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Reducing Drug Abuse in The United States: Writing For The University Interscholastic League
Reducing Drug Abuse in The United States: Writing For The University Interscholastic League
Reducing Drug Abuse in The United States: Writing For The University Interscholastic League
Submitted by:
Kenneth Rohrbach
Three Rivers High School
Three Rivers, Texas
writing for
The University Interscholastic League
1
“Let us not forget who we are. Drug abuse is a
repudiation of everything America is.”
- Ronald Reagan
Abuse of illegal and prescription drugs has been a problem in the United States for well
over a century. Since 1906, the United States federal government has waged a war, of
sorts, on drug production, possession, and use in this country. This has been the longest
and most costly war in the history of our nation. Our government has spent countless
billions of dollars waging this war and has made little measurable progress. While gains
have been made in reducing drug use among teenagers, the gains have been minimal. At
the same time, abuse of prescription drugs has risen considerably. It is time for the
government of this nation to establish measurable goals for reducing drug use in this
country and then to set policies to achieve those goals.
In the history of national debate resolutions, neither illegal nor prescription drugs have
been debated. This topic is addressing a national problem that affects all communities in
this nation, regardless of size. Drugs are found in our schools and businesses. No sector
of society is immune to this problem. This topic needs to be debated
2
1909 – Smoking Opium Exclusion Act
Banned the importation, possession and use of “smoking opium”. Did not regulate
opium-based “medications”. First Federal law banning the non-medical use of a
substance.
1919 – Supreme Court ratified the Harrison Anti-Narcotic Act in Webb et al., v. United
States, holding that doctors may not prescribe maintenance supplies of narcotics to
people addicted to opioids.
3
1965 -- Drug Abuse Control Amendment
Enacted to deal with problems caused by abuse of depressants, stimulants and
hallucinogens. Restricted research into psychoactive drugs such as LSD by requiring
FDA approval.
2000: Federal – The Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000)
It enables qualified physicians to prescribe and/or dispense narcotics for the purpose of
treating opioid dependency. For the first time, physicians are able to treat this disease
from their private offices or other clinical settings. This presents a very desirable
treatment option for those who are unwilling or unable to seek help in drug treatment
clinics. Patients can now be treated in the privacy of their doctor’s office, as are other
people being treated for any other type of medical condition. One medicine doctors may
4
now prescribe is Buprenorphine. The major downfall of this Act is the limitation of 30
patients per practice – which means that large facilities, no matter how many physicians
are there, can only treat 30 patients at a time.
2004: June 2004 The Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records
Regulation and the HIPAA Privacy Rule
2005: 08-02-2005 Public law 109-56, Amends the Controlled Substances Act to
eliminate the 30-patient limit for medical group practices allowed to dispense narcotic
drugs in schedules III, IV, or V for maintenance or detoxification treatment (retains the
30-patient limit for an individual physician). This amendment removes the 30-patient
limit on group medical practices that treat opioid dependence with buprenorphine. The
restriction was part of the original Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA) that
allowed treatment of opioid dependence in a doctor’s office. With this change, every
certified doctor may now prescribe buprenorphine up to his or her individual physician
limit of 30 patients.2
CURRENT STATUS
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is the largest indicator of drug
use trends in the United States and provides yearly national and State level estimates of
alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and non-medical prescription drug use. Each year, the
NSDUH surveys approximately 67,500 people, including residents of households, non-
institutionalized group quarters, and civilians living on military bases.
According to the latest NSDUH, an estimated 20.4 million (8.3%) Americans aged 12
and older are current users of an illicit drug. Although there are still too many people
using drugs, current drug use is roughly half of what it was at its peak in 1979 (14%).
Below are some highlights from the 2006 NSDUH report:
• The rate of adolescents ages 12 to 17 reporting drug use in the past month
dropped from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.8 percent in 2006. This level sustains
declines achieved in 2005 (9.9 percent).
• The level of current marijuana use among youth ages 12 to 17 declined
significantly, from 8.2 percent in 2002 to 6.7 percent in 2006. The decline in
marijuana use was particularly pronounced in adolescent males (a 25% decline
between 2002-2006)
• High drug use rates from the peak years of the “counter culture” are still echoed
in the relatively high drug use patterns of those same initiates from the 1970’s
who are now older.
