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James Rice

Mr. Bailie

English 1001

October 25, 2017

10/04

●

● Always begin your research with things related to the subject by

observing.

○ Meaning go observe, record, take notes, and possibly take

photographs of what your observing. (PG96)

● Observations aren’t always accountable when it comes to using

personal experiences as evidence.

● Questionnaires and surveys are somewhat successful if they are done

right.

○ Ask the right questions

○ Consider what is reasonable

● They are very accessible through electronic devices/ web based.

(PG96/97)

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● The greatest information comes from the source or person itself.

(PG97)

● Interviews are conducted to see exactly what you’re trying to figure

out.

● Big organizations are good for interviewing because you would be able

to talk to multiple staff members for more information,

● Best way to set up an interview is Via email or a telephone call.

● Always be respectful and professional.

● Let the interviewee know that times is very valuable and cannot be

wasted if it doesn’t concern the interview.

● Always electronically record the interviews and have a back up just in-

case one malfunctions.

● Library and internet searching are both good methods to use when

looking up research but always use the best source possible. (PG98)

● Always ask a librarian for help because odds are they know everything

in the library database and in print also.

● Monographs- are sustained arguments on a single subject.

○ Have to know a complete argument to use a monograph.

○ Reading the entire argument or just read introduction in hopes

that it expalins enough for you to understand.

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○ Sometimes there will be a magazine article or journal

summarizing the whole argument.

● Anthologies- A collection of articles and essays by many different

writers selected by an editor to write an introductory essay.

○ Good sources for short papers

○ Offers multiple voices

○ An argument can be read in one sitting

○

10/06

Rollins, Judy A. “Heroin addiction: not a laughing matter.” Pediatric Nursing, May-June

2016, p. 109+. Expanded Academic ASAP, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?

p=EAIM&sw=w&u=ucinc_main&v=2.1&id=GALE

%7CA458187360&it=r&asid=a71f8bc8e6a6e5e47b00b7358d6c4668. Accessed 25 Oct.

2017.

This article talks about how serious heroin addiction is and how it shouldn’t be

made into a joke. In 2016 SNL made a skit about heroin making it a joke. The skit

was about a new product call “heroin AM” which was considered a non drowsy

version of the substance. I’m guessing the tv network didn’t take into

consideration that this kind of subject would offend certain people because of

their experiences with the drug. These experiences include family members

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addicted to the drug, death because of the drug, and being an ex-addict which is

the reason they should have second guessed what they were doing.

In 2007, the number of people using heroin was roughly 380,000 compared to

the huge jump in user in the year of 2014 which spike to a little over 900,000.

This jump in numbers was mainly because of the youths usage with non-medical

prescription which include marijuana, cocaine, Oxycontin, percocet, adderall,

Xanax, etc. Within the past decade,

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deaths have reach epidemic levels if not higher now. This is saying nearly 40-50

people die daily from using prescription drugs. Opioid drug overdoses have

tripled in at least 35 states and the ages range from 12-25.

Recent studies have shown that the usage of non-medical prescriptions are

basically the gateway leading right to heroin alley for youth and young adults.

The ages of 17-18 are the general ages where heroin is tried if the individual was

already introduced to some form of non-medical drugs earlier. Most young adults

switch to the heroin drug because it;s way cheaper than prescription drugs, it’s

almost always available, and it’s stronger than most other drugs. Overdose is

one of the leading causes of death in the US in young adults. Within the past 5

years non-medical prescription overdoses have decreased while the heroin

overdoses have increased by double.

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Effects of snorting heroin/ Effects of using the needle with heroin

Harell, P T, and B E Mancha. “Latent Classes of Heroin and Cocaine Users Predict

Unique HIV/HCV Risk Factors.” Science Direct, Elsevier, 1 May 2012.

Kuramoto, s j, and C A Latkin. “Understanding Subtypes of Inner-City Drug Users with a

Latent Class Approach.” Science Direct, Elsevier, 1 Nov. 2011

Heroin and cocaine are the two drugs cost our country billions because the crime

rate goes up, healthcare, and the loss of productivity. In this study it is said that

a lot of people that

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use heroin also use cocaine although there is no specific reason why. Either

substance can be turned into a liquid and used to inject which also could lead to

serious harm in the future. Using a needle to inject these substances can lead to

the diseases AIDS or Hep C which are life threatening and could lead to an early

death.

The pattern of drug use is very different among different societies. The United

States is one of the only places that mixes heroin and cocaine together forming

what is called “a Speed ball” which is potentially dangerous because it’s

something that can make your heart explode. Crack in the United States is

mainly smoke and rarely injected where as in the United Kingdom, crack is

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mostly injected. Smoking crack vs nasal use is more addictive and it increases

the risk for drug dependence/drug overdose.

