essay on prohibition of drugs

Prohibition of Drugs vs. Harm Reduction Policies Essay

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Introduction

Pros and cons of both approaches, personal position and evidence.

Drug consumption constitutes a major global problem that is also acute in the United States. There are different approaches to combat drug consumption, but one may distinguish two polarizing types: drug prohibition and harm reduction policies. In general, these two classical approaches outline distinctive philosophical worldviews about attitudes toward addicted people and addiction in general. The former means a strict legislature on the trade and storage of illegal substances, making drug circulation harder. The latter concentrates on methods of reducing harm from drug consumption while softening legislation for consumption and storage.

Drug abuse has become a crucial issue on the agenda in the 1970s. In 1971, US President Richard Nixon declared drug consumption as “public enemy number one” (as cited in Exum, 2018, p. 941). In the 21st century, the US still has some awful numbers concerning overdose deaths because of opioids: in 2017, in the US, the overdose mortality ratio was ten times higher than in the European Union (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2019). The target group of these problems in the US is vulnerable people, especially minorities (Kaliszewski, 2022). These people are usually young and inexperienced, so they may easily get an overdose or HIV infection. Therefore, it is a really acute problem that needs a systematic response.

Prohibition-based policies build on harsher attitudes towards the drug trade, targeting it as a challenge to national security and health. This approach gives law enforcement agencies more authority on drug control, which was aimed mainly at reducing drug use. Theoretically, the introduced ban on drug use decreases the number of users, as it is more difficult to get drugs because there are fewer drug dealers and the price is high.

Harm reduction has gained popularity only recently, especially under the active movement of liberal scholars. It is a pragmatic approach to reduce the negative consequences of drug use implemented with the active partnership of users (Owczarzak et al., 2020). The common strategies include needle and syringe programs, HIV testing, safe injection facilities, opioid substitution treatment, and many other similar strategies (Kluczewska & Korneev, 2021). Given the possibility of increased HIV transmission, some policymakers have decided to use a harm reduction approach.

The major benefit of the prohibitionist approach is that strict laws discourage people from experimenting with illicit drugs, including youngsters, which are vulnerable to the drug market. The fear of prison sentences should make people afraid of buying any kind of illegal substance. However, these “pros” can be easily overlapped by the outcomes of the campaign. Scholars emphasize that Nixon’s and Reagan’s stance on drugs resulted in the militarization of police and disproportionate pressure on minority groups (Ghiabi, 2019). Thus, it seems there should be a clear strategy for setting restrictions if the government decides to pursue a prohibition-based policy.

As for the harm reduction approach, the problem is that it is often unwelcomed by the population. In practice, it is regarded as an effective strategy that diminishes the distribution of HIV, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis (Owczarzak et al., 2020). Nevertheless, these policies break the well-established global regime of narcotics control. As Rushton (2018) indicates, the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and some further treaties established the ‘rule of the game’, based on the fight against drug flows. In addition, some conservatives may disregard harm reduction because it is discursively framed as the legalization of free uncontrolled drug consumption.

After extensive consideration of both sides, it seems that the harm reduction policies are incompatible with the prohibitionist approach, so transnational organizations and media should soften the suspicion towards harm reduction. Organizations like the World Health Organization and Global Fund, and media such as the Washington Post, New York Times, and others have access to the audience and international actors, so their contribution may be beneficial.

The major reason why harm reduction should replace prohibition-based policies is the deteriorating situation with the penitentiary system. The reason is that the US has the highest prison population globally (International Center for Prison Studies, 2018), and 40% of US drug arrests in 2018 were because of marijuana possession (Gramlich, 2020). The academic community disregards such harsh punishments for minors and marijuana possession because it breaks drug users’ links with health and social services (Csete, 2020). In addition, the large prison population of drug users creates an environment that is very prone to infectious disease infections, such as HIV and hepatitis C (Csete, 2020). Thus, the prohibition-based approach may have disastrous effects in the American context.

To sum up, this essay focused on the critical discussion about the appropriate policies to combat drug addiction in the US. While some argue that the government should fully restrict the drug trade and use harsher methods against drug dealers, others adhere to the pragmatic view that authorities should assist addicted people. This essay concluded that harm reduction policies should prevail because they cannot coexist with prohibitionist practices, which lead to stigmatization and an increased prison population.

Csete, J. (2020). More harm than public health in drug policy? A comment. In J. Buxton, M. Chinery-Hesse & K. Tinasti (Eds.), Drug policies and development (pp. 261–273). Brill Nijhoff.

​​Exum, J. J. (2018). From warfare to welfare: Reconceptualizing drug sentencing during the opioid crisis. Kansas Law Review, 67 , 941-959. Web.

European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. (2019). Drug-related deaths and mortality in Europe: Update from the EMCDDA expert network. Publications Office of the European Union. Web.

Gabi, M. (2019). Lessons on the drug war from an enemy. Current History, 118 (811), 322–324. Web.

Gramlich, J. (2020). Four-in-ten U.S. drug arrests in 2018 were for marijuana offenses – mostly possession . Pew Research Center. Web.

International Center for Prison Studies. (2018). Highest to lowest – prison population total. World Prison Brief. Web.

Kluczewska, K., & Korneev, O. (2021). Policy translation in global health governance: Localising harm reduction in Tajikistan . Global Social Policy, 21 (1), 75-95. Web.

Owczarzak, J., Weicker, N., Urquhart, G., Morris, M., Park, J. N., & Sherman, S. G. (2020). “We know the streets:” race, place, and the politics of harm reduction . Health & Place, 64 , 1-8. Web.

