topic :
Students, Alcohol, and Drugs
Alcohol and drug use among students is a serious problem. Campus environments are often seen as encouraging not only use but abuse. Binge-drinking (drinking to get drunk, usually considered at least four drinks on any occasion) is one form of substance abuse that is very common among students.
Alcohol and drugs pose special problems for students. The average student who has one drink a day earns a GPA at only a C-level, and grades plummet with higher consumption. Women need to drink only half what male students do to cause the same effect on their grades. Almost half of academic problems come from abusing alcohol. It's also a factor in about a third of drop-outs.
In an environment where binge-drinking is common, so are substance-related legal offences and injuries. Illegal drugs, underage possession of alcohol, and drunk driving can costs fines and jail time. Fights, sexual assualt, and injuries are more likely to happen when one has been drinking or doing drugs. Half of campus injuries are alcohol-related. One third of people who die in drunk driving crashes are under 25 years old. It's the leading cause of death for young people.
Many people have stereotypes of what an alcoholic or addict is, and most people don't associate that image with young students. Being young and in college doesn't protect you from addiction. Responsible behavior
does.
kinds of illegal drugs:
Illegal drugs are bad for you and the way your body works. If you take an illegal drug you can end up with very serious problems. Some the illegal drugs are hallucinogens (drugs that make you see things that are not real). Cannabis (the official name of marijuana) used to be sold in coffee shops. The more powerful word for marijuana is Hashish.
Another popular drug is Cocaine. Cocaine is an oil found in leaves in a South American plant. This drug is very addictive.
Heroine was considered a morphine in 1874. Heroine is a white powder with a bitter taste. A single dose of heroine is about 100 milligrams.
PCP (Phencyclidine) was invented in the 1950s. This product was originally made to be an anesthetic, but the patients became easily angered and delusional so it was kicked off the market. The most common street names for this drug are Angel Dust, Ozone, Wack, and Rocket Fuel.
Steroids are substances related to male sex hormones. Steroids are most commonly used by athletes to be stronger so they can beat the competition.
LSD (lysergic acid diethyl amide) is a major drug in the hallucinogen class. LSD was found in 1938; this was the greatest mood changing drug. LSD is a fungus that grows on grains.
Illegal Drugs - How they make your life better or worse Benefits - Can they make your life better?
- Entertainment - something to do.
- Being one of the group?
- Seem more grown up?
- Dull senses for a couple hours - if this can be considered desirable.
- What else????
- Possibility of someone with a gun handcuffing and arresting you.
- Big legal fees and or court fines. This can get very serious for second plus offence when you are no longer a child.
- Criminal record makes it very difficult to get a decent job. Do you know what your lifestyle will be like if you have to support yourself on minimum wage??
- Possible loss of driving privilege and or drivers license. Then how do you work to get fun spending money? How do you go out on a date? How do you do co-op if you want to? How do you go to college?
- Possibly have your vehicle impounded or forfeited if the police think it may have been used in the purchase or sale of drugs (by you or a drug-using friend you transport).
- Loss of parents support for car insurance.
- Hanging with drug users makes you a target for police arrest.
- Illegal drug users and alcohol abusers are much more likely to use heavier drugs and ruin their lives. Alcohol and drug abuse are the #1 and #2 factors in ruined, miserable lives. Other illegal activity would be the #3 ruin of lives.
- Reduced trust from parents. Would we ever loan our car if we think you might be using drugs or transporting a drug user? Would we be willing to risk impoundment or forfeiture of our vehicle if drugs might be in our car? Will we want to help with cash if part of your money goes for drugs, cigarettes, or liquor?
- Reduced or no support from Mom and Dad. We are willing to continue supporting you beyond what we are required to. But only if you are doing your part. IE: Good school attendance, working hard to get good grades, no drug usage or criminal activity etc. We want to help you get enough education (and avoid a criminal record) so that you can enjoy a good life style and get more enjoyment from life. If you don't want to go along with our plan you will need to support yourself.
- Health risks - Have you studied biology in school? Do you know about bacteria and how disease is spread? If a couple drug-users put a spoon in their mouth, would you be willing to then put it in your mouth? Would you put a joint or pipe in your mouth after a drug user did? Is it fun being sick with a viral or bacterial infection? Would it be fun to get hepatitis B or C? Etc. Who will pay for medical treatment if you get a drug related health problem? Should that be our responsibility?
- Any kind of smoking is proven to damage your body. Marijuana is known to harm memory; damage brain cells and increases your chance of getting a horrible disease like emphysema or heart disease.
