Drugs and Alcohol Essay - 1107 Words

Drugs and Alcohol For nearly 85 years, the government has prohibited pscychoactive drugs. American leaders attempted to do the same to alcohol with Prohibition in the 1920?s. In any society, drug use plays a part in the people?s culture. Whether it be a native taking hallucinogens for a religious ceremony, a destitute alcoholic drinking on a city street, or a group of teenagers smoking marijuana, drugs and alcohol have the same effects in any culture. The question of ?why do people use drugs? has been a dilemma which American medical experts and government leaders have fought to answer for years. Recently, many institutions and organizations have formed in order to fight the war on drugs and help diminish the percent of Americans who use†¦show more content†¦Sadly, prolonged or excessive use can lead to alcoholism. In fact, of the 175 million drinkers in America, 10 to 13 million are alcoholics. Additionally, the majority of all hospital emergencies involve accidents or illnesses related to a lcohol use. The production, distribution, and marketing of alcoholic beverages are employers of many people and generate large sums of money. As a whole, drinking is as much of a part of American society as apple pie and the Fourth of July. Because drinking is such a big part of our lives, the problems which arise from its use are not to be easily diminished (Snyder 19). Despite the fast-paced growth and apparent success of Alcoholics Anonymous over the past 50 years, American society has collectively paid little attention to alcolhol-related problems. In the early to mid 1900?s, drinking was deemed generally acceptable behavior, and alcoholics were typically viewed as ? an unfortunate minority of weak-willed people, victims of self-inflicted damage and hardship?(Snyder 27). Some major steps have been taken by the institutions of American society to combat alcoholism. In 1956, the American Medical Association declared alcholism was a disease. However, the societal fear of marijuana, heroin, and prescription-drug abuse of the 1960?s and 70?s caused concern over alcoholism to reduce quite dramatically. However, the government soon captained more programs which researched and attemptedShow MoreRelatedDrugs And Alcohol And Drugs1767 Words   |  8 PagesSome people know what alcohol and drugs do to our body and we understand, but the problem is â€Å"How come people do these kind of stuff in the first place?† or what makes them choose these choices. Well the thing is, People suffer from anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression or other mental illnesses use drugs and alcohol to ease their sufferings. But the thing that we don t get is why do such a bad thing if you know that it s destroying your organs and your insides. Drugs or alcohol can sometimes mak eRead MoreDrugs and Alcohol1682 Words   |  7 PagesMethod 3 References 4 Background Drugs and alcohol is a major social issue (J. David Hawkins, Richard F. Catalano, and Janet Y. Miller, 1992). It is not something that can be solved by the law (Lee P. Brown, 2008). Throughout history, many attempts have been made to try and legalize and control alcohol and drug addiction but has failed. It requires education, international awareness and a lot of work to resolve. Whilst alcohol and certain drugs are not illegal, the potential dangers areRead MoreDrug Alcohol And Alcohol Abuse Essay980 Words   |  4 PagesDrug and Alcohol Abuse Drug and alcohol abuse is something that is happening more and more often it seems. There are many reason for this happening. First of all, people experiment with drugs and alcohol mainly out of curiosity. Maybe their friends are doing it, they just want to have a good time, or they could be hoping to improve athletic performance. 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It takesRead MoreDrug Use Of Drugs And Alcohol2261 Words   |  10 Pagescurrent ongoing problem in the United States is the continuous use of drugs and alcohol. There isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t see in the paper or on the internet that someone overdosed on drugs and passed away. Currently the United States is narrowing in on the legalization of one drug in particular, which is marijuana. Just over 130 years ago there were no laws against drug use, until the 20th century when the fight against drug use began. Harry Anslinger is man who began the probation of marijuanaRead MoreAlcohol and Drug Abuse1722 Words   |  7 PagesAlcohol and Drug Addiction Samara Kitchens COM/156 Instructor: Sunday, May 19, 2013 There was a missing person report across the news today, my co-worker stated. I never paid any attention to it; I went on about my day as if everything was fine. When I arrived at home I had severalRead More Drugs and Alcohol Essay1599 Words   |  7 PagesDrugs are heavily used throughout the entire world. However, it is important to understand and not undermine the variability in which drugs are used. It is clear some are for distinct medical treatment and others are for recreational use. In the United States, marijuana has been and continues to be a very controversial drug. Some states have allowed marijuana consumption for medicinal purposes, while others have completely outlawed the drug. Those who are against the legalization and regulationRead MoreAddiction : Drugs And Alcohol1001 Words   |  5 Pagesassociated with drugs and alcohol. Addiction is not only related to drugs or alcohol, but it is also tied with things and activities. Addiction to drugs or alcohol are quite similar yet slightly different to addictions to activities and other things. Addiction to drugs and alcohol over time leads to a buildup of tolerance causing the user to need more of what they are addicted to in order to experience the same or more of an effect than they once needed to attain the same effect. They take drugs to avoid