5
• There is a striking rise in the drug use rates of those in the age category 50-54,
which shot up a stunning 76 percent between 2002 and 2006 (from 3.4 percent to
6.0 percent). This rise does not represent new drug initiation at advancing age;
rather, the use is predominantly of marijuana, likely acquired as a habit in their
youth and carried along as baggage through their life cycle.
• In 2006, there were 2.6 million past year initiates of the non-medical use of
prescription-type drugs. Among this category of illicit drug use, the number of
past year initiates of the non-medical use of pain relievers (2.2 million) equaled
that of marijuana (2.1. million).
• Past month non-medical use of pain relievers among the population 12 and older
increased 11 percent between 2002 and 2006 (from 1.9% to 2.1%). This increase
was driven by a 20 percent increase among 18 to 25 year olds (from 4.1% to
4.9%). Among this subpopulation, the non-medical use of psychotherapeutics
overall increased between 2002 and 2006 – from 5.4 to 6.4 percent, as did the
non-medical use of tranquilizers during the same time period (from 1.6% to
2.0%).
• In 2006, there were an estimated 7.0 million people classified with dependence on
or abuse of illicit drugs (with or without alcohol). The specific illicit drugs that
had the highest levels of past year dependence or abuse in 2006 were marijuana
(4.2 million), followed by cocaine (1.7 million), and pain relievers (1.6 million).
• Of those people who were dependent on or abusive of illicit drugs, 59% were
dependent on or abusive of marijuana.3
In their book An Analytic Assessment of U.S. Drug Policy, David Boyum and Peter
Reuter state that “in its efforts to control the use of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and other
illegal drugs, the United States spends about $35 billion per year in public funds. Almost
half a million dealers and users are under incarceration. America’s drug problem is
mainly a legacy of the epidemics of heroin, cocaine, and crack use during the 1970’s and
1980’s, which left us with aging cohorts of criminally active and increasingly sick users.
Newer drugs, such as Ecstasy and methamphetamine, perennially threaten to become
comparable problems, but so far have not. Drug policy has become increasingly punitive,
6
with the number of drug offenders in jail and prison growing tenfold between 1980 and
2003. Nevertheless, there is strikingly little evidence that tougher law enforcement can
materially reduce drug use. By contrast, drug treatment services remain in short supply,
even though research indicates that treatment expenditures easily pay for themselves in
terms of reduced crime and improved productivity. America’s drug policy should be
reoriented in several ways to be more effective. Enforcement should focus on reducing
drug-related problems, such as violence associated with drug markets, rather than on
locking up large numbers of low-level dealers. Treatment services for heavy users,
particularly methadone and other opiate maintenance therapies, need more money and
fewer regulations. And programs that coerce convicted drug addicts to enter treatment
and maintain abstinence as a condition of continued freedom should be expanded.”4
In addition to the drug supply remaining constant, the incarceration epidemic has failed to
curb illegal drug use while also "devastating our minority communities." Senator Webb
said, "the number of persons in custody on drug charges increased thirteen times in the
past 25 years...[And] when it comes to incarceration for drug offenses, the racial
disparities are truly alarming. Although African Americans constitute 14 percent of
regular drug users, they are 37 percent of those arrested for drug offenses, and 56 percent
of persons in state prisons for drug crimes...Our current combination of enforcement,
diversion, interdiction, treatment and prevention is not working the way we need it
to...There has been little effort to take a comprehensive look at the relationship between
the many interlocking pieces of drug policy."5
First Assistant District Attorney Anne Swern--a prosecutor at the King County
(Brooklyn) District Attorney's Office--spoke of two innovative prosecutor-run programs
that "seek to reduce drug abuse, improve public safety, and save money." The Drug
Treatment Alternative-to-Prison (DTAP) program diverts addicted offenders into long-
term community-based substance abuse treatment in lieu of incarceration. The
Community and Law Enforcement Resources Together (ComALERT) focuses on
recidivism reduction through re-entry programs for former inmates returning to Brooklyn
communities. A five-year study on DTAP by the National Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse at Columbia University revealed that DTAP graduates had rearrest rates
that were 33 percent lower, reconviction rates 45 percent lower and were 87 percent less
likely to return to prison two years after completing the program than the control group
two years after leaving prison. And the cost comparison? $32,975 on average for the
DTAP participant, and $64,338 if that same person had been sent to prison. Swern noted
that New York taxpayers currently pay over $2.5 billion annually to maintain prison
operations. "While community-based treatment and other wraparound social services
carry a price tag their cost is much less than that of incarceration in prison, especially
when one considers the effectiveness of diversion and re-entry programs at reducing
recidivism," she said. "These programs deserve to be replicated in jurisdictions around
the country, and Congress should ensure that adequate funding is appropriated for that
goal."6
7
MAGNITUDE OF DRUG ABUSE IN U.S.
