Drugs Speech Essay

The use of what are now considered illegal drugs date back as far as 300 BC in many different places of the world. Historically, it has not only been criminals that used illegal drugs. Drugs were used for many things including medicinal purposes, spiritual enlightenment, rituals, as well as for recreation. They were also used by many different cultures, age groups, and social classes. There was a time when the only thing around to alleviate physical pain either from illness, injury, or even during the process of dying were some of these drugs. There were no illegal drugs in the United States until the mid-nineteenth century. This is an essay on 12 of these illegal drugs individually as reported on in the History Channels documentary “Hooked, Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way”.

The short term physiological effects of cocaine include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Large amounts intensify the user’s high, but may also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. The short term effects on the brain are tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia. Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety

Preview of Speech: I will identify the problem, discuss what opioid addiction does to people, and discuss possible solutions to the problem.

Marijuana is a mixture of the dried parts of the cannabis sativa hemp plant. Excessive marijuana use can lead to an addiction. The main chemical in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which moves quickly through the bloodstream and to the brain, causing mild hallucinogenic effects. THC binds with cannabdnob receptors and activates neurons, which causes adverse effects on the mind and body. THC can mimic or block actions of neurotransmitters and interfere with normal functions. Marijuana use can lead to disturbed thoughts and can worsen psychotic symptoms. The short-term effects of marijuana include impaired coordination; skewed sensory and time perception; difficulty with thinking; shortened attention span and distractibility; impaired learning and memory. Long term users of marijuana often experience lowered motivation and some can experience anxiety, panic attacks, respiratory illness, and increased heart rate and risk of heart attack.

     Researchers believe that marijuana blocks the messages going to your brain and alters your perceptions and emotions, vision, hearing, and coordination. A recent study of 1,023 trauma patients admitted to a shock trauma unit found that one-third had marij

When discussing drugs, there are different types. The first type is narcotics. Narcotic are drugs that are being used. Kazenback states, “Narcotics is a substance that induces sleep, dulls the senses, or relieves pain” (p.212). Within the federal law narcotics include opiates and cocaine. Marihuana is also considered a narcotic in some states (Kazenback, p.212).

Drugs are any chemical substances that alters the body’s biochemical reactions to produce a desired effect. A drug is considered to be abused when it is not used according to the directions of a qualified pharmacist or medical practitioner. There are three commonly encountered classes of drugs

Drugs some use them to escape pain, others use them for pleasure, and some use them to just fit in. Either way drugs are a harmful substance that may seriously affect the body. Drugs mess with the brain in ways that we couldn’t even imagine. From destroying brain cells that help with critical thinking to destroying cells that give us the ability to feel pleasure. Drugs take the place of our natural body functions of the body. They fool receptors of the body and make it to where our bodies produce less of what we need. Over a period of time this may produce very severe consequences on the body. With all the risks involved with drugs it’s a wonder why some people use them.

Drugs have different effects on your physiological state of well being. Drugs can inhibit your ability to thinking rationally and make smart decisions. Drugs can alter your physicological systems in your body. They can speed up or slow down your circulatory –respioratory sytems; causing an imbalnce of homeostasis in the body. This can eventaully cause your body stress and can create an illnesses such as a heart attack, rapid heartbeat, and major effects on the liver. Emergency room visits have significantly increase in recent years because of overdoses of prescrition drugs. Nearly 28,000 people died in 2007 beause of unintended drug poisioning (ONDCP, 2011). Beacuase of these adverse affects on our health; this is why prescription drugs are a rising public health problem. It is also an issue that we should care about because this is a problem that not only affects the health of individuals but the economy as well. According to CDC-NCHS the United States spent for $234.1 billion in 2008 on prescription drugs. However, the goverment has implemented plans to prevent this public health issue from progressing. The plan consists of educating parents, youth, and patients about

An Overview for Substance Abuse, is an article that focuses on whether the use of any kind of substance is recreational use or is it classified as abuse. The purpose of the article is to inform people on whether they are abusing the substance or not. The article lists the most common illegal drugs used and also tells you what legal drugs are addictive. Some of the information is to tell you how many people in the world is addicted and how many people got help. The article talks about why our country has put laws on this situation and it is because of our society. The information for the article was gathered from The World Health Organization, John Hopkins Medicine Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration,

The concept of ‘drugs’, as we understand it today, is a regulatory construct that was invented at the beginning of the 20th century as part of the creation of the international prohibition regime. Substances that come under this banner share little in common except how they are regulated. The contemporary usage of the term ‘drug’ refers most often to the two categories: medicinal

The use of mind altering substances has been about since prehistoric times. Thought to have been just a modern day dilemma, scientist have proven through archaeological evidence that this is not the case. Neither the substances nor the ways they affect the human body have changed throughout human history. Nor the reason why people indulge in the consumption of illegal substances.  People abuse drugs to relieve stress, manage other illnesses and receive a high.  Depending on the drug of choice, the toll it takes on the human body differs. Furthermore, injection choice, also plays a factor on how the body is affected. For example,  through injection into the bloodstream more immediate results can be expected in comparison to consumption

Illegal stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine cause the brain to release excessive amounts of dopamine; thus causing the user to experience a high. However, the high accompanying the drugs come with detrimental side effects such as dangerously high fevers, insomnia, and irregular heartbeat (Elements Behavioral Health) .

My name is Ankita and I go by Anky. I am a junior and a psychology major. Coming from a different country and growing up in a different culture it is very interesting to learn about drugs in the US. In terms of my major, I like studying about human behavior and how certain substances affect the nervous system. From this course, I am looking forward to learn about more about drugs, the influential and behavioral aspect of

The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.