How Does Drugs Affect Our Lives?

1009 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: impact of drug trafficking

I am analyzing a photograph that was taken in Afghanistan in July of 2010. Afghanistan is a place where a very large portion of the population is addicted to heroin and other drugs. This country is torn apart from all of the wars and fighting that has occurred there. It is so difficult for farmers to make enough to support their families so they have to grow illegal plants and sell them to make a profit. Militant groups are also funded by the sales of these drugs. Not many users in Afghanistan know about the dangers of diseases found in blood such as HIV or AIDS. The country is simply too poor to afford education on these matters. The image shows how an old, dirty rag has been firmly wrapped around the bicep of the arm and a needle is being inserted into the vein of the man. The chances that the needle is dirty and has been used before are very high. Infection is another risk for them because of the dirty conditions they are living in. This image was taken to show how drugs can affect the environment a person lives in by appealing to the viewer’s pathos, logos, and ethos. This photograph helps to show the environment and the conditions that IDU’s (injecting drug users) are subjecting themselves to. The needles used are shared between multiple people to inject drugs into themselves and into each other. They do not take the time to sterilize the needles between people. This is how bloodborne pathogens are spread along with other germs from where the needles are kept. If the drugs do not kill them, then the diseases will. Both of the men have dirty hands and are wearing old, grimy clothes. The room that they are in is dark, unfinished, and more than likely damp and cold. The cinder block walls are cracked and crumbling with a hole i... ... middle of paper ... ...been able to buy better clothes, have better hygiene, and have furnishings for their house. Due to their poor judgement, they have to go without these basic accommodations that could help them to live a life that is much more healthy and comfortable. Drugs can make an impact on anyone’s life due to the poor decisions that they make. These Afghans do not know about the consequences of using drugs or sharing needles and it will hurt most of them in the end when they have contracted diseases. Since all their money is spent on these drugs, they will have nothing left to live off of. A lack of money will most likely lead to them living on the streets. This can be a very bad thing in the winter, sickness and death are possible outcomes from the weather. This image was taken to show how drugs can affect the environment that they live in and the lifestyle that they lead.

Show More
Related

  • A Closer Walk Documentary Analysis

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    By providing clean needles to drug addicts, are we causing another issue such as increased drug

    Read More

  • Douglas Husak: Why We Should Decriminalized Drug Use

    2036 Words  | 5 Pages

    Perhaps one of the most pressing concerns is health and the assumption that to a certain degree criminalization is justified by preserving health. Illicit drugs are, in reality, not as hazardous to public health as accustomed views present- particularly in relation to certain recreational activities that are legal. Of the 25,000 illegal drug use-induced fatalities the National Institute on Drug Abuse has brought to light, the majority is more correctly due to drug prohibition than consumption. Also, some 14,300 of the casualties are a result of diseases like AIDS, transferred (generally) because of contaminated drug injection needles. Needle exchange programs for sterile needles are encouraged by the World Health Organization, amongst many other international organizations, as it is considered as possibly the greatest innovation for the health improvement of users. However, the federal government disallows the appropriation of its funds to these programs because the possession and sale of syringes still remain largely illegal. Furthermore, - as I explain later on- between the sellers and producers, there is no real confidence in the contents and hence, dangerousness of a given street drug. Considering the already growing level of consumption, imagine the gains of, for example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) supervising illicit drugs, parallel to their work on food and

    Read More

  • Purpose of Needle Exchange Programs

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main purpose of needle exchange programs are based on that idea that access to sterile needles will significantly reduce needle sharing and will in turn reduce HIV transmission. It is also believed that implementing needle exchange programs will allow more opportunities for other forms of HIV prevention education to come about and increase people’s access to HIV treatment services. These exchange programs have opened up plenty of things that work to help reduce the spreading HIV such as the use of condoms, bleach kits, and giving people referrals. These programs came about because there is the growing knowledge that people who are not ready for drug treatment and who use many different types of drugs through the use of needles, is causing more and more people to get infected with HIV and is not helping the programs that are used to reduce the spread of HIV. Needle Exchange programs offer free new sterile needles in exchange for old used ones that are collected from injection drug users (Health News).

