Preventing Drug Use In Our Society

***The images above show how people are receiving help to recover from their horrible past.***

Drug use in our society can be prevented. We need to create more rehabilitation centers where drug users can go and get help. The centers need to consist of many doctors who treat drug users but act as friends and give them a shoulder to lean on, which will help individuals cope with their trauma of being a drug user but also encourage them to stop abusing drugs. American Heart Association did a survey back in 2009 which showed over two-thirds of Californians have some time in their lives tried recreation drugs! People, as a society, need to unite together, so we can help those addicted individuals fight this sickness. Drug prevention and rehabilitation centers offer hope to men, women, and their families who are suffering from the devastating consequences of chemical dependency and addiction. Deciding to seek recovery for yourself or someone you care about may be one of the most courageous and life-altering steps you'll ever take. We need to create rehabilitation centers that can accommodate different types of drug addicts.


We need to have well established clinics that have programs by well-paid, trained physicians to prevent drug usage in our society. Having alternative solutions, such as clinics, will help drug addicts and show them that there is a way out of this horrible habit. Having such clinics will help the addicts look at life in a different aspect and build up some of their self-esteem again. For example, my neighbor’s son was a heavy drug user and tried to commit suicide more than once. He thought there was no more hope for him since his own family had given up on him by disowning him. His family didn’t want to have any sort of relationship or deal with a drug user. A clinic by my house called the Teen Center helped build up his self-esteem again and slowly deterred drugs away from his life. It convinced him that there still is a chance for him to get back on his feet.


In the clinic, my neighbor’s son was exposed to the harmful effect of abusing drugs and the effect it can really have on a person. This moment changed my neighbor’s son’s life. If you look at my neighbor’s son today, he is a married man with a good job and is living a drug-free life. In the article, “"How About Low-Cost Drugs for Addicts?" by Louis Nizer, he states that, "The government should create clinics maintained by physician that would provide medicine for nominal changes or even free to addicts under controlled regulations." When the government actually wakes up and steps in by providing enough funding for prevention programs, then the rates of drug abuse will dramatically decrease. If the people can get the government to provide enough funding for prevention programs like the Teen Center, then the government can help stop the spread of these drugs for good. If the government wants to create a drug free society and help Americans, then it needs to provide funding and support to help improve the clinics, as well as help the drug addicts.


Overall, having drug rehabilitation clinics is just not enough. We can do our part by creating drug clinics where drug abusers can turn for help. Drug abusers need to do their part as well by taking the first step in reaching out for help. For example, I mentioned in one of my previous blogs about Rush Limbaugh who checked himself into a rehabilitation center because of his addiction to pain killers. He has done it. Rush Limbaugh has become one of the lucky few who found freedom from his drug addiction by taking the first step to get help.


I would like to thank all of my viewers for taking the journey with me to explore the world of drug users, abusers, and the overall effects of drugs in our society.

USING SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY TO EXPLAIN DRUG USE

***The image above shows how drugs or drinking can affect your family in a horrific way.***

In today’s society, many children are being exposed to drugs on the street, especially through family members. Many young children that are exposed to illegal drugs are through a friend or even a sibling. Social learning theory is a theory that can be learned. It is learned through socially interacting with society. Social learning theory is a change in an individual’s behavior, knowledge, capability, or attitude that is acquired through experience from the individual’s social world. In addition, it is taught through the component of Aker’s theory of differential reinforcement which is learned through rewards. In fact, according to Bynum and Thompson, Aker’s theory which is, “that deviant (and delinquent) behavior is learned and acted out in response to rewards and reinforcements that are available in the individual's environment” (Bynum & Thompson). For example, a fear for a child to think they will lose the most important thing in their life may cause them to reinforce events that will prevent them from losing their loved one. These include gratification, status, and other rewards which can serve as a role model for many teenagers.

Peer pressure can also cause one to change their mindset, and it can even force them to go against their norms or even commit crimes. Having some type of reinforcement in one’s life could manipulate an individual to even go against their norms. It can even lead an individual to abuse drugs. A child might abuse drugs because they see their parents abusing drugs. For example, many of us probably have heard of the Italian mafia; they function and form their gang basically within generations. In fact, a study done by the national youth organization indicated that a child is more prone to do drugs and abuse drugs if a family members is using drugs. For example, I work as a tutor for many elementary schools as well as middle schools. I have seen many youths who are getting sent to juvenile hall because of drug issues. I witness that ninety percent of the youths who were arrested because of drug possession stated that they were exposed to drugs because of family members. These youth are our future generation; we need to show them the right path and open many doors for their success.

THE EFFECTS OF PAIN KILLERS

*** The image above shows unimaginable effect that pharmaceutical drugs such as Tylenol can have on an individual.***

Drug addiction not only occurs from illegal drugs; it also occurs from pharmaceutical drugs. When many people hear the words drug and addiction, they tend to think of illegal drugs. Prescription drugs such as Vicodin and Tylenol can be as addicting as marijuana and even cocaine. Pain killers can be highly addicting. Prescription drugs are rapidly becoming primary drugs of abuse in the United States and throughout the world. Prescription drugs are public health problems for many Americans. The relief of pain makes an individual feel good from taking pain killers, but it gets an individual hooked on it. For example, when I broke my arm, I took pain killers for the pain for a whole month. My body got hooked on it, and I couldn’t sleep without taking it. I starting by taking one pill which lead to the next pill, and by the time I noticed what I was doing, I was taking four pills of vicodin in one day. Pain killers can make one feel good for a while, but then, down the road, they cause a lot of problems. For example, American Heart Association states, "taking Tylenol for a long period of time can be highly addicting and cause serious liver, kidney, bladder problems sometimes even heart failure."

In fact, many of you probably have heard of "The Rush Limbaugh Show." If not, it is a radio show. Its host, Rush Limbaugh, announced during his radio program on Friday that he is addicted to painkillers and is checking into a rehab center to "break the hold of this highly addictive medication has on me" (Rush Limbaugh). The Associated Press confirmed that Limbaugh said he started taking painkillers “some years ago” after a doctor prescribed them after a spinal surgery. His back pain stemming from the surgery persisted, so Limbaugh said he started taking pills and became hooked. Limbaugh stated, "over the past several years, I have tried to break my dependence on pain pills, and in fact, twice checked myself into medical facilities in an attempt to do so." It is shocking to believe that taking some pain killers can force someone to check themselves into a rehabilitation center. Just a word to the wise: Be careful, and think twice before taking any types of prescription drugs.