Causes of Illegal Drugs Consumption Among Women - Coursework Example

CAUSES OF ILLEGAL DRUGS CONSUMPTION AMONG WOMEN The present research paper aims to find out the situation and circumstances leading the individualstowards illegal drug consumption. The study has been supported by four different researches made on the causes of women indulgence in drug use, which include “Drug Addiction among Females in Lahore” by Mubeen & Sharif (2007), “Perception of Drug Addiction among Turkish University Students” by Cirakoglu & Isin (2005), “Concepts of Chemical Dependency” by Doweiko (2006) and “Biological and Sociological Causes of Perversion” by Zaidi (1999). The study investigates divergent sociological views by making comparison of these researches and concludes that sensational pleasures, domestic turmoil and biological characteristics play dominant role in women’s involvement into illegal drug addiction. Illegal drugs refer to the drugs consumption and trading of which is strictly prohibited according to the prevailing statutes of law. Excessive trade and trafficking of illegal drugs have accelerated their application among adults, minors and women, which have, consequently, brought critical health problems for the consumers in their wake. There was a time when drug addiction was considered to be a masculine activity only, and women had no concern with drug usage. With the passage of time, it has become crystal clear that illegal drug addiction is also common among women folk, the percentage of which is in constant increase all over the globe. Mubeen & Sharif (2007) have conducted a comprehensive research on causes and consequences of illegal drug addiction among women and presented the facts and figures related to the subject under study. Since they concentrated on women for their study, the individuals belonging to female gender were the unit of their analysis during the research process. They selected fifty respondents belonging to age group between 25 to 35 years through random sampling. The researchers gave the illustration from historical perspective and analysed that opium had been the most popular illegal drug used to be cultivated in their region even before the partition of their motherland. Mubeen & Sharif viewed the very fact that use of opium, hash and heroin were common illegal drugs applied by the women in their area. But banishment on its cultivation enhanced its illegal trafficking and it has become difficult to keep a check over access to it. “Although the ban closed down legal outlets for drugs, illegal availability and sale continued. (Mubeen & Sharif, 2007: p 3) The researchers declared too much restriction in opium cultivation as the most significant reason for illegal drug trafficking in Pakistan. The strengths of their research include focus on female gender, description of historical perspective, critical analysis of educational and domestic background. Exploration of most dominant issues i.e. unsuccessful marriages and negligence of parents is remarkable that forced women towards addiction. “The data shows”, Mubeen & Sharif submit, “that most of the drug users had problems in their marriages and some of them had no chance of getting married.” (2007: p 4) The researchers developed the questionnaire as the tool for data collection, which consisted of both open-ended and close-ended questions. The researchers personally visited every respondent for data collection. Their research proved that negligence of parents, family members and elders encouraged the women to take illegal drugs and get adducted consequently. The research also declared emotional collapse as well as financial and domestic problems as one of the most imperative causes of drug addiction among women. There are many weaknesses too in this research, as the researchers have selected very few respondents from the age-group of 14-15 years as well as 36-45 years. In addition, they did not broaden their research up to disclosing more reasons behind drug addiction. The questionnaire cannot be viewed as an adequate one, and discusses very few reasons of addiction only. The flaws can also be observed in sampling. Doweiko (2006) has also discussed the problem in his famous book “Concepts of Chemical Dependency”. He has analysed the problem among the adolescents and women and referred to almost the same reasons behind drug addiction. Doweiko reinstates the views presented by Mubeen & Sharif in their research that decline in family relationship has paved the way towards chemical dependency and use of illegal drugs. As family is the basic unit of a society and plays primary role in nourishment and socialization of young generation. Doweiko has completed his research by focusing on teenagers and recommends therapeutic techniques for the rehabilitation of the drug addicts. He notes that young children are the most sensitive stratum of society, which looks for extreme care and attention from parents and elders. He blames family members as the only responsible for the emotional collapse of the children. The main strengths of Doweiko’s research includes his command over the nature and psychology of the children. He cites many examples of different children, which were maltreated or sexually exploited and molested by their close relations, neighbours and even family members too. Doweiko views that the girls molested in childhood suffer from psychological problems and abnormality and seldom