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Needle Exchange Programs

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    Needle exchange programs are a type of harm reduction initiative used in different parts of the world to combat HIV transmission. These programs provide injection drug users (IDUs) with clean needles and syringes (AVERT, 2015). These programs are run by pharmacies or other drug services, and can be either fixed or mobile sites (CDC, 2010). Besides aiming to reduce the transmission of HIV, these programs also provide advice on safe drug injection, how to minimize harm by drugs and overdose, how to safely handle injection equipment, and provide access to treatment if the person wishes. There are at least 90 countries that have implemented these programs, located in various areas such as the United States, Australia, Asia, Europe, Latin America,

    Read More

  • Needle Exchange Programs

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    Needle exchange programs are defined as a program, which intended to slow the spread of AIDS among IV drug users. It provides factual information and education for drug users and community so that the use of drugs has a minimal negative impact. (Watson 1991: 14) The first needle exchange programs began to emerge across Europe in the mid- 1980’s and have become famous health strategy around the world. In Canada, NEPs was officially opened in Ontario in 1987 and Vancouver in 1989, and a total of 28 NEPs were operational by February 1993. Today, there are more than 100 NEPs functioning around Canada, most of which earn federal and provincial funding. Needle exchange programs aim to provide injection and encourage the utilization of sterile needle syringes and other paraphernalia among injecting drug u...

    Read More

  • Needle Exchange Programs: Effective or Ineffective?

    1999 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although needle exchange programs have been successful, they have had some criticism. One of the main goals in the needle exchange program is to prevent or to reduce the rate of transmission of any infectious diseases, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis C by distributing sterile syringes. The intended group that this program is trying to focus on is injecting drug users, since they have a high rate of either repeatedly using a contaminated syringe or sharing the same syringe with others. These programs do not only focus on distributing syringes to those who choose to accept them, some of the programs provide different services such as, counseling groups, education classes about the risk of using contaminated syringes, free medical visits, and HIV testing. On the other hand, some people may be against these types of programs because they are allowing injection drug users to continue to use drugs. Another reason why people may not be as accepting of the needle exchange programs is due to the fact that these programs are government funded.

    Read More

  • Jenny's Battle: The Devastation of Heroin Addiction

    2264 Words  | 5 Pages

    Heroin is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. When using heroin, people run the risk of developing serious “infectious diseases” such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis (The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 2014, para 10). Above all, heroin use often results in death. The DEA Strategic Intelligence Section (2016), who prepared the 2016 National Heroin Threat Assessment Summary claims that heroin is the most fatal drug compared to other drugs because heroin related deaths occur at a much higher rate. In 2014 cocaine users outnumbered heroin users by about three and a half to one, yet there were twice as many heroin related deaths compared to that of cocaine (p. 9). One of the main causes of the large amount of death is a result of what dealers are lacing their heroin with. Fentanyl, a drug that is considered “50” to “100” times stronger than morphine (NIDA, 2016, para 1), is being used by dealers to mix in with their heroin in order to increase its effects and the quantity of their product. Because of how strong fentanyl-laced heroin is, the possibility of overdosing rises, which is the effect that numerous addicts seek out to attain. In the article “Spiked”, written by Maggie Lee (2015), Lieutenant Rick Mason from the Atlanta Police Department emphasizes, “… if somebody OD’s, that’s who [heroin addicts] want to buy their heroin from because it’s the strongest and it must be the best” (para 22). Heroin addicts chase the powerful batches, often asking around for the dealer selling the batch that is causing mass overdoses. Their high tolerance for heroin lead them to believe that they will not fall victim to a deadly overdose until it is too late. When these users consume what they think is their normal dose, the fentanyl kills them. Those unable to receive prescription medication from a doctor will argue that heroin is a cheap way to relieve pain. While heroin may help to

    Read More

  • The Drug Issue in Australia

    1316 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some people argue that the drug users aren’t the heroin victims. One writer notes, 'The parents of the user who steals from them, abuses them, physically, emotionally and mentally, the siblings who suffer the loss of care and love but who also get abused and used by the user, the kids of the user who learn that the parent's desire for smack is greater than the desire to be a parent,' are the real heroin victims (Fitzgerald, 2000). This problem therefore effects not only the user but the society living around them as well.

