America: The Addicted Nation - Research Paper Example

your first and (your America: The Addicted Introduction Whenever people talk about addiction in the United States, three things usually come up: drugs, alcohol and social networking. For the longest time, Americans have been waging a losing battle, it seems, against addiction to drugs and alcohol. According to the Surgeon General’s Report, the economic cost of the society’s addiction to illegal drugs and alcohol are $181 and $185 billion, respectively, every year. (National) Many people have lost their lives to drunk driving and substance abuse. Despite the government’s continued struggle to encourage the American people to change their bad habits, deaths and accidents because of these addictions still make the news almost every day. As if drugs and alcohol do not do enough damage to the individuals in America, the people have discovered a new craze thanks to the progress of technology and never-ending competition of electronic giants like Samsung and Apple to come up with the most convenient or the smallest electronic gadgets. Americans seem to have made social networking sites a part of their daily routine. Despite all the complaints about violation of privacy and negative effects on behavior, Americans still find themselves susceptible to the appeal of Facebook, Twitter and the like. Marijuana & Prescription Drugs America’s dependence on drugs does not have a definite start. Drugs are part of the field of medicine, the aspect of society which is responsible for promoting the well-being of its members. As such, drugs have always been available to the American society. Dependence on these, as with any addiction, began when Americans started taking prescription drugs more often than they were supposed to or for reasons the drugs were not prescribed for. Almost one out of ten Americans above twelve years old is categorized with substance abuse or dependence. (National) This is alarming because the age reference shows that drug addiction already starts when an individual becomes an adolescent. This means that when teenagers are supposed to be enjoying their life by engaging in after-school activities like playing sports and spending time with their families, they are actually getting high on illegal and prescription drugs. The most commonly abused drugs are marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants and psychotherapeutic drugs for non-medical purposes. (Cooper) This was based on 2010 survey conducted by the government regarding drug, alcohol and tobacco use. Marijuana, specifically, has had a longer relationship with Americans, making center stage during the 60’s and the 70’s “when getting high was the norm” (Krueger) in America. However, it soon became listed under narcotic drugs and was considered habit-forming and as such harmful for society. Penalties exist for those cultivating, distributing and using marijuana. In Florida, possessing one ounce of marijuana is equivalent to five years and a $6,000 fine while selling close to 25 pounds is a felony which comes with a-five year jail time and a $5,000 fine. (Rao) Recent times, however, has seen a twist to the tale of marijuana and Americans. Medical benefits derived from use of marijuana have pushed medical experts, legislators and patients to clamor for the legalization of marijuana. In 1976, Robert Randall became the first patient to be legally allowed to use marijuana for the treatment of his glaucoma. (Recipients) Subsequently, the government formed a study in 1992 and starting giving free marijuana to nearly 20 patients every month (Stolberg). The program has long been shut down but the comfort marijuana has provided to people with cancer, rare bone disorder and the like are too obvious. Unafraid of the legalities involved, some retirees use marijuana for Crohn’s disease and arthritis because traditional medicines leave them feel sicker. (Krueger) Although the federal government still rules against the use of marijuana, Washington and Colorado have passed laws stating “personal possession of up to an ounce (28.5 grams)” is okay for people 21 years and older. (Bly) People against the measure doubt the law will be enforced seeing that the federal government is still not in favor of medical or recreational use of marijuana. Aside from addiction to marijuana, prescription drugs have given the federal government something to worry about. In America, a pill-popping culture has begun to exist characterized by too many prescriptions of ADHD and antipsychotic drugs to children, abuse of painkiller and sleeping pills and the unchecked issuance of drugs to the elderly, making them cash machines for doctors. (Maris) For many people, what used to be remedies for pain have become the cause of their pain. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that half of around 28,754 million Americans who died of accidental overdose used prescription painkillers. (Newfield) Some people take them without knowing that they can be lethal. Some take them for health reasons but have become addicted to the relief they get and find it hard to stop. Still, prescription drugs have become the “second-most abused category of drugs after marijuana.” (Ruffini) Prescription drugs are those licensed and regulated by law. They are different than over-the-counter drugs because one needs to have a prescription from a medical practitioner to be able to purchase prescription drugs. With the drugs also come a packet which contains information on the effects of the drugs and how they are to be used. Abuse happens when people intake a dosage higher than prescribed or drugs which are not prescribed to them. Pain relievers, depressants and stimulants are the most abused prescription drugs. (Sciuto) Problems about prescription drugs arise in two ways. Those who initially take them for health reasons start becoming dependent on the effects. This makes them experience withdrawal symptoms when administration of the drug is stopped or suddenly lessened. On the other hand, their body becomes used to the dosage that the medicine becomes ineffective unless a higher dosage is administered. Some people, especially teens, are able to get access to prescription drugs through family members. Parents often think it is okay to abuse prescription drugs because they are “safe” drugs as compared to “street drugs” sold by unknown people. (Ly) Because of this, they do not try to hide the pills from their children. What they do not know is that children as young as twelve are sneaking out pills from their parents’ prescriptions to exchange with or use at parties with their friends. (Ly) The dangers of prescription drugs for teenagers are brought about by its accessibility and the lack of information to families. Beer and other drinks Essentially, there is nothing wrong with drinking. Having a beer or two is usual, especially among co-workers winding down after a busy week or buddies who meet every weekend to catch up on things. Social drinking is not a problem. In fact, alcohol has been part of society since about 4000 BC. (Morris) Beer can even be good for the body. It has antioxidants and vitamins to help prevent heart disease, rebuild muscle (Alvarez) and it stimulates appetite, digestion and the flow of breast milk. (Beer) Scientists even say that as long as one is old enough and does not drink more than five units in one night or a maximum of 21 units weekly for men