Substance Abuse And Misuse Essay

Difficulty meeting academic responsibilities is one of the most common consequences of drug use and abuse. The relationship between drug use/abuse and the academic performance of college students rises every year that causes a critical issue on Colleges and Universities campus. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Task Force on College Drug reports that about 25 percent of college students report academic problems caused by drug use, such as earning lower grades, doing poorly on exams or papers, missing class dramatically, and falling behind. However, the history of drug abuse has been rooted in the early stages of life. Drug use/abuse has been classified as a major problem of students as early as in the fourth grade. Consequently, it

Substance abuse disorders are common in our society. It is a disorder that each one of us will most likely experience through a family member, friend, or our self. I felt very drawn to this topic due to the fact that I have a family that has background of substance abuse and I myself have battle the demon. Not until I struggled with my own addiction did I become more tolerable and understanding to those that have a substance abuse disorder. Substance abuse is not something anyone wants to have; it is a disorder that takes control of a person’s life. It is a beast that tears a person apart; from their being to the lives of their loved ones. This disorder is not biased in anyway; rich or poor, male or female, employed or unemployed, young or

Prevention methods for substance abuse are taught to children as early in their kindergarten years and follow throughout their lifetime. Current programs available are school-based programs, parent and family, work programs and community and public media campaigns.

It should not be legal for pharmaceutical companies to target specific physicians, mainly those who lack knowledge of the drug that company is trying to sell, and attempt to sell them a drug without giving the full list of benefits and disadvantages of the drug no matter how large or small. The FDA should also be able to make RiskMAPs mandatory for all drugs and should be able to request it at any time. They should be able to step in and take a drug off the market at any given time if they see fit. Finally, pharmacists should be attentive to all their surroundings while on the job. One of the most important qualities a pharmacist can have and that employers should look for is the ability to multitask. If a pharmacist is unable to detect a forged prescription or signs of an addict it can be detrimental, not only to the person attempting to purchase the drug, but to society as a whole. Opiate drugs were created to help people in legitimate pain, but due to the three factors previously stated, they have been used non medicinally and caused the drug addiction and overdose rates to increase. Although the benefits of these drugs are significant and unprecedented, the hazards are far greater and can be easily brought down by the pharmaceutical

Substance abuse and addiction have become a social problem that afflicts millions of individuals and disrupts the lives of their families and friends. Just one example reveals the extent of the problem: in the United States each year, more women and men die of smoking related lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined (Kola & Kruszynski, 2010). In addition to the personal impact of so much illness and early death, there are dire social costs: huge expenses for medical and social services; millions of hours lost in the workplace; elevated rates of crime associated with illicit drugs; and scores of children who are damaged by their parents’ substance abuse behavior (Lee, 2010). This paper will look at

Having proper addiction treatment is crucial to someone who is suffering from any form of addiction involving alcohol or drugs. Most addicts do not seek substance abuse treatment because they either think that they don't need it, or they are too ashamed to admit that they need drug rehab or any other types of treatment. There are also those who are unaware that there are treatments for them. And for that kind of people, I will talk about the main 3 types of addiction treatment.

Studies have reported that there is increased or potential risk for misuse of drugs. Patients generally have poor knowledge of the potential side-effects of their medication. Misuse of OTC drugs by patients is through overuse, taking several drugs concurrently and using home remedies to treat potentially serious diseases. Consumers started to think that prescription and OTC drugs are safer that other illicit drugs, but that’s true when they are exactly as prescribed for intended use or purpose. When misused, prescription and OTC drugs can be addictive and put abusers at risk for other adverse health effects, including overdose especially when taken along with other drugs or

Working in the pharmacy next to a pain clinic, I witnessed a lot of drama. The pain clinic was eventually closed down for questionable practices. What I learned from working with the clinic is that doctors sometimes do not understand the severity of someone’s addiction. That’s why it’s important for doctors to see pharmacist more trustworthy because we are truly the drug experts. It’s no wonder these days that everyone seems to be in pain. That’s not say people do not feel pain but pain medication abuse is more prevalent now than ever before due to the increase in heroin users! Doctors and pharmacists must have quick and efficient ways of communicating. Even when communication isn’t an issue, doctors do not listen to pharmacist’s recommendation. When I become a pharmacists, I want to know why I am dispensing controlled medications especially if they are in large quantities. I want to be a part of the decision making process the doctor has with the