Rushton, S. (2018). Promoting pro-health policies across regimes: Global AIDS institutions and the harm reduction debate. Global Governance, 24 (2), 267-286. Web.

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• Substance Abuse Screening (SBIRT) in New York City
• Prohibition Benefits and Detriments
• Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford as Presidents
• President Nixon's Impeachment After the Watergate Incident
• US Opioid Epidemic: Reflection on Preventive Models
• Alcoholism and Treatment Options
• A Human Services Organization's Prevention Program
• Understanding and Addressing Alcohol Dependence
• Advocacy Programs to Address Disparities in Mental Health and Addiction Management
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Bibliography

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The Case for Mark Kelly as Kamala Harris’ VP Pick

I n the blink of an eye on Sunday last, the 2024 presidential race was totally transformed by Joe Biden’s historic withdrawal , followed by his immediate “full support and endorsement” of running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris . Oddsmakers, insiders, and cable news pundits were suddenly confronted with a tantalizing new political calculus.

No longer a contest between two aging nominees—a current and a former POTUS—now Democrats changed their lineup, leaving open only the question of who would be Harris’ vice presidential candidate.

Swiftly, Democrats around the country—delegates, superdelegates, donors, and Congressional leaders—unified in support of Vice President Harris. Overnight, it seemed, nearly $100 million dollars rushed into her campaign coffers. Now, Democrats gather around the cooler for one thing—her decision on a Vice President .

Read More: Who Could Be Kamala Harris’ Running Mate? Here’s the Shortlist

Having a strong bench from which to choose, early speculation centered on the Party’s outstanding governors—Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, Colorado’s Jared Polis—all from states crucial in Electoral College competition. California governor, Gavin Newsom, has dealt himself out of the deck, in recognition of the Constitutional prohibition against both members of the ticket being from the same state.

Some have thought Harris might look to a current Biden cabinet officer—most prominently mentioned are Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

But informed speculation on Capitol Hill and at Washington think tanks , spiked by a new burst of energy and excitement in the Democratic Party, has focused on Arizona’s junior Senator, Mark Kelly, whose credentials and compelling life story have made him a most appealing possibility. To some extent, Harris has been considering Kelly. Shortly after Biden endorsed Harris, she telephoned a number of vice presidential possibilities. Kelly was one of them. Shortly thereafter, he was being officially vetted.

The case for Kelly is shiny, authentic, and persuasive. Kelly comes with extensive military experience, helping Harris, who has none. Kelly is a decorated Navy pilot with combat experience. He is a seasoned astronaut who commanded the Space Shuttle Endeavor. He campaigned as a political moderate favoring stricter gun control and won a Senate seat from Arizona. After four years on Capitol Hill, a tough place for making friends, Kelly is highly regarded by colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Since 2011, when his wife, former Congress woman Gabby Giffords , was almost killed in an assassination attempt, Kelly has never left her side, organizing her recovery effort, and gaining a reputation for loyalty and kindness, sharing the unbearable and gruesome experience with her. Both—Gifford and Kelly—are seen as American heroes.

That he almost certainly puts Arizona’s 11 electoral votes in the Democratic column is a clincher for Harris-Kelly and a coup de grâce for Trump-Vance.

In a recent conversation with Kelly’s identical twin brother, Scott, another retired Navy captain and astronaut, the Senator was described as a person skilled in crisis management and scientific exploration, tough on border security and gun control (though he himself owns guns and supports the Second Amendment). During his Senate career, Kelly has been instrumental in several important public policy initiatives, including landmark legislation to reduce prescription drug prices and lower out-of-pocket costs for seniors; the $52 billion bipartisan package to increase domestic microchip manufacturing, and select proposals to ban stock trading by members of Congress, and eliminate corporate PACs.

Given the clear determination of Democrats to arrive at and depart from their Chicago convention next month in an animated, energetic, unified posture, Kelly’s story and stature, if attached to the Harris ticket, would strengthen the Democratic quest for an election victory on November 5, ushering in a new generation of political leadership.

Welcome aboard, Commander Kelly.

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Drugs - List of Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

Drugs, encompassing a wide spectrum from life-saving medications to illicit substances, present a complex societal challenge. Essays could explore the pharmacological, sociological, and economic aspects of drug use and misuse, delving into the mechanisms of action, the therapeutic benefits, and the potential for abuse. The discourse might extend to the examination of drug policies, discussing the merits and drawbacks of various regulatory frameworks, such as prohibition, decriminalization, and legalization. Discussions could also focus on the societal and health impacts of drug misuse, exploring the challenges in prevention, treatment, and harm reduction. Moreover, a comprehensive analysis could include a discussion on the global drug trade, the ethical considerations surrounding drug development and access, and the ongoing research aimed at better understanding the complex interplay of factors influencing drug use and its manifold implications on individuals and society. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to Drugs you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Drugs — Arguments Against The Prohibition Of Marijuana

Arguments Against The Prohibition of Marijuana

• Categories: Drugs Marijuana Legalization

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Published: Mar 18, 2021

Words: 2512 | Pages: 6 | 13 min read

• Medicaments are drugs and drugs are medicaments
• It does not make any sense when alcohol is legal and LSD is not
• Drug prohibition costs money and does not work
• The black market creates substances that can be dangerous even for responsible users. And for those irresponsible they are more destructive.
• The society is not educated in the matter of drugs and is deliberately manipulated
• The illegal environment supports the black market and criminality
• Drug stigma creates more socially excluded people
• No prohibition has ever even reduced using of drugs

