n7476434+master+of+puppets-drug+abuse

Student Name: Kristine Chen Student Number: n7476434 Tutor: Mangalam Sankupellay

** DRUG ADDITION IN YOUNG INDIVIDUALS **

__Cultural Artefact __
media type="youtube" key="T-Q7YIhpp9s" width="560" height="315" align="center"

@http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-Q7YIhpp9s

The YouTube video “Teen Challenge Students Share their Stories” is produced by Teen Challenge of Southern California. Teen Challenge of Southern California was established in 1963. It is non-profit organization that relies on donations, funding and volunteer work of individuals and organizations in order to offer free services. This video was uploaded to YouTube in February 18, 2010. It shares several testimonies of young individuals to describe how and why young individuals become caught up in drug addiction.

__Public Health Issue __
One of the major of public health issues is the illicit drug addiction. It is associated with physical and psychological health risks. The most serious physical health risk is death from either overdose or the increased risk of HIV, hepatitis B and C viral infection (Nelson et al, 2011). Drug addiction is also linked to various mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression (Australia Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). Drug use often begins in youth which is why young individuals are of the focus (Rohrbach, Sussman, Dent, & Sun, 2005). It is important to understand the nature and concept of drug addiction, the social, psychological and physiological factors that may be responsible to the development of drug addiction and the reasons behind illicit drug use becoming normalized in young individuals.

__Literature Review __
Drug addiction is more than just using drugs. It is a chronic and a relapsing disorder that impacts on the user, their social relationships and society as a whole (Camí & Farré, 2003). It is associated with a compulsive pattern behavior of using drugs despite an awareness of health and legal consequences (Volkow, 2005).There are several characteristics that drug users will develop which include drug tolerance, withdrawal syndrome and cravings (psychological dependence) (Robinson & Berridge, 2003).The development of drug addiction is influenced by several factors.

Psychological factors may be one of the causes for the outcome of drug addiction (Camí & Farré, 2003). The use of drug induces the reward system to become hypersensitized which results in an intense desire of demand. Subsequently, the use of drug alters brain functions such as decision making, judgments in any individual’s action (Camí & Farré, 2003).

Additionally, the biological factor of genesmay contribute to the development of drug addiction. It is estimated that 40-60% are associated with the risk of exposure to addiction (Robinson & Berridge, 2003). Robinson & Berridge (2003) demonstrated that there are different sensitivities towards different individuals to drug effects and various personality characteristics that increase the likelihood of using drugs (Robinson & Berridge, 2003).

Finally, drug use is a social action with the procurement, consumption and experience of using drugs often in relation to others (Pennay, Moore, 2010). Social relationships can have a strong effect on individual’s development of drug use problem (Dunbar, Kushner & Vrecko, 2010). Particularly, peer pressure and attitudes towards drug use is highly predictive in relation to adolescent drug use. Young people intend to use drugs as they desire social acceptances (Dunbar, Kushner & Vrecko, 2010).

Understanding all these different factors that contribute to drug addiction not only provides information on how drug addiction arises, but also to attain solutions.

To analyze the reasons young individuals use illicit drugs, there is a study sample comprised of 364 young recruited “concurrent-drug” users aged between 16 and 22 with no history of treatment for drug use related disorder using snowball-sampling methods (Boys, Marsden & Strang, 2001). The snowball-sampling method is a method that gathers a large sample from an invisible population where no conventional sampling is present. A team of peer interviewers was trained and interview participants for the study (Boys et al, 2001).

Data was collected using a “structured interviewer-administered questionnaire” developed specifically for the study (Boys et al, 2001). The questionnaire included a 17-item scale designed to measure the intention for illicit drug use (Boys et al, 2001). Participants were asked if they had ever used a particular drug in order to meet each specific intention (Boys et al, 2001). Statistics on the duration of using various illicit drugs, the recent frequency use and intensity of use for numerous illicit drugs were collected (Boys et al, 2001).

A majority of the participants had used at least one of the drugs (Cannabis, Amphetamines, Ecstasy, LSD, Cocaine and Alcohol) to meet 11 of 18 measured illicit drug use intentions (Boys et al, 2001). The most popular intentions for use were “using to relax”, “become intoxicated”, “keep awake at night while socializing”, “enhance an activity” and “alleviate depressed mood”(Boys et al, 2001). Future development work in this area should certify that participants are given the opportunity to note additional intentions other than to those included in the questionnaire so the scales can be further extended and improved (Boys et al, 2001). Additionally, this study sample was recruited using a snowball-sampling methodology. It does not provide a random sample of participants, however, this method is successfully used to access invisible sample of drug users (Boys et al, 2001).

