Essay On Dextromethorphan

“Automobiles are not ferocious.... it is man who is to be feared,” as Robbins B. Stoeckel remarked, enumerates a simple, yet fundamental concept- a vehicle in itself is a relatively safe, that is, until you put a person behind the controls. Further adding to the danger is the ever prevalent risk of a fellow driver being impaired by the usage of alcohol; perhaps the only thing that may make such a situation even more difficult and dangerous is one who is under the legal alcohol drinking age. Fewer situations are more life threatening than when an underage driver has been illegally consuming alcohol, yet persists in the belief that he or she retains the ability to drive safely. Thoughts along this line are foolish at best and deadly at

Substance abuse is a key component to the problems that we face today as a society. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("Alcohol-Impaired Driving", 2009) in 2009, 32% of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States were due to alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Surveys were also conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Compton, & Berning, 2009) so researchers were able to estimate not only the prevalence of drinking and driving, but for the first time they were also able to collect data on the number of drivers who were under the influence of drugs that impaired their abilities. In this data, it was found that 16% of weekend night time drivers tested positive for impairing drugs, in contrast to the 2% of drivers who were at the legal alcohol limit; making drugs 7 times more prevalent. These statistics show that “drugged” driving is a concern for not only law enforcement but also puts other drivers at risk of becoming a part of future statistics.

“In the hands of an impaired driver, a vehicle becomes a murderous weapon.” ( ) Everyone can think of someone who has driven impaired, or even maybe you have done it yourself. The fact that one can think of someone who has driven impaired is a problem. Too many people are getting behind the wheel after drinking, smoking; or are not paying attention while they drive. Impaired driving continues to a problem although strides have been made to make a difference. There are many different types of impaired driving, each that have their own consequences. These types, and consequences will be explored in this essay.

Drug-impaired driving is becoming a much more common issue on Canada's streets, and the number of people driving after taking drugs is greater than those who drive after drinking. Regardless of public perception that drugs may be less harmful to drivers, evidence is growing that drug impairment contributes to collisions. Roadside saliva tests have become more accurate and cost-effective in recent years, particularly for the most commonly-used drugs. Drugs can cause you not to think through decisions before making them. When under the influence you have control over your body and who knows what would happen, it could be as extensive as waking up in the hospital or not waking up at all. The consequences are the same for drinking and driving pretty much.

Drugs can also impair your ability to drive. This is true for both illegal drugs and prescription or over-the-counter medication.

An elderly patient is complaining of a bad cough at her yearly physical. She has recently been diagnosed with diabetes and regularly takes prescription pain medication for her arthritis.

Methaqualone, is also referred to as Disco Biscuits, Down And Dirties, Jekyll-and-Hyde, Joe Fridays, Lemmon 714, Lemons, Lennon's, Lovers, Ludes, Mandies, Mandrake, Q, Qua, Quack, Quad, Quaaludes, Soaper, Supper, Vitamin Q, The Love Drug, Wallbangers, Whore Pills, and Sopor. This list of street names for the drug goes on and on.

According to the article, 3.9% of drivers at night, drive under the influence of prescription drugs. Benzodiazepines and opiates are the most

Drinking and driving is a wide spread practice. Drinking while driving is a main factor in traffic crashes. There are several things we should know about alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant. It interferes with all judgment, lowers alertness, and slows the normal reflexes. Some people think they feel stimulated after the consumption of alcohol. They feel this way because their inhibitions are lowered, causing loss of caution and self control. It simply doesn’t matter if you are drinking wine, whiskey, or beer- it’s the amount of alcohol you let enter your body.

We also may not know that the impact of a medicine can last long after any immediate effects have worn off. For example, we may take an OTC cold medicine at night in order to sleep better. We may assume that, come morning, the depressant effect of the medication is out of our system and that we are fine to go about our business. That isn’t always the case; studies have shown slowed reaction times and drowsiness can last up to a full day after taking an OTC medication designed to induce sleep. If we drive while in this slightly impaired state, we could potentially harm others or ourselves because we are literally falling asleep behind the wheel.

If you are having a bad cold with constantly cough and sneeze, what would you do? The first thing you probably will do is find a pharmacy and buy some non-prescription drugs, like Nyquil and Robitussin. All most everyone think that is the best way to cure annoying cold but do you know there is big risk behind these drugs? Yes, many people addicted to these drugs, especially some teenagers. Now it’s time get to know the common but special ingredients in most cough and cold medicine ---DXM or dextromethorphan.

There are millions of people across the country that are addicted to prescription drugs. The numbers are steadily rising. The fact is that a number of people are addicted to Dexedrine. This is a highly addictive drug that us commonly prescribed for narcoleptic patients that suffer with a sleep problem and ADHD patients with an hyperactive disorder. The fact is that Dexedrine is a highly addictive drug that is commonly abused by millions daily. Athletes take it to boost energy. Students take it to stay up and study all night. Certainly, it is important for them to seek treatment as soon as possible at a Dexedrine addiction treatment center.

This report on dextromethorphan abuse presents a case study, and reviews the pharmacology and anesthetic outcomes of this highly abused drug. The main point emphasized by the authors is that the administration of vasoactive drugs should be attempted with attentiveness in dextromethorphan abusers due to the possibility for drug interactions. Preoperative management in chronic and acute dextromethorphan abusers undertaking surgery is presently unidentified. However, since chronic abusers may suffer from withdrawal symptoms, it maybe advantageous for them to be treated for detoxification and substance abuse first so they can practice abstinence from the dextromethorphan before operation is considered.

Cure with dextran sulfate sodium triggers development of colitis in mice and rats with the aid of binding to medium-chain-size fatty acids gift within the colon and inducing irritation. [1]

The use of drugs by people driving cars is increasing . The use of alcohol is going down. In 1973, 7.5 percent of drivers had blood alcohol level of .08 or higher. In the new survey, the percent of people driving above the legal alcohol limit had fallen to 2.2 percent. Breath, saliva, and blood samples came from randomly selected drivers in 300 locations around the United States. Screening for drugs was a new part of the study. The survey screened for marijuana, cocaine and prescription drugs. The survey found that 16.3 percent of nighttime weekend drivers tested positive for drugs. Nearly 9 percent had used marijuana. Nearly 4 percent tested positive for cocaine. About the same number had used prescription drugs. The drug tests do not