Substance Abuse is Costly
Substance abuse costs our nation more than $484 billion per year, compared to diabetes,
which costs society $131.7 billion annually and cancer, which costs society $171.6
billion annually.7
This includes health care expenditures, lost earnings, and costs associated with crime and
accidents. This is an enormous burden that affects all of society - those who abuse these
substances, and those who don't.
Americans perceive drug abuse as a major public health problem. Many of America's top
medical problems can be directly linked to drug abuse:
8
• Violence: At least half of the individuals arrested for major crimes including
homicide, theft, and assault were under the influence of illicit drugs around the
time of their arrest.
• Stress: Exposure to stress is one of the most powerful triggers of substance
abuse in vulnerable individuals and of relapse in former addicts.
• Child Abuse: At least two-thirds of patients in drug abuse treatment centers
say they were physically or sexually abused as children.
Cocaine
Cocaine is the most potent stimulant of natural origin.10 This substance can be snorted,
smoked, or injected. When snorted, cocaine powder is inhaled through the nose where it
is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. When injected, the user uses a
needle to release the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling
cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid
as by injection. Each of these methods of administration poses great risks to the user.11
Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant. Physical effects of cocaine use
include constricted blood vessels and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood
pressure. Users may also experience feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety.
Evidence suggests that users who smoke or inject cocaine may be at even greater risk of
causing harm to themselves than those who snort the substance. For example, cocaine
9
smokers also suffer from acute respiratory problems including coughing, shortness of
breath, and severe chest pains with lung trauma and bleeding. A user who injects cocaine
is at risk of transmitting or acquiring diseases if needles or other injection equipment are
shared. Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug and compulsive cocaine use seems to
develop more rapidly when the substance is smoked rather than snorted. A tolerance to
the cocaine high may be developed and many addicts report that they fail to achieve as
much pleasure as they did from their first cocaine exposure.12
Crack
Approximately 100 years after cocaine entered into use, a new variation of the substance
emerged. This substance, crack, became enormously popular in the mid-1980s due in part
to its almost immediate high and the fact that it is inexpensive to produce and buy.13
Crack is cocaine that has not been neutralized by an acid to make the hydrochlorida salt.
This form of cocaine comes in a rock crystal that can be heated and its vapors smoked.
The term "crack" comes from the crackling sound made when it is heated.14 According
to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 8.6
million Americans aged 12 or older reported trying crack cocaine at least once during
their lifetimes, representing 3.5% of the population aged 12 or older. Additional 2006
NSDUH data indicate that approximately 1.5 million (0.6%) reported past year crack
cocaine use and 702,000 (0.3%) reported past month crack cocaine use. The 2006
NSDUH results also indicate that there were 245,000 persons aged 12 or older who had
used crack cocaine for the first time within the past 12 months.15 Results of the 2007
Monitoring the Future survey indicate that 2.1% of eighth graders, 2.3% of tenth graders,
and 3.2% of twelfth graders reported lifetime use of crack cocaine. In 2006, these
percentages were 2.3%, 2.2%, and 3.5%, respectively.16
10
Percent of Students Reporting Crack Cocaine Use, 2006–2007
Marijuana
Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and
flowers of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana
and other drugs made from the same plant. Other forms of cannabis include sinsemilla,
hashish, and hash oil. All forms of cannabis are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs. The
main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Short-term
effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning, distorted
perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination, increased
heart rate, and anxiety. Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint) or in a
pipe or bong. Marijuana has also appeared in blunts, which are cigars that have been
emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with another
drug, such as crack. It can also be mixed into foods or used to brew a tea.17 Marijuana is
the most commonly used illicit drug. According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug
Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 97.8 million Americans aged 12 or older tried
marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, representing 39.8% of the U.S. population in
that age group. The number of past year marijuana users in 2006 was approximately 25.4
million (10.3% of the population aged 12 or older) and the number of past month
marijuana users was 14.8 million (6.0%).18 Marijuana abuse is associated with many
detrimental health effects. These effects can include frequent respiratory infections,
impaired memory and learning, increased heart rate, anxiety, panic attacks and tolerance.