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Introduction

In November 2023, 57% of voters in Ohio voted for Issue 2 , a ballot initiative which legalized adult recreational marijuana use and tasked the Ohio Departments of Commerce and Development with implementing a legal recreational cannabis industry in the state. As of December 7, 2023, individuals 21 years and older can legally consume and possess marijuana throughout Ohio, although recreational dispensaries are not expected to open until the summer or early fall of 2024. Like most other states that have legalized cannabis for recreational use, Ohio allows local jurisdictions to enact ordinances to prohibit or limit the operation of adult-use cannabis businesses within their boundaries.  This page presents information on 68 active local moratoriums enacted by Ohio jurisdictions as of July 19, 2024. Please note that the list of moratoriums may not be comprehensive and will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.

Figure 1. Map of Ohio Jurisdictions That Have Enacted a Moratorium for Adult Use Marijuana Operators

Local Prohibition Statute and Host Community Fund

The incorporation of a local business prohibition statute is common among the 24 states that have legalized adult cannabis use for recreational purposes. Only four states out of these 24—New Mexico, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Minnesota—do not give localities the power to prohibit businesses, although these states give localities the right to enact reasonable restrictions on time, place and manner of consumption. The extent to which localities opt out of the legal recreational market varies. For instance, in Michigan 73% of municipalities (1,300 out of 1,773) opted out; [1] in New York, only about 50% of municipalities (753 out of 1,520) opted out of allowing dispensaries within their boundaries. [2] . In comparison, the 71 Ohio municipalities that have passed moratoriums as of July 19, 2024, represent only a small fraction (just over 3%) of the 924 incorporated municipalities and 1,307 townships in the state of Ohio.

Ohio’s Issue 2 enacted Ohio Revised Code Section 3780.25, under which localities can enact ordinances prohibiting the operation of adult-use businesses, although they may not prohibit the operation of existing medical cannabis operators that are already located within their jurisdiction. Additionally, localities cannot pass ordinances prohibiting or limiting marijuana-related research conducted at state universities, levy a tax, fee, or charge on adult-use operators that are not being levied on other businesses within the municipal corporation or township, and they cannot prohibit or limit home grow, or any other activity authorized under Chapter 3780.

If a dispensary license is issued by the Division of Cannabis Control for a locality that does not have a moratorium in place, the locality has 120 days to enact an ordinance prohibiting the operations of the dispensary. Upon passage of the ordinance, the dispensary has 60 days to cease operations, or begin the process of initiating a petition to operate that would have to be voted on at the next general election.

Host Community Fund

While the current law gives communities the power to prohibit adult-use cannabis operators from their jurisdictions, it also created an incentive for municipalities to allow operators by establishing the Host Community Fund. Thirty-six percent of the recreational cannabis excise tax revenue collected by the state will be directed to the Host Community Fund, which is then distributed to municipal corporations or townships that have adult use dispensaries. This revenue, along with the local sales tax collected from the sale of recreational marijuana, can be used by communities to fund their own priorities. [3]

The State of Local Moratoriums

As of July 19, 2024, 71 Ohio municipal corporations or townships have passed moratoriums prohibiting adult-use cannabis businesses. We were able to collect the language of 59 of these moratoriums. [4] The 68 jurisdictions with active moratoriums represent just over 12% of Ohio’s population, with the average population of these localities hovering just above 21,000 residents.

Figure 2. Ohio Moratoriums by Jurisdiction’s Population Size

Of the 59 ordinances we collected, 58 jurisdictions enacted full moratoriums for all types of adult use operators. As shown in Table 1, 18 of these jurisdictions have left the length of the moratorium undefined, while the other jurisdictions averaged a moratorium of approximately nine months—30 are a full year or longer, while two are six months or shorter. A handful of jurisdictions that enacted adult-use moratoriums already have operating medical marijuana establishments.

Table 1. Ohio Jurisdictions That Have Enacted a Moratorium for Adult Use Marijuana Operators

The moratoriums are generally brief and often describe the need to ensure “public peace, health, safety, and welfare of [the locality’s] citizens.” The moratoriums also often cite the need for time to review current ordinances and identify any conflicting laws with state laws legalizing marijuana, or to wait for lawmakers in the Ohio General Assembly to revise Issue 2 before making any changes to their own code. Multiple jurisdictions have indicated an intent to actively study current law and create recommendations for their locality once the final state rules for the adult-use recreational industry are adopted.

Table 2. Stated Purpose and Intent of Local Moratoriums

Enduring Consideration for Localities

While approaching a recreational cannabis market carefully might be prudent, localities that prohibit adult-use operators are foregoing potentially significant tax revenue stemming from cannabis businesses being located within their boundaries. Though Ohio tax revenues will not begin to accrue until the second half of 2024, revenues soon thereafter are forecasted to be considerable. [5] In addition to money allocated through the Host Community Fund, localities with active adult-use operators will generate local sales tax revenue that can be used for purposes specific to the community.

Moratoriums also limit opportunities for local entrepreneurs seeking to enter the adult-use market as well as possible employment prospects for local residents. For instance, according to some reports, Michigan’s cannabis industry has created 45,000 full-time positions. [6] Because cannabis businesses advance economic development in myriad ways, municipalities and townships considering moratoriums need to weigh not only public health and public safety concerns, but also the potential benefits of economic development, job creation, and tax revenue.

