Drug Addiction Essays (Examples)

Drug Addiction

Drug Addiction and Homeostasis

Homeostasis refers to the regulation of an organism's vital functions via internal processes. The central nervous system governs the human body's maintenance of homeostasis. The introduction of any chemical substance into the body via ingestion, inhalation, or absorption can disrupt the body's homeostasis, or alternatively, create homeostasis when there was previously an imbalance. Therefore, the use of narcotic drugs can alter a body's homeostatic state, just as much as the use of psychiatric medications can. Antidepressants are designed to regulate an individual's neurological processes and responses and ideally to create homeostasis. If mood disorders such as depression are caused by organic imbalances in brain chemistry, then so too can addictions be caused by upsets in the body's homeostasis. The addict seeks to self-medicate through the use of various substances, whether alcohol, cocaine, or marijuana. For example, cocaine increases the rate of neurotransmission and is therefore called…… [Read More]

Drug Addiction and Crime Over

(Cussen, 2006, pp. 39 -- 48)

The Role of the Church, Family, Community and Nonprofits

Like what was stated previously, our focus will be on those organizations that are through: the church, family, community and various nonprofits. The basic idea here is to have each one of these groups effectively reach out to various addicts and offer them a way of effectively dealing with their addiction. This is significant because, this kind of basic approach has been used consistently throughout the course of human history to address these kinds of problems. Evidence of this can be seen by looking no further than a direct reference from 1 Corinthians 10:13 with it saying, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that…… [Read More]

Drug Addiction Treatment Instead of Jail Time

Drug Addiction Treatment Instead of Jail Time

Repeat drug offenders deserve mandatory jail time. However, people who are arrested for the first time for a drug offense may deserve a chance at rehabilitation within a treatment facility. While many judicial systems utilize the use of drug treatment programs within the jail system, there is currently a push for alternative drug programs-based within hospitals and clinics. Close supervision can prevent drug-addicted criminals from becoming repeat offenders. That has created a national system of six hundred drug courts that currently provide treatment and counseling to inmates as an alternative to regular jail time (Yang, 1999).

The Los Angeles Times reports (Greene, 2000) that one answer to the problem of jail overcrowding has a simple and cost-effective solution. The Orange County jail system is currently overcrowded due to sentencing drug offenders to jail time instead of residential rehabilitation. The County Sheriff cites statistics…… [Read More]

Drug Addiction Social Problem

Drug Addiction: A Social Problem

DRUG ADDICTION

The drug addiction has radically increased throughout the world over the past few years. This research study aims at analyzing the problem of drug addiction, its individual and social implications and the experts' opinion about this life-threatening practice. The paper has also discussed the current prevention measures launched at the private and public forefront along with examining their effectiveness in the practical arena. The alternatives to curb drug abuse and their potential effectiveness have also been elaborated.

Drug Addiction: A Social Problem

The problem of drug addiction has been significantly rising throughout the globe over the past few decades. The changing moral trends in society and increasing depression have radically increased the problem of drug addiction. It has strengthened its roots swiftly in all parts of society particularly among the teenagers. Numerous reports have stated the fact that all major countries of the…… [Read More]

Drug Addiction Be Considered a

" (Leshner, 2001) According to the NIDA drug addiction, much like cardiovascular disease causes changes in the individual's biological make up as shown in the following chart.

Addiction and Cardiovascular Disease Change Biology

Source: NIDA (2007)

Furthermore, the NIDA reports that recovery from drug addiction is very much like recovery from other diseases as shown in the following chart.

Recovery from Diseases

Source: NIDA (2007)

The Interim and Final Reports of the Joint Committee of the American Bar Association and the American Medical Association on Narcotic Drugs entitled: "Drug Addiction, Crime or Disease?" relates: "An Authoritative definition of drug addiction is that propounded by the World Health Organization: "Drug addiction is a state of periodic and chronic intoxication detrimental to the individual and to society, produced by the repeated consumption of a drug (natural or synthetic). Its' characteristics include:

1) an overpowering desire or need (compulsion) to continue taking the…… [Read More]

Drug Addiction Should Be Treated

Untrained individuals may help, but the chemical and genetic side of addiction must be acknowledged and addressed for the addict to make a full recovery.

The purpose of the justice system is to punish. The truth is, most alcoholic and addicts have already been punished, before they ever walk into a courtroom. They have lost loved ones, promising careers, and their physical health to their illness. Could prison take away more of their dignity and act as a deterrent? Incarcerating addicts without specific, substance-abuse therapy designed to treat the physical compulsions and psychological conditions (including but not limited to depression and anxiety) that motivated them to become addicts will do little to ensure that addiction, and the crimes it may have spawned, will cease.

In fact, given the levels of drug use and abuse in prison, it may only give addicts further reason to remain addicted, by normalizing the behavior,…… [Read More]

Drug Addiction and Analyze the

Increasingly, PROMETA has come under close scrutiny, with several individuals and experts claming that the treatment does not achieve all that it claims to do, although there have been numerous testimonials testifying to the efficacy of the system of treatment for addiction. In one patient's own words, "I had tried everything, and nothing worked for me. But PROMETA has!" (Addiction Medicine, 2006) in the words of Chicago based addiction specialist David Ostrow, there had been attempts to create hype, to an extent that was not essential, in the publicity associated with this new treatment PROMETA. In fact, he reiterated, there was very little evidence presented by the promoters of the product, to show that this indeed was a form of treatment that would work for addicts and alcoholics, in maintaining their abstinence over prolonged periods of time, and in acting against the chemicals that promote the addictions in the individual.…… [Read More]

Drug Addiction Amongst California S Homeless

Righteous Dopefiend: The Moral Economy of Heroin Abuse

One of the first images of Righteous Dopefiend, an anthropological analysis of California homeless heroin addicts, is that of several men shooting up heroin in a dirty and unsanitary place; even though there are cleaner places to do this, the men are attempting to conceal their activity because they do not want to share their stash: this indicates the extent to which the priorities of the addicts revolve around maximizing the efficacy of the drug and not around their own personal safety. "Fear of arrest exacerbates risky injection practices; discouraging possession of syringes, encouraging injectors to hide paraphernalia in unsanitary locations, and relegating the injection process to filthy hidden locales" (Bourgois & Schonberg 9). However, despite the fact that the addicts struggle with such issues, there are also moments of tenderness, such as when Hank chooses to inject Sonny in the neck…… [Read More]

Sexual and Drug Addiction Biology and the Mind

Addiction: A brain disease with a biological foundation

Addiction is a brain disease with a biological foundation, which means that it couples together the mental and physical states of the individual in an action which can lead to negative or bad behavior. There are many types of addictions but two of the biggest addictions in modern times are sexual addiction and drug addiction. Many young people develop both addictions or one or the other, either becoming addicted to Internet sexual sites or becoming addicted to illicit street drugs like heroin or marijuana. Either addiction can be damaging to the person's health, and in some cases they can even be deadly. In fact sexuality and drug addiction can sometimes even be linked (Newcomb, 2014). For young people these two issues are especially dangerous as "experimentation with addictive drugs and onset of addictive disorders is primarily concentrated in adolescence and young adulthood"…… [Read More]