Offences of a violent nature exist as an immense plight to victims, society and also to the offenders themselves (Whitehead, Ward & Collie, 2007). More specifically, violent crimes associated with alcohol misuse are considered to accumulate to half of all violent crimes conducted across the United Kingdom (UK) (Budd, 2010). From this point alone, it could be construed that alcohol misuse is a determinant of violent offending behaviour. However, according to Matreau (2008) alcohol should not be considered to be a cause of crime but instead a catalyst through which the offender’s behaviour is exacerbated. Zhang (1997) furthers this argument by suggesting that alcohol interacts with other characteristics of offending, as well as the context in which the alcohol misuse arises, acting as a moderating variable for the crime to occur. There has since been significant research conducted around the strength of the alcohol-violence relationship in males (e.g. Watt, Shepherd & Newcombe, 2008; Gannon, 2007). Such research suggests that regular chronic alcohol misuse increases the likelihood of aggression and antisocial behaviour and therefore simultaneously increases the opportunity for violent crime to transpire (Felson & Staff, 2010; Hoaken & Phil, 2000).

Alcohol abuse is a serious problem, driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs is an even bigger problem that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Abusing either one of these substances can lead to the death of you or the death of someone else or even cause a major change in their life like Jacqueline’s story, her whole life has been changed because of another person’s ignorance and carelessness. Therefore, you should know the facts about drug and alcohol abuse before you do something you may regret for the rest of your life.

My reflection paper is on the subject of substance abuse. As the structure of society changes, the acceptability of one drug or another changes. I have dealt with my own experiences of substance abuse personally and through family and friends throughout my community. I believe there are many underlying problems Native people face today that lead to substance abuse. So, drug use and alcoholism is not the problem in my town, those are more like side effects of something deeper. I would have to agree most with the symbolic interactionist perspective as far as the labeling theory goes. There are also many images in the media that depict the use of drugs and alcohol to make it seem like even though it is bad, it is sometimes okay. These images sparked my own curiosity to experience a fun high or a night out with friends and hopefully getting lucky. I had so many questions about drug use and alcohol. My older siblings and cousins were involved in those circles so it was only natural that me and my cousins and peers who I grew up with got into smoking marijuana and buying drinks on the weekends. I did not know at the time about the dangers of underage drinking. I also had very little knowledge of the condition of my mental health at my young age. Eventually I found out that I had an addictive personality and I got myself into a downward spiral of substance abuse.

Addictions are everywhere in the world that surrounds us, there are so many different types and often through the release of dopamine in our brains, addictions create such a pleasure with a followed release of serotonin or a sense of calmness that they are hard to escape. In a gospel perspective addictions cloud our decision and bind up our agency. In a talk given by Elder Russel M. Nelson in 1988, entitled Addiction or Freedom he states “Agency, or the power to choose, was ours as spirit children of our Creator before the world was. (See Alma 13:3; Moses 4:4.) It is a gift from God, nearly as precious as life itself. Often, however, agency is misunderstood. While we are free to choose, once we have made those choices, we are tied to the

The term drug abuse most often refers to the use of a drug with such

The drugs that fascinate man most – the ones that inspire us to poetry or drive us to murder – are those that affect the brain and the spinal cord on which it rests. Some of the first drugs used were said to have been used in link to religion and superstition. Some of these drugs include alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, ether, procaine, LSD, marijuana, cocaine, and heroine. The list of the amount of drugs known to man is almost endless, and there are constantly new drugs being invented or discovered in the things we see around us every day. Within the decades to come, there could be five times as many drugs as there are in today’s day.

Abuse of drugs can have effects on the user even after the use of drugs has stopped.