In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the vice of smoking is commonly portrayed throughout the entire story. The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, often uses smoking as a form of escape from conflicts he came across, or used smoking to help him deal with stress and to settle his nerves. He tends to rely on smoking for plenty of situations that he is put into and majority of the time, he does not even notice that he is smoking. Holden claims that he barely smokes cigarettes but in reality, he smokes like a chimney. He is addicted to the nicotine that is in the tobacco of cigarettes. This is still a problem in today’s society with teenagers, such as Holden, that smoke because they do not realize how unhealthy smoking may be, as well as how damaging it actually is. Although …show more content…
Marijuana hijacks the normal brain of teens and plenty of scientists believe that it causes permanent damage on the development of the brain. A study showed that regular cannabis users had increased brain activities and although that may seem like a good thing, it actually causes the brain to work harder and has to engage more resources to respond accurately. The earlier and more frequently that a teenager smokes marijuana, the greater chance of the loss of intelligence by the age of thirty-eight. Teenagers who also started smoking early on in their life and had consistently smoked until adulthood can demonstrate a six point IQ drop. In 2002, a study found that the use of cannabis in adolescence can significantly increase the probability of developing schizophrenia in adulthood, especially if the teenager had been smoking the drug since they were fifteen years-old. Teenagers who smoke marijuana are sixty percent less likely to finish high school or get a university degree due to their drug
Marijuana creates many short-term and long-term effects on the body and brain. Some short-term effects include: impaired memory, altered senses, changes in mood, and difficulty with problem solving. Some long-term effects include: breathing problems, reduce memory, and decrease IQ. A study from New Zealand conducted in part by researchers at Duke University showed that people who started smoking marijuana heavily in their teens and had an ongoing marijuana use disorder lost an average of 8 IQ points between ages 13 and 38. The lost mental abilities didn't fully return in those who quit marijuana as adults (National). This study can be seen as reliable evidence because it was conducted by researched from Duke University, which is a private research
The symbolisms of cigarettes throughout the book showed the struggles and hardships that Holden encountered while travelling. The biggest internal and external problem that Holden had was smoking cigarettes. Holden smokes cigarettes when he has issues with hypocrisy, immorality, and things that he believes are “phony”. He also smokes to help his depression and loneliness issues. One of the early signs of Holden and his struggles with cigarettes in chapter six is when Holden and Stradlater are in their dorm room arguing about what Holden has written
Smoking of marijuana can cause the person to become addicted to cocaine, heroin, and other drugs. Heavy or daily use effects the parts that control memory, attention, and learning (Facts for Teens, 13). When teens are 12 and 13 they are more exposed to drugs and most likely don’t listen to their parents (Age in Stem., 1). Some other psychological side effects would be paranoia, anxiety, fatigue, Euphoria, and mood swings (Fact Sheet, 1). Studies have shown that when a person uses marijuana it causes the heart to beat faster and work harder (Fact Sheet, 2). When people have smoked large measures of marijuana for years, the drugs takes its charge on mental functions (Facts for Teens, 13).
Marijuana has its strongest long-term impact on young users whose brains are developing and maturing. Researchers see a decline in verbal ability as well as general knowledge in children between ages 9-12. (National Institute on Drug Abuse August
Some environmental factors of schizophrenia can be the over use of marijuana during the teenage years. As you can see in figure two a person who has developed schizophrenia has lost grey matter in their brain which can be see through a brain scan. After long use of marijuana, it causes similar outcomes to the brain and the loss of grey matter.
Dr. Vokow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, has also found that long term use of marijuana can affect the IQ of adolescent children in which they never recover (3). Furthermore, young people can also suffer from anxiety; depression; even thoughts of suicide.