get adjusted during their adult years. Doweiko’s research maintains few drawbacks too, as he lays stress upon parents’ attention and counselling, but does not suggest biological and sociological traits man contains by birth as well as learns from society. Every drug addiction is not an outcome of parents’ negligence or molestation; rather, individuals have innate perversion and also learn deviant behaviour from society and environment, which he does not point out. Cirakoglu & Isin (2005) have also conducted their research on illegal drug consumption and causes behind chemical dependency among individuals. The researchers have focused their study on the students and young people and have proved the very fact that use of illegal drugs is the outcome of biological and environmental factors too, and only domestic turbulences do not drag the young generation towards drug consumption. On the contrary, Mubeen & Sharif declare decline in family bondage and giving up of observing ethical values and moral obligations result in the deterioration of the youth of society and subsequent chemical dependency. “The effects of drug use not only on drug users themselves”, observes Marina Barnard, “but also the feelings of anger, sadness, anxiety, shame and loss that are commonly experienced by their extended family.” (2006: p 31) Cirakoglu & Isin refute the very idea that financial and familial problems lead towards the illegal drug usage. They conducted their research process within the sample of 166 females and 148 males. The questionnaire consisted of three parts, where part one discussed the basic information about the respondents, while second par of the tool for data collection i.e. questionnaire had been developed to find out the causes of drug consumption. Part three of their research was interested in finding out suggestions for the cure of drug consumption. “A large group of participants” Cirakoglu & Isin observe, “made different casual attribution and emphasised copying function of drug. Sexual relief and sensation seeking is another component among the causes of beginning to use a drug.” (2005: p 6) Hence, the research findings of the study conducted by Cirakoglu & Isin present quite a different picture of the situation causing illegal drug consumption. There are many differences between the two studies, as Mubeen & Sharif included only women as the respondents during their research, while Cirakoglu & Isin took both the genders as participants of their study. In addition, Mubeen & Sharif lay stress upon exploring the causes which lead the individuals towards illegal drug addiction. They also make research with the historical perspective and also declare parents’ negligence as the essential reason of mental retardation undergone by the young women. On the other hand, Cirakoglu & Isin have included consequences of drug addiction too in their research. Though Cirakoglu & Isin view sexual and other recreational motives behind chemical and alcoholic dependency among young people, yet they do not negate the existence of the personal and family problems as the basic reasons being indulging into addiction. Cirakoglu & Isin suggest therapeutic counselling as an important method of the cure from drug consumption. Doweiko also asserts therapy as an imperative technique to rehabilitate the addicts so that not only the sufferers and their families can lead a respectable and peaceful life, but also society can be protected from crimes, deviancies, perversion and turmoil. The services of professional medical specialists and psychiatrists are acquired in this respect. The main strength of the research made by Cirakoglu & Isin includes their thorough research process where they encompass individuals belonging to divergent ages, socioeconomic statuses and education levels in their research. The application of statistical tests and interpretation of results show their dexterity in the research process. Zaidi (1999) also conducted his study on causes that lead the individuals towards the use of illegal drugs. Zaidi submits biological traits as the essential elements for use of alcohol, marijuana, hash, opium and others. He views natural characteristics and inherited traits as the fundamental cause behind every act, behaviour and action. Zaidi established his research under the title “Biological and Sociological Causes of Perversion.” He interviewed eighty respondents belonging to different socioeconomic statues, age-groups, genders, education levels and socialisation. He designed an interview-schedule that was comprised of three parts. Part I of the interview-schedule was developed to enquire about the basic information regarding the family background, education and training of the respondents. Part II discussed the experience and specialty in the student or professional fields. Part III of the interview-schedule focused on the problems faced by the respondents during the course of their everyday dealing with the society. It was a nice experience of being acquainted with the problems faced by the respondents while getting the data. Zaidi applied Maturationists theoretical framework during his research and proved that natural tendencies of perversion and deviant behaviour result in the consumption of illegal drugs. “Modern biological determinism”, Zaidi notes, “suggests that behaviours are inherent and innate, resulting from the expression of genes.” (1999: p 28) Controversy