Fact Charts

When i look through this chart its as if i was looking at a rocket that it is escalating more as time goes by. This chart shows that prescription drugs are the second most abused drugs after marijuana in the U.S. I think the data is reliable because it comes from the National Survey on Drug use and Health from September 2009. The chart seems to have the data complete and organized because it has the most common abused drugs. I'm sure this will help people to understand and see how big this issue is, and also this chart helps to encourage them to do something about it. The information i saw in this chart was a bit  eccentric because it is obvious that the number of drug users keeps going up. The chart shows that prescription drugs are third most abused drug after marijuana. The most important thing this chart can teach us, is to always be aware of what our kids are doing because these substances are not just around the corner, also around your medicine cabinet doors.



 http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/prescrptn_drgs/chart1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/prescrptn_drgs/

Reflection

When we started brainstorming about what the topic was going to be for our blog i was not sure what i wanted to do, and  i couldn't decide between drug problems or immigration. It was hard to decide because i really wanted to do my blog about immigration because of all that is going on right now, but i ended up doing it about drugs, because i think its an important issue and its something that is engrossing our teens. I've learned from this topic and the research i did so far that the way we see these problems has changed because back then drug problems existed but were not as serious as they are today. Also I've learned that a person is influenced to try alcohol, tobacco or drugs by their parents behavior and attitudes, but not only by their parents also by their classmates, friends or they do it just to try to ''fit in''. Some of the things about my topic i already knew, but now that i got into it more I'm interested in learning more about where is this whole problem going, is it adjacent to an end? or will the number of drug users will keep increasing?

Did you know that illegal drug use its at its highest level in nearly a decade?

The US its loosing its most valuable resource, the next generation to drugs, it is imperative that we do more to address the underlying issues. Young teens are using drugs more often due to many reasons, although people have done many things trying to solve this problem, and there are a lot of places, resources to get help the number of teens using drugs or have used drugs keeps going up. The use of these substances started as a tribal or for religious purposes, but this did not stayed like that for a long time. The way that people began looking at these intoxicating substances has changed over time, so does the people and the way we deal with it. You may ask yourself why are there so many teens using alcohol and other drugs? and we will probably never know why and how this problem has escalated the way it has, but what we do know is that a person is influenced by other peoples behavior and actions. National studies find that parents are a big factor in teens drinking and drug abuse. Sometimes teens are influenced by their parents actions for example teens who have seen at least one of their parents drunk are more than twice as likely to get drunk in a typical month, and three times as likely to use marijuana and smoke cigarettes. Parents are not the only big factor in teens drug abuse, some other reasons have to do with how well a parent has educated their kid, or weather the kid had parents to guide him. Adolescence, when young people begin to branch out their own, is when many are more likely to try alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. But some are more at risk than others that is why is important to teach kids since they are born what is good and what is bad and dangerous. There are five core issues that dictate whether teens abuse alcohol and other drugs. The first factor is the age they start using; the second is how frequently and-or intensely they use substances over a 30-day period; the third and fourth are parental approval and peer approval; the last one is peer-pressure. You may think this is eccentric but here are some interesting facts: Two thirds of teens who drink at least once a month get drunk at least once a month. Teens who get drunk at least once a month are 18 times likelier to use marijuana and likelier to associate with teens who abuse other illegal and prescription drugs. More than one third of teens (8.7 million) can get prescription drugs to get high within a day; nearly one in five teens (4.7 million) can get them within an hour.


   

Source: Student Research Center
Weekend All Things Considered (NPR); 09/19/10

Different Points of View

Illegal drug use in the US and many countries has escalated up to the highest level in nearly a decade. The different views to this issue has been point of attention among society; for quite a while now; but people are still debating and doing all there is to do to support their points of view. The percentage of people who do not support the legalization of illegal substances is higher than the percentage of people that supports the idea of legalization. The people who do not support this idea is the people who had friends or relatives that have died due to illegal substances, or people who have lost a loved one due to someone who was under the influence of an illegal substance. They also think that with legalization of illegal substances, even with the regulations people will find ways around those restrictions. Mr. Peter Delaney (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, from NPR News, 09/16/2010) said: "When I hear kids on campuses say hey, it's just pot, I'm saying, what's your grades like? you know, do you go to class? We have to stop having a relativistic discussion - saying oh, it's not harmful; please it's not like heroin - and start having a kind of clear discussion of, this is what this one does; this is what this one does. Drug use, it does impact you." on the other hand Ms. Heather Turner (student, UCLA, NPR News) who is in favor of legalization in one of the oldest known illegal substance, Marijuana said: "It's tremendous what it can do for people, you know, for everything from like, migraines to menstrual cramps, to people going through chemotherapy and stuff.'' Officials say the number of people who are getting treatment for drug abuse is still just about the tenth of those who need it. But we still don't know what the future laws will be like, meanwhile let the great debates engross us.

