Substance Abuse

It's Everywhere.

Substance abuse is anywhere and everywhere. It can affect anyone no matter the age, sex, gender, social status, or ethnicity. It surrounds us wherever we are, and often times goes completely unnoticed by anyone. You may never truly know when someone may be suffering. They could be your coworker, your neighbor, your classmate. 

Unlike domestic abuse, substance abuse does not always display noticeable, physical ailments. Yet, the problems and even fatalities that this abuse takes is unimaginable. 

There are a number of substances that have lasting effects on those who develop an addiction towards them. Each instance, though vastly different, are just as terrorizing and deadly.  Here are the most common substances that are not only addictive, but very easily obtainable by most anyone: 

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Opioids 

According to the "2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health," conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an estimate of 164.8 million people aged 12 or older in the US were classified as past month substance users. This included the use of alcohol, tobacco or illicit drugs / opioids. Within this study, there were approximately 20.3. million people who has a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) related to alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year. 14.8 million had an alcohol use disorder while 8.1 million who had an illicit drug use disorder.  

Alcohol

In 2018, the survey reported that 139.8 million Americans age 12 or older were classified as "Past Month" alcohol users, 67.1 million were "Binge Drinkers," and 16.6 million were "Heavy Drinkers." Between the ages of 12 to 17, 2.2 million had reported that they consumed alcohol in the past month, and 1.2 million had concluded that they binge drank in that same period.

When excessive drinking becomes an issue, this "problem drinking" becomes an actual medical diagnosis known as AUD. AUD, or "Alcohol use disorder" is a chronic relapsing disorder of the brain that is characterized by the impaired ability to stop or control the use of alcohol, regardless of the consequences. It is estimated that 15 million people living in the United States have AUD. In 2018, approximately 401,000 adolesnces between the ages of 12-17 were diagnosed with AUD.

Tobacco

In the same 2018 study, the NSDUH reported that 58.8 million people were tobacco users. Of them, 47 million 12 years and older were past month smokers. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death. The CDC reported that smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States.

It's not only tobacco that does damage, either. In the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey, conducted by the CDC, indicated a 78% increase in e-cigarette use among high school students. There was also a 49% increase in middle school students.  

Opioids 

The NSDUH reported that in 2018, 10.3 million people aged 12 and older had misused opioids in the past year. A majority of them motioned how they misused prescription pain relievers. An estimate of 2 million people who are 12 and older have an opioid use disorder. The CDC reports than an average of 130 Americans die each day due to an opioid overdose. 

Prescription Opioids

Prescription opioids can be used as treatment of moderate-to-severe pain, and is often prescribed after surgery, injury, or even in treating cancer. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of prescription opioids for chronic, non-cancer related pain, such as back pain or even osteoarthritis. The use of prescription opioids have been shown to hold serious risks and there is a lack in evidence about their long-term effectiveness to cure such pain.   

Any who take prescription opioids run the risk of becoming addicted to them. Once addicted, they possibility of waning off of them is almost impossible. In 2016, more than 11.5 million Americans had reported misusing prescriptions in the past year.  

Overuse of prescription opioids can make someone stop breathing, and can lead to their death.

Prescription opioid overdose deaths often involve a substance called benzodiazepines, which are central nervous system depressants that are used to sedate, induce sleep, prevent seizures, and relieve anxiety. 

The following contain benzodiazepines: alprazolam (Xanax®), diazepam (Valium®), and lorazepam (Ativan®). 

2.3% of high school seniors misused OxyContin in the past year

How did issue become an issue to begin with?

In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies had reassured medical comminutes that patients taking these opioids would not become addicts, and healthcare providers began to prescribe these drugs at greater rates than before. This then led to a wide sores diversion and misuse of these medications before it became publubally apparent that they are in fact highly addictive; thus, leading to an increase of overdose. 

In 2017, more than 47,000 Americans died as a result of an opioid overdose, including prescription opioids, heroin, and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. In the same year, an estimate of 1.7 million people in the United States suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers, and 652,000 suffered from a heroin use disorder (and this is not mutually exclusive).

According to data collected in 2018, 128 people in the United states dies from an opioid overdose every day. 

Nearly 85% of overdose deaths involved illicitly manufactured fentanyls,* heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine (alone or in combination) 

Such misuse and addiction of these opioids, be it pain relievers, heroin, or fentanyl, has developed into a serious national crisis.  

Heroin

Heroin use has increased sharply across the United States among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels. Some of the greatest increases occurred in demographic groups with historically low rates of heroin use, including women, people who are privately insured, and people with higher incomes. 

In 2018, around 15,000 people died from a drug overdose involving heroin in the United States. That's a rate of about 5 deaths for every 100,000 Americans.

In the same year, the NSDUH stated that approximately 808,000 people had used heroin. 

