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Deviance 10e
Alex Thio
Chapter Eleven:
Drug Use
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Introduction
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Many people assume that drugs are
dangerous simply because they are illegal
Actually, the nature of drugs has little to do
with illegality, because many legal drugs
can be dangerous
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Drug Use in Perspective
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Aggregate (combined) harm of legal drugs
is much greater than harm of illegal drugs
Two legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, kill
at least 60 times as many Americans
annually as do all the illegal drugs
combined
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Illegal Drugs: Their Effects and
Users
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2.
3.
Categories of drugs:
Stimulants: stimulate the central nervous
system
Depressants: reduce the activity of the
nervous system
Hallucinogens (sometimes called
psychedelics): disturb the nervous
system and distort the user's perception
of reality
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Illegal Drugs: Their Effects and
Users – cont.
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Marijuana fits into all three categories
Marijuana is most widely used illegal
drug in U.S.
Many argue that there are serious health
hazards, short- and long-term, in
smoking pot
Others argue moderate use is less
dangerous than alcohol or smoking
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Illegal Drugs: Their Effects and
Users – cont.
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Heroin was first produced in 1898 as a
painkiller
Heroin is physically and psychologically
addictive
One study discovered most addicts
seeks a balance between avoidance of
withdrawal distress and euphoria, or a
sense of normality and control
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Illegal Drugs: Their Effects and
Users – cont.
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Cocaine comes from coca plants that are
mostly grown in Columbia
Crack is a less pure form of cocaine but
it produces an intense high because
users typically smoke rather than snort it
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Illegal Drugs: Their Effects and
Users – cont.
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Meth (methamphetamine): an injectable stimulant also
known as speed, crank of crystal; leads to suppression
of appetite, euphoria and a burst of energy; negative
side-effects include depression and paranoia
Roofies (rohypnol), roach, rope or the forget pill: a
depressant related to Valium but it’s 10 times stronger;
it’s used in prescription form (and sold over the counter
in 60 or more countries) to treat severe insomnia; now
a common date rape drug
Ecstasy (also known an X and the hug drug): alters
moods, leads to feelings of happiness and connection
with others and a new perspective on life; excessive
doses may cause brain damage due to extreme
overheating
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Social Dimensions of Drug Use
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12% of persons 12 years and older use
illicit drugs every year
Serious drug problems are more
prevalent in lower classes
Today, young teens are using drugs
more
For America as a whole, drug use
declined from 1980 to 1992 and has
since remained steady
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Social Dimensions of Drug Use
– cont.
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Intravenous injection of an illegal drug
can spread HIV
People who use illegal drugs generally
commit more crime than those who do
not
Socioeconomic status is directly related
to types of drugs used
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Becoming a Drug User
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4.
Heroin and other drug users typically go
through four stages in becoming involved
with the drug:
Experimentation
Occasional use
Habitual or regular use
Futile efforts to break the habit
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
A Social Profile of Illegal Drug
Users
Characteristics of most drug users:
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Males are considerably more likely to use drugs
regularly and extremely more likely to use drugs
heavily
They are relatively young, especially those free from
parental control and responsibilities
They are likely to have parents who use legal drugs
and friends who first gave them drugs
They have likely skipped school more often and
stayed home less often
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
What Causes Illegal Drug Use?
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Biological theories: inborn predisposition
to addiction
Psychological theories: trace causes to
specific personality traits such as low
self-esteem
Sociological theories: interpret drug use
as stemming from social forces, such as
drug subcultures or peer influence
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
What Causes Illegal Drug Use?
– cont.
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Economic deprivation theory: strong link
between drug abuse and deprivation
Cognitive association theory: addict's
continuing interest in the drug has to do
with its elimination of withdrawal distress,
rather than its production of euphoria
Multifactor theory: combines sociological
and psychological factors
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
The War on Drugs
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War on drugs consists of two basic
strategies:
Punitive - using law enforcement to stop
the supply of drugs
Supportive - using drug prevention and
treatment to solve the drug problem
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Abusing Prescription Drugs,
Particularly OxyContin
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More middle class people are abusing
prescription drugs, especially painkillers
OxyContin: Abuse has steadily increased
over the past decade leading to
widespread abuse and intensified
regulation. Abused due to availability,
the belief that it is safe, and the
attractions that all drugs have for users
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Figure 11.2 Illicit Users of
Prescription Drugs
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Smoking Cigarettes
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Smoking is a legal drug that is more
prevalent and dangerous than illegal
drugs
25% of Americans continue to smoke
regularly
Teenage smoking has increased recently
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
A Global Perspective on
Smoking
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While smoking has declined in the U.S.
since 1960, it has increased in the
developing countries, due to a lack of
required warning and restrictive ads
Women and youth smoking has
increased around the world
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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010