Tag Archives: Drugs

The Use of Marijuana

--Original published at Makayla Hockenbrock

 Whether or not the legalization of marijuana is a good or bad thing for society is a very controversial topic now-a-days. I have multiple opinions on the topic. I am in between on the decision. In one case, I am in full support of the use of medical marijuana. I am for it because there is scientific data behind the effects it has had on people with medical issues. If there is nothing else, meaning no other treatment for the patient, and marijuana helps the pain then I am all for it. Now for it being legalized for recreational use, I am more against than I am for it.  I am against it because I believe that it is a gateway drug, however, most people tend to think otherwise. This is my own opinion because I think that the more you use marijuana, or some people abuse, it could lead to the individual becoming a user of a stronger substance.

There are pros and cons to each side, as there are to everything. Pros for medical use would be stress relief and pain relief for sufferers. Some cons would be heavy reliance on the drug instead of other pain meds that could be used for the disease. Pros for legalizing the recreational use or marijuana would be less arrests due to someone having marijuana on them, or high from it, as well as prison overcrowding, and economy. Cons would be increased drug use, more instances of recklessness, and decrease productivity within society.

So that is my standpoint on the uses of marijuana.

Chapter 3 First Impression: Drug

--Original published at Manami PSY105blog

Recently, drugs such as marijuana are accepted to use legally in some states. I felt that using drugs in daily in the USA is less strict than doing in Japan when I came here. For first impression prompts of chapter 3, I chose option 1 which is about the use of marijuana.

The news that Canada allowed to use marijuana recreationally made me surprised because using drugs including marijuana is prohibited and people do not use them usually in Japan.

There are two types of usages of marijuana: the medical use and recreational use. The advantage of the medical use is to help people with disabilities and illness such as cancer and Alzheimer. Medical marijuana also helps to heal pains, and increase an appetite and sleeps. On the other hand, its disadvantage is people may be addicted. It also decreases the ability to memorize and think, and have the similar effect to alcohol.

The advantage of the recreational use is it makes people active and happy which is called “High”. People may be able to focus on their stuff such as studying. I am not sure if it actually effects on people’s activity positively because I have never used it before. Compared with them, people tend to be addicted to using marijuana because it may be easier to be high with less the side effect than drinking an alcoholic beverage. (depend on the types of marijuana).

In my opinion, only medical marijuana should be legal because there are people who actually need it with medical proposes. In addition, it is said that the danger of addiction is lower than its caffeine and alcohol to cover the disadvantage of medical marijuana. However, recreational use of marijuana is unnecessary. People should be satisfied with alcohol to get effects to be happy and active. The side effects can work to limit their amount of drinking. It also has the possibility of causing different problems such as driving accidents because of marijuana.

#Drugs

Chapter 3: First Impression Post

--Original published at Jayln's Perspective

For this week’s first impression post, I decided to choose the second prompt, which deals with the efficiency of the Abstinence Treatment versus the Harm Reduction Treatment in terms of addiction. The Abstinence Treatment is the complete termination of drugs and alcohol usage, whereas the Harm Reduction Treatment is centered around using drugs and alcohol within moderation.

After considering these two treatments, I believe that if I was helping a loved one seek a cure, I would be more inclined to encourage them to consider the Abstinence Treatment. An abstinence-only type of approach to addiction seems to be more effective because of the weekly AA (alcoholics anonymous) meetings that are held, which are mandatory. These meetings promote a sense of accountability and safety to those in attendance. On the contrary, the Harm Reduction Treatment membership is usually online, thus it is more difficult to connect with real people who are going through the same struggles, and it is also harder to feel accountable. Another major critique I have concerning the Harm Reduction Treatment is that since it allows people to drink or use drugs, how do they recommend lowering the number of times someone uses cocaine or heroin? By still being able to take such harmful, addictive drugs, it seems like it would be near to impossible to coax them off of these substances. The Harm Reduction Treatment may be a good course of action for someone to take who has yet to reach their all-time low, in other words, this treatment seems more useful for an individual whose life has not been ruined by drugs or alcohol. If I was watching a loved one struggle with addiction, I would not want them to see them hit their lowest point before they showed signs of recovery.

Although I objectively think the Abstinence Treatment is a better course of action, I am sure that this is not just as simple as it seems. I cannot even begin to imagine how those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol feel as they try to recover. This process is probably excruciating, and I am sure addicts have issues coping with the fact that abstaining is a permanent treatment. All things aside, I still am inclined to believe that by attending AA and working the program, one will have a higher success rate of achieving sobriety.