History of Drug Addiction Both Psychological and Physical

addiction over the past several decades, that addiction, specifically drug addiction, has been present in society for most of mankind's presence on earth. Such addiction may have been known by other descriptions and may not have been known to be the result of something exactly identified as a drug but such use was still likely an addiction. The use of drugs has been recorded by historians for thousands of years (Crafts, 2009). Wine was used by the early Egyptians and narcotics and marijuana have been noted to be used as far back as 4000 B.C. But it was not until the 19th century that the active ingredients in drugs were extracted. For many years many of the drugs that are now heavily regulated and controlled were freely available and prescribed by physicians. There easy availability resulted in many becoming addicted to their use and by the early1900s there were an…… [Read More]

Prescription Drug Addiction When People

Usually, both physical and psychological components need to be addressed. Byrd (2001) explains, the function of brain cells (neurons) is affected when a drug is used repeatedly over a long period of time. Each neuron produces and releases chemicals called neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters can impact the function of the nerve cell, making it produce and release hormones. "The neurotransmitters that have been associated with addiction include serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, gamma-amino-butyric acid, and glutamate" (p. 71). Drugs and the secretion of neurotransmitters can interfere with nerve cell functions and in some cases can damage them. Addiction becomes a fact when the body increases its level of resistance to immediate drug effects and develops a tolerance for the substance. As this happens, the brain tries to maintain a normal state, but the nerve cell membrane is changing. "Release of dopamine affects the part of the brain that regulates motor behavior. The destruction…… [Read More]

Sociology - Drug Addiction Theory

According to NIDA (2007), tobacco use resulted in the death of approximately 100 million people in the twentieth century, with a projected total approaching 1 billion by the end of this century at the current rate of usage.

Nevertheless, NIDA still currently considers "drug" addiction as a disease, despite its contradictory failure to ascribe the same characterization to nicotine addiction.

In justifying its position that addiction is a "disease of the brain," NIDA (2007) relies primarily on neurological data provided by advanced methods of brainwave studies and brain imaging technologies, which identify characteristic differences between neurological responses to the ingestion of drugs and alcohol by individuals prone to addiction and the responses of individuals less prone to addiction to the same agents.

These studies demonstrate that the brains of addicts respond very differently from those of non-addicts, in intensity, as well as in terms of regional involvement (NIDA, 2007).

However,…… [Read More]

Souls Is a Book About Drug Addiction

Souls is a book about drug addiction and its relation to crime. It is a memoir by Michael MacDonald and it shows how both crime and drugs have brought death to his family, as they grew up in Southie, "in the all-Irish housing projects where everyone claimed to be Irish" (2). It was, according to MacDonald, the best neighborhood in the world. That, of course, was a kind of dream -- for the reality of Southie soon became known to him as it took the lives of his brothers. This paper will explore the reality that MacDonald describes in his memoir All Souls and show how it relates to the realities depicted in two essays: William J. Bennett's "Should Drugs be Legalized?" And Linda Hasselstrom's "Why One Peaceful Woman Carries a Pistol." The relation shows this: that there is no answer to the problem of drugs, guns, crime and self-preservation,…… [Read More]

Parental Drug Addiction & Impact on Children

PARENTAL DRUG ADDICTION & IMPACT ON CHILDREN

Impact of parental drug use

Neurobiological causes of drug addiction

Social support to victims of parental drug addiction

Child needs during treatment of parental drug addiction

Impact of parental drug use

Barnard and McKeganey (2004) investigated the impact that parental drug use created on their children and ways and means that can be helpful in mitigating these effects. The study was aimed at reviewing the literature on this subject. The researchers adopted 'narrative review' as the qualitative method to review the research on this subject. Intervention studies were selected for this purpose and studies published in last three decades were made part of this study sample. The authors reported some insightful findings. Primarily, the study found that problem drug use did impede the parenting ability and responsibility of parents that were drug addicts. The study found that such parents used to neglect their…… [Read More]

Eradicating Alcohol and Drug Addiction From a

eradicating alcohol and drug addiction from a woman offender's life is seen in the research results of Baylor Correctional Institution women inmates. The research questions pertaining to increasing their knowledge of what constitutes unlawful behaviors, identifying the triggers associated with drug use, and increase their knowledge of and identification of coping skills to remain drug-free are the basis of this methodology section. Methodologies pertaining to drug treatment programs often concentrate on the externalities and easily tracked causes, neglecting the internal, attitudinal and situational factors that trigger relapse (McCusker, Vikers-Lahti, Stoddard, et.al.1995). The outcome of the initial research validates this point, showing how women offenders from Baylor Correctional Institution can successfully define and identify unlawful behaviors, and can also increase their coping skills through programs. This finding is consistent with empirical studies that illustrate how residential drug treatment programs are successful in teaching drug offenders for what specific external factors to…… [Read More]

Biological Aspects of Drug Addiction

The process of neuroadaptation

There are two main processes that do contribute to the development of addiction as well as the reinforcement and the process of neuroadaptation. The process of reinforcement occurs when a rewarding stimulus such as alcohol or other drugs such as AOD causes induced euphoria. This could also be a relief from an unpleasant condition or state such as anxiety which usually increases the chances of a behavioral response such as the use of AOD. Neuroadaptation refers to the various compensatory moves and adjustments in which the brain makes deliberate attempts to continue with its normal function irrespective of the fact that it is under the influence of alcohol. The process of neuroadaptation and reinforcement which occurs simultaneously does appear to underline the initial acute response (short-term) to the drug under use as well as the establishment of chronic (long-term) craving that is often characteristic of addiction.…… [Read More]

Is Drug Addiction a Disease

drug abuse continues to be a major cause of concern in America. In fact, statistics from the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration show that by 2012, an estimated 20 million Americans above the age of 12 were using illicit drugs or abusing psychotherapeutic medication (National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIDA, 2015). While this encompasses people of every ethnicity, geographic region, racial identity, education level, and socio economic background, many Americans view it as a major health problem particularly because it is directly linked to majority of the nation's health problems, such as cancer, HIV / AIDS and heart disease. Social problems such as child abuse, drunk driving, violence, and stress are also related to drug addiction and according to NIDA (2015), it takes a tremendous toll on the society at many levels and costs the nation…… [Read More]

Drug Addiction to Prescription Painkillers

Prescription Drugs for Pain Management: Pros and Cons

One of the most controversial developments in medical science in recent years has been the development of new prescription drugs to treat pain in the opioid family of drugs. These drugs, such as OxyContin, have been linked to increasing rates of prescription drug abuse and addiction and many physicians are advocating greater scrutiny of how they are used and prescribed within the medical profession. However, opponents of greater regulation fear that this may make the lives of individuals suffering chronic pain even more difficult. According to the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM): "Ethics drive physicians to prescribe, but fear of sanctions may affect physician prescribing behaviors, which might compromise quality of care." The decision to prescribe potentially addictive drugs such as opioid painkillers must be decided upon specific criteria, including the degree to which the patient's life is being compromised by…… [Read More]

Alcohol Drug Addiction

Substance Abuse Case Study: Levi

In recent years psychology researchers have made significant gains in developing effective diagnostic and treatment tools for compulsive and addictive behaviors. In addition, there is a growing body of research that explores the concept of duel diagnosis, with increasingly streamlined treatment plans being designed to address underling mental health disorders in conjunction with detoxification and rehabilitation from substance abuse.

