Marijuana Tax Stamps

Posts Tagged ‘Drugs’

Miami Herald columnist Andres Oppenheimer speaks about the war on drugs and whether the decriminalization of marijuana will happen soon. MIAMI HERALD STUDIOS

Drugs can cause man boobs to develop. In some cases Gynecomastia develops, which is the enlargement of the breast. The condition causes embarrassment for men who are trying to enjoy certain activities that require them to remove their shirt. When Gynecomastia or man boobs develop a man may have to consider surgery to reduce the man boobs. In many instances diet and exercise will help reduce man boobs. Doctors suggest today that men should change their eating habits and exercise more often to reduce man boobs and avoid surgery.
Gynecomastia can develop anytime and man of all ages is subjects to man boobs. Those who are dealing with puberty may develop man boobs. Puberty starts anywhere between the ages 13 and up to 18. During this time, teens start to fill out and develop. Usually man boobs last a short while and then the body starts to balance and blend with the rest of the body. It usually takes around 2 years for the body to achieve balance. However, if your child takes heroin, steroids, marijuana, or drinks excessively he can develop and continue to live with man boobs. You may need to speak with your family doctor if the problem persists. Doctors will take blood tests, mammograms, and X-rays in some cases to eliminate possibilities of disease or other conditions. If the problem is related to puberty only, the doctor may recommend that your child exercise and diet.
Gynecomastia is caused from fatty tissue build up, or estrogen builds up. With a proper diet and exercise the condition can be controlled. Avoiding certain drugs can also help control and even prevent man boobs. Surgery is the last recourse and is often considered for men who have extreme cases of Gynecomastia. Yet, with proper diet and exercise, you can work off some of that fat build up to reduce man boobs. You need to set up a balanced nutritious diet and exercise regularly. You can get help with diet and exercise from your dietician or doctor. Your diet should include lots of fiber, which helps to burn away fat. Try to avoid eating at late hours. Eat sensible meals and stay away from drugs proven to cause Gynecomastia. When you eat your largest meal of the day early, you will have time to work off some of the fat before bed. Stay in control by watching your diet and exercise.

Taking painkillers does not mean addiction. Painkillers can be taken by anyone according to their age. What leads to addiction is overdose of painkillers. Overdose of painkillers in not always intentional; some increase the dosage of painkiller just because they know the heightened effect of painkiller and some get to the addiction accidentally. Accidental addiction occurs mainly to those people who haven’t got the idea of pharmaceutical drug abuse. Hundreds of thousands people get addicted to painkillers every year, intentionally or accidentally. Whatever may the reason of addiction is, the effect is the same. Painkiller addiction ruins the person’s life and drags them towards death. Painkiller addiction is now the most common mode of addiction; it has even outraced heroine or cocaine addiction. World renowned drugs like heroine, cocaine or marijuana costs too much and they are sometimes hard for a person to afford. People have to adopt other ways like stealing or any other illegal work to get the money for these drugs. Whereas, painkillers are easily available and at very low cost. Since painkiller is prescription drug, it can be found at any medical store. The only thing that a person needs while buying painkillers is a doctor’s prescription. It is not easy to get a doctor’s prescription easily, so the addicts consult a doctor complaining about their fake ailments so that the doctor can prescribe him or her with painkillers.The addiction to painkillers has reached such a level now, that people search more for prescription drug rehab than heroine or cocaine rehabs. Since, painkillers are used for medicinal purpose, it cannot be banned. As a result, the addicts get their daily dosage whenever they want. A heroine or cocaine addict can be identified quiet easily by their abnormal behavior; whereas, it is very hard to identify a painkiller addict. If you suspect any of your friend or family member of taking painkillers, you have to observe them very carefully.There are certain minute symptoms of painkiller addiction that can be observed, like nausea, sleeping for long period of time, excessive yawning, dry mouth, diarrhea, unstable behavior, forgetfulness etc. But, these problems can occur separately to any person. That doesn’t mean that he is addicted to painkillers. But if you find all these symptoms in a single person and almost everyday, then you can be sure about his or her addiction.The patients who have been prescribed with painkillers must be under well observation. They must not be allowed to take overdose of the painkillers. They must not stop taking painkillers suddenly or increase or decrease the dosage without consulting a doctor.The best and only way to get rid of this addiction is getting proper treatment from a well known rehabilitation center like the Luxury Drug Rehab. A reputed painkiller rehab can only provide all the facilities and conduct all the treatment procedures that are needed for an addict’s complete rehabilitation.Practice of pharmaceutical drug abuse is increasing day by day. Proper measures must be taken by the family members of the person who has been prescribed with painkillers so that the person does not get addicted to it.