Chapter 3 Impression Post

--Original published at Rachelsblog

Marijuana has taken a switch from being illegal for recreational use in every state to being legalized for medical reasons. I personally do not agree with this switch. I think some people abuse the “medical” aspect of it. Some doctors prescribe medical marijuana to patients who lie about symptoms and medical conditions, simply because they are addicted to the high it gives them. I believe in the science behind actual medications, not marijuana.

I feel as if scientists discovered medicines that would work to cure the person permanently, while as medical marijuana will just be a temporary cure. Growing up with my parents I’ve been taught drugs have no good effect on a person and that they should not be used. Drugs are a temporary escape from pain and stress, but in today’s world we have a wide variety of medicines that can help more than marijuana would.

I personally do not think it should be legal. Patients can lie about their symptoms or simply get a “fake” prescription just so they can abuse the legalization of medical marijuana. I think that this turn is just leading to more bad than it is good. While marijuana may have good effects temporarily and in the moment, but we are ignoring the bad effects it has on a person long term. Doctors simply prescribe normal medicines with a certain dosage so we do not overdose on normal medicines, and with marijuana patients can still get “addicted” to it even if it is “legal”. I think it is safest for all states to keep it illegal for everyones safety.

Chapter 3 (Drugs Section) First Impression Prompts

Hand writing on a notebook

 

Here are the  prompts for this week.

For the following posts, use the tag “Drugs”:

Option 1:

Recently, several states have legalized recreational use of marijuana and even more are considering it. This has lead to both celebration and condemnation depending on who you ask. Medicinal use of marijuana is still controversial as well. In your blog post, take a position on both medical and recreational use of marijuana. Should they be legal or not? Make sure to point out pros and cons to both arguments.

Option 2:

When it comes to treating addiction, two prominent approaches are the abstinence model and the harm reduction model. Most people are more familiar with the abstinence model, which seeks to completely eliminate all use of the problematic substance and prioritizes sobriety (an example would be 12-step programs like AA). The harm reduction model prioritizes things differently, in that the primary concern is preventing negative consequences of substance use (an example would be needle-swapping programs that provide clean needles for drug users to prevent the spread of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis). This is an over-simplification of the models, but you can find a little more background on each approach here. Which approach seems like the better idea to you? Explain which you would recommend if a loved one needed help with an addiction.

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Spotlight Blog 2 Prompts

Regardless of which option you choose, make sure to use the tag “Spotlight” on your post. Also include the tag listed for the option you choose below.

Option 1 – Use the tag “Memory”

Now that we’ve discussed how memory works and you’ve had a chance to think about your own study skills, I want you to critically evaluate websites that give students advice about how to study. If you select this option, I want you to find three different websites that provide advice for studying: one targeted toward college students, one targeted toward middle or high school students, and one targeted toward parents. Evaluate the advice provided on each and compare it to what you know about how memory works (include sources), making sure to correct anything you think is bad advice. Be sure to include links to the websites you are evaluating.

Option 2 – Use the tag “Stress”

We’ve discussed a number of different stress management approaches in class, and now I want you to evaluate online resources for stress management. Specifically, I want you to identify three websites that provide stress management tips and discuss how likely you think the strategies they provide are to be successful. Make sure to explain your rationale using what we’ve learned in class and your textbook. Each of the three websites need to be targeted at a different audience but you may select the audiences you want to use (e.g., college students, athletes, parents, artists). Make sure to include links to the websites as part of your post.

Option 3 – Use the tag “Drugs”

One of the largest campaigns to prevent drug use among children was the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program. This federal program sought to provide kids with information about the dangers of using drugs, using things like the slogan “Just say no!” While people had high hopes for the program, it ended up being very controversial largely because of how it ended up impacting the rates of drug abuse among children exposed to the program. Research what the data say about the DARE program and argue whether or not it was a successful program. Then take what we learned from DARE and argue whether or not you think similar abstinence-based programs (e.g., sexual education programs) should be used in schools. Make sure to cite your sources.

I look forward to seeing what you write!

Header image: CC by Flickr user Thomas Hawk
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Chapter 3 First Impression Prompts – Consciousness

Hand writing on a notebook

 

Here are the  prompts for this week.

For the following posts, use the tag “Drugs”:

Option 1:

Recently, several states have legalized recreational use of marijuana and even more are considering it. This has lead to both celebration and condemnation depending on who you ask. Medicinal use of marijuana is still controversial as well. In your blog post, take a position on both medical and recreational use of marijuana. Should they be legal or not? Make sure to point out pros and cons to both arguments.

