Drugs And Addictions : The War On Drugs

With access to prescription drugs, people are able to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses. These drugs help deal with pain, inability to sleep, depression, and much more. Every day we are increasingly living in a world where there is better living through chemicals. However, what most do not seem to see is the rising tide of pain, illness, and ultimately death being caused by the pills people take every day. Most keep drugs in a special place in their minds, where they see them as harmless. Sadly, this is not the case, and in some cases our prescription drugs can be just as harmful as illegal drugs (King 68).

For thousands of years, opiates have been used in the treatment of pain. Opium is believed to have been discovered 6000 BC, and since then, it has had a huge impact on both medicine and the recreations of those seeking euphoria. More recent than the ancient discovery of natural opium are the derivatives of opium, such as the alkaloids morphine, codeine, and thebaine. From these alkaloids, semi-synthetic opiates can by synthesized, such as hydrocodone, and oxycodone. Synthetic opioids are also quite prevalent, which include fentanyl and tramadol. Opium can also be processed into heroin, a morphine derivative. As advancements were made in science and engineering to allow for a wider distribution and usage of opiates, the problems of dependence and overdose also increased drastically. According to Hart and Ksir (2013, p. 302), the invention of the hypodermic needle for intravenous administration of morphine and other drugs allowed for a much faster and more potent dose of the drug. With this increased potency came an increase in the possibility of a recreational intravenous user to overdose. Hart also mentions that some of the wars surrounding the era of the synthesis of morphine may have contributed to the rise of morphine, seeing as a medic soldier’s motto was always “first provide relief” (2013). This relief-driven attitude and extensive use of opioid analgesics in medicine during the time, in addition to the large amount of patent medicines and remedies on the market may

America is at war. We have been battling drug mishandle for very nearly a century. Four Presidents have by and by battled against medications. Sadly, it is a war that we are losing. Tranquilize abusers keep on filling our courts, healing centers, and detainment facilities. The medication exchange causes rough wrongdoing that assaults our neighborhoods. Offspring of medication abusers are ignored, manhandled, and even surrendered. The main recipients of this war are sorted out wrongdoing individuals and street pharmacists.

The United States government has been wasting millions of dollars each year on a worthless war that cannot be won. This war is explained in detail by author Art Caden in their essay “Let’s Be Blunt” about the United State war on drugs. The war on drugs began in 1971 under the order of President Richard Nixon, and it was one of the worst decisions he ever made. It has been nothing but a waste of government funding, time, and manpower that can only be described as a dismal failure and should be repealed or at the very least medical marijuana should be made legal.

Pharmaceutical drug dependency is not a new craze sweeping the nation. Although it has progressed, it is something that has been a noticeable issue since the early twentieth century. For starters, there is a pill for everything; pregnancy, being over-weight, pain, sneezing, and much more. When you have a variety like that, it’s hard not to take the easy way out. The latest generations of prescription drugs compensate conditions such as depression, gynecological disorders, hyperactivity, impotence, sleeping problems and more. We are waist deep in a pill culture. According to Tennent, a reason for this up-rise in patients being so eager to take up prescription drugs is that new and more sophisticated drugs have reduced the severity of accompanying side-effects. (Tennent) However, this is a gamble and something one could not be sure of. There are medications prescribed for less

Opioids was first cultivated from the poppy seed, in the 3400s B.C. by the lower Mesopotamians, known as the “Hul Gil” or the “Joy Plant”. Such a small plant to give the ability of an aphrodisiac, calming affect over the body and mind, then best believe word traveled fast. The opioids effect made an impact on Hippocrates, “father of medicine”, who used the poppy seed as a liquid medication to help with the pain in certain cases between 460 to 357 B.C. Later, one Chinese doctor, sometime between 220-264 A.D., used the poppy opioids concoction for these undergoing operations and have the patients relax yet conscious. After a small disappearance from the public, opium pills were later concocted by Paracelsus and was named laudanum. Sometime much later, Friedich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner isolated morphine and it became the non-pain pill available throughout the world. It was a common drug during the American Civil War, thus beginning the opioids addiction. Then in 1898, heroin became manufactured as a substitute for morphine for its non-addictive state afterwards. In 1916, oxycodone was created to have less affective dependencies of morphine and heroin. Many laws have been passed to help the addiction and dependency for these drugs:

The War on Drugs had its official start during the Nixon administration when the president declared that drug abuse was now “public enemy number one.” Since then, over one trillion dollars have been spent on various programs to combat drug abuse. Ultimately, however, the War on Drugs did not limit national daily drug use. Instead, the War on Drugs had a greater impact on the United States’ justice, education, and healthcare systems than it did to limit citizen drug use.