Marijuana meets the criteria for an addictive drug and animal studies suggest marijuana
causes physical dependence and some people report withdrawal symptoms.19
11
Percent of Students Reporting Marijuana Use, 2006–2007
Heroin
Heroin is a highly addictive drug and is the most widely abused and most rapidly acting
of the opiates. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance
extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants.20 Pure heroin, which is a
white powder with a bitter taste, is rarely sold on the streets. Most illicit heroin is a
powder varying in color from white to dark brown. The differences in color are due to
impurities left from the manufacturing process or the presence of additives. Another form
of heroin, "black tar" heroin, is primarily available in the western and southwestern U.S.
This heroin, which is produced in Mexico, may be sticky like roofing tar or hard like
coal, with its color varying from dark brown to black.21 Heroin can be injected, smoked,
or sniffed/snorted. Injection is the most efficient way to administer low-purity heroin.
The availability of high-purity heroin, however, and the fear of infection by sharing
needles has made snorting and smoking the drug more common. National Institute on
Drug Abuse (NIDA) researchers have confirmed that all forms of heroin administration
are addictive. 22 The short-term effects of heroin abuse appear soon after taking the drug.
Intravenous injection provides the greatest intensity and most rapid onset of the initial
rush that users experience. Intravenous users typically experience the rush within 7 to 8
seconds after injection, while intramuscular injection produces a slower onset of this
euphoric feeling, taking 5 to 8 minutes. When heroin is sniffed or smoked, the peak
effects of the drug are usually felt within 10 to 15 minutes.23 One of the most significant
effects of heroin use is addiction. With regular heroin use, tolerance to the drug develops.
Once this happens, the abuser must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity or
effect that they are seeking. As higher doses of the drug are used over time, physical
dependence and addiction to the drug develop.24
12
Percent of Students Reporting Lifetime Heroin Use, 2001-2005
Prescription Drugs
The non-medical use or abuse of prescription drugs remains a serious public health
concern. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse's (NIDA) research report
Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction, there are three classes of prescription drugs
that are most commonly abused:25
Many Americans benefit from the appropriate use of prescription pain killers, but, when
abused, they can be as addictive and dangerous as illegal drugs. Prescription drugs should
only be taken exactly as directed by a medical professional.
The Synthetic Drug Control Strategy addresses the extent of and problems associated
with prescription drug abuse. Prescription drugs account for the second most commonly
abused category of drugs, behind marijuana and ahead of cocaine, heroin,
methamphetamine, and other drugs. Prescription drug abuse poses a unique challenge
because of the need to balance prevention, education, and enforcement, with the need for
legitimate access to controlled substance prescription drugs.26 Data from the National
Drug Intelligence Center's 2006 National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) reveal that 78.8%
of state and local law enforcement agencies reported either high or moderate availability
of illegally diverted pharmaceuticals.27 According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug
Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 49.8 million Americans aged 12 or older
reported non-medical use of any psychotherapeutic at some point in their lifetimes,
representing 20.3% of the population aged 12 or older. Nearly 7 million Americans aged
12 or older reported current (past month) use of psychotherapeutic drugs for non-medical
purposes, representing 2.8% of the population. In this report, psychotherapeutics include
13
any prescription-type pain reliever, tranquilizer, stimulant, or sedative but do not include
over-the-counter drugs.28
14
POSSIBLE RESOLUTIONS
1. The United States federal government should establish a policy substantially reducing
drug abuse in the United States.
2. The United States federal government should substantially reduce drug abuse in the
United States.
4. The United States federal government should substantially reform U.S. drug policy.
TIMELINESS
Even though this topic will be debated well over a year from now, the demand for
illegal/illicit drugs will continue to be a problem at that time. The United States has been
trying to solve this problem for well over one hundred years; it will not be solved for in
the next year and a half. Drug abuse is a significant problem in this country and, even
though efforts at the national level have been stepped up, drug abuse will continue to be a
problem for years to come.
