Essay On Drug Addiction

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Symposium Outline
Marisa Burgios
April 2014
Topic: Types of Addiction

General Purpose: To inform
Specific Purpose: To inform people on the different types of Addiction.

Thesis: Addiction is a disease characterized by an overwhelming chemical need for a stimuli. These stimuli's can range from anything between sex, food and chemical dependency. Today the particular group that we will be exploring is substance addiction. Dana here will be covering the causes of drug addiction, Chris will be covering the treatment of drug addiction, Tasche will be covering the family impact, and Lyssette will be covering the consequences of substance addiction. But first, I myself will cover the different types of addictive substances.
1. Introduction
No addict is exactly alike. There are many different types who became involved with different substances for different reasons. Some Statistics: Most start drug-abuse when teenagers, and nearly 70% of the addicts in the US today began their struggle with addiction through Marijuana, the other leader being pain killers at 20% (NIH). " Abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs is costly to our Nation, exacting over $600 billion annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and healthcare" (NIH). In 2012 there were 30,476 arrests made by the DEA for drug use. In the same year the DEA seized 36,000 kg of Cocaine, 934 kg of heroin, 354,000 kg of marijuana, 4,000 kg of meth and 784,000 doses of hallucinogens (Justice.gov). Many drug abusers are employed. 18.5% of fully-employed adults using drugs illicitly while 8.8% of full-time employees habitually use drugs in the US. 10.2 million people in the US drive every day while under the influence of their substance of choice (Buddy T).
2. D...

... middle of paper ...

... the day (NIH). Methamphetamine is highly addictive and is commonly seen as the most harmful drug there is (National Geographic).
DH.) Popular behavior seen by a meth user includes paranoia, aggression, argumentative behavior and repetitive tendencies such as an interest in digging holes or cleaning the same item for hours (Drug Free World)
DI.) Meth users are known for falling into a panicked state known as "tweaking", where they may vividly hallucinate, become hostile towards others or harm themselves. Sores on the face are caused by themselves nervously picking at their own skin, and the common appearance of lost teeth is due simply from lack of attention to care for them properly (National Geographic).

Conclusion
The types that have been covered are only a few of many. Now Dana will tell you about what causes people to become dependent on these substances.

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