According to this article polydrug use is common among inner city societies and

people that abuse drugs. Polydrug use can lead to some serious medical issues

such as psychopathology, HIV/AIDS, Hep C, and in worst cases even overdoses.

It’s said that the HIV risk is higher for people to smoke, snort, and inject crack vs

just injecting it. Using drugs such as these are known as social behaviors

because most of the time they are done together with multiple people.

Prevalence and Correlates of Opiate Overdose among Young Injection Drug Users in a

Large U.S. City.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Elsevier, 11 May 2007,

.Between October 1999 and August 2002 a group of young drug users were

recruited for a

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study. Factors studied were injection and non-injection drug use. Infectious

diseases among the young drug users was also examined. Users needed to be

between the ages 15-30 when enrolling and have use of heroin, crack or cocaine

within the past five years to qualify for the study. Injection use was verified by

injection sites and a series of injection drug related questions. Questionnaires

were also given along with a blood draw at the 6 month and 12 month follow up.

Recruitment was done by ethnographic observation and previous research with

the target population.

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Experienced workers attended community meetings, posted study flyers, and

even approached people on the street to get recruiters for the study. Eligible

participants were only allowed to join if they gave a written informed consent.

They did a base-line survey given by an interviewer, provided information for

follow up visits, had blood drawn, and were given pre-test HIV and Hepatitis C

counseling. Participants were compensated $20 for each assessment completed.

Two weeks after the base-line visit they returned for results and post-test

counseling.

The study was approved by The Committee on Human Research at the John

Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Federal certificate of

confidentiality was in place to protect the collected data. The base-line and follow

up questionnaires had information on a variety of characteristics, drug use

patterns, and sexual behavior. The study uses data from the base-line survey

and from follow ups. Demographic and drug utilization information was collected

from the latest visits of overdose victims that were reported.

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9/27

Reducing Heroin Use

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Borden, David. “Heroin Maintenance Programs Can Reduce Harm to Addicts and

Society.” Heroin, edited by Stuart A. Kallen, Greenhaven Press, 2006. At Issue.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010185220/OVIC?

u=ucinc_main&xid=87f75a15. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.

This article is about reducing harm when it comes to addicts and using needles.

Drug addicts that use needles often share their needles with one another

because they have no way of getting new clean ones. Put in mind the way

addicts think, they aren’t thinking about getting a serious disease because they

are so worried about getting that high. Sharing needles can lead to some of the

deadliest diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hep C. Canada is one place that is

moving toward certain treatment plans such as providing addicts with small

doses of heroin and needles to hopefully steer them toward a treatment plan

eventually. This method could be somewhat effective but the USA would

probably have a

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different opinion about it.

Using the treatment program (providing addicts with heroin) in Great Britain,

Switzerland, and the Netherlands have shown some very good results. This kind

of treatment program is very risky because in all reality, it’s still being able to

have the access to use the drug but if you look at the facts, other countries have

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had success with this treatment program. Downtown Vancouver is where a lot of

the major drug users hang and being around that kind of environment will

automatically put you in a dangerous spot. The risk of HIV/AIDS, Hep C,

prostitution for drugs, robbery, and survival all play a part in the destruction the

drug causes.

I think using this treatment plan could possibly work for the United States

because different countries have used it and have been very pleased with the

decrease in illegal heroin use. It seems a little unethical that the programs plan is

to provide addicts with heroin and needles, but this kind of step helps reduce the

risk of certain diseases being spread through shared needles. With the rate that

the United States is going, this program could possibly do our country some

justice and get our economy back on track. This program has the potential to end

the epidemic that our country is facing at this exact moment.

Teen Heroin use

Moon, Eileen. “Teen Heroin Abuse Is a Serious Problem.” Heroin, edited by Stuart A.

Kallen, Greenhaven Press, 2001. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

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link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010185203/OVIC?u=ucinc_main&xid=49e90b84.

Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.

