Alcohol as a Gateway Essays - 779 Words

Alcohol and heavy drinking throughout Canada plays a distinctive role in instigating other key addictions. Drinking and consumption abuse can be linked strongly to the abuse of illicit drugs. Binge drinking should be seen as a gateway or portal to the development of poly-drug users. As the gateway drug theory suggests, routine use of less harmful drugs, in this case alcohol, will lead to risk of abusing more serious drugs. Alcohol is so readily available and like any other psychoactive drug it can be very addictive. More than 600,000 Canadians are dependent on alcohol, and nearly 200,000, on illicit drugs. Alcohol consumption needs to be portrayed as a more dangerous activity. The possible risk factors in alcohol consumption can be†¦show more content†¦By establishing the patterns of heavy drinking we can then begin to see correlations with other sorts of rebellious behavior and risky activity. Binge drinking has been identified as a gateway to other illicit drugs. There is a strong link between alcohol consumption and the gateway drug theory. The gateway drug theory suggests that the routine use of less harmful drugs or substances may lead to a future risk of abusing more serious hard drugs. It has been found that alcohol precedes the use of cannabis as well as other drugs. Alcohol is the starting point in a vicious cycle. Cigarette and alcohol use is associated with the likelihood of marijuana use; marijuana use is in turn associated with the likelihood of other drug use. A study of a British Columbian sample group showed â€Å"43% of the sample reporting simultaneous use of both alcohol and marijuana on the previous weekend and 14% reporting simultaneous use of alcohol and cocaine† (Stockwell et al, 2007). Alcohol and drinking is observed as a fairly low risk activity among students; however, with the possible relationship to hard drugs, alcohol should be viewed m ore cautiously. It is becoming increasingly rare for those who use hard drugs to not have used alcohol or cannabis first. It seems that universities and youth culture are breeding alcoholics. Our culture is so focused on partying with a constant competition of who can be theShow MoreRelated†¢Legalizing Marijuana Is Beneficial For A Person’S Mental717 Words   |  3 Pageslegalized for that reason. †¢ Marijuana is not a gateway drug Marijuana should not be considered as a gateway drug and therefore should be legalized. Marijuana is not a gateway drug because it is beneficial for the treatment of opiate addicts, the use of marijuana will decrease if decriminalized, and marijuana are not involved in the factors that lead to hard drug use according to different researches. Firstly, marijuana should not be considered as a gateway drug because it is beneficial for the treatmentRead MoreJaclyn Larsen. Mr. Gregory. Period 2. February 12, 2017.1749 Words   |  7 PagesGregory Period 2 February 12, 2017 The Gateway Theory: On Marijuana Within the last few years there has been a nation wide drive towards the legalization of marijuana. This year, it has finally been taken off the list of gateway drugs. A number of states have seen the legalization of marijuana as a gateway to medical benefits. Whereas other states are still skeptical of some of the unknown factors of marijuana. So how was the decision made that marijuana is not a gateway drug? It simply came to the endRead MorePreventing Substance Abuse Among Schoolchildren And Help Them Develop Effective Gang And Violence Resistance Techniques1445 Words   |  6 Pagesconducted indicating that application of the D.A.R.E components does reduce drug use in youths. The secondary objectives of D.A.R.E are as follows: acquiring the knowledge and skills to recognize and resist peer pressure to experiment with tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs; enhancing self-esteem; learning assertiveness techniques; learning about positive alternatives to substance use; learning anger m anagement and conflict resolution skills; developing risk assessment and decision making skills; reducingRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?849 Words   |  4 Pagesmarijuana should be legalized for the general public as a recreational drug. Although some believe that marijuana is harmless, and that it has beneficial medicinal uses, marijuana should not be legalized because it decreases one s motor skills, it is a gateway drug, furthermore, it negatively affects the minority population. First thing s first, some,some critics believe that marijuana has various practical uses;however, with insufficient studies done these cannot be proved. If marijuana was legalizedRead MoreIs There A War On Drugs?949 Words   |  4 Pagesscientific or medical information. It was based on the race. Cannabis is nothing like what people thought in the 1900s. Cannabis has countless medicinal purposes that far outweigh its negatives. (Drug WarRant) First people consider cannabis as a gateway drug. An opinion that says the cannabis isn t harmful, but it will lead to the use of harder drugs like cocaine and heroin. People who use cannabis have a strong connection with the use of other drugs. According to the National Institute on DrugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1384 Words   |  6 Pagesmarijuana use and its legal status are slowly shifting across America. What was once viewed as a dangerous gateway drug is slowly being legalized across the nation for medicinal and recreational purposes. Alcohol is often used as a comparator to marijuana for good reason. Banning alcohol was attempted before and it was not successful. Marijuana is currently progressing through a similar phase alcohol went through during the Prohibition Era. Four states, including Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and AlaskaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?911 Words   |  4 Pagesmarijuana as the primary substance of abuse increased from thirty-two to sixty-five percent between 1993 and 2003 (U.S Drug 66). Therefore, more young children ages twelve through seventeen entered treatment in 2003 for marijuana dependency than for alcohol and all other illegal drugs combined (U.S. Drug 67). With this in mind, not only are children at risk for becoming dependent on marijuana, but they are also at risk for not doing well in school (National 74). According to John Hawkins, a columnistRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1230 Words   |  5 Pagesmakes an individual violent, although there is not much data to support the allegation. I use to agree with the government and others stance on the subject matter, but I now feel that there is not much difference between Alcohol and Marijuana. As with any substance, whether it is alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or food there is a chance for addiction to occur. However, it should be an individual’s free will to make their own personal decisions. Marijuana use to be grown in fields right next to other cropsRead MoreLegalize Marjuana: Lots of Benefits for the People Essay771 Words   |  4 Pagespeople than in four large states combined! The thought of arresting that many citizens for something so harmless is ridiculous. Marijuana should be legalized because it would increase national revenue, it has medical benefits, and it less harmful than alcohol and tobacco. What could our country do with 42 billion dollars? Perhaps the U.S Government could feed the poor or make higher education affordable. Those are just two of the many good causes that need funding from the American Government; howeverRead MoreThe Legalization of Marijuana Essay868 Words   |  4 Pagesrecent study at Harvard estimated that â€Å"marijuana legalization would yield tax revenue of $2.4 billion dollars annually if marijuana were taxed like all other goods and $6.2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol or tobacco† (Miron ____). The money raised from this tax could be used to improve schools, roads, and public parks. In the end, legalizing marijuana would be a great benefit to the economy. Second, legalizing marijuana would help people who