Marijuana Abuse by the U.S University Students: An Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example

Marijuana Abuse by the U.S An Annotated Bibliography I am studying marijuana abuse by university students in the US. The purpose of the study is to find out the causes and effects in order to help the affected students cope up with their lives and provide awareness to those students who are at risk. "Prevalence of marijuana use disorders in the United States: 1991-1992 and 2001-2002." PubMed. National Institutes of Health, 05 May 2004. Web. 30 Apr 2012. . National Institutes of Health website could be considered a credible source highlighting the health and medical issue. The article at this webpage provides a brief insight into the marijuana use by the general population, how widespread it is and how prevalent are the marijuana use disorders in the entire population. The aim of this article is to determine the changes in the marijuana use and abuse between 1991-1992 and 2001-2002, which is achieved through the comparison of two surveys, carried a decade apart. The results of the survey showed that the use of marijuana remained stable at about 4% among the adult population. The prevalence of disorders due to marijuana abuse appears to have been increased to a great degree from 1.2% in 1991-1992 to 1.5% in 2001-2002. These disorders were more prevalent in young population of black men and women. Overall the core purpose of the webpage is to highlight statistically the use and abuse of marijuana so as to clarify the severity of the situation and use it in my study to focus the attention of people especially youth towards the issue and develop preventive measures. The sources of these two surveys, as quoted by the webpage, are National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey and National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. This according to me satisfies all the required standards and therefore can be considered credible. Therefore by quoting these surveys I will be able to establish a firm foundation for the issue under study by quoting them as concrete supporting evidence. The results of the study contributed to my knowledge about the widespreadness of marijuana through an understanding of the rates of the past decade, and what part of the population is most affected with the disorders and I am sure this will really help the reader in gaining a basic understanding of the same. "Increased use of marijuana and other illicit drugs at US colleges in the 1990s: results of three national surveys.." PubMed. National Institutes of Health, Nov 2000. Web. 30 Apr 2012. . This second webpage is from the same website as the first one. This study was carried by “Harvard School of Public Health College” Alcohol Study as seen on the National Institutes of Health website. The purpose of the study quoted at this article is to check and verify the increased use of marijuana and other drugs in different U.S colleges in the decade of 90s. The survey is designed through the self-administered mail survey and 119 national colleges were tested. Three different surveys were conducted in 1993, 1997 and 1999 in which a randomly selected sample of around fifteen thousand students were tested for marijuana and drug usage for the past 30 days and the past year. Thus the sample selection and testing methods are quite satisfactory and could be considered a well-designed survey. The results of the survey showed that marijuana use increased by 22% from 1993 to 1999. Although the results quoted by the source tell about the increment in the overall marijuana use, what subgroups were most affected, what type of drugs they used, and how and when they started using drugs; but what methods were used to test the individuals are unknown and we cannot therefore deduce whether the methods used were reliable or not. The source of the study is credible just as the first one and the survey results can also be considered believable, but the survey is old. And as said above the methods of testing are not well known. Nevertheless the study makes a very good effort in measuring the increase in marijuana use in the decade of 90s, however, a more recent research study, if available, could have been more helpful in indicating to my readers the current trend in marijuana use. The results of the study could help readers canvass the gravity of the prevailing drug abuse and where the intervention efforts must be directed to handle the situation. Mohler-Kuo, M, JE Lee, and H Wechsler. "Trends in marijuana and other illicit drug use among college students: results from 4 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study surveys: 1993-2001...”. Journal of American College Health, Jul-Aug 2003. Web. 1 May 2012. . This book studies trends in marijuana and other illicit drugs among the U.S college students. Data from 4 different surveys conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study were used by the authors of the study. The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of marijuana consumption among the college students and o find the relationship between the age of initiation of drug use and later consumption of the drugs between 1993 and 2001. The authors examined the results of a study of 119 different U.S colleges and universities conducted by Harvard School of Public Health College which showed significant increase in marijuana use among the college students between 1993 and 1997. They also examined the use of other drugs and addictive substances among the marijuana users. In this study, the authors have used data from several surveys conducted by Harvard School of Public Health College, which increases its objectivity. However the surveys used were from the 90s decade and more recent studies could have helped in identifying the current course of the marijuana use. The results of the study will help the readers in identifying the relationships between marijuana and other drugs usage and how they relate to the ages of initiation of substance. This will also help the readers in becoming aware of the time when the students are most prone of drug addiction, which can aid in taking preventive measures as well. Marijuana Use among Students at Institutions of Higher Education. U.S. Department of Education, 2008. eBook. . This is a published fact book about the use of marijuana among college students and college athletes. The book regards Marijuana as the most frequently used drug in U.S with about 14.8 million reported users in 2006. To achieve its purpose the book mentions several different surveys and their results for its readers, and all the sources are also cited within the “Notes” section of the book. The study is funded by U.S Department of Education and the main purpose is to create awareness about the marijuana usage among the general public. It also compares habits of marijuana users with those of non-users. For example, the students who used marijuana were less likely to study for more than 2 hours a day and to have a GPA of B or less than those who did not use marijuana. It also mentions useful statistical information about the use of marijuana among the college athletes and the reasons for their addiction. Various surveys and sources are quoted in this book including Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS), The U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention, and The Network Addressing Collegiate Alcohol and Other Drug Issues. All other sources are also cited and seem to be reliable for my study. The issues and ideas covered in this book also inform the readers about the probable consequences of the marijuana use and their potential short and long-term effects. The inclusion of this highly valuable information is quite appropriate for my study. UNODC Strategy: 2008 – 2011. New York: United Nations, 2008. eBook. . As the source says “UNODC is the United Nation’s center for fight against ‘uncivil society’ (UNODC).” The aim of this book is to inform the readers about the UNODC’s strategy for the year 2008. It includes the medium term strategy which considers the issues faced by the nations of the world and suggests the action that needs to be taken for recovery. It then further informs about how the strategy needs to be implemented and how it will help in improving the current trends in drug and crime. The complete strategy of UNODC for the years 2008-2011 is presented step by step in a detailed guide. The source of the book being United Nations is highly reliable and accurate. All the issues and information presented are accurate and up to date, and all the sources support the conclusions. The issue and their preventive measures covered in this book is relevant to the topics covered in my study and will greatly serve in teaching what are the current drug related issues and how U.N plans to address them. The source book is not so easy to understand for laypersons and I have tried to take those parts of the book for my study that are applicable and tried to convey through the study. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Drug trafficking. UNODC, Web. . This book is published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on its website. The purpose of the book as the name says is to inform the readers about the global illicit trade of drugs including its cultivation, manufacture, distribution and subsequent sale. The book considers the most recent reports by UNODC and examines the parts of the world where the drug trafficking is most dominant. The size and revenues of drug markets around the world are also demonstrated. The book also examines the production and use of drugs in different continents and sub-continents and how they flow to different parts of the world. All the conclusions are supported by the concrete evidences and facts collected by the United Nations. The source is highly credible and the information contained therein is highly reliable and valuable. How the marijuana trade takes place and where it is produced and manufactured are the matter relevant to my study. The inclusion of this valuable information produced by UNODC in my study would therefore enhance the understanding of the readers about marijuana and other illicit drugs trafficking that takes place throughout the world, and contribute to the completeness of my study. Read More