Essay on Abuse of Legal and Illegal Drugs - 2374 Words

Drug abuse is â€Å"a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress† (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p.114-115). The difference between using drugs and abusing drugs depends on three things, what the drug is for, how much of the drug is used, and the effect that the drug has on the person. Drug abuse typically relates to one using drugs in an excessive manner, whether the drug is legal or illegal. For example, marijuana is illegal in some states, but in other states, it is not. It is legal if you are using the drug for a specific reason under written consent of a doctor. You can use the drug, such as marijuana, in an excessive manner, which can result in the person abusing the†¦show more content†¦Caffeine usage depends on the situation you are facing such as college students facing an exam or a long distance truck driver may need caffeine to stay awake for alertness (Macionis, 2010). Nicotine is a legal d rug, but it can be has harmful side effects to the person’s body. The use of nicotine comes from smoking tobacco. In effect, nicotine is a drug because it gives you the urge, the motive, the craving to want to smoke cigarettes. Nicotine is a poisonous alkaloid C10H14N2 that is the chief active principle of tobacco and used as an insecticide (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nicotine). Cocaine and Crack are powerful stimulants that increase your heart rate, your pulse rate, and will raise your blood pressure because of these drugs (Macionis, 2010). Cocaine is a powder form, but when it is cooked, melted down, stirred with baking soda and other ingredients, the powder form becomes hard like a rock and thus you have crack. Cocaine is taken in through the nose and crack is smoked through a pipe or use of white paper, which tobacco can also be used to smoke in as well. Cocaine is very addictive due to the stimulant, which causes the person to stay awake, have reduced appetite, and has the tendency to cause people to become annoyed, frustrated, and violent. Depressants are drugs because it â€Å"slows the operation of the central nervous system† (Macionis, 2010). Depressants are known as â€Å"downers†, due to theShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay On Abortion924 Words   |  4 Pages Substance abuse with pregnant women is a situation that is being ignored in the United States. There are many pregnant woman in the United States who are abusing illegal substances without any prosecution. Allowing these women to do so causes major defects on the babies and the mothers get no serious punishment for their actions. This issue is similar to the argument on whether abortion should be legal or not, because both situations can kill the baby while it’s still in the womb. Women who useRead MoreLegalization Of Drugs911 Words   |  4 Pageslegalization of illicit drugs has been a popular topic of debate. While there is often concern about the potential toxicity and the habits that may form, drugs are not necessarily the prob lem. In fact, the legalization of illicit drugs may be the answer to some of society’s problems. More drugs should be legalized because the drug is not the cause of the problem, our behavior is. Also, when compared to other substances that are legal we see the same social ills arise. If drugs were legalized crime wouldRead MoreDrugs And Illegal Possession And Trafficking1409 Words   |  6 PagesBelieve it or not, drugs have been around for thousands of years. In the medical field, drugs are any type of medicine (or other substance), which has a physiological effect when it is ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. 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In this respect, many of the detrimental drugs have been illegalized in many parts of the world. In the United States, for instance, cocaineRead 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 MoreMarijuana Laws Restrict The Growth And Use Of Marijuana1513 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the 1920’s and 1930’s, the drug raised fears linked with illegal immigrants and criminal activity. (â€Å"Marijuana Timeline†). Then, during World War II, cannabis regained its popularity and support as â€Å"Hemp for Victory† (â€Å"Marijuana Timeline†). In the following years, the federal government created laws restricting the growth and use of marijuana. Specifically, drug o rganizations, such as The Bureau of Dangerous Drugs of the Food and Drug Administration, and The Drug Enforcement Agency influencedRead MoreDrug Free Society833 Words   |  4 PagesDrug Free Society Introduction The topic of a drug free society and whether such can ever exist causes many reactions. Some may even ask why this is an important conversation? To begin this discussion it is worthwhile to look historically at why it has become such an issue in the United States. In 1971, President Nixon called for a War on Drugs recruiting the assistance of the Federal Government and in particular the Drug Enforcement Agency [DEA] (Vulliamy, 2011). As part of this measure, NixonRead MoreThe Benefits of Regulating Now-Illegal Drugs890 Words   |  4 Pagesits money and resources. Drugs. Illegal Drugs to be more specific. The emotions that this simple word initiates in many people are so real that it has become a major focus in our culture. It seems as if everyone has their own opinion on the topic of drugs; negative, positive or perhaps neither. Who is to say which is right? Most opinions towards drugs are not without bias, and most were formed from pre-existing experiences and beliefs. People who don’t use recreational drugs don’t do so because of