The client in this case study, Levi, is an HIV positive man in his mid-30's who has disclosed an escalating pattern of tranquilizer and cocaine abuse. His case not only presents as a possible duel diagnosis of mood disorder and substance abuse, but given his HIV positive status and his declining health, it's probable he will need comprehensive care. Levi's willingness to disclose his substance abuse to Dan indicates that he may be more motivated to seek treatment at this time, and it also indicates that…… [Read More]

Movie Ray and Drug Addiction

Client Map for Ray Charles Based on the Film Ray

In the movie Ray, Ray Charles is depicted as using multiple types of drugs, but only his use of heroin would meet the guidelines for a diagnosis under DSM-V. Furthermore, after recovers from his heroin addiction, the movie suggests that Ray became sober. In reality, Charles became a heavy drinker and used significant amounts of marijuana throughout his life. However, since that drug use is not portrayed in the film, those diagnoses are not included and will not be considered in this client map. Knowing that behavior would change the client map for him, but that knowledge and information comes from outside of the source material found in the movie.

Diagnosis

304.00, Substance Use Disorder, Heroin, Severe.

Under DSM-V, a scale of 1 to 11 symptoms is used to determine whether a substance use disorder is mild (2-3 symptoms); moderate…… [Read More]

Tackling the Problem of Drug Addiction in the US

Top-Most Dangerous Drugs

Criterion of Ranking

Presently, the globe is struggling to ensure that children in the teen and pre-teen do not abuse drugs. This is premised on the notion that some drugs are more dangerous than others are. In this study, I benchmarked the ranking of drugs based on the effects on the user and those around them. It must be appreciated that psychoactive drugs influence one's brain functioning and relationships with others in the society. Some of the effects of such drugs whether alcohol, crack or cocaine include impaired mental judgment, worsened economic status when addicted, the possible engagement in crime, and societal disturbance (Nutt 29). The level of harm to the individuals and society is the basis for classifying the drugs. The health status of the user is the most significant factor that should be considered when ranking the harm of a drug. In this case, drugs…… [Read More]

Alcohol and Drug Addictions Specifically

In Alberta, liquor stores have been privatized, although the government still maintains strict regulations on anyone who sells liquor. It is available in liquor stores, retail outlets, and in bars and restaurants. Many people felt this would lead to widespread addiction and abuse, but studies indicate that may not be the case. In an economic study completed in 2005 comparing Ontario and Quebec's monopolies with Alberta's privatization, the results were surprising. People believe that revenues would decline if the monopolies went public, but in fact, because Alberta sets a flat rate for liquor prices, revenues actually went up in Alberta, not down. In addition, a wider variety of products and brands is available in Alberta than in either of the other two provinces, and there are more locations available to buy liquor in Alberta ("Privatization of alcohol trade"). In fact, since privatizing the liquor industry, Alberta's sales have almost doubled,…… [Read More]

Drug Profile

Drug Profile

Drug addiction is a human issue that cultivates biological, psychological, and social consequences, among others. The manifestation of addiction itself is characterized by physical dependence, and is defined by the uncontrollable, compulsive urge to seek and use drugs despite harmful repercussions (Fernandez, Rodriguez & Villa, 2011). Philologically, drug use affects the reward center, where dopamine receptors are over-stimulated. Ultimately, the repetition of drug use is encouraged to achieve the same, heightened, pleasure response (U.S. DHHS, 2007). Psychological responses to drug use may reflect motivations caused by positive pleasure, anxiety, or protection. The bodily effects of drugs often reflect the drug's class: stimulants, depressants, narcotics, hallucinogen, and cannabis. Each class represents various drugs and causes distinct biochemical responses. In addition to illicit drugs, prescription drugs are also highly abused and are categorized within the drug classes. Drug addiction does not discriminate between gender, race, sexual orientation or creed, and…… [Read More]

Drug Legalization as the Country

"As a case in point we may take the known fact of the prevalence of reefer and dope addiction in Negro areas. This is essentially explained in terms of poverty, slum living, and broken families, yet it would be easy to show the lack of drug addiction among other ethnic groups where the same conditions apply." Inciardi 248()

Socio-economic effects

Legalizing drugs has been deemed to have many socio-economic effects. A study that was conducted by Jeffrey a. Miron, who was a Harvard economist estimated that by legalizing drugs, this would inject about $76.8 billion in to the U.S. every year. 44.1 billion dollars would come from savings made from the law enforcement measures and 32.7 billion would be from tax revenue. This revenue can be thought to be broken down as follows: 6.7 billion dollars from marijuana, 22.5 billion from heroin and cocaine and the rest from the other…… [Read More]

Drug Culture Final the Second

Brick and Cutter's Way can be categorized as both thrillers and films noir due to the fact that the narratives of these films revolve around an investigation into the mysterious deaths of young women at the hands of power-hungry men. While the investigation in Brick is fueled by a desire to expose a drug trafficking ring at a high school, thus making drugs a central issue, drugs in Cutter's Way are not a factor that contributed to the deaths of the individuals Cutter was looking into. However, that is not to say that drugs to not play a major role, as Cutter is heavily addicted to alcohol, which causes him to be discredited despite the fact that he is able to solve not only the crime at hand, but also reveal why his father was targeted by the same murderer years before.

On the other hand, Cabin in the Woods,…… [Read More]

Drug Usage the Use Drugs

Drug addiction is not merely a failure of will or weakness in character, however having this 'brain disease' does not absolve the addict of responsibility for his or her behavior, but it does explain why an addict feels compelled to continue using drugs (Leshner 2001). Environmental cues that surround an individual's initial drug use and development of the addiction, actually become "conditioned" to the drug use and thus are critical to the problem of addiction (Leshner 2001).

Therefore, when those cues are present at a later time, "they elicit anticipation of a drug experience and thus generate tremendous drug craving" (Leshner 2001). This type of cue-induces craving is one of the most frequent causes of drug use relapses, independently of whether drugs are available and even after years of abstinence (Leshner 2001).

In March 2006, it was reported that researchers from Liverpool, England discovered a gene that directly affects the…… [Read More]

Drug Treatment According to the

Thirdly, drug treatment counselors consider the effectiveness of the program's treatment methods when recommending these programs to addicts. This is determined through evaluating the program's success rates, especially from an objective external agency. This process may also require consideration of the program's accreditation and licensing to determine whether its workers are properly trained mental health professionals and specialists. The success rate of a drug treatment program is crucial in determining its effectiveness in helping the addicted individual to recover.

The fourth factor considered by these professionals when recommending a treatment program is social factors since several environmental factors enhance the probability of exposure to particular drugs. In some cases, some drugs are more often used within some cultures while other drugs are easily found is some geographic areas. Social factors are also considered because drug use takes place in the context of social network for many people (Hoffman et. al.,…… [Read More]

Drug Laws Changes in Drug

Therefore, a closer look at what is needed is in order.