In 2014 1,297,348 people were arrested for non-violent drug charges (drug policy, 2015). These people’s lives are now forever changed because of a mistake they made. This mistake is continually made every single day and Americans are being punished in extreme ways for a non violent crime. The United States needs to decimalize all drugs because the drug war is costly, causes high incarceration rates, and isn’t effective as European drug solutions.

Spearheaded by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, the movement known as the “War on Drugs” sought to control the sale and use of psychoactive drugs as well as promote access to treatment for those who abuse and misuse these substances (Bagley, 1988; Elkins, 1990). Policies implemented prohibited the possession and distribution of narcotics (e.g. marijuana, cocaine, heroin); the punitive policies, which often resulted in hefty fines and prison sentences for violators, ultimately prompted the emergence of a black market, more potent and lethal drugs, synthetic drugs as well as led to the increase in organized crime and prison population (Bagley, 1988; Broden, 2013; Cussen & Block, 2000; Elkins, 1990; Friedman, 1991; Henderson, 1990; MacCoun, 1993; Powell, 2013). Despite the initial intention, there was rarely sufficient funding allocated towards achieving the latter goals—of promoting and advocating treatment for drug addicts (Bagley, 1988).

Prescription drug overdoses have increased drastically over the past decade. This issue has been an ongoing epidemic that will continue to rise if laws are not set in place to help stop the abundance of prescription drugs being abused. Most authors and doctors both agree that stricter drug laws will help keep our society safe and healthy. On the other hand, some authors believe that stricter laws will create more problems for patients who are in need of these types of medication. As these authors give their opinions about stricter prescription drug laws, it will create more conversation for other authors and doctors to agree or disagree with this ongoing problem. Prescription drug laws should be strictly enforced to help stop the increase of overdoses and to create a healthier and safer society; consequently, creating problems for patients who are in need of prescription medication.

The utilization of prescription drug has increased in recent times. The availability of these medications has resulted in the treatment of numerous infections and ailments. These drugs alleviate chronic pain, depression and anxiety, sleep apnea, and much more. For an efficient health system, the main goal is to provide quality health care to all patients. However, over the years, there have been many legal and health controversies over drugs and the effects that they have on the body. The process of prescription drug starts from a lab and ultimately sojourns with the end-user. The drugs undergo testing and are often developed to treat a specific disease before being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In 2009 1,663,582 people were arrested for non-violent drug charges. These people’s lives are now forever changed because of a mistake they made. This mistake is continually made every single day and Americans are being punished in extreme ways for a non violent crime. The United States needs to decimalize all drugs because the drug war is costly, causes high incarceration rates, and isn’t effective as European drug solutions.

Laws regulating the use of mind-altering substances have been sporadic throughout history. In the late 1800’s the United States had practically no laws that regulated the use or sale of drugs; buying and selling drugs was viewed as a victimless crime. In the early 1900’s the mentality began to shift as problems with addiction became more prevalent and people began to recognize the backlash the drugs were having on individuals and society as a whole. In

When I first started reading this book I thought to myself “how am I going to read this book it seems so dry and boring.” Then I continued to read it and realized that it was hard for me to put it down. There was so much information on this topic of the War on Drugs that I am still wrapping my mind around it. It went into such detail about the war on drugs that are never talked about. We always hear “just say no.”

The negative outcomes of medication misuse influence people who ill-use medicates as well as their families and companions, different organizations, and government assets (Akindipe, Abiodun, Adebajo, Lawal, & Rataemane, 2014). Albeit huge numbers of these impacts can 't be evaluated, “Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) as of late in 2002 reported that, the monetary expense of drug abuse within the United States was $180.9 billion” (Akindipe et al., 2014, Pg 250 Para 10). The