The Effects Of Drugs On Our Society

Marijuana has a deep history in America, being in the Americas since 1545 when the Spanish brought it over with them. Later, it was again brought over with the English colonists to Jamestown. Here it was used as a large cash crop similar to tobacco and was used as a major source of fiber. Later in the 1890s, a similar plant, hemp, became another large cash crop in the southern half of the US even replacing cotton. Around this time marijuana was also used in medications, although it was not on the scale of cocaine and opium, being used to treat everything from labor pains to rheumatism, “any disorder of the extremities or back, characterized by pain and stiffness” (The Definition of Rheumatism). Further on, in the 1920s marijuana became increasingly more popular with jazz musicians and even special cafes/clubs opening for its use. It was not until the 1930s when a campaign conducted by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics whom labeled marijuana as the harmful “gateway drug” it is seen as today. Though

According to the text, what factorshave been major contributors to the demise of the two-parent household?

Drug abuse is one of the most discouraged behaviors in our country. In the United States of America, we, the people value several things, some of which are freedom, expanding and taking care of our families and our financial security. We, the people, take such things for granted. We also discourage some behavior, such as crime, laziness and use of illegal drugs.

“The oldest known written record on cannabis use comes from the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. Ancient Greeks and Romans were also familiar with cannabis, while in the Middle East, use spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In 1545 cannabis spread to the western hemisphere where Spaniards imported it to Chile for its use as fiber. In North America cannabis, in the form of hemp, was grown on many plantations for use in rope, clothing and paper” (Cannabis + Coca). Marijuana used to be listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed for numerous conditions such as labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism. Increased use of pot as an

Drug abuse in children and adolescents has been a problem since the past when drugs were used for aliments and now because of the ever present drug problem in our country. There is no community or family that is not affected by the use of drugs in their children. Drug abuse in children and teenagers may pose a greater problem for our country since they have not completely developed their brains to an adult level, with this in thought it seems clear why adolescents can become addicted drugs.

1b. List and describe briefly the major structures of the brain, as presented in your textbook, including the function of those elements that are most related to psychoactive drug reaction.

Since the creation of drugs, its abuse and addiction became a taboo. As technology advanced into the 21st century, an impetus in civilization created the allure of drugs, which became propagated and popularized into modern society. Consequently, its Achilles heel created a social epidemic which threatened their innocence. Therefore, the conundrum of this phenomenon caused challenges for the addict, society, and treatment providers. Nonetheless, as problem arises, solutions await its discovery; and, as new and innovated ideas emerged, there are precipitate and modern challenges when getting individuals into addiction treatment.

In the 1900s, weed had already had relatively long legal history in the United States. Many historians believe the Jamestown settlers were the first to introduce cannabis to the United States in 1611. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both grew hemp in the 1700s, which was distributed to drug stores to help cure migraines and menstrual cramps. In the beginning weed was used for recreational purposes, and still is used to aid aliments, some aliments worse than others.

When I read that the United States has a “drug problem”, I immediately thought of the obvious culprits like heroin or cocaine. What most people fail to realize, however, is that substances like alcohol and nicotine are considered to be drugs as well. Throughout my first year of college I have gotten to know more about drug abuse than I ever knew before. I realized that the way in which most young people cope with disorders like depression or anxiety is through substance abuse. While some people look at this as a helpful form of self-therapy, others look at it as a gateway to addiction and immorality.

During the 1970s, a drug U-47700 was created by researchers as an anesthetic, less addictive than a morphine substitute. U-47700 was eventually tossed out and discontinued. The Food and Drug Administration did not approve it for human use. Unfortunately, the patent, which included instructions on how to produce the drug, became public information (Mato, 2016). This resulted in foreign drug manufactures gaining access to the formula through academic journals and patent filings (Blau, 2016). Currently, dealers from out of the country are using the chemical recipe and selling the drug in the United States, (Mato, 2016).

One of the early colonists who grew hemp [ marijuana ] was George Washington. In his diary entry of August 7, 1765, Washington noted: ?begin to separate the Male from the Female hemp at Do- rather too late.? And two days later: ?Abt. 6 o?clock put some Hemp in river to rot-.? And in September of that year, our gentleman farmer chronicled: ?Began to pull Seed Hemp - but not sufficiently ripe.? (Sloman 21)

Just a little over a year and a half after being in office President Reagan declared a “war on drugs”, creating a zero tolerance policy. The “war on drugs” claimed that it would reduce drug use if they were made illegal. The common misconception of the idea of this solution if that by restricting the supply of illicit drugs for the demand the price would increase making it harder for users to afford the habit and further discourage users from using. When in reality this shifted individuals into digging themselves deeper into hazards through, convictions, increased health risks due to stronger drugs being the available, and dependencies. Because this can also create an increase of racial tension due to the fact that the war on drugs

In my hometown, I have noticed an abundance of drug use. Many teens get peer pressured into doing drugs by their friends. They tell it’s cool, and how it can easily clear your mind. Also on TV they act like are fine. But what they don’t tell you is how it can totally ruin your life. You can become addicted and get into a lot of trouble. After recent research, I conclude that teens using drugs are a major problem in Piedmont and nationwide.

It has been discovered that most people who struggle with drug addiction began experimenting with drugs in their teens. Teenage drug abuse is one of the largest problems in society today and the problem grows and larger every year. Drugs are a pervasive force in our culture today. To expect kids not to be influenced by the culture of their time is as unrealistic as believing in the tooth fairy (Bauman 140). Teens may feel pressured by their friends to try drugs, they may have easy access to drugs, they may use drugs to rebel against their family or society, or they may take an illegal drug because they are curious about it or the pleasure that it gives them.

For the past twenty years, the country has been trying to overcome the use the drugs amongst teenagers. Research has shown that children between the ages of 16 - 20 use illegal drugs. The number of teenagers who use drugs is more than the number of drug users in the other age groups. Drug awareness campaigns are one of the key methods that can be use to combat this problem. Teaching the teenagers facts about drug abuse will assist them to know and understand the risks that drug abuse causes. Continuous drug awareness campaigns within the community are vital. ADDIN EN.CITE Gianni Devincenti Hayes201198Gianni Devincenti Hayes, D, Jr, and Michael J. Talley (2011)98986Gianni Devincenti Hayes, P.D, G.D.H.P.Jr, M.J.T.Michael J. Talley, J.Drugs and Your Teen: All You Need to Know About Drugs to Protect Your Loved Ones2011Bloomington, IN 47403AuthorHouse9781452098456http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=jlBZM573_-kC HYPERLINK l "_ENREF_3" o "Gianni Devincenti Hayes, 2011 #98" Gianni Devincenti Hayes, D, Jr, and Michael J. Talley (2011) posits, drug abuse not only affects the teenager, but also their family, and society. Though the use of recreational drugs among teenagers might not have adverse effects on them, the use of other drugs can lead to problems at school, home, work, and in relationships, which can lead the teenager feeling isolated, shameful, and have self pity.