Heroin is an illegal, highly addictive opioid drug. An overdose can cause slow and shallow breathing, coma, and death. Often times, anyone who uses Heroin is often taking it along additional drugs and even alcohol. These mixtures of substances then leads to an increased risk of overdose. 

What exactly is fentanyl? 

Pharmaceutical fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever, approved for treating severe pain, typically advanced cancer pain. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. It is prescribed in the form of transdermal patches or lozenges and can be diverted for misuse and abuse in the United States.

Most recent cases of fentanyl-related harm, overdose, and death in the U.S. are linked to illegally made fentanyl. It is sold through illegal drug markets for its heroin-like effect. It is often mixed with heroin and/or cocaine as a combination product—with or without the user’s knowledge—to increase its euphoric effects.

Rates of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, which includes fentanyl, increased 10% from 2017 to 2018. Over 31,000 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids (other than methadone) in 2018.

The Aftermath

The number of drug overdose deaths decreased by 4% from 2017 to 2018, but the number of drug overdose deaths was still four times higher in 2018 than it was in 1999.  Nearly 70% of the 67,367 deaths in 2018 involved an opioid. 

From 1999–2018, almost 450,000 people died from an overdose involving any opioid, including prescription and illicit opioids.

This rise in opioid overdose deaths can be understood in three distinct waves.

1. The first wave began with increased prescribing of opioids in the 1990s, with overdose deaths involving prescription opioids increasing since at least 1999.
2. The second wave began in 2010, with rapid increases in overdose deaths involving the use of heroin 
3. The third wave began in 2013, with significant increases in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, particularly those involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl. 

Many opioid-involved overdose deaths also include other drugs being used as well.

What can be done?

Well, if caught earlier, the abuse of substances can be cured. There are a number of organizations that are willing, and were created as a venue of help. One such organization would be Slave 2 Nothing, a non-profit that aids in both substance abuse and human trafficking.  

Slave 2 Nothing

The organization was created by the owner and heiress of the popular fast-food company, In-N-Out Burger. In response to her father whom she had lost to an overuse of alcohol when she was young, and her husband who lost his brother to substance abuse, the organization was created as a means to aid anyone who feels as though they are chained to their ailment.

  

The organization works in three branches:

PREVENTION - Helping prevent adults, teens and children within our communities from being enslaved to any substance by promoting education and increased awareness.
TREATMENT - Helping anyone enslaved to a substance through interventions, detox, short or long-term care, inpatient and outpatient programs, and holistic therapy (including psychological, emotional, medical, physical, social, cognitive, and spiritual).
SUPPORT - Helping those no longer addicted to a substance restore their lives, relationships, and direction through understanding their life purpose.

If you, or someone you know, is suffering from any form of substance abuse, do know that there is help. 

National Substance Abuse Helpline

1-800-662-HELP(4357)

References

1. Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center for    Health Statistics; 2020. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov.

2. Wilson N, Kariisa M, Seth P, et al. Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths—United States, 2017-2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:290-297.

3. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/atod

4. https://www.slave2nothing.org/

5. https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis

6. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohol-use-disorder

7. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pubs/featured-topics/VS-overdose-deaths-illicit-drugs.html

8. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/opioids/heroin.html

9. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/opioids/fentanyl.html

10. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/opioids/prescribed.html

Abortion Laws

 

Abortion Laws 

By Dafne Garcia  

Women’s rights have always been affected and a glimpse of that was shown in this year’s presidential election, 2020. Our human right laws as women were at risk due to what males think is best for our own bodies. The debate between pro-choice and pro-life when it comes to fetuses has always been debated and the only victims here are women. Taking a women’s human right about making decision on her body, such as banning abortion, is a social issue where many women are affected. I am affected by this social issue.  

As a female myself this social issue affects me. If abortion laws were to change in my state, I would be terrified. Making it illegal for me to abort would have me dealing with legal consequences or dealing with an unwanted child. There are many girls who are raped that end up pregnant by their rapist. If I were to be in that situation, I would not want a child who will remind me of the worst day of my life for the rest of my life. Growing up in the middle wage class I got the opportunity to see a glimpse of both upper class and lower-class lifestyles. I have seen parents struggling to put food in their children's tummies and I have been one of those children growing up. Thankfully, my family and I are in a better position in life but unfortunately not everyone has the best luck. I would prefer aborting a fetus than having my children suffer of hunger. Sometimes not everyone is ready to have a child and even though putting you children in adoption might be an option, it is not the best. We all know the foster care system has had many issues in the pass by putting children in the wrong household and the only victims here are the children.  