SCOPE
Drug use is a problem nationwide and affects people of all races, income levels, and age.
It is particularly a problem among school-age and college-age individuals and is found on
every school campus across this country. Drug abuse is also a problem among
indigenous people of this country, particularly among those living on government
reservations. Drug abuse affects most people in this nation in some form, whether
abusing drugs themselves or knowing someone who does or has.
QUALITY
This topic is of high importance nationwide and is one that students are exposed to at
school, on the streets, and for some, at home. This is a topic that needs to be debated. I
am hopeful that by adopting this topic at a national level, efforts to reduce drug abuse and
drug supply and demand in America’s high schools will stepped up significantly.
15
MATERIAL
Volumes of material exist on this topic as well as thousands of websites, including
websites of the federal government. Thousands of studies have been conducted
nationwide and a wealth of data and statistics are available on this topic.
Concern will certainly be expressed over school filters on the internet in relation to this
topic. It has been my experience in researching this topic that, for the most part, all
government sites as well as legitimate agency sites dealing with this topic are generally
accessible. Those sites which have not been accessible are those posted by groups who
are generally in favor of the legalization of certain drugs or advocate the use of certain
illegal/illicit drugs. Information on this topic is readily available on the internet and
students should have little problem accessing legitimate sites.
INTEREST
Because this topic is a nationwide problem that we are all exposed to on a daily basis on
the news and, for some of us, in dealing with students, the topic will certainly be of
interest to students, coaches, and judges.
16
Lexis-Nexis Hits (As of April 25, 2008)
BALANCE
POSSIBLE AFFIRMATIVE CASE AREAS
17
n. Revision of US prescription drug policy
o. Reform US drug policy with increased penalties for
drug possession and/or use
p. Target any particular drug
q. Reducing drug use among indigenous peoples
I do feel that some case areas are generally non-topical. Since the proposed resolutions
all deal with either drug abuse or drug demand in the United States, plans which cut the
supply of drugs, either through crop eradication or drug trade interdiction would be non-
topical due to the fact that disrupting the supply will most likely neither reduce drug
abuse or drug demand in this country. Examples of non-topical case areas include market
disruption, eradicating domestic marijuana crops, transit zone interdiction, and securing
the Southwest border.
NEGATIVE GROUND
Case Arguments
A variety of case-based arguments can be run by negative teams. For example, a great
deal of research is available that says that student drug testing does nothing to fix the
problem of drug abuse among teenagers. Also, much research exists that shows that no
matter how the prescription drug policies of this country are revised, the problem of
prescription drug abuse can never be solved for. Negative teams will be able to argue
that penalties for drug possession have not worked to date and will not work in the future
– drug abuse among prisoners is higher than those who are not in prison. Finally,
negative teams will be able to produce evidence that drug use is a part of our culture and
that those who wish to use drugs will always find a way to do so, regardless of
government policy. Solvency will certainly be debated.
Disadvantages
Disadvantages to decreasing drug abuse or drug demand in the United States will mostly
arise from the fact that implementing any plan under this resolution will be costly and
will stretch to the breaking point an already strained federal budget. This will lead to a
debate over cost-benefit analysis. In addition, a terrorism disadvantage might explore the
idea that decreasing the demand for drugs in this country will lead to increased terrorism
as retaliation for reducing drug sales which help to fund terror groups. Another possible
disadvantage is a poverty DA which states that mandatory drug testing of welfare
recipients will result in those who are most needy not receiving the welfare support that
they need, which will lead to increased poverty. Other possible disadvantages include
gang activity, civil disorder, politics, and spending.
18
Counterplans
Counterplan ground under the proposed resolutions will mostly deal with changing the
agent of action. Much evidence exists which shows that various NGO’s are doing an
excellent job in the area of drug counseling and treatment. The negative will be able to
run a counterplan in which certain NGO’s provide treatment and counseling rather than
the government. Another counterplan would stress that the various states are more
adequately able to carry out the affirmative plan than is the federal government. Yet
another counterplan could say that drug abuse cannot be completely solved for and a
program, such as one which provides clean syringes to drug addicts, thus reducing
transmission of HIV/AIDS, is a better plan.
