Dec
8
Underage drinking is a very big problem in the United States. At least thirteen million Americans, about one out of ten, are alcoholic. Alcohol companies spend about two billion dollars annually to promote their products. They say that their public statements emphasize that they are not trying to create new or heavier drinkers. They also say that they are definitely not advertising to the youth of this country. They say they only want people who already drink to switch to another brand and to drink it in moderation. Nevertheless, the most basic study of alcohol advertising shows an emphasis on both engaging new, young users and pushing heavy consumption of their products. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says that youth who start drinking before the age of fifteen are four times more likely to develop alcoholism at some point in their lives, than those who begin drinking at twenty-one. That is a very serious issue because underage drinking can lead to alcohol addiction, risky sex, poor grades, and car crashes. In a survey taken by the same administration, ten million people ages twelve through twenty reported drinking alcohol in the month prior to the survey. About eighty-one percent of high school students drink alcohol, and thirty-one percent of high school students binge drink at least once each month. Alcohol companies advertise their products through movies, television, music, sporting events, online advertising, billboards, magazines, and clothing. They use kid friendly characters to promote their products as well, including the “Budweiser Frogs.”Alcohol advertising plays a large part in promoting to underage drinking.
Nov
26
War On Drugs
Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Last year, the federal government used 16 billion dollars to fight drug abuse. This amount of money has statistically decreased by more than 40 percent since 1979. These facts demonstrate progress to only those people who think of drug addiction as an enemy to be defeated rather than as a cancer to be treated. There are questions of whether the current war on drugs is succeeding or not, and how the legalization of drugs would affect crime and the U.S. economy.
Some people argue that legalizing drugs is the only way to “win” the drug war. I personally think that this is a very bad idea. That would just give everyone the feeling that drugs are okay. I think there would be so many more people overdosing or even hurting others. I know alot of people who use drugs and then drive their cars around. This can be as bad as drinking and driving. Downers could definitely make someone fall asleep behind the wheel.
Legalizing drugs won’t solve any of our Nation’s drug problems. I think that we need to focus more on educating children on the dangers of drugs and keeping the drug dealers from bringing the drugs into the country in the first place. I am more worried about the people who sell the drugs than the person who buys them. I am definitely more worried about the people using drugs in public than those who are smoking pot in the privacy of their own home. Even though that would make more sense to me to make it legal in your own home, it does not mean we should give up on the war on drugs and make all currently illegal drugs legal.
Nov
10
Some Substance Abuse Facts
Filed Under Uncategorized | 3 Comments
1. It is estimated that of the 15.1 million people who abuse alcohol or are alcohol-dependent, 4.6 million are women. That means that roughly one-third of alcoholics are women.
2. Women are less likely to use illicit drugs than men. 5 percent of women and 8 percent of men report having used illicit drugs during the last 30 days.
3. In 1989, 43 percent of drug abuse patients admitted to emergency rooms were female and 56 percent were male.
4. Cigarette use among women has decreased at the rate of about 1 percent each year since 1985. Use during the last 30 days by women was at 24.2 percent in 1990, down from a figure of 28.1 percent in 1985.
5. Women who drink heavily or are alcoholic are more likely to become victims of the alcohol-related aggression of others, such as date rape.
6. Single, divorced, or separated women are more likely to drink heavily and experience alcohol-related problems than women who are married or widowed. Unmarried women who are living with a significant other are most likely to develop drinking problems.
7. According to a 1990 household survey, 0.5 percent of women had used cocaine during the last 30 days. That is a large decrease from a similar 1985 study, which estimated that 2 percent of women had used cocaine during the past month.
8. In 40 percent of 1989 emergency room episodes involving female patients, the motive for using drugs was suicide, compared to 20 percent of male emergency room episodes.
9. The impact of alcohol appears to be greater upon women than men.
10. Women are more susceptible to alcohol-related liver damage. They develop liver disease in a shorter period of time and at lower levels of consumption. The number of alcoholic women who develop alcohol-related liver disease is higher than among alcoholic men.
11. Repeated or sustained episodes of alcohol intoxication may suppress hormonal activity in women. Studies suggest that there is a higher chance of menstrual dysfunction and accelerated onset of menopause among alcoholic women.
12. In 1990, 4 percent of women reported using marijuana during the past month while 6 percent of men did. This number is the same as a similar 1989 study, which indicated that 4 percent of women had used marijuana in the past 30 days.
13. Young women between the ages of 16 and 22 are more likely to smoke cigarettes than males of that age.
14. Over 4.8 million (8 percent) of the 60.1 million women 15-44 years of age have used an illicit drug in the past month. Slightly over 500,000 used cocaine and 3.9 million used marijuana in the past month.
15. More than 80 percent of cases of AIDS in women are associated with intravenous drug abuse. Under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, people help to spread AIDS by engaging in high-risk sexual activity with people who are IV drug abusers or HIV carriers.
Oct
31
Is more drug education needed?
Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Why do more than five thousand people in the United States start using illegal drugs everyday? Most of those people are young people too. Is it because of peer pressure or the media? Or maybe it’s because the people who make and sell drugs know exactly what to do to make their peers want to use. No matter what the reason is, they wouldn’t be able to have an impact on the kids if there was an effective drug education program in schools, communities, or any other place kids can go. The war on drugs will only be won by educating our children about the dangers of drugs.
So many people that I know, including me, started using drugs because we didn’t know anything about drug abuse and addiction. We didn’t know anything about how the drugs would eventually control our lives. So we are now in rehabilitation programs and are learning about all of the information we wished we knew before we started using. So in addition to rehabilitating those who have fallen into the trap of drug abuse, there should be more programs teaching the kids about drugs before they start experimenting with them.
One prevention program is called Narconon, and the staff works very hard to prevent young people from using drugs in the first place. The Narconon Drug Prevention and Education program has provided drug education programs to school children in Southern California for over 30 years and has reached hundreds of thousands students. They offer a comprehensive series of interactive presentations for students in grades three through twelve on the many subjects of drug use and abuse, drug prevention and drug education and drug abuse prevention. I really think that if I had the chance to go through a program like this when I was young, I probably wouldn’t have started abusing drugs. I really believe that, because there was nothing else in my life that pushed me into drug abuse. My parents and family are all very close and supportive of me. I grew up in a middle class family. I got pretty much everything I have ever needed. I dont have emotional problems or anything. The only reason why I started using drugs was because I just didnt know the consequences.
Oct
25
Alcohol can be ok. Just don’t abuse it.
Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment
I know I keep making alcohol seem terrible, but that is only if you abuse it. Alcohol abuse is very dangerous, and may turn into the very serious disease of alcoholism. On the other hand, if you drink in moderation, alcohol can have positive effects. Some researchers say that moderate alcohol use can protect us against cardiovascular diseases. Alcohol can also make you feel relaxed after a long day, or you can become livelier, comfortable with talking and socializing, and feel less tired. Some people may drink to forget their everyday problems, which could be good or bad. People may even drink just because they like the taste.
These are all pretty good side effects, but like I said, it’s all in moderation. Those who often drink too much run a high risk of suffering physical damage. “Excessive alcohol use increases the risk of a number of diseases: fatty degeneration of the liver, infection of the liver, liver cirrhosis, sleeping disorders, sexual problems, infection of the esophagus, infection of the stomach, infection of the pancreas, premature dementia, varying from a reduction of memory to the serious syndrome of Korsakoff; cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, intestines and breasts; hypertension and heart problems. Alcohol is also damaging during pregnancy. Also alcohol takes its toll in traffic.” Excessive alcohol use basically makes a lot of people irresponsible.
So in my conclusion, I think that alcohol does have some good effects, but if you abuse these effects, don’t think that it won’t turn into alcoholism. No one is immune against alcoholism, and once you are an alcoholic, congratulations, you have just acquired a very difficult disease to deal with. So if you like alcohol every once in a while, DO NOT abuse it. Or else you may never be able to drink again.
Oct
13
I learned something new today that I never really thought about before. There is new evidence showing that exercise can help prevent substance abuse. A study recently found that “teens that exercised daily were 40% less likely to experiment with marijuana than those teens that didn’t exert physical activity.” That to me seems like a very important thing to know for the younger kids who are not yet experimenting with drugs.
There is only one problem I can think of that would prevent the kids from exercising daily. Today the school system feels that it is more important to skip recess so that the students have more time to study for tests in the classrooms. Also, kids should be going to play in their school gyms more often than they are now. A lot of schools only let the students go to their physical education classes once a week.
The studies say that “teens that exercise and take care of their bodies may be too busy to get involved with drugs or alcohol.” That makes sense to me. Another thing is that exercise makes us feel good about ourselves, and helps us overcome the negative thoughts that can lead to substance abuse, while also getting rid of stress and depression. Exercise keeps us busy, and in my own experience I realized that boredom was a major factor in my drug abuse.
Some of the studies now are showing what it is about exercise that helps in the struggle with addiction. Exercise stimulates endorphins that help us stabilize our moods. These endorphins are depleted in addicts, which leaves these people with negative thoughts to go along with their actions. With the benefits of exercise, an addict can bring positive behavior into their life to replace the substance abuse. Exercise reduces the satisfying effects of drugs because it “alters the number of dopamine receptors in the brain, meaning that drugs then have less of a euphoric effect.”
In conclusion, my opinion is that all kids need to start exercising daily when they are young, so they can start having good habits toward a better lifestyle.
Oct
5
alcoholism
Filed Under Uncategorized | 3 Comments
Alcohol abuse is a disease that includes cravings, loss of control dependence, and tolerance. An alcoholic will drink no matter what. Even if it causes legal problems, problems with their family, or their health. Many alcoholics drink so that they don’t have to deal with their feelings.
Alcoholism can be inherited. It could be inherited through your genes, but you may also learn it through your childhood lifestyle. Thats really scary to me. If someone starts to drink all the time, they should think about what they are putting their families through, before it becomes a disease. I know that no one knows when it becomes a disease, but if you see it becoming a problem, you should get help for yourself. If its not for yourself, then it should at least be for the ones who love you.
