I've never seen or talked to my grandfather for my entire life.
No, he's not dead. He's still alive.
When my dad was about six years old, my grandfather abandoned his family. He was driven to do so as a result his addiction to alcohol. This addiction almost destroyed my dad's family. My dad was forced to live fatherless and in poverty.
This is only one example out of countless of how drugs can impact people.
People can be swayed to do drugs from several factors: having a large amount of drugs available, their close friends and family doing them, peer pressure, and stress. They can be taken in pill form, snorted up the nose, smoked, or injected directly and they're now widely available and in everything from our music to our schools.
Our society has now became so dependent on drugs that almost all of our music contains it. Drugs are described, used to make comparisons, and usage is bragged about.
There are so many other activities to do besides drugs, why can't our society get off our phones and stop doing drugs?
By the time that they graduate high school, about half of teenagers have at least tried some form of a drug. This is especially harmful because people are most likely to become addicted when they're teenagers.
To prevent more teens from becoming addicted, schools should promote saying no to drugs throughout the students' school careers, rather than just primarily when they're in elementary school.
When I began my research on my topic, I thought that people could just choose stop taking drugs and that anyone who was addicted was just choosing to be so.
What most people, like me at the beginning of my research, don't understand fully is how deeply an addiction can attach itself to a person. Once a person is addicted to a drug, they can't just voluntarily choose to stop using the drug due to relapses. In order to end the relapses, several years of treatment must be taken.This process can last the whole rest of the addict's life.
Drug addiction can't just disappear- it takes a huge amount of time and effort.
Once I became aware of how serious drug addiction was, my views on drug usage changed completely. Before this project, I was totally open to trying a drug. Now, I wouldn't dare to use one out of fear that I would find it appealing and become addicted.
Ironically, I had an opportunity to do a form of a drug after finishing my research. While before I probably would've gladly taken the chance, I declined to take it.
I'm appreciative of how this project has influenced my lifestyle and I hope that it has positively influenced yours as well.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
happy (late) 420
The number "420" has now become inescapable within our culture, as the popular time to get high on marijuana.
Where did this number come from?
Several false rumors about the meaning of 420 include:
Smoking at 4:20 began with a group of teenagers from San Rafael High School in north California in the year 1971. They would meet at this time to smoke and attempt to find some rumored abandoned marijuana crops. This soon became a designated smoking time for their friends and spread from there.
Eventually, a rock band called the Grateful Dead started to begin their smoking sessions at 4:20 and referred to this term within their songs. Their fans, called the "Deadheads", followed. Steve Bloom, an editor of a leading marijuana-inspired magazine, the High Times, saw "420" on one of the bands' flyers, and the magazine began using the term as well. 420 continued to spread from there, until eventually, in 2004, the California penal code section 420 was created restricting usage of medical marijuana.
April 20th (4/20) is now known as "420 Day" for many people, and celebrated by them by consuming marijuana. There's even been a petition with over 36,000 signatures created online that's pushing for an actual "420 Day" holiday to be created on this day...
420 and therefore the smoking of marijuana has so far taken over the time "4:20", the day 4/20, music, clothes, and more.
So far, marijuana is legal in 24 of the 50 states in the United States- about half. How much longer will it be until marijuana is legal in all states due to its influence over our culture? Will other drugs be legalized as well like this as a result?
Where did this number come from?
Several false rumors about the meaning of 420 include:
- The New York and Los Angeles departments using "420" as a code for smoking
- The amount of chemical compounds that compose marijuana
- The day that users Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Jannis Japlin died
Smoking at 4:20 began with a group of teenagers from San Rafael High School in north California in the year 1971. They would meet at this time to smoke and attempt to find some rumored abandoned marijuana crops. This soon became a designated smoking time for their friends and spread from there.
Eventually, a rock band called the Grateful Dead started to begin their smoking sessions at 4:20 and referred to this term within their songs. Their fans, called the "Deadheads", followed. Steve Bloom, an editor of a leading marijuana-inspired magazine, the High Times, saw "420" on one of the bands' flyers, and the magazine began using the term as well. 420 continued to spread from there, until eventually, in 2004, the California penal code section 420 was created restricting usage of medical marijuana.
April 20th (4/20) is now known as "420 Day" for many people, and celebrated by them by consuming marijuana. There's even been a petition with over 36,000 signatures created online that's pushing for an actual "420 Day" holiday to be created on this day...
