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The Use of Drugs

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23 views15 pages

The Use of Drugs

Uploaded by

DANIELA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE DAMAGING

EFFECTS OF
LEGALIZING THE
USE OF DRUGS
Lazar Diana Maria
What are drugs?
• Drugs are substances that change a
person's physical or mental state.
• The vast majority of drugs are used
to treat medical conditions, both
physical and mental. Some, however,
are used outside the medical setting
for their effects on the mind. These
are referred to as recreational
drugs.
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the
use of a psychoactive drug to
induce an altered state of
consciousness either for pleasure
or for some other casual purpose
by modifying the perceptions,
feelings, and emotions of the
user.

What types of drug are there?


 stimulants (e.g. cocaine)
 depressants (e.g. alcohol)
 opioids(e.g. heroin)
 hallucinogens (e.g. LSD)
 inhalants
 cannabis
Most used legal
drugs
• Caffeine is our favourite drug. It
is contained in tea, coffee and many
soft drinks, some included in many
medicines and available in over-the-
counter stimulant preparations.
• The next most commonly used drug
is alcohol, followed by
the nicotine in cigarettes and other
tobacco based products.
Damaging effects
Drug use can lead to risky or out
of character behaviour. Drug use
can also result in long-term
health outcomes that include:
• harm to organs and systems in
your body
• jaw and teeth issues
• mood swings and erratic behavior
• addiction
• higher risk of mental illness
• suicide and death

Alcohol causes the most harm to


others than any other drug.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE AND
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
LEGALIZATION VS.
While it may seem self-explanatory,
to legalize a drug, or anything else, DECRIMINALIZATION:
means to remove all prohibitions and
make it permissible without fear of
legal repercussions.

Drug decriminalization would


eliminate criminal penalties for:
• Drug use and possession
• Possession of equipment used to
introduce drugs into the human body,
such as syringes
• Low-level drug sales

Drug possession is the most arrested


offense in the U.S. with an arrest
every 23 seconds.
What are the Benefits of
Decriminalization?
Removing criminal penalties for drug possession and
low-level sales would:
• Save money by reducing prison and especially jail costs
• Free up law enforcement resources to be used in more
appropriate ways
• Prioritize health and safety over punishment for people
who use drugs
• Reduce the stigma associated with drug use so that drug
users are encouraged to come out and seek treatment
A common fear is that decriminalizing drugs would
lead to more drug dependency and crime. Data from the
U.S. and around the world suggest that treating
problematic drug use as a health issue, instead of a
criminal one, is a more successful model for keeping
communities healthy and safe.
Portugal: A Case Study in
Portugal decriminalized drug possession in 2001. More than a decade
the Decriminalization later, drug use has remained about the same – but arrests,
incarceration, disease, overdose and other harms are all down.
of Drugs Portugal’s drug use rates remain below the European average and far
lower than rates of drug use in the U.S.
Drug overdose fatalities also dropped from about 300 in 1999 to just
30 in 2016.
The number of new HIV diagnoses dropped dramatically – from 1,575
cases in 2000 to 78 cases in 2013 – and the number of new AIDS cases
decreased from 626 in 2000 to 74 cases in 2013.
LEGALIZING THE USE
OF MARIJUANA Recreational marijuana use is now legal
for adults in 15 states and the District
of Columbia. States where recreational
marijuana is legal include: Illinois,
Michigan, Nevada, Maine, Arizona, New
Jersey, California and others.

A third of Americans now live in a state


where weed is legal. Nearly 70 percent of
the country favors having legal access to
marijuana.

States that have legalized


marijuana for adult use have
collectively generated nearly $8
billion in tax revenue from cannabis
since legal sales first began in
2014, according to a new report from
the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).
Damaging effects of weed
legalization
Those on the other side of the drug legalization
debate maintain that mainstream acceptance of
marijuana will lead to an increase in use and
thus an increase in marijuana addiction. They
also believe that marijuana is a gateway drug,
and consequently a rise in marijuana use would
lead to increases in the use of harder drugs.
A growing myth among the public is that
marijuana is not an addictive substance. Data
clearly show that about 10% of those who use
cannabis become addicted. This number is higher
among adolescents.
Weed has been consistently shown to be a risk
factor for schizophrenia and other psychotic
disorders. Substantial evidence exists suggesting
that marijuana is also harmful to the respiratory
system.
Social Safety Implications:
Effects on Driving
Marijuana impairs the ability
to judge time, distance, and
speed; it slows reaction time
and reduces ability to track
moving objects.
In many studies of drug-
related motor vehicle
fatalities, marijuana is the
most common drug detected
except for alcohol. Based on
post-mortem studies it was
determined that marijuana was
likely an impairing factor in
as many fatal accidents as
alcohol.
Thank you for
your attention!!
quiz
1. What are drugs?
Drugs are substances that change a person's physical or mental state.
2. Name 2 types of drugs:
stimulants, depressants, opioids, hallucinogens
3. What is the substance contained in tea, coffee and many soft drinks?
Caffeine
4. What substance is proved to cause the most harm to others?
Alcohol
5. What is the most arrested offense in the U.S. and how often does it happen?
Drug possessios; every 23 seconds
6. Name one benefit of decriminalization.
save money by reducing prison costs, free up law enforcement resources to be used in more
appropriate ways
7. In which year did Portugal decriminalize drug possession?
In 2001
8. How much money have states generated since legal marijuana sales first began in 2014?
8 billion in tax revenue
9. What kind of drug is marijuana believed to be and why?
A gateway drug, it leads to increases in the use of harder drugs
10. What are the two most common substances detected in drug-related motor vehicle fatalities?
bibliography
• https://drugpolicy.org/issues/drug-decriminalization

• https://www.newportinstitute.com/resources/co-occurring-disorders/drug-legali
zation/

• https://www.marijuanamoment.net/legal-marijuana-states-have-generated-nearly-
8-billion-in-tax-revenue-since-recreational-sales-launched-report-finds/?
__cf_chl_managed_tk__=pmd_8Sb8k8T0rFpvSupTjVobrw.tMVGmVNEU7vCUanrBAto-
1634230687-0-gqNtZGzNA3ujcnBszQj9

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6179811/

• https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/where-is-marijuana-legal-a-g
uide-to-marijuana-legalization

• https://www.drugwise.org.uk/which-drugs-are-used-most/

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