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This article talks about teens and how the use of heroin has skyrocketed

(quadrupled) since the early 1980’s. Heroin was a drug that only poor people

used but now it’s not just in the poor communities. More middle class teeneagers

and kids from wealthier families have started using the drug because of how it’s

portrayed today. A lot of teenagers use because they know someone that does it

or see it as something interesting because of tv. More and more teens are getting

caught in the crossfire with this drug and some may have already gotten the bad

end of the deal. (HIV/AIDS, Hep C, Overdose, or Death)

Realizing that teen heroin abuse is a real problem is the first step in trying to

prevent any future harm it may cause. Since the year of 1998 there have been

multiple teen overdoses across the United states and within some of those

deaths, some drug dealers were indicted in connection. Texas is a place where a

person cannot get charged with murder for someone overdosing which I think is

logical because it’s not the dealers fault the addict did more than necessary.(Not

saying they should have been doing the drug anyway) The dealer would most

likely get charges related to the distribution of drugs and smuggling across the

border. Teenagers between the ages of 17-20 are mainly the ones that fall victim

of heroin overdose and these teens are normally from good hardworking families.

The young adult population is the number one group leading the current heroin

epidemic. Knowing that heroin is around where my kids are growing up sends

chills down my spine. Reading this article made me realize an addict has to fully

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commit to recovery if they want to see a difference. There has been many

different medical drugs created to try and get

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addicts back on the right track. (Suboxone, Methadone, etc) Most users don’t

take into consideration the long term effects of what using heroin does. These

long term effects include broken/collapsed veins, blood infections, heart

problems, constant pain throughout the body, etc.

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When Rehab Might Help An Addict ? But Insurance Won’t Cover It.” Weekend Edition

Sunday, 16 Aug. 2015. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A425971382/OVIC?u=ucinc_main&xid=a705d477.

Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.

This audio file talks insurance companies and how they could do more to help

addicts with treatment. Heroin addiction is among every group which include

whites, blacks, poor areas, suburbs, and most urban areas. Ben Allen from

station WITF talked about how overdoses are at an all time high and insurance

companies are basically coming up short on their end when it comes to drug

treatment. He talks about a man named Anthony Fiore and how his insurance

wouldn’t cover a longer stay leading to him overdosing and dying not to long

after. He mentions that Anthony was addicted to Oxycotin before he was acepted

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into Penn State and shortly moved to the power drug called heroin shortly after .

He also interviews Valerie Fiore (Anthony’s mother), Clare Krusing

(Representative with health insurance), Deb Beck (Representative of a treatment

advocacy group), and Sam Ball (Representative of CasaColumbia) to get their

outlook on the situation about Anthony Fiore.

Interviewing all the different people and getting their point of view on the situation

was a

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great idea because its gives you somewhat of an understanding to why they

could or couldn’t do what was being asked. It was obvious that Anthony needed

additional treatment because he went to two different rehabs within a year and

had not shown any signs of recovery. He went to a 21 day treatment program

that his mother wanted to prolong but the workers told her that the insurance

wouldn’t cover a penny more. Within the next year was in another one but he

only lasted 11 days and shortly after that he ended up overdosing and dying. His

mother argued that her son was worthy of the additional treatment because he

was so bad off and addiction has to be treated like any other medical illness

right?

Valerie Fiore is left dealing with the fact that her son didn’t receive the treatment

he needed and was basically left to fend for himself. No one knows a mother’s

pain after losing a child and knowing that if he would have gotten approved for

additional help that he would still possibly be here. It seems that the care is

limited until someone actually overdoses which is backwards because overdose

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related deaths are what we are trying to prevent. Insurance companies need to

do more background checking on the insuree to assure they are confident with

the decision they made because they wrong decision can have some major

effects.

“Life After a Heroin Overdose.” NYTimes.com Video Collection, 10 Aug. 2014.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CT379370288/OVIC?

u=ucinc_main&xid=3ae4ac23. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.

This video is about A 17 year old named Alex that shockingly overdosed on

heroin at

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home in 2001. He was found by his mother and was immediately rushed to the

hospital where he was in a coma for six weeks. His mother has become his

caretaker through this hard time. She’s been taking care of her son for about 13

years.The overdose caused him to be blind, he lost use of his legs, use of his

arms, and couldn’t speak because he lost so much oxygen to his brain that he

had some kind of brain damage. Before the overdose Alex was a normal kid that

had friends, played sports, arts, and he was into things such as the debate team.

This video shows that the effects of heroin are tremendous. Overdosing is

something can can have a dramatic effect of yourself and the people around you.

Although this video didn’t give much insight on why he did it, or how he was

introduced to it, it still showed that effects can be life changing. For a teen to be a

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functional person in society completely mess their lives up because they wanted

to get high should be the biggest eye opener for anyone. Heroin isn’t something

to play with because in the end you’re not the only person getting hurt.

