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RUNNING HEAD: LITERATURE REVIEW

Josue Guzman
04/09/2016
RWS 2
University of Texas at El Paso

RUNNING HEAD: LITERATURE REVIEW

What is the greatest risk a person may take when using drugs such as marijuana or cocaine?

When a drug such as cocaine is taken into the body it confuses the cells in our body on
how to use these chemicals and depending on how the body reacts the side effects can be
devastating to the body. According to the research done by discovery channel (2013) this
documentary claims to demonstrate how when a drug is taken the way they react to blood cells in
the body and the effects it may take on a specific individual. The director also gives examples of
how a drug such as marijuana or cocaine affects a persons nervous system or their brain to make
them behave differently in certain situations. Although the documentary may be too graphic it
demonstrates everything in great detail. However Ali and Kuhar (2008) the main goal for both
authors is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of drugs that can be abused, such
as cocaine, meth, marijuana, nicotine, etc. These drugs are all compared to each other on their
components and what they all have in common. The authors have gathered information from test
rats to know what these substances do to the brain and the parts it affects the most. The
experiment consisted of injecting a substance into the rat and testing how the rats behavior and
concentration changed by making them walk through a maze, most of the rats gave up quick and
they stayed in one place not knowing how to react. This experiment helps answer the research
question by giving results that tell us how a substance may affect a person and what

RUNNING HEAD: LITERATURE REVIEW

consequences it has on the brain and on the body. They later discuss on what frequent exposure
to these drugs take an effect on a persons behavior and to cells in the body. While discovery
channel claims to experiment in real people to find out how each drug affects the body when it is
taken, Ali and Kuhar first test each drug individually then test the drugs on rats to make sure no
one is hurt during the experiment which is a professional way of testing these harsh drugs.

Why do people use these drugs, what makes them want to take these drugs?

There is a great number of people who take drugs very frequently and it is a major
concern for the community. Finding out the reasons why people take drugs would be a huge step
into finding a way to stop the abuse of drugs. According to Hansell and White (1991) this source
claims to describe why people decide to make a decision such as the one of abusing a drug and to
conduct research on what influences a person to keep abusing the drug. They later describe how
these drugs affect the development of a teen ager and the physical effects it causes on a young
person which later affects them on their life. However Crombag and Robinson claim that they
will explain all the different types of drugs people abuse of to get high then they will describe
how a certain type of people use drugs according to their surroundings and how those
surroundings affect the brain into making them want to take these drugs. Then the authors will
tell us the behaviors that people who abuse these drugs usually have. While Smith and Jones
claim that teen agers abuse many drugs and that they will explain why they do it then later
describing how it may affect the development of a teen ager, Crombag and Robinson claim they
will describe in detail how each individual drug functions and then later explain how a persons
surroundings such as family or friends affect the behavior of a young person to try out these
drugs.

RUNNING HEAD: LITERATURE REVIEW

In what type of ways are these drugs being trafficked over from Mexico into the United States
and how are they produced?

It is clear that narcotic drugs are trafficked into the U.S. but how are these drugs being
passed on into the nation? It is important for government agencies to be careful in making sure
drugs are caught before entering the country. These drugs have to be produced or grown
somewhere what are people doing to produce drugs such as heroin or cocaine. According to
Andrabi et al. The authors claim for this source is mostly due with the fact that they will give
details of new drugs that are being illegally produced and being trafficked into the U.S. as to how
they are being made and what they are being made out of. Later the authors will give examples
of syndromes a user may develop when using these drugs and how they affect the entire body.
However House claims that she will explain how cocaine is developed by people around the
country then will later explain how cocaine takes an effect on the body. The author will give
clear details on this drug and break down its components individually. While Andrabi et al claim
that they will give details on how different type of drugs are being produced and developed to let
their audience get a glance of what is inside these chemicals really are. They will also give
examples of how drugs are brought into the country whether it is by land, sea, or air. House
claims that she will explain how cocaine specifically is developed and specify each component
that goes into the body once it is consumed and she will also explain the effects on how the body
reacts to each of these components that are most likely harmful to major body organs.

RUNNING HEAD: LITERATURE REVIEW

What age group uses more marijuana or cocaine and why is it so popular for them?

Figure 1
Drug abuse is a major problem among teen agers mostly in their high school years. Most
prefer to smoke pot and some may even try cocaine to get a feel of it. Why is it that these
students want to begin using drugs this early in their lives? According to Barber and Brant
(2012) teen agers begin to experiment with drugs because they want to be seen as cool or
popular, they believe that by doing drugs they will be seen as superior to others when in reality
they are only harming themselves and their future. They need to learn responsibility and
discipline to know the risk they are taking every single time they consume these harmful and
dangerous drugs. Parents have to be more aware of what their child is doing but yet many parents
do not care and allow their child to do as they please. Young adults between the ages 21-30 have
the highest percentage of drug abuse according to (figure 1) this demonstrates that younger
people are more vulnerable to fall into the influence of drugs. However Wendel (1971) claims

RUNNING HEAD: LITERATURE REVIEW

that people are either addicted to drugs or they depend on drugs. When a person is addicted there
is programs that help out in order to get over an addiction, it can be treated and be taken under
control as long as the addict cooperates. When a person depends on drugs in order to live their
life style is nowhere close to normal they often stay indoors and are most likely to overdose due
to the fact that they take these drugs so often in a single day. It is harder to be treated and most of
these persons cannot have a normal life. While Barber and Brant claim that teens use drugs to be
seen as popular in their schools and around their friends, Wendel claims that people who use
drugs is because they are addicted and they just cant help themselves or that they depend on
these drugs and cant live without them.

Is there any benefits to the human body when using drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, or heroin?

Many studies are done to determine how harmful drugs are to the body and how much
damage they do, but is there any studies done to find out if these drugs may be clinically used for
the benefit of a persons health? According to Cohen and Clark (2003) medicinal marijuana may
be extremely helpful to treat glaucoma which increases blood pressure in the eyeball. It may also
contribute in controlling epileptic seizures and of course it relaxes the body. Medicinal marijuana
also has many other uses that can be beneficial to a person as long as it is controlled and not
abused. However Lukas (2016) claims that these substances are used by people only to abuse it,
there is no benefits in health if it is being abused and taken uncontrollably. Subscription
medicine should be enough to treat a health risk without having to use a drug that is federally
illegal. While Cohen and Clark claim that medicinal marijuana is beneficial to the body if
consumed in a safe matter which has to be prescribed by a licensed doctor in order to keep it out

RUNNING HEAD: LITERATURE REVIEW

of any ones reach, then this drug is welcomed into the medicinal field. Lukas claims that this
substance is meant to be abused and that people are not really using it as medicine.

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RUNNING HEAD: LITERATURE REVIEW

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