I fell as women we already are terrified because abortion is an overly sensitive topic in most households that makes women feel some type of guilt by even consideration it an option. I have seen many cases of girls having their children and not wanting them, making them mistreat that baby. Cases in which a mom kills her children. That is worse than aborting a fetus. There are also girls who take abortion into their own hand and do it themselves. Indonesia is a country where abortions are illegal and profound consequences like your parents disowning you. In Indonesia they believe that when a woman aborts, she is killing her own blood. Here is the story of Inna Hudaya, "an old woman performed an abortion on her with no anesthesia and no painkillers. They barely spoke a word after the exchange of money — a lot of money, money ". She had to pay an amount of money as well as risking her life for her to continue her dreams. Hudaya is one of many women who go through this situation and some do not always make it alive. 

According to the article " A Guide to Abortion Laws by State by Susan Miligan, "Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey on May 15 signed the most restrictive abortion law in the nation, abortion at any stage of pregnancy, including in cases of rape and incest, Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on May 7 signed a "fetal heartbeat" law, effectively banning abortion after six weeks". These are some examples of abortion laws in two different states.  

 In conclusion, changing abortion laws against women is not the best idea. If the whole idea of being pro-life means saving a life, save the women's life. Allow them to have an actual abortion with actual medical staff to avoid women dying when performing their own abortions. Do not force a child into a household in which it is not going to be accepted to avoid mistreatment. Most important allow women to make decisions for their own bodies, allow pro-choice! 

Refences: 

Miligan, S. (2019). A Guide to Recent State Abortion Laws. Retrieved November 12, 2020, from https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2019-06-27/a-guide-to-abortion-laws-by-state 

          Filipovic, J. (2016, October 26). Should Women Perform Their Own Abortions? Retrieve November 14, 2020, from https://womendeliver.org/2016/women-perform-abortions/  

 
 

 
 

 
 

Climate Change

Climate Change 

 

What is Climate Change:

Climate change effects the rising of Earth's temperature and the fluctuation of the weathers pattern.

Climate Change Impacts:

- Negative impacts on the health of individuals

- Makes it difficult for agricultural communities to grow crops

- Sea level rise and flood many rural places 

Why it matters:

    Climate change effects matter because many individuals living in rural places are the most effected by this issue. Climate change has cause many health problems and has also contributed with creating diseases. For example, individuals with respiratory issues have been effected by the  climate change making it difficult for them to properly breath. A common illness in rural countries in the recent years has been the parasitic disease. Parasitic disease has been shown to affect a lot of children making them the most vulnerable to this illness.  Another, issue that has been created by climate change is leaving families without employment. Many families leaving in rural places make their living by agriculture, and such changes in the weather has made it difficult for crops to flourish.

 

This issue matters to me because I have several family members and including myself that have respiratory issues and this has made it very difficult for us. Also, being a candidate of suffering from depression i've noticed that the drastic changes in the weather can also affect my mood. There is times when the sky is nice and clear I feel energetic and happy but when the sky is filled with pollution and it's gray my mood does good down. I chose to write about this topic to bring awareness in taking care of the climate change. After all we one have one Earth to call home and if we destroy it we have nowhere else to go to.  

Causes of climate change: 

• Chemical fertilizers • Deforestation • Increase vehicles • Emissions of GHG • Industries • Emission of CO2 • Sunspot and solar cycle • Ocean currents • Forest fire • Volcanic eruptions • Meterorites • Methane emission from animals

Changes in the recent years:

Reference 

Perkison, W., Kearney, G., Saberi, P., Guidotti, T., McCarthy, R., Cook-Shimanek, M., Pensa, M. and Nabeel, I., 2018. 
    Responsibilities of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Provider in the Treatment and Prevention of Climate Change 
    Related Health Problems. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60(2), pp.e76-e81.

Hamilton-Webb, A., Manning, L., Naylor, R., & Conway, J. (2016). The relationship between risk experience and risk response: a         
    study of farmers and climate change. Journal of Risk Research, 20(11), 1379-1393. https://doi.org/10.         
    1080/13669877.2016.1153506

 

Corruption in the Beer industry

Corruption in the Beer industry

Abraham Lee

Art 3170

November 10, 2020

Background

Here in the US close to all individuals over the legal drinking age of 21 will have heard of one of the following beers: Especial, Pacificos, Corona, and Modelo, famously phrased as, “Its Modelo time!” All these big time beer brands are branches from the father company Constellation Brand, a fortune 500 company, that is one of the biggest sources of income and trade for Mexico supplying mainly to the US. Constellation has been extremely successful over the years, sales worldwide ranging upwards of 8 billion U.S. dollars since 2012. Due to their huge margins of success, the brewery is planning, in 5 years time, to open another megafactory ready “to invest another $500 million for infrastructure, land and water rights to double production over time.” The plant is foreseen to be placed in a small agricultural, border town called Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico; which is figured to make 10 million hectoliters of beer (264 million gallons), according to the company press rel ease, while tapping into the local wells for a total of 1.8 billion gallons of water a year.

