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BobbyKarki
Mr.Burchett
HonorsGovernment5
2,November2015
TheDrugAbuseEnlightenmentActof2015
Didyouknowtheaverageageoffirstexperimentationwithdrugsis13?Startingfrom
thepreliminarystagesofonesteenageyearsachildmayfeeltheneedtoexperimentforsocial
reasonsorthenotionthatit'llaidindealingwithproblemstheyarefacing.Peerpressureisa
majorfactorincontributingtoearlyexperimentationbyteenagers.Theavailabilityofdrugsfor
teensisaconcerningissueimplementingthedrugeducationprogramwillprovideonewiththe
properknowledgetodeclinedrugs.Implementingmandatorydrugeducationprogramsinschool
isessentialbecauseitllstopaddictioninchildrenbeforeitbegins,decreasecrime,anddecrease
healthrisksandcosts.
Anindividualwhoisexposedtodrugswithouttheproperknowledgeabouttheharmsof
thesubstancesaremorelikelytobecomedependentondrugs.Thisprogramgivesoneproper
knowledgeandtoolsthatgivesthemtheabilitytodeclinedrugswhenoffered.Deprivedof
knowledgeondrugs,anindividualmaynotbeconsciousoftheharmsfromthesubstance.
Chronicuseofsomedrugsofabusecancauselonglastingchangesinthebrain,whichmay
leadtoparanoia,depression,aggression,andhallucinations(PossibleConsequencesof
Stimulants
)
.Theeducationprogramsensurethatthestudentsareawareofallthenegativeand
positiveeffectsofthesubstances.Onemightthinkitissociallyacceptableforonetoutilizethese
drugsbutarentawareofthelongtermandshorttermhealtheffects.Consequently,the

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byproductsofthesesubstancesimpactonesdailylifeandtheirbehaviourcausingcomplications
withtheirlovedones.Drugusehasbeenclassifiedasamajorproblemforkidsasearlyas
fourthgradebythestudentsthemselves(FactsAlcoholandDrugAbuse).Manykidsmayhave
beenexposedtofamilymembersthatareaddictedorconstantlyutilizedrugs.Thefamily
membersortherolemodelstheylookuptolacktheknowledgeontheharmfulsubstancesthey
utilize.Drugscontainchemicalsthattapintothebrainscommunicationsystemanddisruptthe
waynervecellsnormallysend,receive,andprocessinformation(Adams274).Easy
accessibilityofillicitdrugstotheyouthisdetrimentaltosociety.Useofsuchdrugscanimpact
thewayachilddevelopsduetomanyhealthrisksitcauses.Prematureuseofsuchdrugsimpact
thebodyandresultinunwantedchangesthatonehastocopewithfortherestoftheirlife.This
issignificantbecauseduetopoorchoicesonemadewhileyoungitcanimpactthemthroughout
theirentirelife.Studentswhoarenotcurrentmarijuanausersaremorethantwiceaslikelyto
reportanaveragegradeofAthanthosewhoarecurrentusersofmarijuana(30.5%vs.
12.5%)(IllicitDrugAffects).Theuseofillicitdrugsresultsinanindividualsproductivityto
plummet.Amongmanyothernegativeeffectsofdrugs,useofdrugscanreflecthowan
individualperformsacademicallyandbehavesinsociety.However,educatingkidsduringtheir
preliminarystagesontheharmsofdrugsproducessignificantlyhigherchancesofturningdown
thesesubstanceseliminatesunwantedbehaviourduetoimpactofdrugsthatturnintocrimes.
Utilizingandtraffickingillicitdrugsrelatetocrimeduetotheeffectsithasonones
behaviourandtheviolenceitgenerates.Theimpactofadrugcanbesosignificantthatitcauses
unwantedviolentbehaviourwhichresultintocrimes.Itisestimatedthatdrugsandalcoholare
afactorinatleast80percentofdomesticviolenceincidents(Kleiman44).Thedrugsgenerate

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pharmacologicaleffectontheuserswhichcontributetotheviolentactsthatarecarriedout.
Theseviolentactsandotheroddactsareabyproductofthedrugsthisusuallyoccursoncethe
userisaddictedandutilizesthedrugregularly.Ifonehadbeeneducatedonallofthepossible
sideeffectstherewouldbeamuchhigherchanceforonetodeclineutilizingthedrug.Thus,this
avoidsthepossiblesideeffectsofthedrugsuchasviolentactsandultimatelydecreasingthe
crimerate.In2004,17%ofstateprisonersand18%offederalinmatessaidtheycommitted
theircurrentoffensetoobtainmoneyfordrugs(SubstanceAbuseStudies).Once,addictedit
becomesextremelydifficulttoprogressthroughoutthedaywithoutbeingintoxicated.Manyof
theseindividualsarenotfinanciallystableandarewillingtodoanythinginorderfundtheir
drugs.Manyarecaughtintheactoftheft,robbery,andhandlingstolengoodsinordertofund
forthedrugs.Nearly40percentofStateinmatesconvictedofrobbery,burglary,ormotor
vehicletheftreportedbeingundertheinfluenceofdrugsatthetimeoftheiroffense(Drugs
andCrime).Thesubstancesgeneratesbehavioursthatarenotintentionalbytheuser.Suchhigh
numberofindividualswithcriminalrecordsaredrugusersaswell.Duringanearlystageofan
individualslifeifeducatedabouttheimpactsofillicitsubstancesmanyunnecessarycriminal
actscanbeeliminatedfromsociety.Thisprovesthenecessityofthedrugeducationprograms
becauseithelpsdecreasecrime,inadditiontomaintaininghealthandsavingmoneyonmedical
costs.
Theeffectsofdrugshasbeenproventodetrimentaltooneshealth.Excessiveuseofthe
substancecausesmanylongtermandshorttermcomplicationshealthwise.Withoutproper
knowledgeandinfluencestheuseofsuchsubstancescanprovetobefatal,untilithasbecome
toolate.Over60%ofemergencyroomadmissionsareeitherdirectlyorindirectlyrelatedto