Lastly, localities should consider the possibility that prohibiting adult-use operators could have the unintended effect of increasing efforts to access cannabis through other means by local residents. Localities cannot make cannabis possession or use or even home grow illegal, and some local citizens are likely to seek out cannabis despite local bans through home grow efforts, or by traveling to nearby localities to find legal stores, or by turning to illicit markets to fill the void. Localities should continuously examine whether public health and public safety concerns are best served through local prohibitions or through well-crafted regulatory efforts.

[1]  Ken Haddad, “Here is which Michigan communities are opted out of adult-use marijuana sales”, December 12, 2023. Click on Detroit . https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/michigan/2023/12/12/heres-which-michigan-communities-are-opted-out-of-adult-use-marijuana-sales/

[2] Marijuana Opt-Out Tracker, Rockefeller Institute of Government, SUNY. https://rockinst.org/issue-areas/state-local-government/municipal-opt-out-tracker/

[3] The wording in the statute is as follows: “Thirty-six per cent to the host community cannabis fund for the benefit of municipal corporations or townships that have adult use dispensaries, and the municipal corporations or townships may use such funds for any approved purpose.” It is not clear what “approved purpose” means and which department, if any, is tasked with defining “approved purposes”.

[4] Avon Lake has enacted both a public consumption and adult use retail moratorium ordinances. Our center has collected language for both ordinances but does not include the public consumption ordinance in our count.

[5] Jana Hrdinova and Dexter Ridgway, “What Tax Revenues Should Ohioans Expect If Ohio Legalizes Adult-Use Cannabis?”, August 2023. Drug Enforcement and Policy Center. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4537855

[6] Angela Mulka, “Michigan's cannabis industry employs more than 46,000 workers”, April 26, 2024. Pioneer . https://www.bigrapidsnews.com/news/article/michigan-cannabis-industry-second-largest-in-us-19420833.php

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Glouster’s youth grapple with the impact of substance use disorder in a new book

By: Theo Peck-Suzuki | Report for America Posted on: Tuesday, July 23, 2024

GLOUSTER, Ohio (WOUB/Report for America) — After Briley Mash saw her dad hit her mom, her uncle carried her to her grandparents’ house. Her father ran away; someone called the police. Briley and her sister sat in front of the TV, watching “Peppa Pig.”

“That night is engraved in my head and when I think about it I cry,” wrote Briley, who will start seventh grade in the fall. “That is all I can do. I can’t fix what’s done. I wish I could go back to that night and stop it but I can’t.”

For as long as Briley can remember, her father struggled with substance use disorder. He died three years ago from a drug overdose. Briley’s essay — a reflection on her father’s death — is one of 115 in the new book “Young Voices from a Small Town” from Monday Creek Publishing. The book is the unlikely result of a contest for students at Trimble Elementary/Middle School, each of whom wrote about why they think it’s important to live in a drug-free community.

The contest was originally conceived as part of the annual drug abuse prevention campaign Red Ribbon Week. There was no discussion of a book, originally — it was just a way to encourage kids to write, with the added incentive that the winner got to dunk a teacher in a dunk tank.

“The first year, we had an overwhelming response of 70 essays,” recalled Trimble school outreach caseworker Becky Handa.

“We have many students that are in this district that are raised by kin because they’ve lost a parent to overdose, they have parents that are incarcerated, they have parents that are in recovery,” Handa said.

In her essay, Briley reckoned with the tangle of feelings she still has when she thinks of her father.

“He chose drugs over his kids but my mom says he loves us but I think if he did loves us, why did he do drugs?” she wrote.

Later in the essay, she added, “I hated him for everything that he put us through but I still love him.”

“You know, when you talk about writing — with kids, there’s a lot of pushback, like, ‘We don’t wanna write an essay.’ There was zero pushback with this,” he said.

Handa said the essays became the talk of the school staff. Eventually, someone approached the Red Ribbon Week committee and asked if there was a way for others to read them. That’s when the idea came about to publish a book.

Over the next year, the Tomcat Bridgebuilders — a local community organization of which Handa is president — worked with Monday Creek Publishing to put the materials together and coax uneasy parents into allowing their children’s pieces to be published (many were reluctant, even though none of the essaywriters are identified by name). The finished product was published July 6 and is available for order on Amazon. It will also be available next week at Little Professor Bookstore in Athens.

Handa said the plan is to make this the first in a series.

“I’m sitting on 300 essays,” she said.

As for Briley, she can hardly believe the essay she wrote is now a published work.

“It’s crazy,” she said. “At first … I was shocked, and I was like, ‘You’re lying. It has to be a joke.’ But it wasn’t.”

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Frustrated Californians May Be Ready for a Tougher Approach to Crime

Shoplifting and fentanyl use have tested the patience of California voters, who will decide in November whether to impose stricter laws that would lead to more incarceration.

By Tim Arango

Reporting from Los Angeles

Deodorant, shampoo and underwear are all under lock and key in many stores in California. Retail clerks are often told to ignore shoplifters, after a handful of store employees who confronted thieves were assaulted or killed. Video clips of smash-and-grab crews snatching armloads of merchandise have gone viral.

Californians of all political stripes have become fed up with the problems plaguing supermarkets and retail stores, not to mention car break-ins and open-air drug use. Some top Democrats, including Mayor London Breed of San Francisco, have joined conservatives in denouncing a cascade of smaller crimes that have contributed to a sense of lawlessness in major cities.

Now the state’s lawmakers and voters are weighing what to do.