Needed Changes, Stakeholders and Barriers to Change

The decades that followed Rockefeller and Felony Offender made it clear that these laws were in dire need of change for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most importantly among the reasons for a need for change was the fact that many of those in need of recovery from drug addiction were instead being locked away in prison, burdening the justice system, breaking up families and torturing people with a definite disease. On the other side of the argument, however, barriers to change in these policies was led by staunch conservatives who, not realizing the many facets of drug addiction, were too fast to dismiss addicts as criminals who were only getting what some felt they deserved (nysda.org). In reality, however, there are effective solutions to the debate.

Effective Solutions to the Debate…… [Read More]

Drug Law Reform Pro According to the

Drug Law Reform (Pro)

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the United States' policy on illegal drugs is threefold: stopping drug use before it starts, healing the country's drug users, and disrupting the market. The United States' war on drugs has been going on for at least the last three decades. Given the duration of this war, some have questioned the effectiveness of it, wondering if the money spent is really making a difference and bringing about results.

Actually, the effects of this policy on illegal drugs have been mixed. According to a study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) covering current and emerging trends in drug abuse for 21 major U.S. metropolitan areas, some drugs are decreasing in use while others are increasing. For example:

C]rack accounted for a substantially greater percentage of primary admissions than powder cocaine in all [surveyed] sites.…… [Read More]

Drug Policies Major Policies History

14). Soon, Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which was signed into law in 1937. Like the Harrison Act, the Marijuana Tax Act placed marijuana into the same category as the cocaine and opium drugs. It was now illegal to import marijuana into the United States (McWilliams, 1991). However, this law was ineffective in curbing marijuana use (Brecher, 1986, p. 14).

By the early 1940s narcotic addiction had significantly reduced in the United States (Harrison, Backenheimer and Inciardi, 1999). However, this was not the result of legislative initiatives. Instead, it was because World War II was cutting off the "supplies of opium from Asia and interrupt the trafficking routes from Europe" (Inciardi, 1992, p. 24).

Several other legislative efforts in the supply reduction department served to establish more severe penalties for violations of drug laws, and tighten controls and restrictions over legally manufactured narcotic drugs (Harrison, Backenheimer and Inciardi, 1999).…… [Read More]

Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation in Long Island

Drug Abuse in Long Island, New York

With more than seven and a half million residents, Long Island, New York is a major center of commerce and education, but like many other densely populated large urban centers, this city also has a significant drug abuse problem. To determine the facts about the problem, this paper reviews the relevant literature to provide epidemiological evidence concerning the incidence of drug abuse in Long Island, and what community-based resources are available to its resident. Finally, a review of a recent research study article concerning these issues is followed by a summary of the research and important findings concerning drug abuse in Long Island in the conclusion.

Review and Analysis

Epidemiological evidence concerning drug abuse in Long Island

Like many other major American urban centers, all types of drugs are abuse in Long Island, but heroin abuse in particular has become a serious problem…… [Read More]

Drug Legalization Is a Highly Controversial Issue

Drug legalization is a highly controversial issue, which has been given top priority in political agenda. Many oppose legalization of cocaine but there are just as many people favoring legalization on various grounds. It is important to study both sides of the problem to see if legalization is practical or not. Those who oppose legalization of drugs maintain that cocaine is a dangerous drug which if legalized will send the wrong message that "it is OK to try such drugs" (Legalizing drugs may not be bad idea: 17 A). Opponents maintain that it is the responsibility of law enforcement agencies and other authorities to maintain stricter control over drug use in order to maintain "a delicate balance on drug initiatives." (Hemenway, 2002)

Drug legalization is a sensitive issue that many regard as problematic and believe that it is not in the jurisdiction of United States to allow or disallow legalization…… [Read More]

Drug and Alcohol the Effects

And they can often escape into substance abuse and addiction" (Study reveals rise in drug, alcohol abuse during economic downturn).

One of the most important ways in which an increasing rate of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction affects the economy is the spiraling cost of healthcare and rehabilitation. The increase in addictions also creates a gap between the need for treatment and rehabilitation and available resources. This in turn places economic pressure on state and local government. This is especially difficult to maintain in a recessionary economic climate. "States, local governments, and non-profits are all facing tremendous budget shortfalls -- and they are cutting the resources to help this growing group of addicts in trouble, just when they need it the most" (Study reveals rise in drug, alcohol abuse during economic downturn).

The following illustrations provide a clear indication of the amounts that have been spent on alcohol and…… [Read More]

Drug Culture in Lost Weekend

While Jacob's Ladder is a horror film, Jacob Singer, played by Tim Robbins, is haunted by hallucinations, which he is convinced are a result of secret government chemical or drug testing carried out on him during the Vietnam War. In this regard, Jacob's Ladder comments on the countless unknown substances that are secretly administered to unwilling subjects. This aspect of the film, although ultimately proving to be untrue as Jacob's hallucinations are a desperate attempt to cling to life and he really dies in Vietnam, focuses on a different aspect of drug culture: drug testing and manufacture. In Jacob's Ladder, Jacob and his fellow soldiers, serve as ersatz lab rats, considered to be disposable by the U.S. government.

On the other hand, the Insider, directed by Michael Mann, focuses on the power held by drug corporations and their ability to influence the media and public perceptions of individuals. The Insider…… [Read More]

Drug Abuse in Eastern Kentucky

drug use and abuse in the United States and presents differing approaches that are used (or proposed) to get a handle on the problem. There is no doubt that the drug abuse issue is not new and it is not being reduced by any significant amount. This paper presents statistics and scholarly research articles that delve into various aspects of the drug abuse issue in the United States, with particular emphasis on drugs that are abused in eastern Kentucky and generally in the Appalachian communities.

History of Drug Use & Availability

The history of illegal drug use in the United States goes back to the 19th Century, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The DEA has a Museum in Arlington, Virginia, that illustrates the history of drug discoveries, drug use, and drug abuse through the years. The DEA reports that morphine, heroin, and cocaine were "discovered" in the…… [Read More]

Drug Policies the Legacy of Outdated Moral

Drug Policies the Legacy of Outdated Moral Values and Moral Panics

A disinterested alien observer who came down to the planet Earth and saw the difference in how legal drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes were treated under the law when compared to illegal drugs would be hard pressed to explain the differential treatment. After all, alcohol and cigarettes cause or contribute to far more deaths, injuries, health problems, and social problems than illegal drugs. In fact, some illegal drugs, such as cannabis, are relatively free of side-effects when compared to those two legal substances. Furthermore, even some of the highly villianized hard drugs, such as heroin, are considered less addictive than nicotine. Therefore, it is difficult to understand why some substances are illegal and others are not. The reasons are not scientific or social; therefore, one must look at the history of drug policy in the Western world and…… [Read More]

Drug Courts on Drug Abuse

The later stages focuses on dealing with the problems related to the drug use withdrawal like the withdrawal syndromes, the tendency to relapse. The later stages also focus on restoring the self dignity and also impacting the participant with the prerequisites to self-manage the drug abuse issue once the probation and treatment duration ends (Tara, 2007).

The drug courts are also said to be significant to the economy of the U.S. The drug courts save the taxpayer money for each participant in the treatment as compared to the same individual or one with a similar problem but going through the criminal court system. This is realized by the reduced recidivism cases among the graduates from the treatment facilities recommended by the drug court systems (Daniel, 2003).

