Lugging Long Term Effects

Lhadze Bosiljevac

Period 6

Corbally

Writing 1       

4/25/11

                   Lugging Long Term Effects of Legal and Illegal Drugs

                                

                 Modern day society has many issues with drugs for all drugs have  harmful effects, but some are less serious than others. The effects can be classified as causing  minimum, moderate or detrimental effects on the body. Drug abuse & alcoholism are the most dangerous and even more they are now easier to reach and should be avoided at all costs. 

    Minimum effect drugs than the addiction of these drugs.  But the risks extend more than the addiction of these drugs. ADHD drugs have been used for recreational use by younger students. Studies below show that the medication for ADHD is extremely easy to get and usage is not monitored as explained by mental health matters “One recent study found that up to a quarter of undergraduate students are thought to be using stimulants meant for those with ADHD. Another study found that even school pupils in their teenage years are using it to get high or get through exams.” Other side effects include as shown by Help Guide “ Inability to fall or stay asleep, nervousness, headaches, depression and anxiety. In children, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, weight loss during long-term therapy”. Possible dangers like these have gone out of hand. What’s more disturbing is the fact that kids begin to depend on this addicting medicine. And these substances are dangerously leading to intense health effects. Vivarin, like many of the other over the counter drugs and caffeine pills have a limit. But things like over the counter drugs are on the users reliability, not much of the stores. The effects are much more light at first, but the tolerance of the drug causes health problems that are harder and unbreakable than before. This drug does not lead to immediate death and is not fatal, but it still can harm the younger generation. Another factor and misuse of drugs which leads to bad long-term effects is caffeine, as explained “Caffeine mildly stimulates the heart and respiratory system, increases muscular tremor, and produces more stomach acid. Higher doses may cause nervousness, anxiety, irritability, headache, disturbed sleep, and stomach upset or peptic ulcers. (goaskalice.columbia.edu). Caffeine pills are used commonly for people to wake up. But crashing, blood spikes and a numerous amount of issues fall in this place. Risking a long term health effect over a few hours of staying awake does not seem worthy at all, in fact sounds in a way ignorant. On top of that, a controversial topic in America right now is the legalization of marijuana, and even drugabuse.gov states “Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many…which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body.” To ask and hear over time from the younger generation is that that this drug is not harmful and is easy going, so why should society not legalize it? The government does not legalize this drug for many reasons to agree with in many ways. 

     Weed, as it is commonly called has a very serious impact in which the THC levels effect coordination and thinking. Marijuana as the people who use it call it “safe”, can actually cause schizophrenia, and other physiological disorders. Overall these substances have bad enough long term effects that damage the human body to a staggering extent that most people do not realize. Therefore these drugs have a minimum effect to the human body, and can still do long term damage.

  Another group of drugs known as Hallucinogens are commonly used among peers and the younger generation. Drugs like Ecstasy, PCP, and LSD are common in raves, clubs and even on our streets. “People who use PCP for long periods report memory loss, difficulties with speech and thinking, depression, and weight loss. These symptoms can persist up to a year after cessation of PCP use.”(drugfree.org).  The risks of this drug are not worth the benefits of being high. And others even divert to LSD, which has some gruesome effects such as “Some LSD users experience flashbacks, recurrence of certain aspects of a person’s experience…more than a year after LSD use”(drugfree.org). PCP and LSD are both dangerous drugs. Although LSD users do not show the compulsive drug seeking issues like cocaine and heroin users, both are still lethal. These types seem more and more common in younger generations. I have had close friends who have used these substances and they seem more confused about who they are than anyone I’ve known. And if someone falls in this category, they are not in deep trouble, but enough to hospitalize them.

     Last, but the most detrimental of all drugs are cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Heroin: also known as Dope or skag is  probably the most lethal and addictive drug I’ve heard, and researched about, “Long-term effects of heroin appear after repeated use for some period of time…do not really dissolve and result in clogging...vital organs.”(drugfree.org). Sadly, one of my close friends has been addicted to heroin and has been in and out of rehab because of its powerful addiction. These drugs are extremely deadly and addictive and seem to trap the user on the inside. To add to the chaos, alcohol is common everywhere. Not a big deal to most people because it’s so easy to get, and has become part of some peoples lives. But it’s long term effects outweigh the effects of another other substance listed here. Even explained here as “Long-term effects of consuming large…abnormalities.” (drugfree.org). Wherever you are, in a super market or corner store, shelves are lined with different varieties of alcohol. And it’s so common you see it in house holds. But as frequent as alcohol might be to some people’s lives, it can be devastating to families, and the user itself. My uncle has been drinking for over so many years, and my mom has tried to help him and talk him in to rehab, which was helpful for the time being, but nothing turned out great. The problem with alcohol is that it is legal and people over 21 can consume it. The issue there is after it has left the safety of the store; this can get in to the hands of the young. Problem with alcohol is since it’s not illegal; and under the table people can get large boxes of it like Miller, Budweiser, Sky Vodka, etc. The heavy consumption of this is that people actually become alcoholics, which believe it or not is a disease.  And people have used alcohol to replace thing in their lives, just as any other drug user has. Heroine, and Alcohol can flip any ones lives upside down. Whether conscious about it or not. They all are proven to be more deadly than any drug listed in this essay. 

    The drugs with the most minimum effects are Weed, Caffeine Pills and ADHD medication. Even though they are addictive, the habit is less intensive to break. Unlike moderately effective drugs like PCP and LSD  which all in a sense are bad and can be just as high risk as the detrimental drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Even alcohol is deadly enough to kill. People should stop the distribution of unneeded medicinal drugs that really don’t need to be prescribed, and teach drug abuse awareness every year starting from the 5^th grade to 10th grade  at school’s because the earlier we teach, the less of an effect the drugs will take on the people. Therefore guiding our health will cut down and save people from the long term side effects of drugs.

Sources:

Pittman, Genevra. "ADHD Drugs Have No Long-term Growth Effects: Study | Reuters." Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com. 18 June 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.

"Drugs of Abuse Information Available in Research Report." ARCHIVES - National Institute on Drug Abuse - The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction. NIDA, May 2001. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.

Strain, Bigelow, Liebson, and Stitzer. "Director's Report 5/99 - Basic Research." ARCHIVES - National Institute on Drug Abuse - The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction. NIDA, May 1999. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.

NDIA. "NIDA - The Sixth Triennial Report to Congress." ARCHIVES - National Institute on Drug Abuse - The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction. 2002. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.

NDIA. "NIDA - Research Report Series - Methamphetamine Abuse and Addiction." Research Report Series - Methamphetamine Abuse and Addiction. NDIA. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.

Nora D.Volkow. "Research Report." Drugabuse.org. NIDA, 1998. Web. 2010.

"Cocaine/Crack | The Partnership at Drugfree.org." The Partnership at Drugfree.org | Support and Resources for Parents Dealing with Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2011. Web. 25

"PCP | The Partnership at Drugfree.org." The Partnership at Drugfree.org | Support and Resources for Parents Dealing with Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. 

"Heroin | The Partnership at Drugfree.org." The Partnership at Drugfree.org | Support and Resources for Parents Dealing with Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. 

"Heroin | The Partnership at Drugfree.org." The Partnership at Drugfree.org | Support and Resources for Parents Dealing with Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.