With public sentiment in the state shifting toward stiffer punishment, California finds itself debating whether to roll back decade-old changes that sharply reduced the state’s inmate count and made it a leader in reducing mass incarceration.

A coalition of law enforcement figures, business owners and relatives of fentanyl addicts want to reverse the 2014 ballot measure known as Proposition 47, which reduced penalties for shoplifting and drug possession. That measure has been blamed so often for the state’s crime woes that it is among the few past initiatives that residents can identify by number — right up there with Proposition 13, the state’s landmark property tax limitation, and Proposition 209, the state’s prohibition of affirmative action.

With financial help from the giant retailers Target, Home Depot and Walmart, the coalition has gotten a ballot measure qualified for the November election that would impose harsher punishments for crimes that result in lighter charges or no prosecution today.

Many Democratic state leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have acknowledged the state’s crime problems. Mr. Newsom was captured on a hot mic in February describing a shoplifting incident at a Target store in which he witnessed a man shoplifting without being confronted by anyone. “I was like, ‘Why am I spending $380 — everyone can walk the hell right out,’” he said .

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Readers respond to essays on philanthropy and nursing schools, opioid overdoses, and more

By Patrick Skerrett July 20, 2024

F irst Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and maybe even provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others.

To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised in First Opinion essays, STAT publishes selected Letters to the Editor received in response to them. You can submit a Letter to the Editor here , or find the submission form at the end of any First Opinion essay.

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“Why aren’t philanthropists stepping up to make nursing education free?” by Tracy R. Vitale and Caroline Dorsen

The shortage of nursing faculty at both the associate degree in nursing and the bachelor of science in nursing levels, primarily due to salary structures, has been well documented for at least a couple decades within nursing and health care access advocate circles. Where it’s not known — at least not with a powerful and energized message — is within the circles of college and university development offices and community foundation fundraisers. People of wealth have both personal and professional connections to nursing, whether as practitioners, patients, family members, or community leaders. The full-bore messaging and cultivation of these donors and funders just isn’t out there. Without an active change in strategies, the current pleas aren’t going to get us where we need to go. Time to regroup!

— Allen Smart, PhilanthropywoRx

It’s a shame that more philanthropists don’t support nursing education. But nursing schools are also to blame due in part to the arrogance of the requirement that a prospective nurse repeat anatomy and physiology 1 and 2 and microbiology if it’s been more than 5 years since she or he has taken those courses. I have repeated those courses once and earned “A” grades in them. I was in my nursing clinicals when Covid-19 shut everything down. Now I can’t afford the tuition and I refuse to repeat those classes. There is no such requirement for medical school. It’s the nursing school and society’s loss: I would have been a great nurse!

— Thomas Martin

A major issue has to do with the lack of nurse educators. I obtained my MSN-Ed with the idea of becoming a nursing school educator, but was unable to financially make this transition. Nursing school educators make significantly less than patient care nurses. Lack of instructors is why many who are interested in becoming nurses are turned away.

— Kim Blanton, retired

“Functional neurological disorder is not an appropriate diagnosis for people with long Covid,” by David Tuller, Mady Hornig, and David Putrino

I have struggled with a neurological disability for 21 years. It came to a head following an adverse reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine and development of long Covid (though I am grateful that the vaccine protected me from earlier strains of the virus). Since that fateful day in February 2021, I have been rushed to an emergency department 29 times. And while I have been shown true humane and compassionate care by professionals working during the Covid pandemic, I was also repeatedly gaslit, mislabeled, and prevented from receiving the care I should have.

I’m not alone: An April 15, 2024,  research letter in JAMA  reported that nearly 1 in 4 patients in more than 29 hospitals had misdiagnoses or delays in diagnostic work-ups because of stigmatizing language in their medical records.

As a social worker who believes in social justice, I wonder how many people with long Covid symptoms — like those with chronic fatigue syndrome and Lyme disease and post-viral illness — have been dismissed, and their symptoms overlooked, and their care options missed. In hope for change, I rest my heart on the wisdom from a moving self-reflective medical narrative by Dr. Wes Ely in his book, “Every Deep Drawn Breath.”  He wrote, “Many people believe medicine is grounded in  benevolence , which is  wishing good . It is more than that. The target principle of medicine must be a higher standard:  beneficence .  Doing good .” As he shares this, it is the covenant of all health care professionals to practice with self-reflection, humane connection, and compassion, make diagnostic queries with curiosity and care, and avoid labeling and words that harm, pathologize and damage.

— Kate Nicoll, LCSW

“Medicare drug pricing rules will delay access to promising therapies,” by Peter Rheinstein

Yes. We already have a problem with the lack of incentives to improve the use of drugs approved decades ago before we had the current tools of modern pharmacology. We fail at personalized medicine for such drugs which can improve both safety and efficacy. Research costs money and price controls will discourage more of the real-world evidence that requires better measurement for better dosing decisions in individuals.

— Peter T. Kissinger, Purdue University + Inotiv + Phlebotics

“Doctors ‘overprescribing’ opioids isn’t the cause of the overdose epidemic — and it never was,” by Richard A. “Red” Lawhern

Casey Heely of Brandeis University has protested what she believes is “over-simplification” on my part of the causes of the U.S. opioid crisis. In response to her concern, I would observe that major pharma companies clearly overpromoted the safety of prescription opioids. But data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention establish beyond any rational contradiction that any contribution of prescriptions opioids was strictly at the margins of a much larger crisis driven by street drugs. Restrictions on the availability of prescription opioids have actually made the crisis worse, by driving desperate patients into street markets.

