Write a 8 page essay on Decision making in Drugs.Download file to see previous pages... In so doing, the objective is to understand the power that drugs can have over people, in an effort to minimize

Write a 8 page essay on Decision making in Drugs.

In so doing, the objective is to understand the power that drugs can have over people, in an effort to minimize their effects moving forward. This paper all examine the biological and psychological factors that drug use plays in an individuals ability to make rational decision, in addition to examining the bad decision making skills represented in the lives of many drug addicts. Reasons People Turn to Drugs Only an individual turning to drugs can truly understand their own motivations for doing so, but researchers have certainly uncovered some commonalities. Drugs do allow people an escape, even if only temporary, from their problems and cares in this world. Others truly like that feeling that they experience when on drugs, thereby heightening the factors leading to drug use, and eventually causing an addiction to be formed in many cases. Others get sucked in by peer groups and, for perhaps unknowingly, become addicted themselves. While the reasons are certainly varied, the reality is that drugs and addictions affect our decision-making ability. Consider the fact that gambling is an addiction, so can be labeled as a drug for this reason. Such individuals will typically make poor decisions about their finances, and will often lie to friends and family members in order to support their habit and addiction. For these reasons, it is imperative that we understand the effect that certain drugs and addictions have on our ability to make decisions in an effort to help others overcome these issues that can affect all of society. The common prevailing theory when it comes to adolescent drug use is that peer pressure is often a mitigating factor in the influencing of making this decision. Recent studies, however, indicate that this may not be the case. McIntosh, MacDonald, and McKeganey (2005) have found that the older a child gets, the less likely they are to make the decision to become a drug user based on peer influence alone. Their findings state that, “The children’s accounts suggest that the role of peer pressure declines substantially as a component of drug offers as the children get older and that the decision to experiment with drugs is increasingly a matter of personal choice (McIntosh, MacDonald, &amp. McKeganey, 2005, p. 275). As a result of these and other findings, it is important to consider all factors related to the choice of using drugs, rather than zeroing in on peer influence alone. It is equally plausible to consider that peers can be a positive influence on adolescents and children in their efforts to stay away from drugs. Recent studies have indicated that young people who consciously abstain from using drugs have indicated that a primary reason is that their current peer group does not engage in such behavior (Boys, et al., 2001). Many drug prevention programs in Europe and the United States now rely on a system of peer educators to deliver the message to their friends about the reality facing them when they choose to use drugs. While many may consider such programs ineffective, evidence is proving otherwise. On the one hand, we have empirical data demonstrating that peer groups do not have the influencing vote in terms of promoting drug use in young people that we once thought they did.