    Read More

  • The Use of Drugs on Society

    882 Words  | 2 Pages

    In a culture with such diverse commonalities, the differentials that set precedent come from social norms. These norms set the template for what acceptable behavior is. Being known as having a melting pot of a population we can expect that the norms are influenced through religion, values, ideas, and self views. Deviant behaviors occur when these social norms are disrupted and acts are seen to go against what we have always thought as wrong or weird. Deviance is a broad term that encompasses the idea that we know what is right from what our neighbor does. For example, trends of fashion change quite rapidly. If you don’t believe me watch shows on television that reminisce about the 70’s 80’s and so on. Today we look at what was worn in the previous decades and find it hard to imagine people dressing like this now. However, in the days that style was popular it was seen as the way to dress. Norms change to fit what the popular trend is now. Deviance likewise counters with what is unpopular. There are far more serious deviant acts than dressing from the wrong decade; they are also heavily tied to the law. Laws are more inflexible than behaviors of changing times. They are intact from the idea that if caught participating in such acts you could face serious punishment and rightfully so. Let’s take a look at one form of deviance that persisted in our culture for many years.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Clean Needle Abuse

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    This picture really focuses on the hands and the needle but the background is just as important as the main focus. The background shows the true conditions that these addicts are living in. Not only are they living in these horrific conditions, but they are using needles that have been in these conditions. Every time they are using these dirty needles they are putting the dirt and bacteria directly into their bloodstream. This Severely increases the risk of diseases which can be detrimental to the person and may even cause death. In these circumstances that the adictis are in, they don 't have the resources for each person to have their own needle so they just share them. When they share needles not only are they spreading the diseases that are around them, they are sharing blood which transmits blood born pathogens. This image does not necessarily say all of this. It requires deep thought and emotion and this is why it is such a good representation of

    Read More

  • Heroin: The Dangers Of Heroin Use

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    If more people were aware of the dangers of heroin use, such as using while pregnant, while on prescribed medications, with dirty needles, or even possible death, more people would be likely to not partake in the use of the drug.

    Read More

  • Effects of Drugs

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Controversies over drugs and the effects they have physically, mentally, and emotionally have been around for centuries. Some argue the fact that smoking marijuana has no health effects on the body. Some also say that other drugs have no long term mental consequences to suffer. Now, thanks to technology and hours of studies, answers have came to show the true long term health effects of drugs on the human body and mind.

    Read More

  • The Affects of Drug Abuse on Society

    1945 Words  | 4 Pages

    Illegal drug use is one of the most common problems that affect Americans every day. Joyce B. Shannon (2010) found that, “More than 35 million individuals used illicit drugs or abused prescription drugs in 2007” (p. 11). The impact can be seen in communities of all types, and people with low and high income levels. Drug use is at the root of many problems with our society. Joyce B. Shannon (2010) referenced a survey from 2004 that states, “32% of state prisoners and 26% of federal prisoners” admitted that they were currently serving jail time for offences committed while they were, “under the influence of drugs” (p. 102). The reasoning behind this issue will be explained from a psychological, sociological, and an anthropological perspective including the benefit of an interdisciplinary perspective to grasp the cause of drug use and it’s affect on society.

    Read More

  • Consequences: The Cause and Effect of Drug Use

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Drugs in Our Society

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the use of drugs being such a controversial issue in today’s society we felt as a group it was important to further explore this issue. As we possess a high interest in how drugs affect a number of social groups. These groups of course range from young teens to high-class older individuals who will have different reasons and different acceptable standards of behaviour.

    Read More

More about How Does Drugs Affect Our Lives?

Open Document