Marijuana and Alcohol

Like adults, teenagers become addicted to marijuana after a few tries. Some people start smoking because their parents, siblings, or friends are smoking it. Peer pressure can play a major role in teens and smoking marijuana. Other teens start because they see their favorite movie stars smoke it or their favorite bands sing songs about it. Teens can get easy access to such drugs from other kids in school or on the streets. Ages 12 to age 13, they can buy more marijuana if they wanted to go from 14 to 50 percent. Teens who say they know a student at their school who sells drugs from 8 percent to 22 percent. Some teens smoke marijuana to get away from their life style or their real life's problems. Long-term affects include breathing problems, such as chronic coughing and wheezing. The chemicals in marijuana are same cancer causing chemicals in tobacco. People who use marijuana often lose a lot of brain cells; this could cause distorted perceptions, bad coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and difficulty in learning or memory. These consequences don't do more in preventing teens to smoke because they are uneducated; they don't know the consequences. When they realize the consequences, it's too late and they're addicted. They say marijuana should stay illegal. Well I think it should become legalized and should be taxed by the government like cigarettes. You may think I'm crazy, but I think this would decrease the usage. Some people smoke marijuana because it's illegal and they want to rebel. If marijuana is legal, there would be less crimes on the streets, less people would smoke it, and there would be less problems with it relating to crimes.
Teens drink alcohol for the same reasons they do marijuana: they're depressed, they want to fit in, they want to party, peer pressure. Since alcohol is legal, it's much easier to come by, but there are still rules. The legal drinking age is 21. This is because the person's brain has stopped growing and developing and the body has stopped growing. If people drink before they're 21, they could develop brain disfunctions or the brain will not develop all the way. Long-term consequences are liver damage, pancreatitis, certain cancers, and literal shrinkage of the brain. Alcohol use is the second leading cause of dementia; a person ages a quicker than usual (Physically). Like I said before, people don't know about the consequences or they don't care. If we make alcohol illegal again, there will be another Prohibition. People we start smuggling alcohol and the crime rate will go up higher than it is now.

Your Idea

I think we should learn more about alcoholism and drinking under age. A lot of teens drink under the legal age. I'm not entirely sure they know the damage that they do to their body when they drink. If they do, then they don't care enough. I think the biggest cause of drinking under the age is because of peer pressure: you’re not cool if you don’t do it, everyone else is doing it, join the crowd. I’d rather be not cool than damage my body at an early age. I don't understand why teens drink so much, that they have a hangover the next day. It doesn't make sense to deliberately give yourself a splitting headache and drink so much that you might throw-up. If anyone had self control, then they’d wait until they’re at the legal drinking age. Drinking under the age is dangerous to themselves and to the people around them.

Tobacco

If you think about it, more people use tobacco than anyother drug. I'm not sure if it should be legal or not. Of course, tobacco causes health problems. People who do use are at risk for oral cancer, black gums, different mouth diseases, and all those various juices from the tobacco can harm the rest of the system. Tobacco can give the person a sensational feeling of relaxation from the dopamine. The person smoking tobacco can seem cool physically and socially. the person could be the most relaxed person in the group and act cool. I think if they outlawed this drug, more people would be affected and more outraged. Like Molly Giewant said, it would be like another Prohibition. It's very hard for someone to quit the tobacco chewing and smoking. Too many people are already addicted to it. So should we legalize it, no. But we shouldn't outlaw it either.
http://www.scumdoctor.com/abuse/drug-abuse/tobacco/Pros-And-Cons-Of-Tobacco-Use.html
http://www.tobaccofreeweld.com/QUITNOW/pros_cons_tobacco.htm
http://www.lungusa.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/?gclid=CPvU_I2xi6ACFYNo5QodZQT4gA

