Drug And Crime Midterm Essay

Drugs and Crime

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Outline

The following essay is divided into the following sections

1. Introduction

2. Drugs

a. Types of drugs

Medicated

Hallucinogen

b. Examples of drugs

Amphetamines

Heroine

Methamphetamines

3. Anti-drug legislation

* Harm reduction as compared to Zero tolerance

4. Conclusion

5. References

Introduction

Drugs are chemical substances comprising substances that alter the way our bodies work. Some boost the response while others dull the user's mind. Drug use can lead to a couple of dangerous choices, because the one using the drug usually has a poor lack of judgment when called upon to make a decision while under the influence of the drug.

Drug usage is a characteristic expression of inner dissatisfaction leading to an urge that drives many users to continue abusing them, whenever the feeling comes back to them. They numb their senses to avoid coming to terms with the reality of the situation at hand, but fail to realize that drug use is not a solution but another addictive habit with no ultimate achievement (Schwartz, 2000).

Drugs

They can be categorized into two different groups, or types, depending on their usage and purpose. Medical practitioners use prescription drugs to treat illnesses in their patients. Sometimes these drugs go beyond treatment and revive people whose health was deteriorating. Some drugs are ingested into the body while some are injected. The means by which the substance is incorporated into the body affects the response rate with which the drug will react once taken. There are a couple of different ways to use a drug. Some drugs are diluted with organic or in-organic solvents before injecting them into the system. Others are rolled in some thin paper foil and smoked. The inhaled substance contains the hallucinogen or laxative compound to cause a nauseating feeling in the user's mind. Inhaled substances tend to reach the bloodstream faster than ingested substances. On the other hand, injected substances are known to come into direct contact with the bloodstream at the instance they are injected through a hypodermic needle (Lawson & Benjamin, 2008). The needle pierces the skin and gets in contact with the flesh containing numerous blood vessels. No matter how much one tries to reverse the process, there may be very little chance of removing the injected substance, reason being that the blood moves fast and travels wide into the body touching every vital organ in the body (The Nemours Foundation). It traverses the brain, goes through he liver, it comes back to the heart and then into the muscle tissue. If any toxins are present in the injected compound, the introduction of the substance into the body could cause multiple organ failure causing death. Other cases similar to this one would be the use of an excess of the compound at hand. Too much use is referred to as an overdose. The whole body goes into trauma because of the stimulus introduced into the body. Major bodily functions fail as the toxic substance accumulates. The result is death.

a) Types of drugs

Medicated

Medical drugs are prescribed after a visit to a professional physician. They are given pharmaceutical drugs, which come with a dosage plan that should be followed strictly as directed by the pharmacist. These are otherwise known as prescription drugs.

Hallucinogens

These drugs are consumed at the pleasure of the abuser. They cause a numbing and an anti-depressing sensation, which leaves the user in a state of confusion or disorientation. Some of the reasons abusers take them remain unknown to many, but, for most abusers, it is the overreliance on these drugs, that helps them escape the harsh realities of life. Regardless of how much they indulge in them, there is usually one aftermath, they end up on drawback schemes trying to hide the shameful habit that dictates everything they intend to do (Jurkanin & Hillard, 2005). Most drug users do not realize when they are getting hooked to drugs; they just follow their desires blinded by failure, or too much stress build-up. In the case of young peers, the influence from their mates pushes them into trying new things and gradually, they fall prey to a nerve-wrecking desire to accumulate the substance for times when their minds are unsettled.

b) Examples of drugs

1. Amphetamines

These types are usually in tablet form and are used for boosting the response of the bodily functions. Their method of ingesting is swallowing, injection or inhalation (Menhard, 2006).

Effects & Dangers

They create an energetic mood in the user making them accelerate their human activities. At times this energetic boost causes sweating, punting, hallucinations, heightened paranoia and at times blurred vision. Headaches are a usual after effect with such symptoms as increased blood pressure and shaking. Users could experience insomnia, a condition where the user lacks sleep.

2. Heroin

There is a class of medicines, which are normally used as painkillers, called narcotics. Narcotics contain a dried powder extracted from opium poppy, which works as a painkiller by numbing the central nervous system. Heroine falls in this class of narcotics, and is considered a harmful substance under the anti-drug policy. Heroine comes in a number of distinct forms; there is a dark brown substance in powder form, a tar-like substance, and a grey powder which is also another form of heroine. All work the same way when ingested. In its pure form, heroine can be inhaled into the nasal duct. Other ways of using it include ingestion and smoking. One can as well inject it into the blood stream for immediate response if pure (Nikki Sixx, 2007). Its major influence within the major city residential areas could be due to its ecstatic feeling and the