DRUGS •To Sociologists, drug use is a social behavior, and societies influence drug policies and drug use in different ways. •National Academy of Sciences•Native Americans drinking alcohol•natural scientists•genetics - NA lack protective gene•more susceptible to alcohol effects•social scientists•Problem began with displacement of NA•poor quality of life •Alcoholism was more of a symptom than a problem Sociologists say that drug use is a social behavior•learned behavior •multiple people there•social learning process •learn how to construct the effects as positiveDRUG POLICIES•some societies don’t think drugs are dangerous so they don’t have laws against them.•wine at church•pharmaceuticals •criminalized by how society constructs themDEA•schedules up to 5 •how addictive they are •5 lowest, 1 highest•Schedule 1 and 2 are dangerous•only difference•1 no medical benefits•not completely illegal•When drug is in lower classes it is given a schedule •coca-cola was a pain medication containing cocaine•cocaine became addicting •prohibition•a lot of referencing of the devil & sin•heroin- synthesized by morphine because morphine was so addictive•chemically the same•both really addictive •meth - medication •treat asthma•gave soldiers to keep them awake & help their performance•molly - actually an old drug •referenced by celebrities •MDMA •basically the same chemicals as meth •very slow when hit the drug market, resurfaced because of celebrities •worked really well for people with anxiety disorders •DEA will host court hearings •experts on both sides •more of a judicial process•first judge said MDMA was safe under medical watch •recommended that MDMA should be on schedule 3 •made MDMA schedule 1 anyway •mostly about politics Weed•could get doctor’s permission•people thought gov should focus on bigger problems •demand for medical weed increased•made fluid extract•new drugs replacing marijuana •put on schedule 1 list •overall decrease in England and Wales•completely illegal •opposite in America•has been an increase •attitude toward marijuana changed•asking for legalization •“just an herb”its natural •chemically better for you Baseball player died of overdose from crack cocaine•many athletes died of overdoses after this •associated with criminality & lower classesMEDIA•media got involved in “crack baby” myth •harsher sentences for crack & not cocaine •lady followed crack children •not really any differences •both pairs mentally behind •poverty has the lasting effects not the drugs •Myth - babies born with drugs in their system are set up for a lifetime of problems Needle exchange programs•people permission to clean needles •able to reduce the amount of HIV patients by 80% •pulled funding, then continued to fund, then pulled it again •deserve more punishment then rehabilitation PROGRAMS•socially constructed •kid died in drunk driving•mom started program against drunk driving •raised drinking age to 21 •more restrictive punishments and policies •D.A.R.E.•drug awareness •local police officers •kids are supposed to pledge not to do this at the end •funded by government •found out that program didn’t work at all •children given the DARE program are more likely to drink and do drugs •receiving millions of dollars a year even though multiple studies prove it isn’t effective at all •reasons they still use DARE•problem is complex never expected it to work•improve relationships with police but not long lasting•government already put a lot of money into the program & it’s hard to just stop using it because it’s been used for so long•AA•personal responsibilities •keeps people into the program•replicated for other issues•12 step program •belief in God plays the largest role •tried to modify programs for people who do not believe in God •a lot of people are not there by choice & they are sent there by court •there because they have to be so they have to participate •convicted have effect on people who chose to be there?•relapse rates are pretty high 40% - 60%•define the success of a program in different ways •people believe that relapse is a part of healing
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