Survey Results

       In the survey i did i gave four names of different drugs, and asked which of those drugs was not a natural drug. I was expecting more wrong answers than right answers, but at the end it was the opposite. I am actually glad that what i was expecting did not happen, because that shows that people have been reading my blog or they are well informed about the big issue that drug problems represent in society. Based on this survey i think i will have to research more deeply into things that people may not know about this topic, and to begin i am going to tell you this shocking fact about one of the most dangerous drugs. Did you know that taking Ecstasy raises the body temperature? and when taken in hot atmosphere the risks are even worse because this can cause dehydration.

Other helpful information

       The website Above The Influence is an effective, and credible source of information about drug problems and how to help a friend who has these problems. The website is laid out effectively and it is organized, also it has subtitles which makes it easier to navigate in this website. This website is not so accurate because it does not gives all sides of the issue, although it gives helpful information like the signs of a person who might have a drug problem, and how you can help them. The website is not credible because it does not say who the editor is, though it has information in case you need more help. The content of this website is very good because it gives lots of different information it even helps you know when parents use drugs. The main goal of this website is to inform the people on how to help someone that has drug problems. What someone can learn from this website are the signs of someone who has a drug problem, and how you can talk to a friend and convince them that they have a problem and need to get help. Although the website does not have many visuals that would make it more interesting it has lots of great information for those who have drug problems, and even for persons who might want to help their parents, friends, anybody. And what is the link so you can go check out this great website????

 http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/help/help-friend-drug-alcohol-problem.aspx

Drugs Today!!

Did you know that the abuse of drugs goes up each year? Drugs are much easier to get these days, it doesn't matter what kind of drugs people manage to get them. Although we live in a state where illegal drugs is still a serious issue the state has legalized the use of marujuana for its medicinal purposes. Some people are in favor of this law and some are disturbed by the decision of legalizing marijuana, and a big question people are considering is: Does permitting medical marijuana amount to ''Back-door legalization'' of pot? some support  allowing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, but some say that this has nothing to do with medecine and has eveything to do with attempting to evade controlled-substance laws. The use of illegal sustances is a very questioned topic nowdays, because more and more people are being affected. Just think of how many persons have died or have lost friends due to these substances. Even though there are help centers and all kind of help people need to treat themselves there are still many problems related to drug abuse, and this is what worries the community because we don't know if we are doing enough to confront this problem or if this has just become a world wide problem.



Sources: CQ Researcher, june 12 2009, pg 541.
EBSCO database: Obama's rating at new low; drug take-back day, CNN saturday morning news

Drugs and its History

Originally, all drugs were natural substances. The use of narcotics made from plants dates back as far as 8,000 B.C. when the juice of the poppy was cultivated to produce opium in the Middle Eastern region(present day Iraq). Use of marijuana was recorded 3,000 years ago in China and in early Hindu religious rites. As drug use has changed from medicinal or religious purposes over the years, and with the invention of other drugs such as designer drugs; which are not natural substances; people started to become more concerned with drug addiction, and the reckless reactions of its users. With the change of drugs, a change in its users also occured. The banal and careless procedures to make these new substances is probably what led to such problems in society. Too often the person does not even know beforehand the actual content of the drug, and the unpredictability of such contaminants is precisely what makes illegal drugs so risky. However the people who are in greatest danger are those who use drugs excessively and frequently. Such sustained use can ruin a persons life. Drug use may lead to psychological problems that start with disturbing flashbacks and paranoia and can eventually can move on to depression, mood swings and delirium.

Drugs

Through this blog i will be answering, analyzing, and explaining what are drugs? who's the most affected? and the impact this problem has had on society. I chose to do this topic because i think is one of the things that has escalated up to a point where our community its being affected, not only mentally,but also physically due to the actions drugs can cause.