It’s high time we had a National Weed Day. Sign my petition here: http://t.co/JaZVQKHb1E pic.twitter.com/vYwn3bwJ0r
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) April 18, 2015
Marijuana and "420" have also inspired clothing:
New limited edition 420 merch available now at http://t.co/R2F26Q6pbg pic.twitter.com/u3cXTuPGnh
— G-Eazy (@G_Eazy) April 21, 2015
The "420 culture has resulted in many songs in a variety of genres being inspired by, about, or mentioning marijuana.
***Warning: Explicit Lyrics***
- The song "The Next Episode" by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg begins with the lyrics "so blaze the weed up then! Blaze it up, blaze it up!" and concludes with "smoke weed every day". The Next Episode is often accidentally called "Smoke Weed Everyday" because of its ending.
- "Your Love is my Drug" by Ke$ha compares love with getting high with verses like "I don't care what people say/The rush is worth the price I pay/I get so high when you're with me/But crash and crave you when you leave".
- "Stay High" by G-Eazy featuring Mod Sun is about G-Eazy getting high with girls. "I'm high and I'm never comin down.../Stay high all day/Stay high all day/F*** around and stay high all day/Stay high all day".
- The "My Medicine" video by The Pretty Reckless takes viewers through a party, while the lead singer smokes marijuana and sings verses such as "Well, I drink what you leak and I smoke what you sigh". It also describes what is seen as a result of the mixture of marijuana and drugs with "There's a tiger in the room and a baby in the closet" and by adding effects to the video.
420 and therefore the smoking of marijuana has so far taken over the time "4:20", the day 4/20, music, clothes, and more.
So far, marijuana is legal in 24 of the 50 states in the United States- about half. How much longer will it be until marijuana is legal in all states due to its influence over our culture? Will other drugs be legalized as well like this as a result?
Monday, April 20, 2015
By the time that they're seniors in high school, about half of teens have used a drug or controlled substance at least once. The most common ones used are either marijuana or household substances.
I asked ten people whose ages range from 15-19 and that had used some type of controlled substance or drug the same three questions:
Every person that I'd asked had a different reason for taking whatever drug/controlled substance that they'd done. Boredom, experimentation, wanted acceptance, being told to do so, wanting to appear "cool", and doing them because everyone else was doing so were included in their reasons for doing drugs.
Some people stated that the drugs that they had taken had helped them with their problems.
Source
I asked ten people whose ages range from 15-19 and that had used some type of controlled substance or drug the same three questions:
- Why did you take whatever you did?
- Do you feel like you took it out of peer pressure?
- Do you have any regrets about what you did?
Every person that I'd asked had a different reason for taking whatever drug/controlled substance that they'd done. Boredom, experimentation, wanted acceptance, being told to do so, wanting to appear "cool", and doing them because everyone else was doing so were included in their reasons for doing drugs.
- "I did it because I wanted to feel loved and accepted. I wanted people to like me."
- "I was bored and wanted to have fun."
- "I did it purely out of curiousity. There was no pressure."
Some people stated that the drugs that they had taken had helped them with their problems.
- "It kind of helped me in a werd way. I became more socially active. I used to be really shy around everyone. It made me more relaxed and stressed about certain things."
Source
Monday, April 13, 2015
Drug Addiction
In 2012, about 23 million people in the United States were suffering from addiction to either drugs or alcohol. Only 4 million of these people, or about 17%, received treatment.
What caused all these people get addicted to drugs? How does addiction affect people's lives? Is it possible to recover from addiction?
Addiction begins when a user of a drug begins to prioritize drugs over their own lives- including their friends and family, goals, and any responsibilities.
Increased drug usage among people occurs mostly due to peer pressure, sexual or physical abuse, being on bad terms with loved ones, being around others that also use drugs, and having them available. Addiction is more likely to occur among younger people, from genes inherited, or among people with mental illnesses.
If an addicted person attempts to stop their drug usage, they often fail due to relapses. Relapses are when an addicted person begins drug usage again after attempting to stop, and are began by specific triggers. Triggers can be people, stress, smells, or songs- and vary for different people. Triggers release a chemical called dopamine into the addict's brain, which gives them both pleasure and intense cravings for drugs. Triggers often occur without a person knowing. Drug abuse treatment often has to be continued throughout the addict's life due to relapses caused by these triggers in order for successful recovery to be reached. When a relapse occurs, the person in recovery should either restart or change their treatment again- a relapse doesn't necessarily mean that a treatment failed.