Over-prescribing was never the major factor in the rising rates of opioid overdose deaths. That distinction belongs to illegally manufactured fentanyl and heroin. Prescription opioids get lost in the noise.

— Richard A. Lawhern, Ph.D.

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Patrick Skerrett is filling in as editor of First Opinion , STAT's platform for perspective and opinion on the life sciences writ large, and host of the First Opinion Podcast .

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Prohibition and the war on drugs: are they worth it.

• Word Count: 997
• Approx Pages: 4
• View my Saved Essays
• Downloads: 21
• Grade level: High School
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            The prohibition of alcohol that took place in the 1920s was also known as "The Great Experiment". I think this is a perfect name for it, because in the long run that's all it really was, an experiment. The experiment was to see if by taking away alcohol, would the nation improve. Technically, the experiment was a success, overall crime lowered, accidents too, but because most people went to illegal measures to obtain alcohol regardless of the law, it had to be repealed. Although the prohibitions of drugs still stand, these laws are not necessarily obeyed by the citizens of the United States, just like during the Prohibition. This is mostly because illegal drugs and alcohol have one thing in common: they make people feel good. Most people just won't stand for laws that make it illegal to make yourself feel good.              The prohibition of alchohol and the prohibition of drugs are very similar in their foundations. In the 20's, people argued that Alcohol promoted violence, had considerable health risks, and caused an overall risk to the nations wellbeing. With these points in mind, congress passed the 18th amendment on December 18, 1917, and ratified it on January 16, 1919. This amendment stated that no person, of any age, could buy, sell, manufacture, or transport alcohol. The American public did not respond positively to this decision. Even though there were laws against it, people continued to buy, drink, and sell alcohol (Mowry 34). There were many health risks associated with alcohol. And like many illegal drugs, it can kill you after just one instance of misuse, which is known as alcohol poisoning. Also, alcoholism is hereditary, meaning that a person who had a parent or other close relative who was diagnosed with alcoholism runs the risk of getting the disease (227). .              The 20's was known as a time of change. People back then started thinking outside of the normal, fundamentalist state of mind.

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Essays Related to Prohibition and the War on Drugs: Are They Worth It?

1. war on drugs.

Americas War on Drugs Today's Drug laws seem to do more harm than good. ... Nixon started the war on drugs in the late sixties to stop drug abuse at the source, the distributors. ... They have seized and destroyed billions of dollars worth of drugs intended for the consumption in our nation. ... Most of the drug offenders in prison are low-income people who were trying to support their family the only way they knew how, selling drugs. ... We should reconsider prohibition on drugs that are considered to be dangerous. . ...

• Word Count: 1121
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

2. A War Against Ourselves

A War Against Ourselves Drugs in America are sweeping the nation. Everyday billions upon billions of dollars worth of illicit drugs are smuggled into the country to take over our street corners, turn our neighborhoods into war zones, and turn children into puppets. ... Instead of Americans choosing how to live their lives, they must hide it and live in shame. ... Drug prohibition has harbored the same ideals and the root of it all leads back to the money. ... All of the money spent on combating drugs is not worth what it has cost in not only money, but lives as well. ...

• Word Count: 1859
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. America and the Mexican Drug War

If drugs are illegal why do they keep on passing the border? ... Drug prohibition has all to do with who uses the drug and who is associated with it instead of the general harm that it does to society. ... Taking into consideration that America did criminalize drugs that in other countries they haven't even heard of because of the Treaty of Versailles in 1920's which was to end the First World War. One of many of America's conditions or clauses to actually sign the treaty was to make the rest of the world, (or at least the countries involved in the First World War) sign to impos...

• Word Count: 1478
• Approx Pages: 6

4. PROHIBITION

For years, people had toyed with the idea of a "dry county"; yet, until World War I, no one had ever seriously considered it. ... They used the war to their advantage and introduced prohibition into Congress (Allen 244). ... Americans felt that if a law was worth making, it was worth making immediately (Allen 245). ... War time also meant a shortage of good workers and grain (Thorton 71). ... The law indirectly forced drinkers to switch to more serious drugs like opium, marijuana, patent medicines, and cocaine (Thornton 70-73). ...

• Word Count: 2736
• Approx Pages: 11

5. Drugs And Society

Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs And The Politics of Failure Bertram, Blachman, Sharpe, & Andreas. Drug War Politics: The Price of Denial Reinarman & Levine. ... While Carter wasn't very active in the drug war, small amounts of drugs were decriminalized nationwide. ... Every American suffers from the war on drugs. ... Ultimately, the desire for the drug is worth the risk of being caught. ...

• Word Count: 5296
• Approx Pages: 21

6. Canadian Marijuana Prohibition

Canadian Marijuana Prohibition The time has come to end the war on marijuana. ... But why did they outlaw this plant? ... It's time to end Canada's war on marijuana and cannabis culture. ... But is it worth it, well my opinion is no. ... In fact quite the contrary, according to the people interviewed www.hempbc.com have asked who use multiple illegal drugs, when they are high from marijuana, they are least likely to want to peruse more harmful drugs. ...

• Word Count: 1132
• Approx Pages: 5

7. The War On Drugs: A Cure Worst Than The Disease

The war on drugs was fist declared by Richard M. ... The war on drugs should end because like prohibition, "the 'cure' here is worse than the 'disease.'" ... The war on drugs is a great miss-conception and a failure. ... In educating teenagers about drugs they would be in a better position to make wiser decisions. ... The war on drugs is more trouble than it's worth and therefore should be put to an end. ...