Watching this video gave me chills because knowing how this event messed up

this teenagers life makes me hurt for his family. His mother has to deal with her

sons disabilities 24/7 now and I know it hurts her deep down because this is

something no parent wants to go through. She keeps her son occupied by taking

him to museums, helping him exercise, practice walking, and he even speaks

more than he did after his overdose. Alex wants to get better so he doesn’t have

to depend on his mom for everything because he knows it hard on her. Recovery

is a big step but within the past 13 years of his mother caring for him he has

made some good progress with her care and help.

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“Opioids and the overdose epidemic.” Choices/Current Health, May 2017, p. 22+.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A492465997/OVIC?

u=ucinc_main&xid=8c1fa748. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.

This magazine article is about the use of opioids and how the overdoses are

causing an epidemic around us. It also mentions the medication Naloxone which

is something that reverses an overdose if used in time. 2015 holds the highest

number of overdose related deaths on record which is not good at all. This article

talks about what opioids are, what specific ones are used for medically, and the

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outcomes if they are used incorrectly. It also mentions how the number of

medical prescriptions have quadrupled since 1999- 2013. Which gives gateway

to the rise in heroin and fentanyl overdoses.

Since the number of prescription drugs have quadrupled that’s a leading door for

the abuser to move straight towards things like heroin because of how cheap it

is. Studies have shown that heroin today is way more powerful and pure than it

was about 30 years ago which is one of the reasons for the increase in overdose

related deaths. Fentanyl is one of the drugs that plays a big part in this epidemic

because majority of the time it’s mixed with heroin which is a very bad

combination.

This epidemic is one of the worst things out country has to deal with. If you think

about it, more people die from overdoses than anything thing else. Even gun

violence, car crashes, and plane crashes couldn’t compare to the amount of

deaths overdoses cause. If for any reason you get prescribed anything with

opioids in it, make sure it’s used as directed and not abuse the substance for

personal gain.

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Fernandez, Sandy M. “‘Heroin took over our town’: what’s it like living in the middle of a

drug epidemic? These teens wish they didn’t know, but they do.” Choices/Current

Health, Nov.-Dec. 2016, p. 6+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A492539113/OVIC?u=ucinc_main&xid=e295f89e.

Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.

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This talks about how over 200 people gathered in New London, Connecticut to

call attention to a certain situation. It explains that within that week at least 20

people had overdosed on heroin which is an outrage if you ask me. Not all of the

overdoses were fatal but that’s not the main point. It explains that heroin isn’t

only affecting the user, it affects everyone and everything around you. It also

explains that our nation’s epidemic crisis started around 2008 because of doctors

giving certain prescriptions out for simple pains such as headaches, sports

injuries,etc.

Doctors handing prescriptions out like it’s candy is just asking for some kind of

major crisis in the long run. Understanding that addiction starts off as using

prescription drugs is the one of the reasons why doctors should reconsider giving

pain meds to everyone claiming to be in pain. Some people got addicted while

being in the hospital on the medications and some people just use them

recreationally because they’re there.

Seeing that doctors could potentially be the cause of the epidemic we are going

through is a thought I can’t really process. Maybe if doctors knew what the

outcome was going to be, they might have taken a different approach with the

medicines they were prescribing. It was a good thing Lisa Cote John founded the

organization “Community Speaks Out” that help families of addicts because not

many people are willing to understand. Lisa founded this organization because

she had lost a son to overdose but when he lost his life, no one

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spoke about it or offered a helping hand.

Monroe, Judy. “A deadly narcotic: heroin.” Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader

publication, Oct. 1996, p. 13+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A18766632/OVIC?u=ucinc_main&xid=6a822dce.

Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.

This article talks about someone named Jeanne that was 17 years old, and had

her life pretty much set out for her. She had a boyfriend named Del and they

loved each other very much but Del had a love for the drug known as heroin.

Jeanne was hooked instantly and become a common addict. She was stealing

from her parents to get high and didn’t really show any remorse for what she was

doing. Del eventually went overboard and overdosed which caused Jeanne to go

to a treatment program.

Heroin use is among one of the biggest tragedies we face as a country. This drug

is something that’s extremely addictive and overdose normally happens because

the individual doesn’t know how pure the drug is or what mixed with it before use.

This drug was considered a 1970’s drug but somehow it’s making a huge

comeback. Heroin use slowed down towards the 1980’s because of the HIV/AID

outbreak but then people started snorting it.

The age of addicts are normally tennager to young adults. The age 17 is the

typical age for a person to experience with heroin if they were previously

introduced to any kind of other drug. Jeanne made the right choice seeking

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treatment after her boyfriend died of an overdose because if she didn’t seek help

he could have been the next overdose victim. There are certain signs to look for

when expecting someone of using heroin: slurred

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speech, nodding out, glossy eyes, and dry lips.