Drug addictions can't be instantly cured, and treatments are ongoing processes. In order to have a successful recovery, addicts must be eager to gain additional help if needed, keep maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and have support from family and loved ones in the process.
People can get the treatment that they need in hospitals, clinics, or residential treatment centers that they can reside in. Patients recovering from addiction are often treated through either therapy or medication. Recovery therapy can either be one-on-one, or with a group of people.
A variety of medication can be used in the recovery process to treat addiction. Medication is usually used in the beginning of treatment process, in order to treat the symptoms of detoxification. Detoxification is when a patient's body begins to rid itself of the drug that it had been addicted to. Medication can also be given to patients in order to remove specific withdrawal symptoms. Methadone and buprenorphine are often given to extreme addictions. Smokers can be aided in quitting by taking nicotine in either nicotine gum or in patches. Naltrexone or disulfiram can help people suffering from alcoholism
Drug addiction can cause health problems, destroy families and communities, unemployment, child abuse, violence, crime, and other issues. Addiction and both its effects and lengthy recovery process can be avoided entirely by simply not taking any drugs.
Is taking drugs truly worth the risk of becoming addicted to them? If people knew more about the effects of taking a drug before doing so, would less people become addicts?
Sources
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Source 4
What caused all these people get addicted to drugs? How does addiction affect people's lives? Is it possible to recover from addiction?
Addiction begins when a user of a drug begins to prioritize drugs over their own lives- including their friends and family, goals, and any responsibilities.
Increased drug usage among people occurs mostly due to peer pressure, sexual or physical abuse, being on bad terms with loved ones, being around others that also use drugs, and having them available. Addiction is more likely to occur among younger people, from genes inherited, or among people with mental illnesses.
If an addicted person attempts to stop their drug usage, they often fail due to relapses. Relapses are when an addicted person begins drug usage again after attempting to stop, and are began by specific triggers. Triggers can be people, stress, smells, or songs- and vary for different people. Triggers release a chemical called dopamine into the addict's brain, which gives them both pleasure and intense cravings for drugs. Triggers often occur without a person knowing. Drug abuse treatment often has to be continued throughout the addict's life due to relapses caused by these triggers in order for successful recovery to be reached. When a relapse occurs, the person in recovery should either restart or change their treatment again- a relapse doesn't necessarily mean that a treatment failed.
Drug addictions can't be instantly cured, and treatments are ongoing processes. In order to have a successful recovery, addicts must be eager to gain additional help if needed, keep maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and have support from family and loved ones in the process.
People can get the treatment that they need in hospitals, clinics, or residential treatment centers that they can reside in. Patients recovering from addiction are often treated through either therapy or medication. Recovery therapy can either be one-on-one, or with a group of people.
A variety of medication can be used in the recovery process to treat addiction. Medication is usually used in the beginning of treatment process, in order to treat the symptoms of detoxification. Detoxification is when a patient's body begins to rid itself of the drug that it had been addicted to. Medication can also be given to patients in order to remove specific withdrawal symptoms. Methadone and buprenorphine are often given to extreme addictions. Smokers can be aided in quitting by taking nicotine in either nicotine gum or in patches. Naltrexone or disulfiram can help people suffering from alcoholism
Drug addiction can cause health problems, destroy families and communities, unemployment, child abuse, violence, crime, and other issues. Addiction and both its effects and lengthy recovery process can be avoided entirely by simply not taking any drugs.
Is taking drugs truly worth the risk of becoming addicted to them? If people knew more about the effects of taking a drug before doing so, would less people become addicts?
Sources
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Source 4
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Types of Drugs
Recreational drugs come in many different forms, with a variety of effects for the consumers to experience. In contrast to the pleasure that the consumers can gain from taking these recreational drugs, they all come with some unpleasant and often dangerous side effects.
Methamphetamine, which is also referred to as "meth" or "C10H15N" can be consumed either in a pill form or through snorting it.
Methamphetamine lowers neurotransmitters in the user's brain, which lowers the user's blood pressure and breathing. It is most effective about two after after being consumed, and lasts from four-eight hours. It gives its users more energy, alertness, happiness, sensitivity, and less appetite. It's used mostly in clubs- giving people more energy to dance.