Misuse of Prescription Drugs

More American children are being treated with psychiatric drugs such as Prozac, Ritalin and Risperdal than in the past. According to a new study, the number of children taking such drugs has tripled from 1987 to 1996 and continued to increase through 2000.(drugs.com)

The increase may be indicative of better diagnosis of mental illness in children, however, researchers voiced concern that drug-company marketing, cost-saving efforts by insurance companies and increased demands on parents and physicians may be fueling the urge to prescribe medication. (drugs.com)

Although most psychiatrists say that a treatment plan including both medication and psychotherapy is most effective, psychotherapy is more expensive in the short-term than medication. Therefore, insurance companies stand to increase their profits by promoting medication over therapy (Mercola).

Prescription drug abuse is the use of prescription medication in a manner that is not prescribed by a health care practitioner. This includes using someone else’s prescription or using your own prescription in a way not directed by your doctor.  Most people take prescription medication responsibly under a doctor’s care. However, there has been a steady increase in the non-medical use of these medications, especially by teenagers. Prescription drug abuse knows no boundaries; it occurs in all social, economic, geographic, and ethnic groups.  Kids as young as 12 are trying prescription drugs to get high. Prescription drugs are often more easily available to children than illicit drugs like marijuana because they can be stolen from the medicine cabinet at home, rather than having to be bought on the streets. An added danger of abusing prescription drugs is that teens consider them safer than street drugs because they are manufactured by a pharmaceutical company.  Although any prescription drug can be abused, the three types of drugs that are most commonly abused are:

OTC drugs are also abused by teens. Some OTC products used medically to treat allergies and colds contain drugs that can cause serious harm if abused in large doses for non-medical purposes. Cough syrups can be equally dangerous when teens drink them to get high.  Painkillers are the most commonly abused by teens, especially by younger teens. Stimulant abuse is more common among older teens and college students. Combining prescription drugs with alcohol makes them even more dangerous. Consumption of alcohol dramatically increases a person’s potential for adverse reaction to pharmaceutical drugs. 

            The effects of the abuse are not immediately obvious.  This abuse can continue until it produces consequences.  The mind tends filter out one-trillionth of reality so when there is abuse of prescription drugs the mind may not realize the reality of these consequences.(Mind Real)

With hit shows like Weeds and Breaking Bad on modern TV, depictions of drug dealers have become much more complex…and much more interesting!

Back in the day, the only portrayals of drug dealers and users on film and TV were in the infamous exploitation films like ‘Reefer Madness’. Then there grew the rise of the stoner movie, with drug addled characters like Cheech and Chong suitable only for comic relief.  But recently, a few TV shows have taken the curious step of bucking the trend, and have featured drug dealers as central characters in complex, serious dramas. ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Weeds’ are both hit shows in the US, a country notorious for its aggressive attitudes towards drugs, and the last place where one would expect deep character studies of drug dealers to have a captive audience. With one show revolving around a crystal meth dealer and the other around a grower of marijuana from marijuana seeds, how have they gone on to win large audiences and critical acclaim?

Weeds

‘Weeds’, starring Mary-Louise Parker, revolves around an ordinary suburban housewife who is thrust into an extraordinary situation. When her husband suddenly dies from a heart attack, she is left to support the family in perilous financial circumstances. Rather than give up the high standard of living that she has grown accustomed to, she uses her knowledge of gardening and baking to buy marijuana seeds, grow her own marijuana, bake marijuana products, and sell them to her local community. Along the way, she faces danger from both the law and from rival drug dealers who are looking to get rid of their new competitor. The show is a hit, now into its sixth series and has won numerous awards.

Breaking Bad

In ‘Breaking Bad’, things are a little more serious than marijuana and marijuana seeds – the main character in this show produces crystal meth! The main character, Walter White, is a chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Driven by a desire to raise enough money to care of his family, he uses his knowledge to become a meth dealer. ‘Breaking Bad’ is only on its third series, but has been winning all kinds of plaudits from the critics.

What do these two shows have in common, apart from the drug dealers as their main characters? Both shows provide great entertainment, but there’s more involved than just exciting storylines and good writing. With the two shows both focusing on middle class characters who turn to drug dealing out of necessity as a way to make a quick buck, they seem to have been written to give the average TV viewer a character who is easy to empathise with. Neither show is interested in glorifying drug dealing, or in playing down the hazards of the trade – after all, it is these hazards that provide the fuel for most of the plot lines for individual episodes! But they are both certainly far more interesting, nuanced perspectives on the drugs question, and for that they certainly deserve to be applauded. We’ve certainly come a long way since ‘Reefer Madness!’