Essay Illegal Drugs and Its Impacts - 1342 Words

According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse in 2001, 12% of Americans ages 12 and older reported illegal drug use in the past year (Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse, 2003). Some of the most popular drugs include marijuana, cocaine, and heroine. With such widespread use worldwide, illegal drugs have serious social and political impacts. Socially, drug use spreads quickly and is closely related to crimes. Politically, drug use sparks the debate between prohibition and legalization. The most widely abuse drug in the United States is marijuana, or cannabis. It has been used since ancient times in South and East Asia. It spread quickly to the Middle East, and later to North Africa. In 1545, the Spanish brought the plant to†¦show more content†¦Containing 50 – 70% more carcinogens in its smoke, marijuana may increase the risk of lung cancer, lung infections, or other respiratory illnesses. Chronic use of marijuana increases the risk of mental problems, such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Long term use also leads to addiction, which creates withdrawal symptoms when people stop using the drug. Reported symptoms include craving, irritability, anxiety, and sleeplessness. (NIDA InfoFacts: Marijuana, 2010) Cocaine, derived from the coca leaf, is another widely used drug that is outlawed in many countries. Natives of South America chewed coca leaf to increase their stamina. In time, new ways of processing and synthesizing the leaves created more potent and addictive form of cocaine, now known popularly as â€Å"crack.† At first â€Å"crack† received widespread support from medical experts and celebrities. Sigmund Freud believed that cocaine can cure depression and sexual impotence. Coca Cola used cocaine as one of its main ingredients. Even inventor Thomas Edison and actress Sarah Bernhart promoted the drugs. As time pass by, the negative side effects of cocaine became more of a problem. Eventually, due to public pressure, cocaine was included in the list of outlawed narcotics of the Dangerous Drug Act of 1920. (Cocaine History, n.d) Cocaine produces euphoria by interfering with neurotransmitters. It blocks several of these chemicals, such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine,Show MoreRelated War on Drugs: Germany compared to the Netherlands Essay982 Words   |  4 PagesThe War on Drugs One of the key aspects to consider when evaluating domestic political actors preferences towards policies pertaining to illegal drug use in both the Netherlands and Germany is to evaluate their ideological differences. The Netherlands attitude towards drug policy revolves around limiting the negative impacts illegal drug use has on society by implementing laws catered towards decriminalization. On the other hand, Germany considers drugs a detriment to society and promotes legislationRead MoreDrugs Essay755 Words   |  4 PagesDrugs may be used in many ways. There are good types of drugs and very harmful, illegal types of drugs. Too many, of any type of drug, are bad for you, but, illegal drugs can cause the worst type of damage to the human body. Drugs can affect your mental and physical health. Accordingly, drugs which are psychoactive, such as cannabis, alcohol, ecstasy and heroin have the ability to affect your mood. They can cause certain emotions to spike or cause others to go down. Drugs intervene with the chemicalsRead MoreIllegal Drug Activity across the Globe1314 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Drugs have become a rising problem for nations across the globe. In Canada, drug use among individuals aged 15 years or older was 11%, demonstrating that an issue does indeed exist (Health Canada). Many of societys worst problems with drugs result from the fact that they are illegal. Like alcohol and tobacco, drugs should be legal in this country. Although this has been a much debated dilemma, I would agree with this statement because of the practicality that it would entail. Drugs are the sourceRead MoreThe Drug Marijuana916 Words   |  4 Pagesof the most commonly abused drugs around the world and is categorized by the US Drug Enforcement Agency as a schedule I drug. This means it has a higher chance of being abused. (â€Å"Legalization of marijuana: potential impact on youth† 1825). Those who are in support of legalizing marijuana do not understand the negative effects of legalizing marijuana and marijuana use itself. There are several arguments for legalizing marijuana, however, the reasons for keeping it illegal outweigh the ones for legalRead MoreSecurity On The Southern Border1246 Words   |  5 PagesTrump, is thinking about. II. Stop drugs coming into America A. Destroying inner cities 1. Destroying Families 2. Making drugs more accessible B. 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Because of thisRead MoreA Society Without Drugs1263 Words   |  6 PagesA Society without Drugs Have you ever wondered of how wonderful our society would be, if we are able to get rid of Illegal Drug Usage in our community? Despite having tough anti-drug laws, the U.S. has the highest level of illegal drug use in the world. As per the World Health Organization s survey of legal and illegal drug use in 17 countries, U.S report the highest level of drug usage (CBS news). The second-most abused category of drugs after marijuana among young people is the usage of prescriptionRead MoreGateway Effect of Marijuana Essay1405 Words   |  6 PagesMarijuana has been used by people over many centuries for medical uses. It is a natural pain killer used today as a recreational drug by people all over the world. According to Noel Merino in, â€Å"Introduction to Gateway Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints†, â€Å"a drug is something other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body†. Marijuana is a very controversial drug and has been outlawed in many countri es for its affect on the function of the body. â€Å"Effects may involve hallucinations, impairedRead MoreEssay about Should Marijuana Legalized?1237 Words   |  5 PagesShould Marijuana Be Decriminalized? Since the dawn of our civilization there has been a prevalent undertone of drug utilization. Whether an antibiotic, tonic, stimulant, analgesic, anesthetic, opiate, anti-depressant or painkiller; drugs, whether medical or non-medical, have found themselves in the spotlight of our culture and in our societies. Our widespread multi-culture of drugs has become a nuance to the very backbone of our moralistic values as a county, as a population and as people. SpecificallyRead MoreIllegal Drug Abuse And Drugs980 Words   |  4 PagesIllegal Drug Abuse For quite a long time, different types of drugs have been used across the globe. Indeed, the different drugs have been observed to impose varying impacts on users. While some of the drugs are curative and positive in usage, others are remarkably detrimental and can facilitate the mental and psychological breakdown of the user and their families. In this respect, many of the detrimental drugs have been illegalized in many parts of the world. In the United States, for instance, cocaine