does arise, however, when one tries to examine the extent of genetic influence on human behaviour. “Just how many of our abilities and shortcomings are innate in nature”, Knezek states, “and how many are acquired through our interactions with the environment is not known, though this debate has been going on for centuries, the major influence of genes cannot be denied.” (1997: p 188) Hence, Zaidi concentrates upon discovering the motive of the respondents behind using drugs. An overwhelming majority of the respondents using drugs informed the researcher that either or both of their parents had been addicts during some part of their life. It was also noteworthy that most of the respondents unconsciously used the same drugs consumed by their parents. Many individuals, who apply alcohol, drugs, co-dependency and other malpractices, become addicted to these drugs by constant use. An overwhelming majority of such addicts desires to get rid of the addiction of drug abuse, though it becomes very hard for them to abstain from this bad practice. Not only they are deprived of health and physical strength, but also they lose their economic activity and respect in society. Their life appears as a sign of humiliation and misery in the eye of others and the people around them also have to suffer a lot. By comparing all the researches above-mentioned, it becomes evident that the researchers have strived to explore different aspects of personal and social lives of the drug addicts and also presented suggestions for their rehabilitation All the researches conducted by different researchers show different outcomes of illegal drug addiction. It becomes evident that marijuana, hash and opium are among the most consumed drugs. The users either suffer from mental retardation, frustration and domestic trauma, or have inherited the same addiction from their parents. Doweiko and Zaidi appear to be more expert in exploring the causes, defining the consequences and suggesting the solutions for the rehabilitation REFERENCES: Barnard, Marina, (2006). Drug Addiction and Families. Paperback. ISBN-10 p 31 Doweiko, Harold E. (2006). Concepts of Chemical Dependency. Wadsworth Pub Co. ISBN: 053463284X p 46 http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_71266_EN_EMCDDA-TP_womens%20voices.pdf Cirakoglu, Okan Cem & Isin, Guler. (2005) Perception of Drug Addiction among Turkish University Students: Causes, cures & attitudes. Pp 1-8 (Quoted in http://www.elyadal.org/docs/cirakoglu_perception.pdf) Mubeen, Chanda & Sharif, Mujahida. (2007). Drug Addiction Among Females in District Lahore (Pakistan) pp 2-4 (Retrieved from http://www.fspublishers.org/jass/past-issues/JASSVOL_3_NO_3/8.pdf) Zaidi, Mujtaba Haider. (1999). Biological and Sociological Causes of Perversion. An article published in psychological review, University of the Punjab, Lahore pp 26-39. http://www.rightstep.com/women-and-addiction.php http://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/women_Book-6-5-03/12_drugabuseamongwomen-emergingglobaltrends.pdf Topic:  Analytic Source Review and Evaluation: Illegal Drugs. Instructions: 1500 words maximum. I Would Like You To Think Of A Title For This Piece Of Work. You Are Supposed To Set Your Own Question. Must Be Related To Illegal Drugs. Then You Will Have To Choose Four Sources, Which You Will Have To Compare And Critically Analyse. Two Of The Sources Must Be From The Internet. When Choosing The Sources Keep In Mind That You Should Have Two Sources That Are Arguing For, And Two That Are Arguing Against. This Will Make The Sources Easier To Compare. This Piece Of Work Is Testing Research Skills, Comparative And Analytical Skills. This Piece Of Work Must Be Precise And Direct To The Title. There Is No Room For Unnecessary Information. Assessment Criteria: Analytic source evaluation: a. The piece should use FOUR sources AT LEAST TWO of which should be INTERNET sources. Other sources may range from library, journal articles, media, government, statistics, guidelines or other academic sources. b. The sources and subjects chosen should be related to illegal drugs. c. This analysis must show awareness of CONTEXT, the background or setting, of the subject chosen. d. It should be a COMPARATIVE analysis of sources and perspectives such as discussion of relevant theoretical perspectives and/or methodological issues contained within these sources. e. Relevant discussion of POLICY IMPLICATIONS should be addressed. f. The structure of the argument, rules of grammar, spelling, legibility, confinement to word limit, referencing and bibliography must be demonstrated. Dear Writer, There are a few concerns i have: 1. The paper that i uploaded is not fully complete, PLEASE CHECK. 2. In the introduction you need to make clear which 4 sources you will be reviewing. 3. I feel you could make the language seem a little easier to read. By this I mean the paper in some parts seems a little too professional. 4. You need to include a little less description and more comparative analysis. To help boost the standard of the essay. 5. Also you dont really seem to mention any strengths and weaknesses of the sources and their arguments. 6. The bibliography or reference list is quite hard to understand, please make it more clearer. I would like you to look at the above points and make the necessary adjustments. I am willing to give you another 24 hours to make the changes. Best Regards, Umar. Read More