Freeman

Outline:DrugAbuse

Introduction
Hook
Thequestionisfrequentlyasked:Whydoesamanbecomeadrug
addict?Theansweristhatheusuallydoesnotintendtobecomeanaddict.You
dontwakeuponemorninganddecidetobeadrugaddict.
Background
Addictionisabraindiseaseexpressedintheformof
compulsivebehaviors.(Leshner68)
Studiesshowthateachyear2to3percentofnewbornsareexposedto
cocaine,12percentareexposedtomarijuanaand38percentto
tobacco.(Shniderman9)
Druguseisacontroversialissuewheredifferentpeoplehavedifferent
opinions.
Illicitdrugusersmakeover527,000costlyemergencyroomvisitseach
yearfordrugrelatedproblems.(GatewayTreatmentCenters)
Marijuanacontainsmorethan400chemicals,includingmostofthe
harmfulsubstancesfoundintobaccosmoke.(Connolly25)
Marijuanadirectlyaffectsthebrain.Itimpairstheabilityofyoung
peopletoconcentratetheretaininformationduringtheirpeaklearning
years.(Walters18)
CongressfirsttookactionagainststeroidsbypassingTheAnabolic
SteroidsControlActof1990(JimSensenbrenner).
Athletesoftentakediureticsinanefforttocleansetheirsystembefore
havingtoprovideasample(

NathanJendrick
).
Adolescentswhousedrugsseekoutpeerswhoalsouseand,inturn,are
influencedbythosepeers(Berndt,1992).
ThesisStatement
Drugsarenegativelyaffectingsociety.

Bodyofresearchpaper
ThesisSupport#1
Itsunfairincompetitionsbecausetheyarebasicallycheating.
Usingsteroidsorotherdrugswithoutaprescriptionfromalicensed
physicianamountstodrugabuse.Itisillegal.
Theeffectsofsteroidscanboostconfidenceandstrength,leading
abuserstooverlookthepotentialseriousandlongtermdamage
thatthesesubstancescancause.

Theillicituseofperformanceenhancingsubstancescommonly
referredtoasdopingisirreconcilablewiththespiritofsport.
Naturaltalentsandtheirperfectionarethepointofsports.
Thiseffectispermanentthereisnowaytoreversethiseffectof
steroiduse.

ThesisSupport#2
addictionaffectsthewholefamily
Illegaldrugscancausedepression,moodswings,andotherserious
physicalandpsychologicalproblems.

Yourbehaviorduetoaddictionmaycauseseparation,divorce,

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and/orisolationfromotherfamilymembers,particularlychildren,
eitherbecausethey'vebeentakenfromyouorbecausetheydon't
wanttobearoundyou.
Drinkingwhilepregnantcancausefetalalcoholsyndrome
damagetothebaby'sbrain.
Smokinginthehouseholdcancausehealthproblemsforfamily
membersfromsecondhandsmoke,includinglungcancer.
Beingundertheinfluenceofdrugsandalcoholwilloverallimpair
yourjudgmentandcanleadtoneglectorharm.
First,parentswhoareondrugsareafraidtoseekhelpinfeartheir
childrenwillbetakenaway.
Fathers,mothers,singleparents,couplesstraightorgay,regardless
ofethnicityorsocialgroup,richorpoor.drugandalcoholabuse
candestroyrelationships.

ThesisSupport#3negativeeffectonbody!
Marijuanacausesshorttermproblemsincludingmemoryloss,
learningproblems,difficultythinkingandsolvingproblems,
distortedperception,lossofcoordinationandincreasedheartrate.
Cocainecandestroyyournasalpassages,leadingtodiscomfortand
serioussinusproblems.
Mostimportantly,though,everytimethatyouusecocaine,yourun
theriskofhavingaheartattackandkillingyourself.
Alcoholrelatedautomobileaccidentsaretheleadingcauseof
deathamongAmericanteens.
However,afterlongperiodsofcontinueduse,themajorityof
individualswhotakebothprescriptionandrecreationaldrugshave
ahighlikelihoodofbecomingaddicted.
Whatapersonfeels,hears,smells,tastes,thinks,andseesdepends
onwhatthebrainiscommunicatingtotheindividual'sbody.
Thebrainandbodyhavenormalfunctioningpatternsandoperate
accordingtoveryspecificpatternswhenapersondoesnot
consumesubstancesthatcauseanytypeofchemicaldisruption.

Counterargument
PrescriptionopioidpainmedicationssuchasOxycontinandVicodincan
haveeffectssimilartoheroinwhentakenindosesorinwaysotherthan
prescribed,andresearchnowsuggeststhatabuseofthesedrugsmay
actuallyopenthedoortoheroinabuse.
Drugabusetakesanenormoustollonoursocietyatmanylevels.
Thecostofdrugabuseonoursocietyisastronomical,notonlyfinancially
butalsopersonally,emotionally,sociallyandprofessionally.
However,havingmoredrugsavailableforselftreatmentmayencourage
patientstobelievethatthereisadrugtreatmentforeveryailment.
The1914HarrisonActwasthefirstmajorantidruglegislation,thisbill

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leadtoalargedeclineinnarcoticusers.
RebuttalIn1880,manydrugs,includingopiumandcocaine,werelegal
and,likesomedrugstoday,seenasbenignmedicinenotrequiringa
doctor'scareandoversight.Addictionskyrocketed
(ByDrugEnforcement
Administration).

Conclusion
RestatethesisDruguseisdetrimentaltosociety.
TieThesistopicstogether
Theillicituseofperformanceenhancingsubstancescommonlyreferredto
asdopingisirreconcilablewiththespiritofsport.
Theeffectsofsubstanceabusefrequentlyextendbeyondthenuclear
family.
Differentdrugs,becauseoftheirchemicalstructures,canaffectthebody
indifferentways.
Concludingthoughts
Yourfamily'sstrengthsandresourcescanhelpyoufindwaystolivewithout
alcoholanddrugaddiction.
althoughtheproblemofdrugsmayseemimpossibletoeliminate,thereare
concretestepsthatcanbetakentoweakentheholdofdrugsonsociety.The
dangerfromdrugsistoogreattoignoreforusandourchildren.