Should Addiction to Drugs Be Labeled a Brain Disease? YES: Alan Lesher maintains that chronic use of drugs changes how the brain works so drastically that recurring use of drugs becomes its sole focus and thus addiction is a brain disease. Lesher says that determining physical or physiological dependency of drugs will no longer help the cause of addiction, ad that the main aspect of drug use is whether the drug eventually causes compulsive, uncontrollable cravings. It is these compulsive cravings that will do the most damage to the individual, their families, and society. Lesher says, “Addiction is a brain disease expressed in the form of compulsive behavior.” As with most chronic diseases, addiction should also be treated with multiple recurring treatments since the brain chemistry of addicts often causes them to relapse into drug use.
Addiction has severe negative consequences affecting the addict’s mental and physical well being. Addiction also has numerous allegations for the health of the public, because of substance abuse, addiction is now a major donor to many serious diseases and it can also result in violent behaviors. This article supports my stand point that addiction is a mental illness rather than a bad behavior and creates a solid argument on how addiction takes over the addict’s brain and is the main source of inappropriate behaviors. I can use these examples as reasons why I believe addiction is a chronic brain disease instead of a bad behavior in my research
One way of describing alcohol is to call it a “toxic drink” for the body. Alcohol is harmful to the human body, and even more harmful to young adults, whose bodies and minds have not fully matured to handle the effects of alcohol. The abuse of alcohol results in both physical and mental damages to humans. Damages include liver damage, addiction, and depression. “Also, lowering the drinking age would have dangerous long-term consequences: Early teen drinkers are not only more susceptible to alcoholism but to developing the disease earlier and more quickly than others” (Dean-Mooney).
This argument is flawed because it is proven that drug use does not just affect self, but also affects all of society in cost, public health, and crime/violence. Drug use has dire consequences for all of society because drugs can destroy the minds and bodies or many people. Also, regulations to control drug use have a legitimate social aim to protect society and its citizens from the harm of drugs. Health care costs attributable to illegal drugs are more the $30 billion. This amount would only significantly increase if drug use were to spread after legalization.
As far as I am concerned, alcohol can a lot of problems particular for teenagers, therefore the legal drinking age in Australia should be raised. Excessively drinking alcohol is not only a dangerous attempt for adults, but also the under-aged, like you and me. The reason is alcohol effectively damages our brain. A recent study completed by Professor Ian Hickie showed that the brain continues to develop right through until the late teenage and early adult period. One of the most toxic things that a young brain can encounter is a high level of blood alcohol.
Divorce “ Teenagers in Trouble” Stress is basically defined as an applied force to strain a body; a mentally or emotionally upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health. Teenagers now days have had a lot of stress because of a lot of different reasons. However, the main things in my opinion that cause stress for teenagers are peer pressure and more importantly family problems(for example: divorce). Such stresses put teenagers in problems where they make life decisions that can be very risky. Many books were interesting regarding child stress but particularly “The Romance of Risk” by Dr. proton was very amazing.
Steroids can be particularly dangerous for adolescents because of bodies are still developing and can cause adulthood before reaching puberty. In this result it can cause premature baldness. It can cause a dramatic increase in bad body cholesterol and a significantly drop in good cholesterol. (Alvin, Virginia, Silverstein 41) These consequences should be enough to let someone think twice before
Add to this the fact that adolescent brains are still maturing, and the study of alcohol’s effects becomes even more complex. Acting as a sedative on the central nervous system, alcohol depresses the nerve cells in the brain dulling, altering, and damaging their ability to respond appropriately. Consumed in large doses can cause sleep, respiratory failure, even coma and death. The effects don’t take long to take effect on the body, in about thirty minutes or so, the drinker will experience mild euphoria and a loss of inhibition as alcohol impairs region of the brain controlling behavior and emotions. Impairing behavior, judgment, memory, concentration, and coordination.
It is a very dangerous way of drinking that can lead to serious problems and even death. v) In 2010 the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 26% of youth aged 12 to 20 years drink alcohol and 17% reported binge drinking. vi) In 2011, the Monitoring the Future Survey reported that 33% of 8th graders and 70% of 12th graders had tried alcohol, and 13% of 8th graders and 40% of 12th graders drank during the past month. vii) In general, the risk of youth experiencing these problems is greater for those who binge drink than for those who do not binge drink. 3) It is true that alcohol has a number of reactions on people who consume it, but again the effects of alcohol are completely different when it comes to the gender.
The author did a great job explaining the hereditary factors, effects to the body, and ways to prevent underage drinking. Facts on hereditary really drew me in because I could use that in my paper so teens know that they aren’t only hurting themselves but possibly their future offspring. Also, I would definitely use this source because it gives ways to stop and lower the number of underage drinkers. Hyde, Margaret O., and John F. Setaro. Alcohol 101: An Overview for Teens.