In general, the drug use is very addictive and a problem that dealing with it in the U.S. society is very difficult. This is…… [Read More]

Drugs Explored in Music

social problem of using and selling drugs is portrayed in music. I'm interested in studying this because music has at once been accused of glorifying drug culture and also as being one of the few means of allowing users to vent on the realities of drug culture. Clearly, the relationship between drugs and music is a complex one. This paper will seek to shed light on the motivations for artists to incorporate drug culture in their songs and what they presumably gain from it, and what society presumably gains from it as well.

The first song that this paper will examine when it comes to the treatment of drugs as subject matter for songs is in the work of 2 Pac in his famous song, "Changes." This song is so remarkable in that it addresses a tremendous amount of social injustice in that is still alive and well in the…… [Read More]

Legal Response to Drugs

Drugs

Decriminalization of drugs is an ineffective legal policy that has harmed millions of Americans. Since Nixon's declaration of "war" on drugs, American policy towards mind-altering substances has been as violent and futile as the term "war on drugs" would suggest. Drug use is not qualitatively different from alcohol use. The prohibition of alcohol failed miserably in the early 20th century, leading also to a proliferation in profitable black market businesses that fueled organized crime. The same pattern has been occurring with mind-altering substances of all types. Drug cartels have blossomed throughout the Americas, and the global black marketplace is teeming with criminal behaviors that are linked to protecting the lucrative but illegal drug trade. If trading in drugs were akin to trading in alcohol, then drug cartels would no longer need the massive stashes of weapons used to protect their property. The war on drugs has ruined far more…… [Read More]

Have Stiff Drug Laws Helped or Hurt the Criminal Justice System

Drug Laws

The Shortcomings in our Current Drug Law Policy: Research Proposal

As a major policy issue in the United States, the War on Drugs has been one of the most monumental failures on modern record. At a cost of billions of taxpayer dollars, thousands of lives lost and many thousands of others ruined by untreated addiction or incarceration, America's policy orientation concerning drug laws is due for reconsideration. Indeed, the very philosophical orientation of the War on Drugs and of the current drug policy in the United States has been one of prosecution and imprisonment rather than one of decriminalization, treatment and rehabilitation. As our medical and scientific communities characterize addiction as a disease, the United States government continues to characterize this disease as a crime. And in doing so, it has created an unnecessary criminal class in the United States. The research proposal will set out to prove…… [Read More]

Compare Drug Policy Between the U S and Netherlands

Drug Policies of the United States and the Netherlands

Virtually every country in the world has drug prohibition and criminalizes the production and sale of cannabis, cocaine, and opiates, except for medical uses, and most countries criminalize the production and sale of other psychoactive substances, and moreover, most countries criminalize simple possession of small amounts of the prohibited substances (Levine 2002). However, no Western country and few Third World countries have or have ever had forms of drug prohibition as criminalized and punitive as the United States (Levine 2002). Beginning in the early 1990's, drug policies in Europe, Canada, Australia and elsewhere began to shift away from criminalization of drugs, and no where has the pendulum swayed more than in the Netherlands (Levine 2002).

The United States' drug policy is the best example of criminalized drug prohibition that uses criminal laws, police, and imprisonment to punish people who use specific…… [Read More]

Correctional Issue of Drugs

Drugs in Federal Corrections

Corrections issues

One of the issue faced by the criminal justice system is offenders with drug problems. Research has indicated that almost 70% of criminals entering the correctional institutions have injected drugs 12 months prior to their incarceration (Ruiz, Douglas, Edens, Nikolova, & Lilienfeld, 2012). These patterns of drug abuse clearly demonstrate that many prisoners begin their prison terms with drug problems. If the problem is not recognized early, it results in demand for drugs within the correctional facility. This demand creates problems and challenges for prison administrators. Prisoners use of drugs results to increased safety risks, violence, corruption, and occupational health. There is also a risk of the prisoners resulting to extreme measures in order for them to access the drugs. They may commit acts of violence, or use threats. The issue of drug results in an increased risk of contracting diseases like HIV /…… [Read More]

Criminal Policy of Drug Court

Drug Courts: A Program to Reinvent Justice for Addicts

For the past several decades, drug use has had an overwhelming effect upon the American justice system, with drug and drug-related crime being the most common offense in almost every community (Drug Strategies, 1996). Beyond the troubling ability of these problems to fill prisons to capacity, the traditional judicial system seemed to have no deterrent effect on these crimes (Drug and Crime Facts, 1994). A disturbing "revolving door" pattern had emerged, with drug offenders moving through the system in a predictable pattern of arrest, prosecution, conviction, incarceration, and release. In a few weeks, sometimes only a few days, the same person was back in the system again, arrested for drug possession or a drug-related crime (National Association of Drug Court Professionals [NADCP], 1997). A particularly difficult problem faced by the system was the growing use of crack cocaine in the 1980s…… [Read More]

The Disease Model of Addiction

Addiction as a Disease

While drug addiction may not bring about obvious physical changes like some diseases, it still causes permanent changes to the brain. Drugs circumvent the natural system of rewards generated by the brain, whereby performing a pleasurable action will cause a release of dopamine. "The natural capacity to produce dopamine in the reward system is reduced, while the need persists and the drug seems to be the only way to fulfill it. The brain is losing its access to other, less immediate and powerful sources of reward. Addicts may require constantly higher doses and a quicker passage into the brain" ("The addicted brain," 2009). Contrary to Hojung Lee's suggestion, addiction is not really analogous to a habit, despite the fact that it is often called that (as in "he has a drug habit"). The compulsion to use is irresistible to the addict, which is why addicts will…… [Read More]

Drug Culture in Film

Drug Culture Midterm

Prior to this course, I had a very narrow interpretation of drug culture in regards to film. The films I was most familiar with were those that focused on marijuana such as Cheech and Chong films, Pineapple Express, Half-Baked, and the Harold and Kumar trilogy among others. Additionally, the only other heroin-centric film I was aware of was Trainspotting, and the only other cocaine-centric film that had made an impression on me was Blow. However, as the term progressed, I became aware of how the general public perceived these drugs and how addiction was depicted in films.

Additionally, my definition of drug culture expanded to include things that are not necessarily consumed but that still alter a person's perceptions or contribute to addiction. These different types of addictions and mind-altering phenomena are most evident in Videodrome and The Social Network.

Question 1b.

There are several films that…… [Read More]

Drug Crime Does Research Evidence Suggest That

Drug Crime

Does research evidence suggest that current policies on drugs and crime are still appropriate?

While "tough" policies designed to curb drug use and distribution are attractive politically, and look good on paper, research shows that such policies are no longer appropriate. Instead of responding to drug use as a public health problem, governments like that of the United States and the United Kingdom still regards criminalization as "the sine qua non-of responsible policy-making," (Downes and Morgan, 2007, p. 212). Unfortunately, the criminalization approach happens to also be irresponsible policy making based on emotion rather than fact. Governments with criminalization policies like the United States and Great Britain show a disturbing "state of denial" about the way criminalization creates and enhances organized crime, and may have even exacerbated some types of substance abuse (Downes and Morgan, 2007, p. 212).