• Word Count: 1057

8. Drug policy

Waging War against the War on Drugs There exists a War on Drugs in our nation; a war that we are unfortunately losing. ... The current policy allows drug dealers to make millions of dollars without paying taxes on the money they make. ... Although some people doubt the fact that consumers will purchase these legalized, low-potency drugs, Prohibition in the 1920's proves otherwise. ... A parallel can thus be drawn between the current policy and Prohibition. ... In time, legalization will show improvement, which the War on Drugs has failed to show. ...

• Word Count: 1592

9. World War I and 1920s Consumerism

However, other factors contributed to immediate changes such as nationwide prohibition. ... They just wanted to enjoy the prosperity that had developed without threats from any foreign complications (Dorrance). ... However, by the 1920s, there were growing fears by the American public that these new immigrants were a threat to their American values because they were taking away jobs from American citizens since they were a cheap source of labor and their cultures were inferior to that of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. ... They would simply pay weekly installments on the product purchase...

• Word Count: 2233
• Approx Pages: 9

Nursing aide turned sniper: Thomas Crooks' mysterious plot to kill Trump

BUTLER, Pa. – Donald Trump and would-be assassin Thomas Crooks started on their violent collision course long before the former president's political rally ended in gunshots and death.

Crooks, 20, was a one-time registered Republican, a nursing home worker with no criminal record, shy in school, and living in a decent middle-class neighborhood in suburban Pennsylvania with his parents. Trump, 78, was eyeing Crooks' state as a key battleground – but not in the way that anyone envisioned on Saturday.

Riding high on polls showing that he's got a strong chance of toppling President Joe Biden, the former president had been campaigning for reelection in swing states, and Pennsylvania is a key prize. Trump won the state in 2016 but lost it four years later.

And on July 3, Trump's campaign announced he would hold a rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.

"Pennsylvania has been ravaged by monumental surges in violent crime as a direct result of Biden’s and Democrats’ pro-criminal policies," Trump's campaign said in announcing the event, noting that when he's elected, he'll "re-establish law and order in Pennsylvania!"

The Saturday attack on Trump turned the heated rhetoric of the 2024 presidential campaign freshly violent. Authorities said bullets fired from Crooks' AR-15 style rifle about 150 yards away grazed Trump's ear, killed a rally attendee as he dove to protect his family, and critically wounded two others. Secret Service agents killed Crooks moments later.

Attack planned well in advance

Investigators are still seeking Crooks' motive – despite his Republican leanings, he had donated recently to a progressive voter-turnout campaign in 2021 – but indicated he'd planned the attack well in advance.

The shooting marks the first assassination attempt against a former or current U.S. president since President Ronald Reagan was injured in a March 1981 shooting at a Washington, D.C., hotel. 

There are many questions about why Crooks turned into a would-be presidential assassin, firing indiscriminately into hordes of political supporters.

FBI special agent Kevin Rojek said on a call with media that law enforcement located "a suspicious device" when they searched Crooks' vehicle and that it's being analyzed at the FBI crime lab.

"As far as the actions of the shooter immediately prior to the event and any interaction that he may have had with law enforcement, we're still trying to flesh out those details now," Rojek said.

None of Crooks' shocked neighbors or high school classmates described him as violent or that he in any way signaled he was intent on harming Trump. Sunday morning, reporters and curious locals swarmed the leafy streets of the home where Crooks lived with his parents in Bethel Park, about 50 miles from the shooting scene.

Those who knew him described a quiet young man who often walked to work at a nearby nursing home. One classmate said he was bullied and often ate alone in high school.

Sunday morning, neighbor Cathy Caplan, 45, extended her morning walk about a quarter mile to glimpse what was happening outside Crooks’ home.“It came on the morning news and I was like ‘I know that street,’” said Caplan, who works for the local school district. "It feels like something out of a movie.”

Dietary aide turned deadly killer

Authorities say they are examining Crooks' phone, social media and online activity for motivation. They said he carried no identification and his body had to be identified via DNA and biometric confirmation.

Although no possible motive has yet been released, Crooks nevertheless embodies the achingly familiar profile of an American mass shooter: a young white man, isolated from peers and armed with a high-powered rifle. His attack was one of at least 59 shootings in the United States on Saturday, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

According to records and online posts of the ceremony, Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School, about 42 miles from Butler County, on June 3, 2022. That same day, Trump met briefly with investigators at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida as they examined whether he improperly took classified documents with him when he left the White House.

A classmate remembered Crooks as a frequent target of bullies. Kids picked on him for wearing camouflage to class and his quiet demeanor, Jason Kohler, 21, said. Crooks usually ate lunch alone, Kohler said.

Crooks worked as a dietary aide at the Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, less than a mile from his home. In a statement provided to USA TODAY on Sunday, Marcie Grimm, the facility's administrator, said she was "shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement."

Neighbor Dean Sierka, 52, has known Crooks and his parents for years. The families live a few doors apart on a winding suburban street, and Sierka’s daughter, who attended elementary, middle and high school with Crooks, remembers him as quiet and shy. Sierka said they saw Crooks at least once a week, often when he was walking to the nursing home from his parents' three-bedroom brick house.

"You wouldn’t have expected this," Sierka said. "The parents and the family are all really nice people."

"It's crazy," he added.

Secret Service role: Did they do enough?