War on Drugs

I personally think that drugs should not be legalized. When I say this, I mean all drugs: crack, marijuana, heroin, everything. Sure this might increase the criminal record for drug dealing, but we need to make sure that those who haven't experienced the drug will never be exposed to it. If drugs were legalized, we'd have a whole bunch of people addicted to it that wouldn't be if it weren't legal. People lose their lives when they become addicted. Would we want all of America addicted and acting like nothing else cared in the world besides the drug. There goes our school, religion, cultures, friends, family; none of it would matter to us if the US were addicted to drugs. This can only happen if we make them legal. Plus what are we saying when we legalize the drug? That our government is saying that its "ok" put our health in danger and kill ourselves slowly? I wouldn't want that to happen to my body. Of course if we did legalize drugs, the economy would benefit. So many people would pay so much to get their hands on drugs. Drug production would eventually go into industry which would create jobs for people. The "street sales" would go down. Less street fights and shootings would occur. It would stop illegal trade between countries also. Still, I think our health is more important than money and the economy. I don't think drugs should be legalized.
http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2006/3/8/84936/88453 http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/306198/the_issue_of_drug_legalization_pros.html

Bullying

A method for preventing bullying is to stand up for each other. If you see someone getting beaten up get some of your friends to back you up and tell the bully to quit. The outcome is amazing when the bully clearly sees that he or she is outnumbering by you and your friends. It's easier to pick on one person than to pick on a group of people. Your friends are there to make you look bigger than the bully and together you guys are stronger. After you saved the kid, he or she will join your group and make it bigger and stronger. It's a chain reaction! Pretty soon all of the bullies will be stopped and the school will become one strong, healthy companion.

Vaccination

From my experience with vaccinations, they do work. I have gotten the swine flu vaccine and haven't gotten the swine flu. Vaccinations help prevent you from getting sick. Of course, there are down sides to vaccinations. The patient could be allergic to something in the vaccine and break out in hives, or get a rash. Others can get headaches from it or get nausea. There could be iching or redness where the vaccine was injected. A lot of the side affects are rather minor. I think the vaccine is worth getting because you can face the side affects easier than the actual sickness that the vaccine is preventing. Plus it protects you from the disease for a number of years.

Soy a Superfood?

I've never actually tried soy. But my grandma told me that drinking soy helps menopausal women with their cramps and hot flashes. Hot flashes are when your body suddenly gets at a very high temperature and you feel uncomfortable with the heat. Soy helps you not have so many hot flashes and they aren't that bad when/if they occur. Soy helps settle the hormones down. I don't think I'd like soy. It doesn't really sound good to me. Other people I know love it! So I'm not sure if it's a superfood or not.

Farming

Farming in America has changed in so many ways. There have been more extensive cleaning processes and less and less of all natural food. America is so picky with food that it requires more sanitation than other countries' food productions. Since we have to have our food so clean, it makes us more vulnerable to disease if the process is a little off. Some diseases include salmonella and anthrax. Some countries can regard such diseases because they've adapted and grown immune to them. America's health might come to risk if our sanitation process is destroyed. We rely so much on being so clean. Another thing is that more and more artificial food is coming out, like eggs in a can; more people will start buying artificial food than natural food. This means there will be less need for farms to grow the real crops. Farms will shut down and more people will be out of work. Farming is very different from 50 years ago.

My name is Lauren Cooper. My blog can be found at 12CooperL.blogspot.com. I do not like blogging. It is very useful for a class, but it confuses me; most technology confuses me. I don't understand it. Blogging is a nice way to talk to people and to respond to what they're saying. My interests are Marching Band and softball. I love both. I can't live without music. I spend most of my time outside, like the woods, camping, fishing, hunting. I love nature and enjoy every second of it. I can speak French. I read a lot as well. I always try to be in a positive mood and smile. I hope I learn more about diseases and viruses in this class. We didn't really concentrate in last year's class. I hope we play soccor or baseball in this class. Those are both cool sports to play. Some of my life goals are to go to France, graduate from college, get my doctrate, go bungy jumping, sky diving, and travel around the world. I think it would be cool to see the world and the different cultures that come with it. When I become a doctor, I want to go down to Africa and treat kids there. Africa doesn't have the medical help like America so I'm going to help them. Once I've had my fun I'll probably marry and start a family.