Types of Prescription Drugs used and their Effect
There has been a relatively recent increase, since the 1990s and increasing still, of prescription drug use and abuse. Discuss the types of prescription drugs being abused and what they are causing, as well as similarities to the street drugs that we have discussed. Are prescription drugs the new “gateway” drugs? Please at least address those questions with data to support your answer, and feel free to address other concerns about prescription drugs. Homework Assignments: 30% toward the student's grade. Each assignment is worth 10%. All homework assignment posts are due Sunday at 11:55pm ET. The assignments cover the material from the textbook(s) and the supplemental citations. Each assignment response needs to be 2-3 pages with APA 6th ed citations and references. Do Not Use MLA or any other form of referencing. All Assignments need to be uploaded as a Word Doc attachment as well. You also need 5-7 references, 5 is the minimum. It is recommended that students try to adhere to a consistent format, which is described below. 1. Typewritten in double-spaced format with a readable style and font and submitted inside the electronic classroom (unless classroom access is not possible and other arrangements have been approved by the professor). 2. A 12-point font, Times New Roman, Aerial or Verdana fonts are good. 3. Page margins: Top, Bottom, Left Side and Right Side = 1 inch. Assignments All homework assignments must be written in an academic tone. You are not to write in the first person. Instead you need to use third person. Remember, an academic essay is not to be written like you are having a casual conversation with your friends. Do not include slang or foul language unless you are quoting someone. Large word-for-word quotes are not permitted. Direct quotes, if used, need to be only a sentence or two long. Instead, most cited material needs to be paraphrased. For more information on properly citing sources in your assignments, please refer to the APA 6th edition manual. While the assignments are to include an examination on current research of a particular problem, they also need to include the student’s careful and informed analysis of the problem. Each assignment post needs to be submitted as a Word Doc attachment. The student should download the assignment document and should follow the directions for each separate project. Each assignment should be completed and uploaded as an attachment to the professor in the student's Student Folder by the due date as a WORD DOC.
Prescription drug use and abuse
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Types of prescription drugs used and their effect
In the recent past, there has been growing increase in cases relating to the use of prescription drugs for recreational or nonmedical purposes. According to McCabe, Teter, and Boyd (2005), the majority of students and youth are turning to use of prescription drugs for self-medication against pain and recreational such as intoxication (p.38). There are three main medical drugs classes that are currently being used for non-medical motives. They include opioids, usually administered for relief of pain; depressants of the CNS such as benzodiapenes and barbiturates that are administered for sleep or anxiety conditions; and stimulants administered for obesity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder such as methylphenidate and amphetamines (ADHD) (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011, p.1). A research conducted in a university setting indicated that the main motive behind the illicit use of prescription drugs is to get high, raise alertness, and improve the concentration (Guthrie et al., 2010, p.253). The students use these drugs to better their performance and concentration in class.
Similarities to street drugs
On the streets, it is common to hear words such as downers, phennies and roofies which are the street names for barbiturates, benzodiapenes and sleep medications respectively (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011, p.1). Lowered anxiety, well-being, feelings, abnormal excitement, dizziness, and drowsiness are some of the effects produced by these drugs. Morphine and opioid derivatives such as Empirin with codeine, Roxanol, Tylox , Actiq and Methadose are some of the prescriptions that are taken for non-medical purposes sold in the streets with distinct names. The main routes of administration used in the street or through injection, swallowing, smoking, snorting, and chewing, which are similar to the routes used in intake of street drugs. Stimulants such as Adderall, Ritalin and Concerta are common drugs used in the street used to produce an exhilarating feeling, energy bursts and menta...