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Social problems of drug abuse
Sociological perspectives drug use
Effects of pure methamphetamine in the body
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Throughout history, human beings have experimented with substances whether it was to discover new knowledge or improve one's state of being. Often it began from a small distinguished portion of the population to then becoming widely available to the rest of society. The story of the drug methamphetamine was no different as since its synthesis, growing numbers of people have sought its abilities. The status in which methamphetamine currently finds itself in is that of a source of social ills. That cannot be denied but like other drugs, it had its time as an accepted medicine before becoming widely misused. Methamphetamine, despite being regard as a growing social epidemic, has its benefits under controlled medical application thus attention towards dealing with its problems must be placed upon its users and not the drug itself.
The social menace known as methamphetamine or meth began its life in 1919 within a Japanese laboratory. It was first created from the preexisting drug, amphetamine, a nervous system stimulant, with greater qualities than its predecessor as it was more potent, soluble for intravenous injection, and easier to synthesize. The drug initially saw little to no use but in World War II, it reached widespread use in Hitler's Germany. “ Nazi Leaders distributed millions of doses of methamphetamine in tablets called Pervitin to their troops however beginning in 1938, they were sold to the German public so usage sored” (Discovery Health, 3). Other countries followed suit with their own military issues of meth and other derivatives of amphetamines. Eventually by the end of the war, the craving for the drug was so well established that it was inevitable that usage expanded into the civilian population. Surplus in IV fo...
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...s methamphetamine, the status and activities of its addicts need to be considered and monitored so that the cycle of abuse can end.
“How Meth Works” Discovery Health
“History of Methamphetamine” Narconon Organization
Tenaglia-Webster, Maria. Drugs. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2009.
“Methamphetamine Addiction” Friends of Narconon
“What is Ice?” Friends of Narconon
“What is Methamphetamine?” Friends of Narconon
The phenomenon of Methamphetamine use and distribution is rising in our country. With this growing problem, the state of Kentucky is right at the top of the list. Manufacturing alone has more than tripled over the past four years, in the state of Kentucky. Given the rural areas and large vacant buildings, Kentucky has quickly become a breeding ground for Methamphetamine. A necessary additive for production anhydrous ammonia is available at many farm stores in the state. This phenomenon is largely costing the tax payers, as well as, putting our future generation in jeopardy. Given statistical data on the increased use and manufacturing, a definite problem is noted.
Frontline’s “The Meth Epidemic,” is a shocking documentary that exposes the dangerous effects of meth and explores the cultural patterns related to meth addiction. Understanding the severity of the effects of meth and how it is made are two important lessons to take away from this video because understanding those two things will help us to better understand how to combat this epidemic.
Credibility material: Its intake results in adverse medical conditions that are further exalted by its addiction properties that ensure a continued intake of the substance. The drug can be abused through multiple means and is medically recorded to produce short-term joy, energy , and other effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure. This ultimately results in numerous psychiatric and social problems; factors that played a major role in its illegalization after multiple and widespread cases of its effects were reported in the country during the 1900s. In addition to this, the drug results in immediate euphoric effect, a property which the National Institute of Drug Abuse (2010) attributes to be the root cause for its increased po...
According to the Centers for Disease Control, methamphetamine, or meth as it is often referred to, is considered the fastest-growing illicit drug in the United States. The consequences of usage are detrimental to families and employers, not to mention the increasing law enforcement burden of having to find and disband labs making it illegally. (CDC, 2005) Aside from the far-reaching implications of methamphetamine use on these entities, this paper explores the effect methamphetamine has on the structure and function of the human brain.
During the 60’s and 70’s, drug use became a social phenomenon. It has been called the age of experimentation. People were trying drugs at a rate never before seen. Part of this was the ease of distribution due to the interstate systems. However, also many adopted an attitude that it was just an “experiment.” One issue was the lack of understanding on the addictive quality of these drugs. Another problem was that if it was prescribed medication, people held the belief that it could not be a dangerous or harmful thing to take. Combined, these attitudes began to have large-scale, adverse effects in
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.
