Your Ideas

I think what we should discuss is about marijauna abuse. Why we should talk about this is because it is the most widely used drug abused by teenagers, and to discuss if marijauna really can help prevent cancer. Marijauna is a mixture of dried shredded leaves, stems, leaves, and flowers from the hemp plant. It has over 400 chemicals in it. It is a psychoactive drug which alters the way the brain works. More teens are in treatment of this drug more than other teens that abuse different drugs. People who abuse marijauna can experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thinking. It has a 40% increase of psychosis. Young people who abuse marijauna weekly double the risk of depression later in life. It can cause an increase in heart rate and the abuser becomes paranoid. It can cause problems with learning and memory. The marijuana abused by teens today is stronger than the amount abused in the 1960's. In my opinion I don't think marijauna medically is not useful because it causes problems with your mental health, your ability to think, and damages your heart and lungs. For more information go to http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugs-marijuana.aspx# http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html

Alcohol and Marijauna

Why alcohol is a problem for teens is because alcohol is legal, and it is easy to find and obtain alcohol. Why marijauna is a problem is because peers that abuse marijauna pressure you to do it. Alcohol is the most widely abused psychoactive drug in the world; but today teens commonly abuse marijauna. Every year more money is spent advertising alcohol than any other product; and why that causes a problem is because the ads make alcohol look cool and is targeting our generation. Yet 60% of teens abuse marijauna. I found this amazing because I thought alcohol abuse in teens would be higher because it is easier to get alcohol. What drives teens to abuse these two drugs is from the media, and peer pressure. The long term consequences of alcohol use is damage to vital organs, different types of cancer, gastrointestinal irritations, malnutrition, high blood pressure, lowered immunity to disease, and sexual dysfunctions. The long term effects of marijauna are memory distortion, learning problems, loss of balance, trouble thinking, increased heart rate, hallucinations, drop in blood pressure, lung infections, and impairs the immune system. Why the consequences won't help with prevention is because peer pressure has a different view on drugs and you could believe what your peers are saying. I think alcohol should be legal but we need to make sure teens do not get their hands on alcohol and marijauna. If marijauna actually prevents some cancer then it should be legal for medical use, but not for teens to abuse.

Tobacco

Personally I think that tobacco should be banned because of the health effects, and the ingredients in tobacco products. Even tobacco that is smoke-less is just as deadly as cigarretes. If you abuse tobacco it can cause different types of cancers, heart disease, stroke, birth defects, and other health issues. Once society thought tobacco was popular but now it is not. The tobacco companies got a lot of money from tobacco products because of advertisements that made tobacco popular. But the government has taken action on this problem such as age limits, tobacco companies no longer have popular advertisements, and several other tobacco laws. The ingredients found in tobacco products include arsenic, cyanide, nicotine, formaldehyde, soot, pesticides, etc. Here are some sources with facts on tobacco.
http://www.idph.state.il.us/HealthWellness/oralhlth/oraltobacco.htm
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/drug_guide/Tobacco
http://slati.lungusa.org/states.asp

Drug War

I think that some drugs are good, and some are bad. Why I say that is because most drugs are used for medical reasons, but there are other drugs that go into a black market. I think that some drugs should be legalized because scientists can prove the positive side on drugs, and the negatives so that when we realize how useful a drug is than it can be legalized. For example there are some drugs that we use that are related to illegal drugs such as novacaine and cocaine. Other drugs like marijauna are being used for research for diseases. I think that there may be some age limits based on how strong the drug is, and to make sure it is not abused in the black market. I think my idea might have some impact on America because the research we might find on these drugs may change our opinion on drugs, but I am not sure the war on drugs will end because of my idea. Why I think my idea may not have a huge impact is because we need drugs to cure disease and for other medical needs, but the drugs may be placed in the wrong hands. So we need to be aware that some drugs are not good for you, and maybe we can beat the war on drugs.

Bullying

One of the methods to prevent bullying is to talk to an adult. The Adults you can go to for help is your parents, other family relatives, teachers, guidance counselors, or mental health professionals. Why I say a mental health professional is because bullying can have a lot of effects on your mental health, and maybe on your physical health. I say that this technique will work because some of the adults in your life have gone through the same thing as you're going through, and you can ask them anything you want unless you feel uncomfortable. As for teachers and guidance counselors they not only have gone through what you have done in school but part of their job is to help you succeed in school which includes your social problems.

H1N1 flu shots

The H1N1 Vaccine has a 70-90% chance of success without side-effects. I have gotten a vaccine for H1N1 and nothing happened, but everybody has a different body and have different effects on vaccines. There are two different kinds of shots one is the one you get on your arm, and the other is the nasal spray. But there are people who should not get vaccinated without talking to physician. These people who should not get vaccinated include people who are allergic to chicken eggs, people who already have been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, people who have severe reactions to Influenza vaccinations, people who have developed Guillain-Barre syndrome within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously, 6 month year old children and younger, and people with a moderate to severe fever but they can get vaccinated after recovery. The Side-effects of the arm flu shot is soreness redness or swelling of where the shot was given, low grade fever, and aches. The side-effects of the nasal shot is runny nose, wheezing, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, and fever. For adults that get the nasal shot their side-effects are runny nose, headache, sore throat, and cough. In my opinion vaccinations are worth the risk, but if you are one of the people that get side-effects from the shots then do not get vaccinated.

Industrialized farming

Farming really has changed over the last few decades. Some of the changes are industry in the farming business and the treatment of farm animals in the business. 98% of animals killed are birds, chickens,and turkeys. 95% of eggs come from egg factories where chickens are crowded in small cages. Broiler farms are where male chicks are raised to be genetically altered for more meat. In Hog farms piglets are taken away from their mothers and their body parts are ripped out including their tails, teeth, and testicles without pain relief. Most Sows are used for breeding until they can not reproduce and are slaughtered. Cows are breeding so that the farmers can get more milk. Eventually the cows and bulls can not reproduce and are slaughtered for beef. What the farmers feed the animals is another issue. What the farmer feeds the animals is not healthy for them. The animals have to eat grass, worms, and other things from the wild. The problem is that the farmer needs the land for plantation. And the reason for all of this is to make money. On these farms pollution can happen and diseases including ammonia and irritating gases from manure pits. Hogs also have respiratory disease. But antibiotics are used to make sure the animals are healthy so they do not get sick from the food the farmer gave them. So the industry of farming has changed but we might want to make it fair for the animals by feeding them the right food and put them in a more comfortable environment.