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Methamphetamine Argumentative Analysis

Decent Essays

Neil Postman believes the world focuses on entertainment values and not on real world issues. These beliefs are true; the argument is well qualified because in this world, many Americans focus their ideals on celebrities instead of aspects of importance like drug abuse. People invest the time in the material objects and celebrities whereas there are plenty of other problems in this world that Americans seem to ignore or refute.
Methamphetamine is known for causing brain damage, but people tend to disagree on this concept that methamphetamine has no dangerous effects on the cognitive ability. In fact, Carl Hart, an associate professor of psychology, adamantly disagrees to the dangers reported by media and other research professionals (Merino). …show more content…

Therefore, he concluded that the cognitive disruption is highly overstated (Merino). Hart was a user of meth, so due to the personal relationship that Carl has with the drug methamphetamine, he is passionate about his claims that the drug does not present any long term debilitating consequences (Merino). Each year in the United States, 1.5 million people face arrests due to drug violations either by selling or using (Merino). Because of these arrests, Hart argues that the country is simply ignorant of the drugs, and this is why drugs have yet to be legalized and instead remain decriminalized which relates broadly to Postman’s opinion about people’s ignorance towards real world problems due to the lack of accurate knowledge (Merino). Also, a medication insusceptible to Hart’s remarks is pseudoephedrine - an over-the-counter drug …show more content…

Because physicians believed that cocaine was a cure for heart disease, they promoted its use, and a major soft drink company Coca Cola used this drug substance in their soft drinks (Blachford, Krapp). It was not until more research was concluded and publicized that the real effects of cocaine were made public. It was determined that cocaine stimulates the central nervous system which increased the heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and body temperature (Blachford, Krapp). Cocaine in the natural coca leaf state is not, whatsoever, addictive nor does this drug create a euphoric reaction in the user, but when chemically altered, the drug is addictive (Blachford, Krapp). In the process of using cocaine, the dopamine and serotonin receptors are disrupted. These specific receptors affect one’s mood, memory, and appetite (O’Sullivan). Also bupropion is a prescribed medication that people use as a mimic for cocaine (Koshy). Bupropion goes by the name of “poor man’s cocaine” because of the inexpensive price of $2.50 per pill and the cocaine-like high the user receives (Koshy). Again Postman’s argument proves itself true with the history that surrounds cocaine use: people were unaware of the side effects of cocaine use due to lack of knowledge about the drug. Referring to Brave New World, soma causes the people to “[embark] for lunar eternity” just as cocaine stimulates the

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