Methamphetamine created in 1919 in Japan. It went into wide use for both sides during World War II and it was especially used by Japanese pilots before their flights. Once the war was over, leftover storage of Methamphetamine went public resulting in extremely high amounts of abuse with this drug. During the 1950’s this drug was used as a diet aid and was also used in the thought that it helped to fight depression. It was also over used by college students, truck drivers, and athletes because of its easy availability. This pattern increased remarkably in the 1960’s when this drug became more available in an injectable form. The United States Government in the 1970’s made Meth, for most uses, illegal which then resulted in Mexican drug trafficking organizations to set up large labs in California. Today most of this drug that is available comes from Thailand, Myanmar, and China. (History of Methamphetam...
In a culture with such diverse commonalities, the differentials that set precedent come from social norms. These norms set the template for what acceptable behavior is. Being known as having a melting pot of a population we can expect that the norms are influenced through religion, values, ideas, and self views. Deviant behaviors occur when these social norms are disrupted and acts are seen to go against what we have always thought as wrong or weird. Deviance is a broad term that encompasses the idea that we know what is right from what our neighbor does. For example, trends of fashion change quite rapidly. If you don’t believe me watch shows on television that reminisce about the 70’s 80’s and so on. Today we look at what was worn in the previous decades and find it hard to imagine people dressing like this now. However, in the days that style was popular it was seen as the way to dress. Norms change to fit what the popular trend is now. Deviance likewise counters with what is unpopular. There are far more serious deviant acts than dressing from the wrong decade; they are also heavily tied to the law. Laws are more inflexible than behaviors of changing times. They are intact from the idea that if caught participating in such acts you could face serious punishment and rightfully so. Let’s take a look at one form of deviance that persisted in our culture for many years.
The consequences that follow the use of any drug are unfavorable. Although many individuals may see drug addiction as a mere lifestyle choice, it is a problem that many individuals suffer from and inevitably a growing issue that leaves major social and economic impacts.
Drug in the American Society is a book written by Eric Goode. This book, as the title indicates, is about drugs in the American Society. It is especially about the misuse of most drugs, licit or illicit, such us alcohol, marijuana and more. The author wrote this book to give an explanation of the use of different drugs. He wrote a first edition and decided to write this second edition due to critic and also as he mentioned in the preface “there are several reason for these changes. First, the reality of the drug scene has changed substantially in the past dozen or so years. Second much more information has been accumulated about drug use. And third, I’m not the same person I was in 1972.”(vii). The main idea of this book is to inform readers about drugs and their reality. In the book, Goode argued that the effect of a drug is dependent on the societal context in which it is taken. Thus, in one society a particular drug may be a depressant, and in another it may be a stimulant.
Watanabe-Galloway, S., Ryan, S., M.D., Hansen, K., M.P.H., Wullsiek B., B.A., Muli, V., M.P.A., & Malone, A.C. (2009). Effect of Methamphetamine abuse beyond individual users Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 4131, 241-8.Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/207970885?accountid=41057
"How Meth Destroys the Body." PBS.org. The Public Broadcasting Station, 17 May 2011. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
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.
Illegal drug use is one of the most common problems that affect Americans every day. Joyce B. Shannon (2010) found that, “More than 35 million individuals used illicit drugs or abused prescription drugs in 2007” (p. 11). The impact can be seen in communities of all types, and people with low and high income levels. Drug use is at the root of many problems with our society. Joyce B. Shannon (2010) referenced a survey from 2004 that states, “32% of state prisoners and 26% of federal prisoners” admitted that they were currently serving jail time for offences committed while they were, “under the influence of drugs” (p. 102). The reasoning behind this issue will be explained from a psychological, sociological, and an anthropological perspective including the benefit of an interdisciplinary perspective to grasp the cause of drug use and it’s affect on society.
The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.