However, this drug's usage comes with a price: it often results in bad moods, confusion, anxiety, sleeping troubles, stomach problems, chills, sweating, irregular heartbeats, skin rashes, fatigue, and even seizures. While the drug is effective, the user experiences a much higher pain tolerance, allowing them to get hurt without much notice. Long term effects can include high blood pressure, insomnia, paranoia, violence, and depression.
Cocaine, or "C17H21NO4" is produced from the leaves of the coca plant, which originated from the central and southeast South Americas. It can be consumed in either its leaf or powder form. In both forms, the substance can cause people's skin to become numb if placed on them.
The leaves from the coca plant can be consumed by either being chewed (with either lime or plant ashes) or made into tea. The plant's leaves cannot get people high, but can increase people's alertness and content.
The powder form of cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride) is a hundred times more effective than the leaf form (and usually is diluted to about 60%). It can be consumed through snorting or injection, resulting in a "high" in which the user feels more confident and their appetite is lowered.
Powder cocaine usually only lasts from five to thirty minutes. After this, users usually become slow and depressed. The more cocaine consumed results in more difficulty communicating, confusion, paranoia, and antisocial/aggressive behaviors. It can cause long term brain damage, make blood vessels smaller, increase body temperature or blood pressure, make the heart or respiratory systems fail, and cause strokes and heart attacks.
Ecstasy, or "MDMA" and "C11H15NO2" increases levels of serotin and dopamine in the brain. The dopamine causes the user to become happy and excited, while the serotin increases the user's moods. It's used mainly in sexual relations (assisting in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and AIDs), and can be consumed through either snorting or injection.
While being used, ecstasy can cause muscle tension, teeth clenching, and REM. After being used, users often experience nausea, dizziness, confusion, and anxiety. Frequent consumption can cause its users to become more self conscious and impulsive. The drug can result in permanent brain damage, body temperature rising, and organ damage as well.
Marijuana, or "weed" is an unclassified drug that comes from two plants: the cannabis sative and the cannibus indica.
It can be consumed by either being baked into food, smoked, or put into tea. It contains a chemical called "THC"- which alters the user's mind, allowing them to experience happiness, increased sensibility and alertness, relaxation, and to be more outgoing. It is impossible to overdose- however, marijuana can cause motor control difficulties and lung cancer.
What drug sounds the worst to take? If you had to be addicted to one drug, what one would you choose?
Sources
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Source 4
Source 5
Methamphetamine, which is also referred to as "meth" or "C10H15N" can be consumed either in a pill form or through snorting it.
Methamphetamine lowers neurotransmitters in the user's brain, which lowers the user's blood pressure and breathing. It is most effective about two after after being consumed, and lasts from four-eight hours. It gives its users more energy, alertness, happiness, sensitivity, and less appetite. It's used mostly in clubs- giving people more energy to dance.
However, this drug's usage comes with a price: it often results in bad moods, confusion, anxiety, sleeping troubles, stomach problems, chills, sweating, irregular heartbeats, skin rashes, fatigue, and even seizures. While the drug is effective, the user experiences a much higher pain tolerance, allowing them to get hurt without much notice. Long term effects can include high blood pressure, insomnia, paranoia, violence, and depression.
Cocaine, or "C17H21NO4" is produced from the leaves of the coca plant, which originated from the central and southeast South Americas. It can be consumed in either its leaf or powder form. In both forms, the substance can cause people's skin to become numb if placed on them.
The leaves from the coca plant can be consumed by either being chewed (with either lime or plant ashes) or made into tea. The plant's leaves cannot get people high, but can increase people's alertness and content.
The powder form of cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride) is a hundred times more effective than the leaf form (and usually is diluted to about 60%). It can be consumed through snorting or injection, resulting in a "high" in which the user feels more confident and their appetite is lowered.
Powder cocaine usually only lasts from five to thirty minutes. After this, users usually become slow and depressed. The more cocaine consumed results in more difficulty communicating, confusion, paranoia, and antisocial/aggressive behaviors. It can cause long term brain damage, make blood vessels smaller, increase body temperature or blood pressure, make the heart or respiratory systems fail, and cause strokes and heart attacks.
Ecstasy, or "MDMA" and "C11H15NO2" increases levels of serotin and dopamine in the brain. The dopamine causes the user to become happy and excited, while the serotin increases the user's moods. It's used mainly in sexual relations (assisting in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and AIDs), and can be consumed through either snorting or injection.