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drugoralcoholuse(DrugAbuseandMentalIllness).Theimpactofdrugsinanindividual'slife
canbeoverwhelming.Theconstantuseandabuseofsubstancesresultsinvariousvisitstothe
emergencyroomnotnecessarilyforpersonalissues.Duetothepharmacologicaleffectsofthe
drugs,itmayhavecausedanindividualtoactaggressiveinjuringalovedone.Theconstant
visitstotheemergencyroomareextremelycostlyandcanresultinamajorsetbackfinancially.
Insocietyestimatedcostsofdrugabusecanexceed$190billionwhichincludeshealthcare
costs,legalcosts,andlostproductivity(UnderstandingtheEpidemic).Thecountlesshours
spentatthehospitalandtakingdayoffregularlyfromworkprovestobeextremelycostly.The
abuseofsubstancesimpactsthebraininsuchaway,itaffectsthedailylifeofanindividual
significantly.Duringthesesituations,wherenolongeremployedbutaddictedtothesubstances
onefeelstheneedtoengageinillegalactivitiesinordertogeneratemoneyfortheirsupplyof
substances.Full-timeworkerswhowerecurrentdrugusersalsowereabouttwiceaslikelyas
non-userstoskiponeormoredaysofworkinthepastmonth(16.3%vs.8.2%)(Weiss5).
Illicitsubstanceshasagreatimpactontheviewsofcolleaguesandrestofthesociety.Users
becomeexposedfromtheirbehavioursandpoorchoicesonemakes.Illicitsubstancediminishes
onesproductivitywhichimpactsthedailylifeandfutureoftheuser.Nolongerabletogenerate
productivitybecominghelplessduetothesideeffectsofthedrugtheuserultimatelylosesits
job.Theconstantuseofdrugscancausemanyhealthconflictsaswellassetbacksfinancially,
theeducationprogramshavethepotentialtoeliminatemajorityoftheseissuesyetsomemight
stilldisagree.
TheDrugeducationprogramsareestablishedineffortsofgivingtheyouthproper
knowledgeondrugsthatallowsanindividualtodeclineadrugifoffered,allowingachildto

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developsafeandresponsible.However,onemightsaythedrugeducationprogramsare
ineffective.Theseprogramsareintendedtopreventtheyouthfromexperimentingwithdrugs
andstoppingaddictiontodrugsbeforeithappens.AccordingtotheNationalSurveyonDrug
UseandHealth(NSDUH),anestimated20millionAmericansaged12orolderusedanillegal
druginthepast30days(Aaronoff19).Insuchashortperiodoftime,butsuchagreatnumber
ofindividualsthatutilizedrugs.Majorityoftheusersintheshortperiodoftimeareteenagers
andyoungchildren,nothavingpropersupervisionandlackingeducationonharmfulsubstances
becomeconstantusersofsuchsubstances.Anotherargumentonemightmakeisthatthese
educationprogramsarentrunbyhighlytrainedstaffwithoutclinicalbackgrounds.Regardless
ifeverymemberofthestaffhasamedicalbackgroundmanyofthespeakershaveexperienced
withillicitsubstancesorhavewitnessedalovedonestrugglewithdrugs.Theyouthareattracted
toreallifeexperiencesandacknowledgeinformationbetterifthefactsandexperiencesarebased
onactualevents.Thetobaccousebyhighschoolstudentshasbeencutfrom36.4percentin1997
to18.1percentin2011(TrendsinCigaretteSmoking).Thisissignificantbecauseitprovesthat
educationprogramsworkanditcuttobaccouseinhalfbytheyouth.Theymaytakeaperiodof
timebuttheycertainlyarebenefitingyoungindividualsandsociety.Anestimated4million
individualsmetthecriteriaforbothseriousmentalillnessandsubstancedependenceorabusein
2002(DrugAbuse).Withouttheseeducationprogramsthereareanabundantamountof
individualsthataredependentondrugsandrequirethehelpofprofessionals.Theseprograms
cantharmbutaidtheyouthintomakingproperdecisionsandleadthewayforasuccessful
future.

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EnactingTheDrugAbuseEnlightenmentActof2015preventsdrugabusefromthe
youthbeforeitbegins,discontinuescrimescausedfromthepathologicaleffectsofthe
substances,andreduceshealthrisksandcostssignificantly.TheDrugAbuseEnlightenmentAct
hasagreatpotentialinreducingcrimeratesdramaticallyaswellaseducatingtheyouthon
dealingwithpeerpressureandavoidmakingremorsefuldecisions.Thebillisessentialbecause
drugeducationisamajorpartofachildslifeitallowsachildtogrowupsafeandresponsible.I
advisethepublictovoteyesonenactingTheDrugAbuseEnlightenmentActof2015.

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