amphetamine and its substitutes use and abuse

Amphetamine is a drug that was discovered close to 100 years ago. Since the, it has been transformed from being a freely available drug that does not need any prescription to a highly controlled and restricted drug. The use and abuse of amphetamine in the United States has changed from the 1950s to the present. In the 1950s, some legally manufactured tablets of methamphetamine and dextroamphetamine became easily available (Healey, 2007). They were being used for non-medical purposes by truck drivers, college students and athletes. As the use of amphetamines spread, its abuse also went on the rise. Amphetamines were taken as a cure for many things such as the treatment of mild depression to controlling weight. In the 1960s, the pattern changed drastically due to the increase in availability of methamphetamine that can be injected (Healey, 2007). However, in 1970 the controlled substances Act went ahead and restricted the legal production of this injectable methamphetamine and hence its use decreased greatly.

The current resurgence of amphetamine was due to a combination of the fashion cycles of recreational drugs and an increase of its illicit supply. Over the past few years, the abuse and trafficking of amphetamine drug within the U.S has gone up. This is indicated by investigative, price, purity, seizures and abuse data of the drug. This has resulted to the drug having a devastating impact in different communities within the United States. The current amphetamine abuse epidemic has reached almost the same extent and severity as it was in the 1970s(Healey, 2007).There has also been a surge in the legal supply and use of amphetamine. Amphetamine is increasingly being prescribed by physicians and people consider it as necessary in their daily struggles.

Don't use plagiarized sources. Get Your Custom Essay on
amphetamine and its substitutes use and abuse
Just from $13/Page
Order Essay

Drug schedule

Amphetamine is classified as a schedule II controlled substance according to the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. Due to the manner in which amphetamines work within the body, they were placed as schedule II drugs by the federal government. Amphetamines are placed in schedule II because they have a high potential for abuse (Rasmussen, 2008). The other reason for this placement is that amphetamines have a medical use that is accepted but with severe restrictions. The abuse of amphetamines can lead to severe physical or psychological dependence. Amphetamine is classified under controlled substances since it has to be strictly regulated in order to reduce any risk of illegal distribution and abuse (Rasmussen, 2008).

Effects of regular amphetamine use

There are various effects that Aaliyah might be experiencing due to her regular amphetamine use. The acute effects include an increase in alertness and concentration. This is evident by the fact that Aaliyah is able to stay awake and alert when she is studying for her exam. Another acute effect is having feelings of well-being and euphoria. This is exhibited by the fact that Aaliyah feels as though she is learning her material better as a result of taking amphetamine. Another effect of amphetamine abuse is headaches. Aaliyah experiences an increase in headaches when she takes amphetamine but she still takes them because they are helping her be successful at work and school. The chronic effects of amphetamine abuse include inducing dependence. Tolerance of amphetamine slowly develops leading to an increased intake compared to the amount originally ingested. The tolerance of the effects of amphetamine intake also develops unequally.  In the case study, we can see that Aaliyah has developed a tolerance for amphetamine. She notices that one pill no longer keeps her awake as long as she needs. This means that she has to increase the number of pills she is taking in order to get the desired effect. Incase Aaliyah wants to stop taking amphetamine, she might experience some withdrawal symptoms like depression, fatigue, anxiety, difficulty in making decisions, insomnia and inability to concentrate.

Effects on physiology, behavior, mood and toxicity

Amphetamine use and abuse has various effects on the physiology, behavior and toxicity to an individual. The physiological effects of amphetamine include increase in the heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate of an individual. The mouth of an amphetamine abuser becomes dry and it becomes difficult for them to swallow things and urinate. The person’s pupil becomes dilated and there is an increase in reflexes. Extremely high doses lead to a user to become pale and rapidly increase their heartbeat. Chronic use of amphetamine can lead to an inflammation of the lining of the heart, skin abscesses and damage of blood vessels. Amphetamine abusers have episodes of paranoia, violent behavior, insomnia, confusion and anxiety.

Amphetamine affects the personality of the abuser and they turn out to be harsh and harmful. Heavy use and abuse of amphetamine leads to mental health effects like paranoid hostility and aggression. Ingestion of large doses can lead to amphetamine-induced psychosis. This causes the amphetamine abuser to exhibit violent behavior which disappears when they stop taking the drugs. Toxicity or overdose of amphetamine can lead to chest pains, nausea, dizziness, hypertension, diarrhea and vomiting. It can also affect the CNS by toxic psychosis and acute delirium. An overdose of amphetamine can lead to stroke, muscle rigidity, seizures, and hyperthermia. All these effects can precipitate rhabdomyolysis that can cause renal failure.

Indicators of amphetamine abuse problem

There are various symptoms that indicate an amphetamine abuse problem. These include mood or psychological symptoms like improved mood and increase in self confidence. This is seen from the fact that Aaliyah feels that the drugs are enabling her to learn the material better and hence good grades in school. There are also some physical symptoms such as continued use of the drug despite health or physical problems associated to amphetamine (Spotts, 2000). Aaliyah continues to take amphetamine despite of the headaches that amphetamine causes.  Another indicator is tolerance whereby an individual needs to take more amphetamine so as to achieve the desired effects. Aaliyah starts taking more than one pill at a time in order to get the same effect she had initially with one pill. Other physical symptoms include increased alertness this is evident from the fact that Aaliyah is able to stay awake and alert and hence able to study for her exam.  Some of the behavioral symptoms that indicate amphetamine abuse include taking large amounts of the drug. Another symptom is unsuccessful attempts to cut down on amphetamine use.Aaliyah continues to take amphetamine because the drug is helping her be successful in school and at work.

Dependency or abuse problem

In this scenario, we can conclude that Aaliyah has a dependency problem. According to the DSM-IV-TR criteria, dependence is manifested in the following ways. Tolerance whereby Aaliyah is now taking more than one pill to get the same effect she initially got with one pill. Aaliyah is taking a larger amount of amphetamine over a longer period than intended. She had promised herself to take amphetamine only that one time during exams but ended up suing it more and more often so as to be able to stay awake. Another indicator of substance dependence is continued use regardless of problems associated with the drug. In this case, Aaliyah continues to take amphetamine despite having headaches.

References

Healey, J. (2007). Amphetamine use. Thirroul, N.S.W.: Spinney Press.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Rasmussen, N. (2008). On speed: The many lives of amphetamine. New York: New York University Press.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Spotts, J., & Spotts, C. (2000).Use and abuse of amphetamine and its substitutes. Rockville, Md.: National Institute on Drug Abuse ;.

 


Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Buy Custom Essay

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

  • Plagiarism free papers
  • Timely delivery
  • Any deadline
  • Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
  • Subject-relevant academic writer
  • Adherence to paper instructions
  • Ability to tackle bulk assignments
  • Reasonable prices
  • 24/7 Customer Support
  • Get superb grades consistently
 

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

  • When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
  • We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

  • The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
  • We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
  • Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment  Help Service Works

1.      Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2.      Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3.      Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4.      Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

smile and order essaysmile and order essay PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!

order custom essay paper