Drug Abuse in Canada Introduction Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 B.C. in China. But it was not until the nineteenth century that the active substances in drugs were extracted. There was a time in history when some of these newly discovered substances, such as morphine, laudanum, cocaine, were completely unregulated and prescribed freely by physicians for a wide variety of ailments. Canada’s Drug of Choice: Marijuana Contrary to popular belief the rate of illicit drug use is actually on the decline. The most commonly used drug in Canada is Marijuana. According to the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey, 44.5% of Canadians surveyed said that that used pot at least once in their lifetime.14.1% reported that they have used marijuana in the past twelve months. Those individuals that have used in the past year varies greatly, with 20.8% not having used at all in the past 3 months, while 204.9% claiming that they have used only once in the past 3 months. 16% reported that they used monthly, 20.3% was weekly, with only 18.1% reporting to be using daily. The province with the highest usage is British Columbia with an average that is significantly higher than the national level, at 52.1%. British Columbia also has the highest past year usage compared to the national average at 16.8%. As with alcohol, men (50.1%) are more likely than their female counterparts (39.2%) to have used marijuana during their life time. The same sample of men (18.2%) and women (10.2%) have used marijuana in the past year. This is up from 5.7% for men and 2.4% for women in 1993, over three times higher for the men and four times for the women. The younger generations, like men, are more likely to use marijuana, with approximately 70% of those between the ages of 18-24 years old having tired it at least once. The youngest age group sampled, 15-17 years old, almost 30% of them used cannabis in the past year, peaking at 47% with the age group18 & 19 year olds. After this point usage within the past year tends to decline with only 10% of the population surveyed claiming they still use marijuana.
About one out of five 10th graders and about 1 out of four high school seniors used marijuana in the past month (Facts for Teens, 1). It is the second most popular drug among teens in the US (Encarta, 1). Teens, ages 12-17, that use marijuana weekly are nine times more likely than non-users to experience with illegal drugs and alcohol (Fed. Study, 1). More 13 & 14 year olds are using drugs, fifteen pe...
Bruce K. Alexander’s essay “Reframing Canada’s ‘Drug Problem’” is about shifting the focus from intervention to prevention. Alexander explains that in Canada there have been three major waves of drug intervention: “Criminal prosecution and intensive anti-drug” (225), “medicinal and psychological treatment” (225), and the ‘“harm reduction’ techniques” (225) being the most resent. The “’harm reduction’” (225) consisted of: clean injectable heroin, clean needles, methadone, and housing for addicts. Although each of the methods is devoted and knowledgeable, they have done little to decrease the deaths or suppress the unhappiness. While clean heroin did work well few addicts quit using and many found
The wonder-drug of the early nineteenth century was finally being recognised as a dangerously addictive substance, although the interests of imperial traders kept it legal for another five decades, until the Dangerous Drugs Act was passed in 1920. This Act made it illegal to possess opiates without a doctor’s prescription.
Bruce K. Alexander’s essay “reframing Canada’s drug problem is about how the focus needs to be shifting from intervention to prevention
The usage and addiction rate of most illegal drugs has not increased recently, and in many cases has declined. The exception to this is Marijuana, being the only Illegal drug who has seen an increase in usage over the years. The usage of Marijuana has, as a matter of fact, skewed the results of usage surveys to make it seem as if the overall usage ...
Marijuana is the most habitually used illegal drug in the U.S. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a recent government study shows that over 98 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once in their lifespan. Preview of 3 Main Points: Today I am going to give you three informative points about marijuana and the legalization of it. First, what exactly is marijuana? Second, how does it affect us? Third and finally, I will speak about when it became illegal and the trend of states now legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. Using these three points, I am going to attempt to enlighten you about marijuana and the legalization process.
Past and Current Trends of Drug Abuse in the United States. Drug abuse has changed over the years due to the trends that Americans face from the encouragement of different cultures. The abuse of substances creates many health problems. The following will discuss the past and current trends in drug use and the effects these drugs have on the health of the individuals who abuse the drugs. The use of cocaine in the United States has declined over the last twenty years, while the use of crack has increased.