Option 2:

When it comes to treating addiction, two prominent approaches are the abstinence model and the harm reduction model. Most people are more familiar with the abstinence model, which seeks to completely eliminate all use of the problematic substance and prioritizes sobriety (an example would be 12-step programs like AA). The harm reduction model prioritizes things differently, in that the primary concern is preventing negative consequences of substance use (an example would be needle-swapping programs that provide clean needles for drug users to prevent the spread of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis). This is an over-simplification of the models, but you can find a little more background on each approach here. Which approach seems like the better idea to you? Explain which you would recommend if a loved one needed help with an addiction.

For the following posts, use the tag “Sleep”:

Option 3:

In this TED talk, Russell Foster outlines 3 prominent theories about why we sleep. Watch the talk and argue for the theory you find the most convincing. Make sure to explain your thoughts about the credibility of each of the three theories.

Option 4:

College students are often heavily sleep deprived as they sacrifice sleep in order to study, work, and/or have a social life in addition to their academic commitments. Assess your current sleep habits and how healthy you think they are. What is a realistic goal for amount of sleep per night for a college student and how can you improve your sleep habits?

I look forward to seeing what you write!

Header image: CC by Flickr user Caitlinator
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Spotlight Blog 2

--Original published at Caleb C's College Blog

Based on studies done on DARE, conducted by the U.S. General Accounting Office, the U.S. Surgeon General, the National Academy of Sciences, and the U.S. Department of Education, they have consistently shown that DARE is ineffective in reducing the use of alcohol and drugs and can even be considered counterproductive. The whole DARE organization sounds like a good idea, and I grew up and went through middle school when the whole program was expanding to schools nationwide. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program is used in close to 80% of school districts in the US, and 54 other countries around the world, overall reaching 36 million students each year. Therefore, knowing its effectiveness is important when considering the massive footprint it brings every year.

DARE leaders, when criticized with empirical evidence, say that the DARE Program shouldn’t be judged similar to other organizations based on evidence, because they prefer to rely on feelings, impressions, and hopes. The DARE program and their leadership continually dismiss evidence which questions DARE’s effectiveness, they argue the program has no need to be evaluated because it’s based on educational theories and techniques. Even though this is the case, the research they are founded on include world renown psychologists, Carl Rogers, Maslow, etc., though these same researchers later admitted that the specific research done which is what DARE is based on was wrong and off-base. Bill Coulson, another well-known psychologist states that the program “is rooted in trash psychology.” It can be difficult to get DARE out of schools, even with empirical evidence to back up the criticisms, due to how parents simply like the efforts made to tell their kids to not do drugs. For example, MADD leadership points to surveys which asks students, parents, and teachers whether they like the program, and overall most people report satisfaction with DARE. The DARE organization then uses these feelings and surveys to avoid evidence based criticisms, even though the surveys don’t shed light on how the program is truly impacting the children.

When the National Institutes of Health/University of Kentucky found DARE to be ineffective, DARE’s leader responded with it being “academic fraud,” and claimed it was part of and anti-DARE vendetta by therapists. Furthermore, In Houston, a study showed a 29% increase in drug usage and a 34% increase in tobacco usage among students who participated in DARE. William Modzeleski, top drug education official at the Department of Education, says “research shows that, no, DARE hasn’t been effective in reducing drug use.” Overall, DARE has been proven to not work like we wanted it to, thus the program needs to be improved and continually tweaked through criticisms of studies to help establish a system which is proven to decrease drug usage in kids. DARE is “a fraud on the people of America,” says the mayor of Salt Lake City, stating that “for too long our drug-prevention policies have been driven by mindless adherence to a wasteful, ineffective, feel-good program.”

According to Scientific American, an article written by Scott Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz discuss why the “Just Say NO” method doesn’t work. This statement initially came from First Lady, Nancy Reagan in 1982, and following that adolescent drug prevention movements adopted this as their slogan. On the surface, these programs sound good considering how teachers and parents witness first hand how drugs and alcohol impact their children, though overall these programs have typically found to be ineffective across the board due to how they focus primarily on the educational aspect instead of emphasizing social interaction work. According to the article, a meta-analysis in 2009 of 20 controlled studies conducted by statistician Wei Pan, and Haiyan Bai of University of Central Florida, revealed that teens enrolled in the program were just as likely to use drugs as those who received no intervention.

I believe, based on my research done, that these abstinence programs should be removed from schools. Research shows they are ineffective and typically do not decrease the use of drugs or alcohol, and sometimes negatively impact children, enforcing behavior. On the surface, all these programs seem to be good and adults like that the “just say no” technique enforces an idea to kids that it is socially acceptable to say no to things such as drugs and sex, but in the end research shows that this does not work and ultimately could be enforcing the bad behaviors which we as a society are trying to mitigate.