While being used, ecstasy can cause muscle tension, teeth clenching, and REM. After being used, users often experience nausea, dizziness, confusion, and anxiety. Frequent consumption can cause its users to become more self conscious and impulsive. The drug can result in permanent brain damage, body temperature rising, and organ damage as well.
Marijuana, or "weed" is an unclassified drug that comes from two plants: the cannabis sative and the cannibus indica.
It can be consumed by either being baked into food, smoked, or put into tea. It contains a chemical called "THC"- which alters the user's mind, allowing them to experience happiness, increased sensibility and alertness, relaxation, and to be more outgoing. It is impossible to overdose- however, marijuana can cause motor control difficulties and lung cancer.
What drug sounds the worst to take? If you had to be addicted to one drug, what one would you choose?
Sources
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Source 4
Source 5
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Society's All Lit Up
Drugs are now unavoidable in our society. They can be found at schools, in music, at parties- just about anywhere. Information regarding them can be easily accessed via the Internet.
Most modern music is either about or mentions drug usage. Music probably holds most of the influence on drug usage- since recreational drug usage can be found at just about all modern music events. People listen to these songs from the radio, hear them from other people, or get caught on the tune. Listeners then associate the substances with the descriptions and usages provided in the songs, or want to repeat what is described in the song.
Since teenagers now have an extreme amount of stress and peer pressure on them, they'll do almost anything to try to fit in or escape their stress.
Since teenagers now have an extreme amount of stress and peer pressure on them, they'll do almost anything to try to fit in or escape their stress.
Here are just some of the many popular songs focused on drug usage:
- "Stay High" by Tove Lo is about how drugs were used to escape the pain of a break up.
"You're gone and I gotta stay highAll the time to keep you off my mind....High all the time to keep you off my mind Spend my days locked in a hazeTrying to forget you babe, I fall back down I gotta stay high all my life toforget I'm missing you..."
- The song "Pursuit of Happiness", by Kid Cudi, focuses on finding happiness- through drug usage.
"Crush a bit, little bit,Roll it up, take a hit,Feeling lit, feeling right,2 A-M, summer night, I don't care,Hand on the wheel,Driving drunk I'm doing my thang"
- "I Don't Believe You" by G-Eazy describes the parties that he attended on his tours and the drugs and other activities that he did at them, in addition to mocking people who aren't used to using the drugs that he does.
"You don't turn up like we do
Say you do?
I don't believe you
It's, four In the morning I'm looking for drugs
Already faded increasing my buzz
Working it odd I'll be at the clubs
Every weekend this is what I does
I know that you think that you party like us in a similar fashion
But I spent a rack on these jeans that I'm holding my stash in..."
(WARNING: Explicit lyrics)
If most drugs, like weed, are supposed to be illegal, why are they so involved within music? When a singer has a song about drugs, aren't they basically proclaiming their usage of illegal substances- in addition to encouraging the usage of those illegal substances? How do these people obtain these "illegal" drugs? What kinds of drugs are available? How are these drugs produced, and how are they able to be so widely distributed if they're supposed to be illegal?
Since I haven't actually used any drugs myself, I've wondered what exactly makes drugs so addicting to some people? Do they really make people feel better, or do people just pretend that they do, in order to fit in better with others? What exactly do people experience when they consume different kinds of drugs?
Drug usage is especially popular among teenagers. Teenagers get introduced to drugs- either by hearing about it in music or through other people. As a result, many teens now believe that the only way to have a good time, be in the times, or to relieve stress is by taking drugs. What kinds of effects do drugs have on these people? Are drugs necessarily harmful to people? Do they have any positive qualities? When exactly did drugs become the trend among teenagers? How many teens are active users of drugs? How many teens have at least just tried drugs?
I believe that people should be given more freedom in drug usage. The only harm that drug users are doing is all on themselves. We're in charge of our own bodies, so we should be the ones to decide whether to damage them or not. Unless the usage of a drug has been proven to harms people other than the person consenting to use it, the drug shouldn't be illegal. Rather than spending energy on attempting to catch drug users, authorities should concentrate more on other crimes- therefore making society safer overall. Are there any pro-drug use movements that are currently active? Will there be more freedom given to drug usage in the future because so many people are now using them? How much freedom will be given- will only certain drugs be prohibited, or will they all be allowed to be consumed?
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