, 2008, theantidrug). Furthermore, because prescriptions drugs are prescribed by doctors they are less likely to be seen as deleterious to teens’ health. A lack of awareness of the problem on the part of teens, parents and society in general, the over-medication of America, and the greater stresses and pressures put upon teens in the modern world have all conspired to create the growing problem of prescription drug abuse by teens.
Today, a full 61 percent of adults use at least one drug to treat a chronic health problem, a nearly 15 percent rise since 2001. In today’s society doctors around America are abusing the privilege to prescribe medicine. This then causes the issue of overmedication. Americans who are being prescribed drugs that are not needed for them have more risk of side effects. The long-term effects are dangerous and have caused numerous children hospitalized. Americans who are buying treatments for ADHD, depression, and many more disorders have spent over 4 billion dollars in the past year. Prices are increasing because the desires for these drugs are becoming more prevalent. Overmedication is a global issue that is affecting children that come from many different backgrounds and live in many different areas in America.
Legal Challenges. When discussing the use of drug testing at the work place for pre-employment screening or on the job testing, we must consider the legal and ethical implications. Those who are in favor of drug testing claim that the testing itself acts as a deterrent in the use of illegal drugs and will also detect the use of illegal drugs which could impair employees resulting in injuries, accidents, lost productivity and ultimately liability concerns. Those in favor also refer to federal laws such as the Controlled Substances Act and take a zero tolerance approach to their employment policy. On the other hand those who argue against drug testing claim ethical violations of privacy and in some cases seek protection under state and federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, not always successfully. In the case of Raytheon v. Hernandez, the employee sought protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act which “prohibits discrimination against individuals with a drug addiction, although it permits an employer to act against an employer because of current drug abuse” (Witlin 2004). There is also a trend in the United States for the decriminalization of marijuana for personal and/or medical use which creates conflicts for employers. Employers have the responsibility to interpret both federal and state laws when determining their stance and policies when it comes to drug testing at the work place.
Drugs and alcohol have been used for medical and recreational purposes throughout history. With advancement of technology it has become easier and easier to access these substances. It is not only illegal drugs but prescription drugs that are being misused and wreaking havoc across the world. Even with billions of dollars being paid out to stop the war on drugs, the problem persists. People from all walks of life have been affected by drugs or are becoming drug addicts themselves. One particular group afflicted by the misuse of these substances is the children of drug addicted parents. According to Cattapan and Grimwade, “Drug use seen in one generation affects the lives of the next”. Children with one or both parents on drugs face huge disadvantages. They suffer from physical abuse, and emotional trauma with lifelong effects and their family unit is torn apart. Social institutions are being overloaded with the need to help or relocate these children.
“The number of people receiving methadone maintenance treatment in Ontario has increased sharply in recent years, from 6,000 in 2000 to 38,000 in 2012” (CAMH). Though this number seems threatening, it is a sign that Canada’s effective methadone treatments are reaching more people. Methadone is a synthetic opioid; it has a different chemical structure but similar effects on the body to other opiates such as morphine, heroin, codeine and OxyContin (Harvard Health Publications). Methadone is not used to cure, but rather treat addictions that individuals have to more dangerous opioids. Critics of the maintenance treatment say these rising numbers is proof of addicts getting high with Canadian’s tax money. A more accurate statement would be that
Most people do not understand how a person become addicted to drugs. We tend to assume that is more an individual problem rather than a social problem. However, teen substance abuse is indeed a social problem considered a priority for the USA department of public health due to 9 out of 10 Americans with addictions started using drugs before the age 18 (CASA Columbia University). Similarly, 1 in 4 Americans with addictions started using the substance during their teenage years, which show a significant different with 1 in 25 Americans with addiction who started using at 21 or older (CASA, 2011).