SOS 304 Drugs & Society Q3.1 The major causes for concern regarding cocaine use stems from the dependency that occurs as well as the damaging effect it can have on human health. Although cocaine was initially used for medicinal purposes, with its leaves being cultivated to produce paste, teas, and wines, those uses have long disappeared. Individuals who use cocaine on a regular basis are at risk for respiratory or cardiac issues, and mixing the drug with other drugs and alcohol can damage health and lead to fatalities. Drug users often have healthcare issues and require treatment for more than one ailment, even though they can be less than forthcoming when it comes to medical treatment and advice. Amphetamines are used to treat a variety of medical issues but like cocaine, illicit drug use in the 60s caused the federal government to become concerned about dependency and illegal activities.
Many consequences when abusing drugs, whether one uses street drugs or medications he or she is bound to have troubles with people around him and the law. When evaluating types of drugs and effects on one’s life, many turn to drugs for various reasons and society deals with society deals with them all differently. Marijuana is a gateway drug whereas prescription pills are commonly used. Crack cocaine and heroine can
According to International Trafficking (2010), victims of human trafficking are traded inside of their own country's border as well as inside of the border of another country. Drug trafficking is another big issue, particularly around the United States borders. According to the New World Encyclopedia (2009), drug trades is a production of the black market. In some parts of the world, trading drugs is not enforced among all people. There is a large profit that can result from drug trafficking, which could be one of the reasons behind the crime not always being viewed under a zero tolerance policy.
Offences under this Act overwhelmingly involve the general public, and even when the same drug and a similar offence are involved, penalties are far tougher. Drugs subject to this Act are known as 'controlled' drugs. The law defines a series of offences, including unlawful supply, intent to supply, import or export (all these are collectively known as 'trafficking' offences), and unlawful production. The main difference from the Medicines Act is that the Misuse of Drugs Act also prohibits unlawful possession. To enforce this law the police have the special powers to stop, detain and search people on 'reasonable suspicion' that they are in possession of a controlled drug.
Affects of Drug Abuse According to Berger (2008), drug abuse is the ingestion of a drug to the extent that it impairs the user’s biological or psychological well-being. Substance use, misuse, or the enslavement thereof can result in monetary issues not merely for the family and friends of the individual abusing the substance but the company for which the individual works also takes a major hit. The negative consequences that impacts the individual who attempts to perform their job while under the influence of any mind altering drug is staggering. The website for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (n.d.)[NCADD] estimates that drug abuse costs employers $81 billion annually. According to the NCADD (n.d.) the following job performance and workplace behaviors may signal possible workplace drug issues: Job Performance •Inconsistent work quality •Poor concentration and lack of focus •Lowered productivity or erratic work patterns •Increased absenteeism or on the job “presenteeism” •Unexplained disappearances from the
However, drug testing can also be costly and at times can risk possible privacy invasions. More and more employers are requiring job applicants and even existing employees to take and pass a test, usually a urine test or a hair sample for illegal drugs. In some industries, such as the transportation industry, the need for a drug-free workplace is obvious. In other industries, employers may justify drug testing on grounds of lower accident rates or less absenteeism (Fleischer, 2004). There are pros and cons to employer drug testing just like everything else in the world.
Let’s take, for example, the drug OxyContin, lets’ examine what happened to this medication. Just like Marijuana, It was created to help people from pain, but turned out to be a menace to society. Prescriptions being altered, doctors giving excessive amounts of money, addicts breaking into pharmacies and hurting people. The legalization of marijuana will bring more criminal activity because of the lack of impaired judgment associated with the drug. An individual will have impaired judgment and altered decision making if found to be under the influence of
Policies and procedures they mitigate and handle drug use in the workplace is a key factor in deterring drug use in the workplace that many organizations need to maintain. Absenteeism Drug abuse in the workplace is a serious problem. Workers coming in under the influence of illicit or licit drugs can cause many problems in the workplace. Absenteeism is one of the problems that can be created. Absenteeism can become a great burden on coworkers since they are the ones who have to pick up the slack from the absent employee.
Virtually every medication presents some risk of undesirable side effects, sometimes even serious ones. Doctors consider the potential benefits and risks to each patient before prescribing medications, but even then if taken for long periods of time they can have an effect on your ability to see clearly. What makes it worse is that people who abuse drugs might not understand how these factors may affect them or that prescription drugs do more than cause a high, help them stay awake, help them relax, or relieve pain. Another problem is that many drug abusers take more than one drug at a time and this can cause serious consequences, one of which is death. Every 14 minutes someone dies because of prescription pills.
Leshner states, “As with many other brain diseases, addiction has embedded behavioral and social-context aspects that are important parts of the disorder itself” (Leshner). Recognizing addiction as a mental illness can help reduce the health and social costs that are directly related to treating addiction. Research has exposed that drug abuse is a severe health issue, as well as a social issue. Addicts become so obsessed with consuming the substance it causes their immune systems to shut down and causes the addict to be incapable of functioning properly in a social setting. Addiction has severe negative consequences affecting the addict’s mental and physical well being.