Drug use patterns have also changed dramatically, requiring an intelligent…… [Read More]

Drug Intervention Annoted Bibliography Anglin

" American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 21(1), 111-35. A research team led by Dr. Michael French gathered to estimate the costs and benefits of residential and publically funded treatment programs for addiction issues. The team was derived from the University of Miami. Program and the client related economic cost estimates were obtained using data collected at the site with the drug abuse treatment cost analysis program (DATCAP). It was concluded that the economic benefit to society was almost four times what the cost of treating residential clients. Short-term follow-up treatment was also beneficial and the economic benefit was even higher.

Hanlon, T.E., Kinlock, T.W., Nurco, D.N. (1991). "Recent research on the relationship between illicit use and crime." Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 9(3), 221-242.

The study reviews previous research on the correlation of drug use and criminal behavior resulting in arrest since 1980. Advances were noted in crime…… [Read More]

Drug Alcohol Abuse Drug and Alcohol

Substance use is frequently associated with child abuse and domestic violence. It also is a leading contributor to marital dissatisfaction, family breakups and rejection of family members. The importance of the family in understanding alcohol and drug use and abuse is underlined by these highly destructive consequences of alcohol and drug dependency on the abuser and the family. (Lala; Straussner; Fewell, 17)

Peer Group plays an important part in resolving the problem as they are able to take the drug or alcohol abuser more into confidence compared to others since most people associate themselves with their respective peer group in terms of habits, tastes and concerns. It has been demonstrated that a drug abuser will definitely abide by a member of the peer group to which he belongs and obey requests of abstinence more than anyone else. Educational system also plays an important role in tackling the prevalence of the…… [Read More]

Drug Legalization of Drugs Legalization

Economists are concerned with the impact that the sale of drugs has on both individual and economic freedoms and frame their argument from this perspective. Others argue that reliance on the criminal justice system has not produced significant results and that it is time to reframe the argument to focus on the education, prevention, and treatment of drugs.

From the economic perspective, there are apparent differences between government prohibition and legalization of drugs. It has been estimated that total government expenditures devoted to the enforcement of drug laws is well in excess of $26 billion. These figures are also significant in state and local law enforcement agencies with drug related incidents making up one fifth of the total investigative resources and drug enforcement activities. Approximately 25% of the total prison population, municipal, state and federal, is made up of drug law violators. In fact, ten percent of all arrests are…… [Read More]

Drug-Related Crime Many People Who

One example of the kind of policy change that is being suggested by some in the particular war on Meth is the reduction of the ability of meth makers, especially large scale makers to realize the supplies of a small number of raw materials used to make the drug pseudoephedrine is quaaludes, as this drug was successfully removed from the radar screen by the banning of the chemicals used to make it, and this may be an option for all synthetic drugs.

Reurer 170)

Works… [Read More]

Drug Enforcement Strategies There Are

In jails, not one of the violent criminals was under the influence of heroin at the time their crime was committed. Twenty-one percent of state inmates incarcerated for violent crime were under the influence of alcohol alone at the time they committed their crime. The number of those under the influence of marijuana alone was too small to be recorded statistically. (National 1998) These facts indicate that it is not the drug users that are committing the crimes, but the people who deal with drugs. If there was no money to be gained from dealing with drugs, these criminals would have to find legitimate jobs and the police would only have to worry about traffic.

The efforts to target youth with drug education in the War on Drugs has fallen far short of its original goals. The ONDCP is budgeting less than 12% of the $100 million it was planning…… [Read More]

Drug Control Policy as Ethan

Unfortunately, the American government has been looking in the wrong place for these models, especially in Asia and Latin America. For example, the coca plant from which cocaine is derived grows in abundance in many geographical regions of northern South America and in Central America, where growers make huge profits as compared to efforts to force farmers and peasants to grow legal crops which inevitably do not produce enough profits in order to survive.

Of course, over the last twenty years or so, the U.S. federal government has done much and at great expense to attempt to eradicate the growing of coca but these efforts have also failed miserably. As Nadelmann relates, even if foreign supplies of coca and other drugs like heroin could be cut off, "the drug abuse problem in the U.S. would scarcely abate," due to the fact that much if not most of the drugs like…… [Read More]

Drug Enforcement Administration DEA in

The agents then formalize a data which helps them to stop the drug trafficking in future. By the end of year 1968, America's counter culture movement was at its peak and the trend of illegal drug use for the recreational purposes was rising. That was an alarming situation and then the President Lyndon Johnson introduced a legislation that ultimately combined the BDAC and Bureau of Narcotics into a single entity: Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs under the department of Justice (Kleiman & Hawdon, 2011).

As far as the core mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration is concerned, it is to enforce the laws and regulations regarding the controlled substances and to bring the law breakers to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operations are not only limited to the United States but its jurisdiction is across the world as a…… [Read More]

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Over

In some cases, these issues or problems stem from different cultural views and beliefs. While at other times, these issues will affect someone who lives in an environment with: parental drug/alcohol related problems, disruptions to the family, social deprivations, the lack of economic opportunities, physical/sexual abuse, peer pressure and stress. The question I will try to determine is whether or not ethnicity and economic factors play a major influence in determining who will be the most likely to abuse drugs and alcohol?

This will highlight the primary reasons as to why someone will begin using these stimulants on a regular basis. Once this is determined, one can provide specific insights that will illustrate the root causes of the problem and their lasting effect on society.

Describe the data collection method (Research Method)

The basic approach that will be used for collecting and analyzing the data is evaluation research. This is…… [Read More]

Drug Use the Courage to

The benefits of ending the cycle of drug and alcohol abuse far outweigh the pain and hard work involved. Living a clean and sober lifestyle allows people to make their own decisions, not decisions based on their physical need for drugs or alcohol. They will regain their self-respect, and find happiness in the things they were neglecting during their use and abuse. Finally, their body will be free of the physical tolls of alcohol and drugs.

For someone like Jared, working to end his alcohol abuse will improve his life in many ways. First, working toward change will show his wife, his mother, and the rest of the people who love him that he does not want to hurt them and wants to change. While other problems may exist in Jared's marriage and life, he owes it to himself and those that he loves to try. He might spend more…… [Read More]

Drug Rehab Reimbursements Drug Rehabilitation

However, not all facilities are prohibitively costly. Serenity Lane in Eugene, Oregon, proclaims as part of its marketing and advertising plan that it accepts almost all insurance plans, and trumpets the fact that it offers value deals like the "ExSL (Long-Term Program)" that requires only a relatively modest fee of $6,495 per 30 day period, with a 60 day recommended minimum stay" and "partial financing available and a $500 discount for paying cash up front" (Treatment Costs at Serenity Lane," Official Website, 2007). In contrast, a stay of the same duration at the more famous Betty Ford Center is $23,000 ("Programs," the Betty Ford Center, 2007).

Quality forms of rehabilitative assistance exist for individuals in a variety of income brackets. Also, for individuals who qualify, there are Medicaid assistance programs provided by the federal government. However, less costly programs often have longer waiting lists and offer less comprehensive, quality, and…… [Read More]

Drug Panic it Used to

Newspapers and magazines, if they picked up the story, could spread a large amount of information very rapidly, and whether this information was accurate or not it would still cause problems for the drug company that marketed the particular drug (Hilgartner & Bosk, 1988).