Kritiks
A few of the possible kritiks under the proposed resolutions include Biopower, Statism,
Zizek, “Don’t say _____” (e.g. “addict”), Authority, and Civil Disobedience.
drug abuse – n. the use of a drug or drugs for purposes other than those for which they
are prescribed or recommended, involving a pathologic pattern of behavior.
Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary.
drug abuse – n. habitual use of drugs not needed for therapeutic purposes, such as solely
to alter one's mood, affect, or state of consciousness, or to affect a body function
unnecessarily (as in laxative abuse); nontherapeutic use of drugs.
Stedman’s Online Medical Dictionary, 27th Edition
drug abuse – n. use of a drug for a reason other than which it was intended or in a
manner or in quantities other than directed. Drug dependence is a compulsion to take a
drug to produce a desired effect or prevent unpleasant effects when the drug is withheld.
Risk factors for drug abuse include: low self esteem, inability to deal with stress and
emotional instability. Juveniles use drugs due to peer pressure. Signs of drug use in
children include: a change in friends or group, long absences from home, poor
performance in school, seclusion, stealing, lying, criminal behaviour, deteriorating family
relationships, signs of drug intoxication and changes in behaviour. Commonly abused
drugs include narcotic analgesic agents, benzodiazepines, cocaine, amphetamines,
barbiturates, marijuana, LSD and phencyclidine. Many labs now offer quick and
inexpensive urine drug screening. Psychological counseling and parental support will be
necessary in children with this problem.
Biology Online, October 2005.
19
drug abuse – n. Compulsive, excessive, and self-damaging use of habit forming drugs
or substances, leading to addiction or dependence, serious physiological injury (such as
damage to kidneys, liver, heart) and/or psychological harm (such as dysfunctional
behavior patterns, hallucinations, memory loss), or death. Also called substance abuse.
Business Dictionary.com
“Substance Abuse”
“Addiction”
20
gradually requires increased amounts to reproduce the effects originally produced by
smaller doses. The American Heritage Science Dictionary.
“Reform”
“Substantially”
substantially – adv. 1 to a great or significant extent. 2 for the most part; essentially.
Compact Oxford English Dictionary
NOTE: definitions for the word “substantially” are countless and definitions can be
found which state that in order to be substantial, the amount in question must be
anywhere from 5% to 99%.
“Establish”
21
establish – tr. v. to start (something that will last for a long time), or to create or set
(something) in a particular way.
Cambridge Dictionary of American English
“Illicit”
“Policy”
policy – n. a set of ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that has been
agreed officially by a group of people, a business organization, a government or a
political party
Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary
policy – n. 1. a definite course of action adopted for the sake of expediency, facility, etc.
2. a course of action adopted and pursued by a government, ruler, political party, etc.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
22
“Illegal”
“Demand”
demand – tr. v. to need or require. n. 1. the state of being requested or sought after. 2.
in economics, the desire of consumers for goods or services.
The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus
“Supply”
supply – tr. v. a: to provide for b: to make available for use c: to satisfy the needs or
wishes of
Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, 10th Edition
supply – tr. v. 1. To make available for use; provide. 2. To furnish or equip with. n. 1.
The act of supplying. 2. Something that is or can be supplied. 3. An amount available or
sufficient for a given use; stock.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
23
“Reducing”
reducing – tr. v. to make (something) less in size, amount, degree, importance, or price
Cambridge Dictionary of American English
“Illegal Drug”
illegal drug - There are many illegal drugs that are being abused by our society today.
Drugs such as marijuana, meth, and the abuse of prescription medications are on the rise.