Drug use has been around since the B.C. era and will continue until the extinction of man. Humans have a history of using drugs that affect the mind and vision and that aspect of humanity still continues to this day. “Since the dawn of history, mankind has found ways to relieve the daily grind of life.” The earliest known use of drugs dates back to the ancient city of Mesopotamia where the farming of wheat and barley came a product known as beer. The ancient Mesopotamians would indulge on the beer and get drunk creating a problem with alcoholics for the ancient city. This is not uncommon to see, mankind has always had an experimental side. If it wasn’t for that experimental side civilization would not be where it is today. Humans used drugs in the past in the medical field, such as cocaine to alleviate toothaches, or opium which was also cultivated by the Mesopotamians as a relaxing plant. Even ancient Greece used a special mixture of beer to induce hallucinations, or they would also partake in using opium to stimulate their minds and get the creative flow started. Ancient Rome was also known to be a civilization that had a large population of drug users. Drugs in the past weren’t always used just for recreational use; they did have a part in the medicinal field. Doctors of ancient times would give the patients a prescription depending on their ailments. Opium was used as a headache medicine, pain reliever or even a stress reliever. The use of opium has even been used up until recently in the civil war in the United States, even former President Harrison was given opium to try and help with pneumonia. Opium is also the plant that morphine is derived from, which is used in the medical field today as a powerful pain reliever. Drugs ...
Marijuana is so popular that an An estimated one out of every three people in the US have tried it. Around 44% of US high school students have smoked it. Marijuana users are not easily detectable, nor is the drug just used in one area of the body. society. The.
In certain circumstances, the consumption of drugs might have had originated because of a psychological disorder that needed drugs in order for t...
Marijuana is a green and brown mix of dried flowers, stems, seeds and leaves from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The main active chemical is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which moves quickly through the bloodstream to the brain and other organs throughout the body. In 2012, marijuana was noted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse as being the most widely used illicit drug in the U.S. Globally, between 129 and 191 million people aged 15 to 64 used marijuana at least one time in 2008, or 2.9 to 3.4 percent of the world's population. In North America, 29.5 million people used marijuana at least once in 2008. The minority that uses Marijuana the most are Hispanics and African American.
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.
The legalization of marijuana is a controversial topic, but marijuana should be legalized because it has many positive effects and there is a lot of evidence to support why marijuana should be legalized in all states. Marijuana is a preparation of the cannabis plant and it can be used as a drug or as medicine. The primary component of cannabis is THC (Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol). This drug has mind-altering and physiological side effects when consumed. Marijuana can be used for spiritual reasons or recreationally. It is the third most popular recreational drug used in America, referring to “About Marijuana.” According to government surveys, more than 14 million Americans, out of 25 million Americans who have smoked marijuana within the past year, use marijuana habitually. Although marijuana is illegal in most
Teenagers abuse a variety of drugs. Any of them both legal and illegal can have immediate or long term health consequences. As reported by NIDA in 2003 year 40.2 percent of high school students had used marijuana. Majuana is the illegal narcotic. Youths who used it before 17-years-olds indicated smaller brain and they are smaller in height and weight than teens who used marijuana after age 17. In addition, marijuana adversely affect on memory, distorts the perception of sound, time, touch for short term. American teens use inhalant as well. Adolescent find it in spray paint, glue and shoe polish. TeenDrugAbuse.us states, that regular use of inhalants can result in heart disease, liver and kidney damages. Also the most common drugs among youth in United States are ecstasy, cocaine, crack, speed and heroin. Legal drugs such as prescribed medications and alcohol is popular today. Moreover, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2005 year 2.1 million teenagers abused prescription drugs and these drugs are the most common among 12-13-years-olds. Also American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry claim that drug use is increased risk poor judgment which may lead to accidents, violence, suicide and unplanned, unsafe sex, which may cause HIV.
For hundreds of years millions of people have used and abused narcotics. Two of the most widely known and abused sources of narcotics are cocaine and opium, the latter being used since the early eras of Chinese history for centuries before it’s addictive and dangerous nature was fully realized. Ancient Egyptians even had writings about themselves and Romans using opium poppy for pain relief during child birth, chewing the poppy leaves would produce a decent analgesic effect. Cocaine itself was used in its base form for just as long and with its stimulating effect on the respiratory system, allowed laborers the stamina to perform their duties in thin air and or high altitude environments. So what is it about these two substances with their seemingly amazing medicinal uses can create such a widespread problem and need for control?