Additionally, there is a trend in using recreation drugs as “club drugs “or “party drugs” in young individuals. Recreational drug use has become a prevalent activity of post-modern life especially for the youth population in Australia (Duff, 2005). It is the occasional use of drugs for enjoyment and pleasure in a controlled way, particularly within a social environment (Camí & Farré, 2003). As survey found a recent rise of the normalization theory related to the increase trend in recreational drug use among young people in Australia (Duff, 2005). The normalization theory explains that the use of drug is becoming ordinary in young individuals’ life (Duff, 2005). The research was conducted in Melbourne, Australia. The obtained sample was among 379 bar and nightclub customers. This study examines the normalization of young people's drug use and the links between this drug use and young individual’s leisure time and their drug consumption habits (Duff, 2005). However, the sample is small, urban focused and has limited social scope.

Furthermore, according to the normalization theory, young people are more accepting and accommodating towards drug use despite differences in their social acceptance of illicit drug use (Fitzgerald, Mazerolle & Mazerolle). As a result, recreational drug use has often become an ordinary feature of modern life for much of the youth population (Fitzgerald, Mazerolle & Mazerolle). This a survey of young people who frequently attended clubs in a major night-time entertainment sector in Brisbane, Australia to assess group differences in attitudes towards drug use (Fitzgerald, Mazerolle & Mazerolle). The study is limited in such that it merely focus on night time, and urban areas. Additionally, there is a limited social scope in this study.

While recreational drug use had become normalized within today’s society, there is a danger that recreational drug users will develop into problematic drug users (Duff, 2005). Problematic drug use is defined by the international classification of disease as harmful use and dependence which is actually means drug addiction (Duff, 2005). It is clearly detrimental to the health of drug users (Duff, 2005).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All these studies are associated with each other. Investigating in young individuals reasons for using illicit drugs are associated with the trend of normalization and the transition from recreational drug use to problematic drug use. This provides insight for the public health sector to implement a target approach and interventions to address this issue.

__<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cultural and Social Analysis __
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Applying social theory helps to recognize illicit drug use as a social phenomenon, with a cultural, social, and economic basis. These theories will not only explore the individual, but the social world that exists around them.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Specifically referring to Functionalism, it explains that the society provides norms or guidelines on the use of drugs. There is a set of social norms that identify the appropriate use of drugs. Drug abuse through the perspective of the functionalist may view it as structurally impaired. It is a significant process within the society as it disrupts the social system or disturbs the cohesion within the society. The society is a complex system in which every individual all contribute together to promote unity and stability. To explain drug abuse, functionalism relates on Emile Durkheim theory of anomie. Durkheim believed that under conditions of rapid cultural shift, there would be an absence of common social norms and controls, a state so called anomie. If people lack normal to control their behavior, they are likely to pursue self destructive behaviors such as illicit drug abuse. For example, young individuals’ starting a new school and desire to be popular and fit in.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, the use of illegal drugs is increasing, especially among young individuals (Fitzgerald, Mazerolle & Mazerolle). The recent trend in the availability, variability and consumption of illicit drugs among young individuals has been associated with the growth of popularity of dance and club cultures in Australia (Fitzgerald, Mazerolle & Mazerolle). The drug upward trend in drug use, the normalization, proposes that the social accommodation of recreational drug use has become an ordinary party of a normal everyday life for young people to the degree that soon non-drug trying young individuals will be a minor group in the future (Fitzgerald, Mazerolle & Mazerolle).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Furthermore, among the young individuals, ages 20 to 29 years old more are prone to drug use and most are affected by this issue (51.3%) (Australia Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010). Drug abuse in young individual is an important issue to discuss as it is becoming prevalent and normalized.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Different social and cultural group are being affected by drug addiction unequally. As according to Australia Institute of Health and Welfare (2010), Aboriginal People and Torres islanders are more prone to use illicit drugs (25%)compare with Australians (14.7%) and social group-adults age 40 years or older are less likely to use illicit drugs (8.6%) (Australia Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010). Therefore, looking at the functionalism perspective, public health experts could approach to the problem as by thinking of society as an organism made up of complex interrelationships (Sterelny, 1990). Functionalism also highlights that in order to solve a social problem the patterns of unacceptable behaviors must be understood through research and changed through targeted interventions.

