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This article talks about a particular “Designer drug”, but raises some important questions about addiction. One of the things about designer drugs is that they switch formulas so much, and states have a hard time keeping up with law making and enforcement. In your opinion, would it be better to leave certain drugs legal so that they don’t switch formulas very often, allowing us to develop better ways to combat addiction to one specific drug, or is it better to keep outlawing “bath salts” as well as similar designer drugs? Also, what constitutes a drug, and therefore an addiction? Is it a certain chemical component, or is it the way that these products are used?
The topic of designer drugs is very interesting, yet, extremely controversial, as the questions you posed demonstrate. In thinking about addiction in general there is no one chemical component that everything that every addict is addicted to has. Though that is an extremely general and over-dramatized statement I believe it has some relevance in the question that has been asked last in the paragraph. In my opinion, there is no certain chemical component, even in drugs themselves that causes people to become addicted. It is most certainly the way that the products being sold are used. For example, an over the counter drug that we use daily such as ibuprofen, may become addictive. This is all dependent on the user and if he or she abuses the drug to the point of reliance and therefore addiction. As I have mentioned in the past, what I believe ultimately causes addiction; whether it is to a "designer drug" or chocolate, is if a person is dependent on that item. Once a person needs their fix of something to survive; or so they think, it then may be called an addiction.
ReplyDeleteDrug abusers will always find a way to acquire the drug that they want. These drugs, like bath salts, should be kept legal. Not only will better ways be developed to combat abused legalized drugs, but the development process will be faster and addicts seeking help will have a better chance of finding it. The defining factor, I believe, in a drug is the power to alter someone's physical and/or mental state through chemicals. It is not the drug that is addictive, but it's the feeling and the idea of the feeling of being on drugs that constitutes an addiction. The addiction originates from the way in which a drug is used. Popular illegal drugs, like cocaine and meth can be used, and were, to make someone feel better for a moment in serious need. Eventually, just as the case with bath salts, these drugs became outlawed because people abused them by doing them frequently and in large quantities and thus became addicts.
ReplyDeleteI understand where this article is coming from in saying that bath salts should be illegal, but if bath salts should be illagal, shouldn't every single item that is included in everyday use be outlawed? Yes, bath salts have dangerous chemicals as do house cleaners, air fresheners, batteries, hair spary, white-out, and many other commonly used items. But I dont feel like that means they should be banned, or that they're formulas should be altered. These items have a certain formula so they will be most efficient. I guess basically what I'm trying to say is there are tons of items in everyday life that can be addictive, but it's up to the person to make the wise or not so wise decision to use or to not use these items to get a high and running the risk of an addiction.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Laken in the fact that you cannot ban every item should be banned because of people taking their addiction and abuse too far. There are too many common household items that a drug abuser could take too far and make into an illegal drug. Drugs addicts can make a drug out of any resource no matter if its a legal substance or not. Take bath salts for example, they are a common house hold item that regulate the requirements to make it legal, but someone somewhere turned it into a harmful substance. I think that no matter the regulations on products there will always be people who turn legal substances into illegal ones.
ReplyDeleteI agree, people are always going to find ways to get around laws. Also the people that use these drugs will always try to find new substances to get the high. You cant outlaw everything.
ReplyDeleteThis is a hard question because if everything that were being abused were made illegal, most things in our everyday lives would be illegal. I think you have to consider how wide spread the epidemic is and how it is effecting society. I have never even heard of 'bath salts' and I don't know of anyone who has. Therefore I can't imagine that it is very wide spread and even the article states, "scattered reports across the country". Once the situation becomes out of control, in that the drug becomes as popular and well known as cocaine or heroin, then it should become illegal. Unfortunately it has to come to that point because there can't be a federal law based off a few scattered cases of a designer drug overdose. Making this illegal would also spread the word about the drug, and thus most likely make the problem worse as criminals would be getting money and the product would become more appealing to rebellious teens.
ReplyDeleteI think that the clearest way to define substance addiction (and addictive substances) is that the user will go through withdrawal if she or he stops using.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that the drugs which have been marketed as bath salts are appealing mostly because they're legal and therefore conveniently acquired. If they're made illegal I suspect that most people will use their less dangerous counterparts, like marijuana, to get high instead.
There will always be household chemicals that can be abused. Now its bath salts, a few months ago it was keyboard duster. The fact is that chemicals that can be used to alter our state of mind have other useful applications, and its up to the individual to decide how they are going to use them. Products that have useful effects should not be outlawed.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem is not lying on the objects of addiction. The absence of relative law to combat those various drugs do let them more accessible, but it is not the drugs themselves that make people addicted. Even though all of those harmful drugs are banned, people still can be addicted to food, to internet, to love, to anything.There is no way that state can prohibit everything.
ReplyDeleteLeaving certain drugs legal means you will have no reason to prohibit it, that is giving up regulation! If you don't even want to combat it, what do their formulas matter?
Addiction is a psychological disorder, is a transformed way for people to fulfill their need. So, the solution should be based on the terms of psychology or mentality.
I believe this is just another way to find a way to get high and be "legal" since it isn't necessarily an illegal drug. The effects of the chemicals within these "designer drugs" is what are causing people to find alternatives. They shouldn't ban these products because they still do positive things according to what they were created for. People who are pressed after finding a way to feel a "high" sense of nature will look at ingredients and try to obtain their drug withing anything.
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