It is true that alcoholism can run through your genes, but it only increases the risk that your child will also become an alcoholic. It doesn’t automatically mean that your children will have this disease one day. Alcoholism cannot be cured, but it can definitely be treated if you want to be helped.
There is a difference between a person who abuses alcohol and an alcoholic. A person can drink too much without being dependent on it. I learned that In the United States, 17.6 million people–about l in every 12 adults–abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. And alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 and lowest among adults ages 65 and older. We also know that people who start drinking at an early age–for example, at age 14 or younger–are at much higher risk of developing alcohol problems at some point in their lives compared to someone who starts drinking at age 21 or after.
Sep
29
Triggers and Relapse
Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Recovery from a drug or alcohol addiction is a long and bumpy road. Some people go through treatment and successfully stay sober for the rest of their lives. That is a very hard thing to do, so their are others who slip up and use again, or relapse. Some people may even go through multiple slips during recovery before they find long term sobriety.
Usually when someone relapses, it isn’t even as fun as they thought it would be. They start to think about how they just ruined their sobriety date. They realize that everything that they have done towards their recovery now has to start all over. Its very discouraging. That terrible feeling that you get may even make you father from recovery than you ever were for some people.
Everyone recovering has had something in their path that has given them the though of reusing. Whether its the friends they hang out with, places they used to use, stress, boredom, etc, these things need to be realized and you need to make a plan to avoid these things. Personally for me, things that trigger me are my old friends who used drugs with me, or still uses drugs, the place I used to work, holidays, weekends, boredom. I had to find a whole new group of friends, a different job, and I have to keep myself busy so that I can keep my mind off of using. In my outpatient program I have heard of some crazy things that trigger people to use. Some things were hearing the shaking of a pill bottle, or the rattling of car keys because those things reminded them about their drug of choice and how they used it.
So like I said, recovery is a long bumpy road, and you have to be willing to change around your life and the way you think if you want to follow that road to recovery. Its really a hard thing to do, but if a long and healthy lifestyle is what you want, then you can accomplish that goal. I got some of my information about relapse and triggers here.
Sep
25
Anyone can become an addict.
Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments
I have made some terrible choices in my past. I was ignorant to the fact that drugs are highly addictive. I had no idea, nor did I ever want to think about it. I thought that taking prescription pills would be a lot of fun. I did it because everyone else was. Of course I didn’t want to be left out of all the “fun.” I started taking them only during the weekends. I figured that I could never become an addict if I only used 2 days of the week. Then I thought it would be alright if I used only sometimes during the week, when my homework was stressful or something. Out of nowhere, I started bringing them to school and took the pills in class. You might think that this was “addict behavior,” but I didn’t. Then I took them EVERYDAY at work. One day, about seven months later, I realized I was addicted to drugs. I realized this when I didn’t have enough money to buy any pills, and I started feeling really sick.
What happened to me? Seven months ago I thought of an addict as someone standing on the street corner begging for money. But I wasn’t doing that. I was a functioning addict. I was still doing everything I needed to be doing. I still received really good grades in school, and I was going to work everyday without anyone knowing that I was taking drugs every few hours.
I was taking the same drugs for about a year until a life changing experience happened. I got pulled over with those pills in my car and I got arrested. It was the worst experience of my life, but in some way it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I am now in an outpatient rehabilitation program so I can get the drug felonies off of my record for that arrest. I have been in this program for about 9 months, with about 4 left, and I learned so many things, and those drugs could have killed me. I was gaining a tolerance to them, and was taking more and more all the time just so I could feel the effects.
Drug addiction is really scary, and it is embarrassing. But another thing I learned is that I am not a bad person, and I hope you don’t think of me as a totally different person than everyone else. It took a lot of guts for me to write this for everyone to see, but the way I look at it, its just part of my recovery. Its just progress for me to live a sober life, and any feedback I can get helps me. Thanks for reading this everyone!
Sep
18
Drug and Alcohol Addictions
Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Having an addiction to such substances as drugs and alcohol is a terrible way to live. An addiction is drug abuse which is no longer involuntary, it is an uncontrollable behavior. Living with this disease is unmanageable and can take over all of your thoughts and actions. Soon your entire life starts to revolve only around your addiction, and eventually you won’t be able to control yourself. Sometimes substance abuse leads to even more terrible crimes such as theft, vandalism, domestic violence, and child abuse. So many people lose their lives to their drugs, or even harm others. So many people go to jail for drinking and driving, but what happens to those who don’t get caught? They may get into car accidents. Drugs can ruin your life, your friendships, relationships, jobs, families, etc. An untreated substance abuse problem can become a cycle and eventually affect your child’s lives as well.
Most people start out using drugs for fun, peer pressure, or low self esteem. Some people may also be prescribed to a drug by a doctor, and having an easy access to drugs is an easy was to abuse those drugs. No matter what kind of drug you use, after using it again and again, your brain is likely to become dependent on it.
The use of drugs and alcohol among young teens is increasing. The average age that kids start using marijuana is age fourteen. Alcohol use can start before age twelve. Sure, a lot of people try drugs just to see what it’s like, but at the early teenage years seems to be way too early. Where do these kids get these drugs and alcohol?