and 14 for women then beer drinking would be healthy. (Wojcik) What gives beer and other alcoholic drinks a bad reputation are the people who do not drink these beverages in moderation. Beer and alcoholic drinks have become the “third leading cause of preventable death” (Alcohol) in America. Incidents include death due to drinking and driving and diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver, cancer and other similar sicknesses caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption has become quite an addiction in the United States that organizations such as Alcoholic Anonymous exist in the country to help citizens change this bad habit. Laws on the legal age of a drinker and on drinking while driving are in place to aid in the prevention of deaths and accidents. The government has also embarked on awareness programs that focus on alcohol abuse and drunk-driving prevention. Some people say it will be a daunting task for the government to decrease the numbers because of the availability of alcohol in the country and the politics involved. There is a big market for the product and many suppliers would lose a substantial amount of income. Another reason is because Americans are used to having alcohol whenever they dine which may be in big public gatherings or private family affairs. It is already a big part of American culture that beer-drinking is as typical of an American as tea-drinking is of a British person. Facebook, Twitter and the rest The advent of computers brought with it convenience for men who were used to pen, paper and typewriters. Tasks became easier to do because computers made documentation and the like fast. With the introduction of the Internet, society became even more impressed with the speed it made available to men in accomplishing their daily activities. Everything just became real-time, especially communication. As if electronic mails and blog postings were not enough to keep friends and family up-to-date on a person’s life, the Internet introduced social networking sites and Americans became quickly hooked. A social networking site is “an online community of people with a common interest” (Social) who talk over the Internet or other similar technology and exchange ideas, etc. These kinds of websites became very popular because people are able to know what was happening to others in seconds. In addition to messaging, social networking sites also allow people to post pictures, videos and links to other websites they want the people in their network to see. With the invention of smart phones, the addiction to social networking has been even more because people did not have to wait to get home or be in front of a computer with Internet access. They could check on each other on their mobile phones as long as they are connected to the Internet. It is now listed as a big problem for the U.S. government due to the harmful effect it brings to the computer user. A survey showed that Americans spend about 16 minutes an hour on social networking sites, yielding higher numbers than people in Australia and the U.K. (Rogers) This result has made experts in the field of medicine very nervous. Students are spending more time tapping away on their phones, checking their accounts on popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. An American’s daily routine now involves going through their friends’ profile pages and reading comments or status message on photos, videos or the latest information posted by other people in the same network. In fact, almost 7 million kids in college and high school log on to Facebook daily. (Pace) Being a part of social network is not a bad thing in itself. Businesses have resorted to using social networking sites to promote their products. Family and friends who are separated by continents can now know about each other’s lives in a matter of seconds. Individuals have found a way to show others their skills and hobbies. Long-lost friends have found each other through links of friends of friends. What makes social networking sites harmful is how Americans have become addicted, wasting hours and hours checking on their profiles and others’ profiles when they could spend the time studying more for a test or finishing things at work that are on a deadline. Some even lose time they could spend turning in early because they are too busy during the day to check their accounts. Distraction is a term associated with addiction to social networking. Too often, school kids can be found logged on to their accounts while in class or in between classes. At home, they go online while doing their homework. The attention that is intended for school work is disrupted by the curiosity a few minutes of not being logged on to their account brings. In the workplace, employees are logged on to their accounts on their office computer or mobile phones. They find themselves multitasking so they could finish their tasks at work while checking out friends’ posts or making posts of their own. Every American who has a gadget that can connect to wireless Internet is logged on to a social networking site whether this person is in transit, getting ready to sleep, at work, at school, at play and even at the table to eat. A review of the psychological effect of online social networking has reported that usage has detrimental effects on real life social community participation, academic achievement and relationships. (Kuss and Griffiths) People spend more time on activities found on online social networking like shopping, gambling, playing games, etc. It has been too bad that some people even admit not being able to perform tasks expected of them. (Kuss and Griffiths) This is why use of social networking sites has been called addictive. Conclusion Americans have always been a progressive group of people. Their ingenuity and hard work has made the United States one of the leading countries in the world and given Americans a lot of the things they are enjoying now. It unfortunate that these outstanding traits of Americans have failed in helping the society beat its addiction to many things. Americans, it appears to be, continue to be hopelessly addicted to drugs, alcohol and online social networking. While it is true that drugs, alcohol and online social networking have proven advantages that the American people take pleasure in, these same things have become damaging to everyone as well. Not only do they bring harm to the individual physically, but they also negatively affect the person’s behavior and relationships. The government and private organizations have already established programs to help curb these addictions. Despite these, the figures show that majority of the American people seem to be steadfast in having and keeping a relationship with drugs, alcohol and online social networking. Reference: “Addiction Science: From Molecules to Managed Care.” Introduction. National Institute on Drug Abuse. July 2008. Web. 24 April 2013. “Alcohol linked to 75,000 U.S. deaths a year.” Addictions. NBC News.com, 25 June 2005. Web. 29 April 2013. Alvarez, Manual. “St. Patty’s Day is around the corner: Surprising health benefits of beer.” Health. FOX News Network, LLC, 14 March 2013. Web. 28 April 2013. “Beer.” WebMD, n.d. Web. 29 April 2013. Bly, Laura S. “Colorado, Washington OK recreational marijuana use.” Travel. USA Today, 07 November 2012. Web. 29 April 2013. 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