Behind the Beer

Sergio Eduardo and Montes Montoya, chairmen of Constellation Brands, claim that economic advancements that the projects will produce by opening 750 permanent occupations for the people of Mexicali, they are able to ignores the negative effects of the factory, as they also sit comfortably as mayors as directors of Urban Administration. This clear conflict of interest goes on in Mexico, allowing these “majors,” to pass regulation and disregard the rights of the people in order to maximize profit. In the desert area of Mexicali, fresh water is a luxury that is greatly restricted as the temperatures easily reach over 100 degrees, while clean drinking water is a scarcity. Still in this highly agriculture centered society, Constella Brand plans to tap into their commodity of water that would greatly restrict their produce, for the production of their beers that hardly enter their own markets in Mexico, and as a result doesn’t enter their economy. For the gain of Constellation Brand the people must suffer not only the use of their precious resources, which compromises their own livelihood and source of income, this corruption may eventually result in the displacements of whole families and the desertion of the desert city, Mexicali.

How Im Involved

Personally I can continue to indulge in ignorance with some Constellation Brand beers without being directly affected, as I am not or directly affiliated with the people in question. Instead what urges me towards this topic is the lack of response to the issues and responsibility that people in the US feel when they fuel the flames. While the exploitation and economic grooming by exploiting Mexico for its land, resources, and workers, are on a multi million dollar business trade including Constellation Brand, a Fortune 500 company, bridging between two neighboring countries, whose relations are rocky as it stands. We as humans must regularly practice due diligence and decency to be the voice for the unheard, fight for the weak, and help for those in need. My passion for this topic comes from a number of personal reasons. First I feel that the United States historically has and continues to blatantly exploit other nations, countries, and people for financial gain. Creating a demand for such beers, outsourcing for the work and labor, and creating a false sense of mutualistic relation, while this trade is eventually hurting the people of Mexico, the trust and relations to government, and the overall country in the long run. Secondly, I have a girlfriend as well as friends that are of Latinx or chicano heritage, who at varying degrees have become more and more passionate about politics in favor of their beliefs according to the culture of their people. Especially with the socio-political climate here in the United States, with Donald Trump being the current president has truly galvanized the youth into education and action. Seeing this shift to the importance of competence in politics has been a huge beneficial change that is palpable in the new generation that has had an effect on me as I am  surrounded by such individuals. My final reason as to why this topic matters to me, is for the reason that although I notice a shift in being aware of the situation here in the United States, I have felt a distancing of people from their native countries, often Mexico, from my peers. Oftentimes the passion my friends exude for the injustices here in the US do not carry south of the border for their mother countries, which leaves me confused, angry, and more passionate to uncover the truth that many are unwilling to face.

                                                                       Affected Community

                              Jasmine: Jasmine is in fact my girlfriend who has brought this topic to my attention who is highly aware of the current situation being half Mexican half Spanish, culturally identifying as Mexican. Because she is aware of the unjust proceedings south of the border, her main concern is the fact that more people are not aware of the current ongoing events. This leaves one to wonder all the other inhumane acts going on in Mexico that are not being properly addressed her in the United States. Jasmine also mentioned the power and influence that money has over the people of Mexico, so halting proceedings of the creation of the Constellation Brand factory being built would prove very difficult. Even still, many Americans all over the country mindlessly consume these beer products, if more transparent understanding of consequences was exposed to the people that action may be taken with more awareness of the situation. Although Jasmine understands the problems that citizens of Mexico may face, as she hears stories from immigrants of the beauty of the land and agriculture, she would like to experience such freedoms by living in Mexico one day.

                             Soley: I interviewed a coworker in the office of half Mexican and Venezuelan descent, living in LA county and currently in Irvine. She felt as though the corruption is deep into the systems of Mexico, most infamously seen in the form of gangs like the narcos, but also in big money corporations, and all throughout the governing body. Most simply put in layman terms, money is the push and pulling factor of Mexico, and authority or justice has a price. This left Soley feeling a bit hopeless, feeling that there were not simple enough solutions that she could comprehend for the problems were too complex and ingrained in the community that only a big revolution would be the only possible impactful change that could take place; all or nothing. Finally in the end she responded that although she wouldn’t ever live in Mexico, she would like to own a house to lease and rent, when she wasn’t in Mexico on vacation or for short periods of time.

                                                                           Work Cited

López, G. (2015, September 15). Hispanics of Mexican Origin in the United States, 2013. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2015/09/15/hispanics-of-mexican-origin-in-the-united-states-2013/.

Zaragoza, A. (2018, March 26). As Big Beer Moves In, Activists in Mexicali Fight To Keep Their Water. Retrieved November 09, 2020, from https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/03/26/596448290/as-big-beer-moves-in-activists-in-mexicali-fight-to-keep-their-water