Illegal Drugs Research Paper

Drug enforcement agencies throughout North America spend over 40 billion tax dollars annually on their government funded war on drugs. The DEA currently classifies cocaine as an addictive and dangerous, schedule-two drug. Around the 1880’s, however, cocaine was celebrated in the United States for its “magical, medicinal purposes” (New Ulm Weekly Review). The miracle medicine of the late 19th century, cocaine, is derived from the coca plant native to South America, more specifically, the Andes Mountains. South Americans chewed the coca leaves for thousands of years to counter the nauseating effects of living in thin mountain-air environments and to stimulate their heart and breathing rates for hunting purposes.

Opioids come in many forms, both licit and illicit drugs. Licit drugs would be considered pharmaceuticals, since they are prescribed by doctors and usually come in pill forms. Some examples of licit opioids are: OxyContin®, Vicodin®, codeine, morphine, methadone, and fentanyl. The illicit drugs would be heroin and can come in many different forms. Both forms must be consumed with caution due to their addictive nature.

These substances are often taken orally, consumed, inhaled, smoked, injected, or inhaled through the nose. Many of the individuals who reside in these types of drugs often affect their whole family. These substance abusers will often try to avoid taking responsibility for their behavior because they have already developed their common defense mechanism.

The opioid crisis in the United States has been a problem since the late 1970’s. The use of cocaine started increasing by the early 80’s. In this time, many considered cocaine to be the drug for the famous. At one point, it was called “the champagne of drugs,” which made people feel like they were living like the rich and the high-line people. All celebrities and famous athletes would take cocaine, therefore, all their fans followed in their footsteps.

Opiate addiction is much different than that of other substances that are abused and can cause addiction. Opiate addiction is a serious problem in our country and will become an even bigger problem in the years ahead. The persistent use of opiates and is thought to be a disorder of the central nervous system. Though opiate painkillers are prescribed by physicians, opiate addiction is an insidious medical disease. But since opiate addiction is far more than a behavior problem, treatment requires more than just therapy.

The use of narcotics in America is on a steady rise, Opioids such as Heroin being the deadliest. It’s categorized as a “Schedule 1,” meaning a high potential for abuse, along with severe psychological and physical dependence. Before the Twentieth Century, Heroin was actually widely available and marketed by Bayer, and Aspirin Company. This deadly substance can be injected, snorted, or smoked.

History: Cocaine is the oldest and most dangerous drug. In ancient times they would chew on coca leaves to get their hearts racing and speed up their breathing. In the 1880s it became popularized and used in the medical field. They used it as a cure to depression and sexual impotence.

The substances most commonly used in this process are sugars, such as lactose and mannitol, and local anesthetics. Some other names for cocaine that people may or may not know are, coke, crack, coca, blow, and powder.

Also cocaine is known as a stimulant drug and it is a schedule II narcotic. Cocaine is also known to be called C, coke, white dust and snow. Cocaine has 2 main forms that it can be used in. The forms that cocaine can be used in are, crack cocaine and cocaine hydrochloride (powder cocaine). Crack cocaine can be known as rock or crack on the streets as well.

The reason people love the way cocaine feels is because of its feeling of euphoria the increase of energy levels and elevated mood of self esteem. In accordance to drugabuse.com short term side effects of using cocaine are, Paranoia, Dizziness, Muscle twitches, Dilated pupils, High body temperature, loss of sexual appetite. In addition the long term effects of cocaine include rectal functions from eating cocaine, could end up getting HIV from using the same needle again or with another person, Heart attacks, Constant nose bleeds, Strokes and even Seizures. Alternative names used among the streets are, Coke, Toot, Base, Powder, Candy, White, Flake, Basa, Rail, Snow, Bump, Yeyo and the list goes on.

Marijuana is a drug extracted from Cannabis Sativa (hemp plant). In other words, marijuana is also called cannabis, hemp, and herb; in slang terms it is called weed, hash, joint, blunt, Mary Jane, etc. Marijuana is known to be used for medical as well as recreational purposes. It is a drug which alters the mood of a person, induces calmness and is used by certain medical institutions as a form of pain reliever. It can be consumed by smoking, vaporizing or by mixing it in food items.

Drugs are substances that trigger temporary changes in the body which may result in such a pleasurable and relaxing effect. Some of the types can slow down the nervous system’s action, while other types can have the exact opposite effect; spurring the nervous system into rapid action. Drugs are connected to cravings or addiction since a person’s body starts yearning for drugs after he or she has taken it for a while. Drugs affect consciousness significantly! They may cause people to hear or see things that aren’t real (hallucinations), experiencing mood swings, or may even distort people’s perceptions.

Marijuana, also known as Cannabis, is derived from the Cannabis plant and is used commonly for either recreational or medical purposes. Marijuana is composed of chemicals such as tetrahydrocannabinol (HTC, and over eighty cannabinoids. Marijuana is acknowledged for providing smokers with a “high” feeling. Since the twentieth century, this illicit drug has been banned across the world. However, over the past few years studies have been conducted on marijuana and the results show that it can actually be helpful in many different areas of society.

Marijuana, crack, and cocaine are three of the main drugs that are overused and abused in Venezuela. Three different types of cocaine are being illegally overused: powder cocaine, crack cocaine and basuco, a toxic form of unpurified cocaine. There has been a rise in the amount of youth that have been abusing drugs in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. People have become more interested in drug trafficking in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela because Venezuela barely has any money, has terrible law enforcement, and there are many drug traffickers near Venezuela. Sadly, less than 2,000 people out of the 27 million Venezuelans have received drug addiction treatment.

People tend to try drugs for the first time when they are offered them by someone in their peer group or someone they admire. In addition to trying drugs, people also learn methods to obtain drugs and money to buy