Founded in 1865, the Secret Service is supposed to stop this kind of attack, and dozens of agents were present Saturday. As the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Trump's public appearances are managed by the Secret Service, which works with local law enforcement to develop security plans and crowd-management protocols.

In the days before the event, the agency's experts would have scouted the location, identified security vulnerabilities, and designed a perimeter to keep Trump and rally attendees safe. Congress and the Secret Service are now investigating how Crooks was able to get so close to the former president, and several witnesses reported seeing him in the area with the gun before Trump took the stage.

As the event doors opened at 1 p.m., the temperature was already pushing close to 90, and ticketed attendees oozed through metal detectors run by members of the Secret Service's uniformed division. Similar to airport security screenings, rallygoers emptied their pockets to prove they weren't carrying guns or other weapons.

Media reports indicate the Secret Service had in place, as usual, a counter-sniper team scanning the surrounding area for threats.

In an exclusive interview, former Secret Service Director Julia Pierson told USA TODAY that maintaining such a sniper security perimeter is part of the agency's responsibility for safeguarding protectees like Trump from harm. She said agents typically consider 1,000 yards to be the minimum safe distance for sniper attacks.

The Secret Service has confirmed that it is investigating how Crooks got so close to Trump, who took the stage shortly after 6 p.m. Officials say Crooks' rifle was legally obtained but have not yet released specifics.

Outside the venue at that time, Greg Smith says he tried desperately to get the attention of police. He told the BBC that he and his friends saw a man crawling along a roof overlooking the rally. Other witnesses said they also saw a man atop the American Glass Research building outside the official event security perimeter, well within the range of a 5.56 rifle bullet.

"We noticed the guy bear-crawling up the roof of the building beside us, 50 feet away from us," Smith told the BBC. "He had a rifle, we could clearly see him with a rifle."

Smith told the BBC that the Secret Service eventually saw him and his friends pointing at the man on the roof.

"I'm thinking to myself, why is Trump still speaking, why have they not pulled him off the stage?" Smith said. "Next thing you know, five shots rang out."

From his nearby deck, Trump supporter Pat English watched as the former president took the stage to Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A.," and attendees raised their cell phones to record.

English had taken his grandson to see the rally earlier but left when it got too hot. From his deck, they listened as Trump began speaking at 6:05 p.m., backed by a crown of red-hatted MAGA supporters waving "fire Joe Biden" signs.

And then gunfire began.

Boom, boom, boom

"I heard a 'boom, boom, boom' and then screams,” English said Sunday. "I could see people running and the police run in."

Trump was saying the word "happened" as the first pop rang out. He reached up to grab his ear as two more shots echoed, and the crowd behind him – and Trump himself – ducked. Plainclothes Secret Service agents piled atop the president as a fusillade of shots rang out, apparently the Secret Service killing Crooks.

The crowd screamed, and the venue's sound system picked up the agents atop Trump planning to move the former president to safety. One yelled, "shooter's down. Let's move, let's move."

The agents then helped Trump back to his feet as they shielded him on all sides.

The sound system then picked up Trump's voice: "Wait, wait," he said, before turning to the audience and triumphantly raising his fist to yell "fight, fight" as the crowd cheered, blood streaming down his face.

By 6:14 p.m. Trump's motorcade was racing from the scene, and in a later statement, Trump's campaign said he was checked out at a local medical facility.

"I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump said in a statement. "I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening."

Firefighter 'hero' gunned down

Outside of the Butler Township Administration Office Sunday afternoon, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro identified the rally attendee killed by Crooks as Corey Comperatore, a firefighter, father of two and longtime Trump supporter.

“Corey died a hero,” Shapiro said. “Corey dove on his family to protect them last night at this rally. Corey was the very best of us. May his memory be a blessing.”

Two other Pennsylvanians are still undergoing treatment for their injuries, Shapiro said.

Pennsylvania State Police identified two wounded attendees David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township. Both are hospitalized and listed in stable condition. Shapiro said he spoke with the family of one victim and received a message from the other.

Biden spoke briefly with Trump on Saturday night, and the president condemned the assassination attempt as “sick.” He said there’s no place for political violence in the U.S. and called on Americans to unite together to condemn it.

But earlier in the week, Biden told campaign donors in a private phone call it was time to stop talking about his own disastrous presidential debate performance and start targeting Trump instead.

"I have one job and that's to beat Donald Trump," Biden said. "We're done talking about the (June 27) debate. It's time to put Trump in the bullseye."

Republicans across the country have used similar language to attack their opponents over the years, and political scientists say violent rhetoric used worldwide almost invariably leads to physical violence.

On Sunday, someone parked a truck-mounted electronic billboard at the gates to the Butler Farm Show grounds reading "Democrats attempted assassination," along with a picture of Trump clutching an American flag, his face overlaid with a bullseye crosshairs.

Authorities say they have not yet determined a motive for Crooks' attack. But in a statement, Trump declared the shooting an act of evil and thanked God for preventing the unthinkable.

"We will fear not, but instead remain resilient in our faith and defiant in the face of wickedness," Trump said.

And he said he'd be back on the campaign trail for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which starts Monday.

"Based on yesterday’s terrible events, I was going to delay my trip to Wisconsin, and the Republican National Convention, by two days," Trump said on his Truth Social account Sunday, "but have just decided that I cannot allow a 'shooter,' or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else."

Contributing: David Jackson, Aysha Bagchi, Christopher Cann, Bryce Buyakie, Emily Le Coz, Josh Meyer, USA TODAY Network

How the assassination attempt unfolded : Graphics, maps, audio analysis show what happened

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