The media, however, is not the only problem where panic resulting from a drug is concerned. Attorneys could also add to the concern by advertising for lawsuits regarding a specific drug. Some of this is already seen with Paxil and other antidepressants, but even a new drug could easily be the object of paranoia if enough attorneys felt that class actions lawsuits were necessary to get the attention of individuals within the medical community. This much of an uproar would also get the attention of the media which would then become involved through the aforementioned news programs and other venues.

If one wanted to generate public…… [Read More]

Drug Use in Teens

Drug Use in Adolescents

The author of this report has been charged with writing a brief scholarly report with a few key components. The author of this report has been asked to select a topic of interest. That selected topic shall be substance and drug abuse in adolescents. As part of this scholarly report, there will be three major components. The first will be a description of the area of interest and why the author of this report is interested in it. Second, there will be a brief literature review with scholarly sources that cover that same topic. Finally, there will be a reflection and reaction to the literature review including whether there was agreement, how the author of this report perceives the involved paradigm(s) and so forth. While many kids avoid the pitfalls and negative outcomes of drug use and abuse, many fall prey sometimes or many times and…… [Read More]

Drug Use Enforcement in the USA

Drug Trafficking

The author of this report is to answer a few questions relating to drug trafficking. The primary focus of the questions and answers will be on two sources in particular, those being the movie Traffic and the class text authored by Thio, Calhoun and Conyers. The questions include references to the links between drugs and crime, the roles and events surrounding certain people in Traffic and so forth. There will be references other than the two mentioned above throughout the answers, as is required by the parameters of the assignment. While many depict drug use as a victimless crime, this is far from being true and the scope of the people that can be affected by drug use, drug dealing and drug trafficking literally knows no bounds or limits.

Analysis

There is a heavy amount of examples of how drug use and crime are related, but the author…… [Read More]

Effects of Drugs on the Economy

Drugs on the Economy

History of drugs in the United States

How drugs affect the United States Economy both positively and negatively

How decriminalization of drugs like marijuana stand to lessen the burden on tax-payers

Wonder drugs like morphine, heroine, and cocaine to mention but a few pose a lot of problems to the entire American society. Americans have had to grapple with the deleterious effects of drug abuse and addiction. Restrictions were imposed at the beginning of the 20th Century through domestic and overseas law enforcement to contain the drugs epidemic. Such enforcements were initiated to limit opium and cocoa crops (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2012). This term paper seeks to give a brief history of drugs in the United States of America and subsequently outline how drug use affects the American economy both positively and negatively. The paper also endeavors to list how decriminalization of drugs like marijuana stands…… [Read More]

OTC and Prescription Drugs Curbing the Power

OTC and Prescription Drugs

Curbing the Power of Drugs

Everyone knows about the enslaving effects of substance abuse and addiction. By now, everyone knows that addiction is a compulsive physical or psychological to take in more and more of a particular substance despite knowing its harm (Alta Mira 2013). Once the use of an addicting substance is begun and continued, it only takes some time to reach a point when quitting becomes difficult. If the use manages to quit, he soon falls back to it if the conditions that precipitated the addiction or dependence are not adequately addressed. Both prescription and non-prescription drugs are at least potentially addictive (Alta Mira).

Narcotics authorities enumerate the most widely known addictive drugs as nicotine, oxycontin, crack cocaine, heroin, metamphetamine, diazepam and Schedule I and II drugs (Alta Mira 2013). Schedule I and II drugs include hallucinogens, dissociative drugs and GHB, opioids, and cannabinoids.…… [Read More]

Chemical Addiction Progress More Rapidly in Young

Chemical Addiction Progress More Rapidly in Young People than Adults?

Chemical dependency is the obsessive use of chemicals like drugs, alcohol, and tobacco and the incapacity to stop using them, in spite of all the troubles caused by their use. People with a chemical dependency can stop using for a while but find it hard to start all together. This is where professional help is needed to stop it for life. Those who quit without professional help, typically overcome with an agonizing desire to resume alcohol, tobacco or drug use. Alcohol and drug addiction are progressive diseases. In most, addictions begin gradually and grow until one's life becomes increasingly uncontrollable. As recurring efforts to gain control over the addiction are unsuccessful, life for the person who has developed a chemical dependency begins to fall apart (Chemical dependency, n.d.).

Drug addictions in young people have been found to progresses more quickly…… [Read More]

Social Issue Alcohol Drugs Consider a Social

Social issue alcohol drugs consider a social issue interested. It human freedom, sexuality, deviance, crime, social mobility, poverty, education, aging, similar issues. Select a specific social issue investigate assignment.

Social issue: Drug abuse

The social problem of drug addiction is a long-standing one, yet the causes of addiction and the best way to treat addiction still remain difficult questions to answer. One contentious issue pertains to whether addiction is a 'crime' or an 'illness,' although an increasingly large body of medical research indicates long-term abuse fundamentally rewires addicts' brains and changes their perceptions of reward and punishment. Drugs stimulate dopamine receptors. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that generates a sense of positive well-being: "Just as we turn down the volume on a radio that is too loud, the brain adjusts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine (and other neurotransmitters) by producing less dopamine or by reducing the number…… [Read More]

Neural Correlates of Drug Relapse Propensity Refraining

Neural Correlates of Drug Relapse Propensity

Refraining from Drug Use

Treating drug addiction requires experience and skill, because no single approach has broad efficacy (reviewed by Bauer, Covault, and Gelernter, 2012). High inter-individual variability of contributing factors and a lack of knowledge about what causes treatment failure (reviewed by Walton, Blow, and Booth, 2001), helps explain a relapse rate between 40% to 60% (NIDA, 2011). For this reason, researchers have been trying to identify what factors contribute to addictive tendencies and influence treatment success.

To better understand why some substance abusers are successful in overcoming their drug addictions and others are not, this essay will examine the neural correlates of drug relapse behavior. Particular attention will be paid to environmental and genetic factors and how they influence brain function on an anatomical and cellular level.

Neural Correlates of Environmental Triggers

Environmental triggers have long been known to increase the risk…… [Read More]

Argument for or Against the Debate on Ending or Continuing the War on Drugs

War on Drugs

The concept of the 'War on Drugs' was first coined by President Nixon back in 1971 in an effort to discourage the illegal trafficking of drugs. The primary motivation for this was the way that many states were falling victim to the dynamics of the drugs and terrorism links prevalent in the region. There have many studies conducted that show various authentic connections between the drug business and how a majority of the money it produces is used to fund terrorism and destructive activities.