__<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Analysis of the Artefact and Reflection __
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Overall, this YouTube video presents young individuals’ feelings towards illicit drugs. It implies that it is normalized and popular of doing illicit drugs among the young population. At the start, it is for fun, to be popular or was to avoid problems to make you feel better. The more frequently usage persists, it turns into addiction and thus, there is the transition from recreational drug use to problematic drug use. This artefact has personal meaning for me as one of my family members was a drug addict. I used to try really hard to help him when I was a teenager. He used to tell me the effects that would do to him and how all his friends do illicit drugs. I could relate to this video as I had seen my cousin go through a phase of fitting in with the popular crowd. What I learnt from this assessment piece is to apply social theories towards a public health issue. There were various social theory angles that I could focus on and analyze. This will affect my future thinking and learning as I could think as a sociologist and analysis a public health issue from different angles. This also made me learn that there are many different perspectives that I can understand in one situation.

__Reflection__
Discussions on: http://healthcultureandsociety2013.wikispaces.com/share/view/64695136

http://healthcultureandsociety2013.wikispaces.com/share/view/64695232

__<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reference __
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2011). Drugs in Australia 2010: tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. Drug statistics series no. 27. Cat. No. PHE 154. Canberra: AIHW.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Australia Institute of Health and Welfare. (2011, July). 2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey Report. Paper presented at information Online. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737421314

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Boys, A. Marsden, J., & Strang, J. (2001). Understanding reasons for drug use amongst young people: a functional perspective. Health Education Research, 16(4), 457-469. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Camí, J., & Farré, M. (2003). Drug addiction. The New England Journal of Medicine, 349(10), 975-86. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223927319?accountid=13380

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Degenhardt, L. & Hall, W. (2012). Extent of illicit drug use and dependence, and their contribution to the global burden of disease. The Lancet, 379(9810), 55-70

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Duff, C. (2005). Party drugs and party people: examining the ‘normalization’ of recreational drug use in Melbourne, Australia. International Journal of Drug Policy, 16(3), 161-170. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2005.02.001

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Duncar, D., Kushner, H.I., & Vrecko, S. (2010). Drugs, addiction and society. Biosocieties, 5, 2-7. doi: 10.1057/biosoc.2009.10 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fitzgerald, R., Mazerolle, L. & Mazerolle, P. (2013). Drug normalization and Australian youth: group differences in the social accommodation of drug use. Journal of Youth Studies, 16(7), 901-915. DOI:10.1080/13676261.2013.763920

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mathers B.M., Degenhardt L., Phillips B., Wiessing L., Hickman M., Strathdee S.A., … Mattick R.P.(2008). Global Epidemiology of injecting drug use and HIB among people who injected drugs: a systemic review. Lancet, 372, 1733-1745. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61311-2

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nelson P.K., Mathers B.M., Cowie B., Hagan H., Des Jarlais D., Horyniak D., & Degenhardt L. (2011). Global epidemiology of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in people who inject drugs: results of systematic reviews. Lancet, 378, 571-583. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61097-0

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pennay, A., & Moore, D. (2010). Exploring the micro-politics of normalization: Narratives of pleasure, self-control and desire in a sample of young Australian ‘party drug’ users. Addiction Research & Theory, 18(5), 557-571. doi:10.3109/16066350903308415

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Robinson, T. E., & Berridge, K. C. (2003). Addiction. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 25-53. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rohrbach, L.A., Sussman, S., Dent, C.W., &Sun, P. (2005). Tobacco, Alcohol, and other Drug use among High-Risk young people: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood. Journal of Drug issues, 35, 334-354. doi:10.1177/002204260503500206

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sterelny, Kim. (1990). The Representational Theory of Mind. [EBL version].Retrieved from http://mugwump.pitzer.edu/~bkeeley/CLASS/FoNS/Sterelny.pdf

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Volkow, N. D. (2005). What do we know about drug addiction? The American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(8), 1401-2. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220494351?accountid=13380