Cannabis has copious amounts of effects on your body and brain. The effects range from bad all the way to good. Negative effects of cannabis may include anxiety, paranoia, and lowered reaction time, increased heart rate, distorted sense of time, and in some cases, psychosis. Cannabis does have positive effects for people with illnesses including cancer, multiple sclerosis, and many more. For teens, however, there is an increase of cannabis’ negative effects on the brain. This may include decreased brain activity, decreased neurons, trouble thinking and focusing, and a higher rate of dropping out of high school. Chronic users of cannabis may become dependent on it. It can also increase your rate of respiratory problems,
References to sex, drugs, and alcohol are prevalent in the novel, as they play a significant role in the main character’s life. Holden uses drugs and alcohol as an escape from the problems he encounters while at Pencey and in New York, worsening as his depression and loneliness intensify. Aware of his issues, but refusing to acknowledge them, Holden reflects that “I sat at that goddamn bar till around 1 o’clock or so, getting drunk as a bastard. I could hardly see straight,” (Salinger 166). Holden also states that he “must've smoked around two packs since [he] left Pencey,” (Salinger 112). With the previous lessons upheld, exposure to the use of these products is not a substantial enough force that would drive teens to engage in said activities. Beginning at a young age, children learn in school how to say no to drug and alcohol use and what to do when faced with a situation in which they are available. Furthermore, older children learn how to be safe if engaging in sex through sex education classes in school; in fact, “23 percent of sex education in public schools” teach abstinence-only sex education (Livni). In The Catcher in the Rye, sexual references are limited and portrayed with a negative connotation when Holden says, “sex is something I really understand too hot,” (Salinger 70). Most of Holden’s acquaintances do not have the same ideology, showing readers that it is not degrading to go against societal normalities. Seeing how Holden handles situations with drugs,
Within Friese and Grube, they state that Marijuana is the most commonly used drug among teens in the US and with the access to medical marijuana, teens have only increased their use (34). Research also argues that with legalization, recreational use would suggest to adolescents that marijuana is safe and normal (Friese and Grube 34). This finding suggests teen use might increase (Friese and Grube 34). Therefore, since research shows a defeat in executive functioning and processing with use of cannabis (Battistella et al.), it is essential that adolescences decrease their use since the teen brain is still maturing (Crean et al. 5). As well, there is evidence that teenagers who use cannabis in early years have more significant cognitive problems than their peers (Crean et al. 2). Furthermore, in Friese and Grube findings, they argue that a typical drug free environment is crucial for teens’ development (37) since an environment with accessible marijuana will encourage marijuana use and increase risks of negative consequences in their adulthood and health (Friese and Grube 33). Therefore, legalizing the recreational use of cannabis could potentially have a large harmful effect on
Marijuana can have very damaging affects on a person?s brain. It can impair a person?s short-term memory, decision-making and signal detection (Cannabinoids). ?In one study conducted in Memphis, TN, researchers found that, of 150 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs at the arrest scene, 33 percent tested positive for marijuana? (Marijuana). After having used marijuana a
It is true, of course, that marijuana kills brain cells and tissue. Smoking or consuming marijuana in any way can be very harmful to the brain (Katel). Though there is no convincing scientific evidence that marijuana causes psychological damage or mental illness in either teenagers or adults, marijuana users will experience loss of brain cells, which can be dangerous but does not cause permanent mental illnesses. The human brain is required to live, breathe, and carry out any action throughout life. Consuming massive amounts of marijuana will destroy brain cells, which are vital to trigger thoughts, movements, interactions, and memory. The tissue within our brains eventually corrode due to marijuana usage. Like all tissues and organs in the human body, brain tissue serve many different functions, and when the functions are limited, the tissue deteriorate (Borden). Daily use of marijuana could make the smoker experience psychological distress following marijuana intake, which may include feelings of panic, anxiety, paranoia, and loss of memory.
There is no evidence that marijuana use causes brain damage. Studies performed on actual human populations will confirm these results, even for chronic marijuana users (up to 18 joints per day) after many years of use.
The smoking distracts Holden from his problems. Smoking gives him something to do so that he will not think about all the things going wrong in his life. Holden has trouble accepting his reality, so he uses alcohol and cigarettes to distract
The number one drug that teens use is marijuana . Anyway it goes in your body will mess up the way your brain works and ability to do good decisions . These bad decisions can involve making sexual choices that are unsafe , saying things your going to regret later . Whats more negative then all of those is that it can effect your memory and your ability to learn . Marijuana affects different people in different ways , but the following short-term effects are common :
When I researched how cannabis effects cognitive functioning, there were more articles involving adults and few on adolescents. There are a couple of studies that are similar to what I am proposing. This closest one is a study that looked at how cannabis affected the student’s educational performance. The purpose of this study by Lynskey & Hall is to see how cannabis effects education, because of the knowledge that cannabis is intoxicating and gives a cognitive impairment on adolescents (Lynskey & Hall, 2000, p. 1621). A majority of teenagers in school have a negative view towards school just because they do not want to be there, but there seems to be a worse view of school by the adolescents that use cannabis (Lynskey & Hall, 2000).