Throughout the late 19th century, numerous parts of the United States, from time to time, have faced numerous disruptions in their efforts for the peace process because of the growth of the drug industry. The entire debate on war in drugs now revolves around whether or not, certain drugs must be legalized/not legalized and their trafficking and distribution monitored. In a recent article,…… [Read More]

Heroin Addiction Heroin Is an

Medication for heroin addiction includes Methadone, LAAM, Naloxone, Naltrexone, and Buprenorphine. Of these, methadone is the most widely used. Methadone is a legal drug that can only be obtained with a doctor's prescription. It allows the heroin addict to function normally, but its disadvantage comes with its being addicting as well (Simpson, 1997). In a study by Blanken, Hendriks, Koeter, van Ree, & van den Brink (2005), they found that patients who had previously participated in abstinence-orientated treatment responded significantly better to treatment with medically prescribed heroin plus methadone than to standard methadone maintenance treatment, while patients without experience in abstinence-orientated treatment did equally well in heroin-assisted or methadone maintenance treatment. Among the behavioral therapies for heroin addiction, two have emerged successful: Contingency Management Therapy, and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions (Parker & Parker, 2002). The Contingency Management Therapy utilizes a voucher-based system in which the patient can earn points for each of…… [Read More]

Illegal Drug Use Among Military

The first method, therefore, of curtailing use relates to the development of tougher measures for soldiers once they have failed a drug test. Prevention programs should be given a higher priority than is currently the case. With stronger prevention programs, and if commanding officers are more willing to put troops who have failed drug tests into those programs, more soldiers can see their drug use curtailed.

The second method is related to the first -- prevention programs. If stress in its various forms is a major cause of illegal drug use among soldiers, then there needs to be more awareness of the issue in the military community, and more help available to soldiers before they start using. Training for all members of the military community would allow for the creation of an informal support grid for soldiers experiencing stress. Programs that give soldiers a place to turn to when they…… [Read More]

Causes and Treatment for Food Addiction

Addiction…Final Outline

Food Addiction: Causes and Treatment

First Study

Fortuna, J.L. (2012). The obsesity epidemic and food addiction: Clinical similarities to drug

Dependence. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 44(1), pp. 56-63.

As of 2010, nearly 70% of adult Americans were overweight or obese. Fast food establishments are abundant, portion sizes are larger, and people generally have insufficient intake of Omega 3 fatty acids. Additionally, Americans do not get sufficient physical exercise.

Sugar primes endorphin and dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, similar to the "high" experienced by users of illegal drugs. In some individuals, this brings about addictive behavior very similar to that seen in alcoholics and substance addicts.

Methods

Fortuna reviewed the literature that investigated two clinical similarities between food addiction and drug dependence.

Animal studies show that bingeing on high-sugar foods, compared to fat dense foods, trigger the release of endorphin and dopamine.

3. Similar results were obtained with human…… [Read More]

Robert Downey Jr Drug Abuse

Breaking the Cycle of Addiction

Addiction

Breaking the Addiction Cycle

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the addictions and drug use faced by Robert Downey Jr., and discusses the effects these abuses had on Downey Jr. And his career. The paper will also analyze alternative courses Downey could have taken, and propose potential advice for Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. purportedly began using drugs at just eight years old, when his father began dispersing drugs to the child. This is not uncommon among young child stars that face much pressure and often grow up in homes where drug abuse and addictions are common. It was not until the age of 22 however, that Downey would first enter a drug rehabilitation facility for cocaine and heroin abuse. Many of his first films during this time, approximately during the late 80s and early 90s won much acclaim, even Academy Award nominations.…… [Read More]

Suicide and Drug Abuse There

There is a gradual move in considering that the combination of both these explanations is what should be the actual position to take on the issue of alcoholism and drug addiction. This mode of thinking suggests the acceptance of the gene explanation on one side in that the research does confirm that genes that are inherited goes a long way in explaining the behavioral pattern of the individual with regard to alcoholism and drug addiction, yet at the same time it also suggests that the lifestyle pattern that is adopted by the individual could also be a major factor in the behavioral pattern of the individual with regard to alcohols and drugs. (Frequently Asked Questions)

This means that not only is a hereditary factor only a predisposition but the behavior of the individual in social situations where the consumption occurs and the maintenance of control on these situations. This also…… [Read More]

Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction

Economic deprivation arises from various activities and aspects of the family in attempts to minimize the threats affecting the at-risk youth. Some of the factors affecting the economic deprivation in relation to at-risk youth within the family include rehabilitation fee, treatment fee, and addiction cost thus affecting the overall economic level of the family (McWhirter,2013). This is a problem with the scarce family resources thus the need to adopt and integrate effective elements towards minimization or management of the problems affecting the growth and development of the family members in relation to the existing factors.

Another critical family problem or issue relates to the lack of adults and parental role models under the influence massive drug addiction thus affecting the growth and development of the youths within the family unit. It is also essential to note that at-risk youths increases parental criminality and development of family violence attitudes or anti-social…… [Read More]

Etiology of Theories on Addiction

Etiology of Theories on Addiction

There are different sorts of addictions and substance abuse methods that plague the world today. However, in order to cure an addiction, one needs to go down to its root cause, and eliminate it, after which the damages caused can be mitigated and prevented. There are several theories and approaches to tackle an addiction problem. Most trained professionals use these theories in their treatment plan to get a better understanding of when and how the addiction came into being. After which, along with therapy, counseling and medication, the road to recovery can begin.

Medical etiology is the study of causes of an illness or any psychological condition. When a diseases is uncovered which the doctors are unable to explain and understand, an etiologist is responsible for determining the reason for its origin and being (Alcoholism, 2005). In this manner, the etiologist and the doctors are…… [Read More]

Michael Lauren Who Is Struggling With Drug

Michael Lauren who is struggling with drug problem. Michele Lauren is twenty-one-year-old girl, single and a resident of New York City. Michele lives with her parents and is addicted to marijuana. She was arrested on various circumstances, each time for the violation of Health & Safety Code 11357 (Samaha, 2007) that is the possession of large quantity of drugs and was locked up behind the bars on trials during the years 2002 to 2008.

Lately, she had been arrested three times in a month for the violation of such law. Michele had also encountered the problem of alcohol along with her problem of smoking pot and marijuana, but she has not been arrested for excess drinking and violation of Health and Safety laws related to alcohol. She had not been arrested for any other related crimes, as she normally filched her mother's purse for money whenever needed.

a) Casual drinks…… [Read More]

Gore Vidal -- Drugs in

Wouldn't the government need the same amount of money, or perhaps even more, to regulate the new drug system. I can' only imagine the bureaucracy necessary to manage the legal trade of things like heroin, crack cocaine and meth.

The other prong of Vidal's argument is that "forbidding people the things the like or think they might enjoy only makes them want those things all the more." He claims that this psychological insight is obvious and yet denied by our government. As evidentiary support, he points to prohibition, but his arguments about prohibition don't directly support his thesis. He argues, correctly, that crime increased because of the prohibition of alcohol, and that the law caused a general contempt for the government, but he does not prove that people wanted to drink more because alcohol was prohibited to them.

The analogy between alcohol and drugs also does not hold up to…… [Read More]

Contextual Analysis Drug Abuse and

The absence of such support could mean a quick relapse to the old habits. Indeed, those patients who prefer to battle their addiction alone are much more likely to relapse more quickly than those with a strong social and family network to support them. In this, open communication among family members, the physician an the patient is of vital importance. Support is directly related to effective communication, especially among family members.

In terms of social support, the narrator appears to be a little out of his depth when it comes to helping Sonny. This becomes clear in the way in which the narrator is unable to openly approach the issue of the abuse with his brother. Indeed, it is Sonny who volunteers the information about his habit to his brother, who does not seem entirely willing to listen. The narrator has to almost force himself to listen to his brother,…… [Read More]