Sources:

Hanson, D. J. (n.d.). Alcohol Abuse Prevention. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from https://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/alcoholfacts.org/DARE.html

Lilienfeld, S. O. (2014, January 01). Why “Just Say No” Doesn’t Work. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-just-say-no-doesnt-work/

Spotlight Blog #2

--Original published at Miguel's College Blog

The Anti-drug education program called Drug-Abuse Resistance Education or DARE for short, was popular throughout the 1980’s and the 1990’s, teaching children to stay away from illicit substances. DARE centered on strengthening self-esteem as a way to help children have the power to “say no to drugs.” Unfortunately, the curriculum DARE used to teach children to stay away from drugs was proven to not work.

There are multiple articles starting from 1991 proving the DARE program does not work, even saying the program might even have a “boomerang effect” – participation increased of drug use instead of decrease – after the curriculum was taught in schools. Their curriculum during the 1980’s and 1990’s was eaten up by parents, schools, and legislators because the concept of teaching children to say no to drugs was common sense and would work, not paying attention to the holes the DARE program presented.

One of the biggest holes in the DARE program was their inability to show evidence their curriculum actually worked. During the 90’s, the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) conducted an analysis of DARE’s efficacy. The study results showed that DARE’s program had no measurable effect on drug use and other anti-drug programs seemed to do better.    This study was buried underneath the mountain of talk about how popular and how big the DARE program was getting across the country. During the change of the century, audits and federal evaluations were made to determine funding and effectiveness – DARE did not make the cut for either. DARE was not given funding during this time because they were not considered as an evidence-based program (because they had not evidence to show their program worked).

Similar abstinence-based programs are reported to either not work or have a “boomerang effect” seen in the DARE program. One of the most contested programs is abstinence-only sex education. Abstinence-only sex education discourages the initiation of sex and devalues or omits completely the use of contraceptives. Claims have been made to suggest that abstinence-only sex education programs delay the initiation of sex and reduces teen pregnancy but more evidence show no change or an increase in sex among teens, no change or an increase in teen pregnancy, and a rise in STD transmission between teens. Also, some programs influenced teens to avoid using contraception altogether or equipped them with little to no information on how to effectively use contraception. Like DARE, abstinence-only programs have little to no evidence showing their programs work and help the public.

Also, DARE sounds like you’re daring kids to do drugs.

 

Sources:

Cima, R. (2016, December 19). DARE: The Anti-Drug Program That Never Actually Worked. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from https://priceonomics.com/dare-the-anti-drug-program-that-never-actually/

Advocates for Youth. (2007). The Truth About Abstinence-Only Programs. Advocates for Youth. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/publications-a-z/409-the-truth-about-abstinence-only-programs

Spotlight Post #2

--Original published at MelanieBlevins

DARE

It is shown that the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program’s methods of drug prevention were very unsuccessful at reducing drug rates in children and teens. Their slogan “Just say no” was unsuccessful at preventing kids from using drugs, and often times the DARE program had more harmful effects than good. According to Content Times, the program did not affect teenagers rate of experimentation with drugs. Although, it may have “actually lowered their self-esteem.” A 10 year study shows that those who learned the DARE slogan in sixth grade had reported lower levels of self-esteem 10 years later. The program made kids feel bad about themselves when they could not “say no” and did not help keep them from experimenting with drugs.

Additionally, a study done at the University of Illinois showed that high school seniors who had been in DARE classes were “more likely to use drugs than their non-DARE peers.” This data supports that the program was unaffected and caused more harm than good. It was shown that kids involved in the DARE program were actually “more likely to use “illicit” drugs like cocaine or heroin, or cave into peer pressure” when compared to those who had never heard the DARE slogan before. There is significant evidence showing that the DARE program was unsuccessful and should not be continued or attempted again.

Similarly, I do not believe similar programs should be set up in schools that relate to abstinence in sexual education. When children are taught not to do something, I think they can become more likely to confide or fall into peer pressure when confronted with the situation. Sex is a common phenomena and I do not think there is a point in trying to teach children to “just say no,” when in reality it will not be that easy for them. One day, that child will grow up and be confronted with sex and they may not know what to do. Children are likely to be pressured into things they do not want to do, and it is better that they know how to handle the situation safely instead of being taught to say “no.” Many people are taught abstinence their whole life and many of them were left uneducated about the dangers of sex and sexual abuse. Educating children about how to safely deal with sex would be much more beneficial for both the child and their parent.  For example, it could allow a teen to develop a closer bond with their parent or guardian because they would not be afraid to come to them about a situation involving sex. Although, those taught abstinence could be afraid to talk about their feelings towards sex/ what problems they are facing. When barrier of trust is developed, a child should be able to be open about it with their parents and explain the situation. I believe teaching about safe sex would be much better than just teaching children to day no, because sex is going to occur for them one day and the best thing we can do is teach them what to do when it happens.