It is important for everyone to raise their level of awareness in order to reduce the risk of
drug abuse or to help someone they care for who is already suffering from drug abuse or
addiction. Illegal drugs come in different shapes, sizes, and types. Each particular drug
produces unique effects on the user, this is why you may have heard the term "drug of
choice". This means, the drug that the user prefers. People use illegal drugs for many
reasons, boredom, to fit in, experimentation, etc. They begin to abuse drugs when they
repeatedly take them to solve their problems or to make them feel "normal". Marijuana
is by far the most widely used illegal drug. It is derived from the cannabis plant, which
grows in many countries, including the United States. People put it in rolling papers to
make marijuana cigarettes, smoke it in bongs or pipes, or mix it in baked goods or tea and
eat or drink it. Marijuana is a Schedule I drug. It is illegal to grow, sell, buy or use
marijuana, hashish or hashish oil. Synthetic THC capsules are available by prescription to
treat the nausea that cancer patients sometimes suffer with some forms of chemotherapy,
and to treat wasting in AIDS patients. No form of the smoked drug has been approved as
safe or effective for any medical use. Cocaine and crack cocaine come from the leaves of
the coca plant which grows primarily in South America. Cocaine is processed into a
white powder which people snort or melt and inject. Crack is further processed into a
substance that can be smoked. Cocaine is a Schedule II controlled substance. It is illegal
to grow, process, sell or use cocaine or crack. Cocaine has limited use in medicine as an
anesthetic. Ecstasy (MDMA) is a synthetic drug with both hallucinogenic and
amphetamine-like properties. It is chemically similar to two other synthetic drugs, MDA
and methamphetamine, which damage the brain. Ecstasy is mainly taken in pill form but
users have been known to crush and snort or inject the drug. Opium is the dried milk of
the poppy plant and contains morphine and codeine from morphine it is a short step to the
production of heroin, a powder over twice as potent as morphine. Opium can be eaten,
smoked and drunk. Morphine can be injected or taken orally. Heroin can be smoked in
tobacco, heated on aluminum foil and inhaled, injected under the skin or into the muscle/
vein. Meth is a powerfully addictive stimulant that dramatically affects the central
nervous system. The drug is made easily in clandestine laboratories with relatively
24
inexpensive over-the-counter ingredients. These factors combine to make meth a drug
with high potential for widespread abuse.29
1
Harrison Act - Things To Remember While Reading Excerpts From The Harrison Narcotic Drug Act Of
1914:, Excerpt From The Harrison Narcotic Drug Act Of 1914.
<http://law.jrank.org/pages/12360/Harrison-Act.html">
2
The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment. “A History of Opiate Laws in the
United States.” February 8, 2008. <http://www.naabt.org/laws.cfm>
3
Office of National Drug Control Policy. “The State of Drug Use in America: Key Findings from the
2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 2007. <http://www.ondcp.gov/dfc/files/nsduh.pdf>
4
Boyum, David and Reuter, Peter, An Analytical Assessment of U.S. Drug Policy.
5
Vanden Heudel, Katrina, Jim Webb Tackles Our Tangled Drug Policy,
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080620/cm_thenation/7331478
6
Ibid.
7
National Institute of Drug Abuse web site. “Magnitude”.
<http://www.nida.nih.gov/about/welcome/aboutdrugabuse/magnitude/>
8
Ibid.
9
Ibid.
10
Drug Enforcement Administration Web site, Drug Descriptions: Cocaine
11
National Institute on Drug Abuse, InfoFacts: Crack and Cocaine, June 2007
12
Ibid.
13
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Cocaine Abuse and Addiction, November 2004
14
National Institute on Drug Abuse, InfoFacts: Crack and Cocaine, April 2006
15
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2006 National Survey on
Drug Use and Health: National Findings, September 2007
16
National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan, 2007 Monitoring the Future Study Drug
Data Tables, December 2007
17
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Marijuana Facts Parents Need to Know, September 2004, What is
Marijuana, How is Marijuana Used?
18
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2006 National Survey on
Drug Use and Health: National Findings, September 2007
19
National Institute on Drug Abuse, InfoFacts: Marijuana, April 2006
20
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Heroin Abuse and Addiction Research Report, May 2005
21
Drug Enforcement Administration, Drugs of Abuse, 2005
22
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Heroin Abuse and Addiction Research Report, May 2005
23
Ibid.
24
National Institute on Drug Abuse, InfoFacts: Heroin, June 2007
25
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction, August 2005
26
Office of National Drug Control Policy, Synthetic Drug Control Strategy: A Focus on Methamphetamine
and Prescription Drug Abuse, May 2006
27
National Drug Intelligence Center, National Drug Threat Assessment 2007, October 2006
28
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2006 National Survey on
Drug Use and Health: National Findings, 2007
29
Narconon – Drug Rehab and Treatment Addiction Center. “Illegal Drugs”
< http://www.addictionca.com/illegal-drugs.htm>
25