Effect Of Fenethylline On Students Nursing Writing Assignment (Essay Sample)

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Effect of fenethylline (captagon) on students
Overview of drugs that affect the brain/nerves
Drug use is a familiar problem in many societies in the 21st century; previously use of illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin and marijuana was a major challenge that countries all over the world had to tackle. But now the focus has shifted to abuse of other drugs that are considered prescriptive drugs. Fenethylline was mainly manufactured to treat patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) previously the drug could be sold as an Over the Counter (OTC) medication but later it become necessary that the drug is listed under the illicit drug category because of the severe side effects it caused and abuse (Logan,2002). Currently the drug is one of the many abused drugs among young people and this is what has raised concern over the effects it is likely to cause in especially in the brain.
Research has shown that use of drugs for a longer period of time leads to addiction which has been categorized as a brain disease. Scientists and researchers have found that, use of drugs in any form for instance using it as illegal drug or prescriptive drug abuse; they all affect how the brain functions. The following are some of the illegal drugs that affect the brain and are commonly abused.
Cocaine: which is a stimulant that activates the activities of the brain that is taken through injection, smoking or snorting, once it reaches the brain it blocks the normal absorption of dopamine causing an excess of the neurotransmitter which increases the speed of the function of dopamine, with time the brain can longer function properly because of the drug intake.
Alcohol: is found in beverages like beer, wine, although it is legal it can be abused. It affects the brain by interfering with messages that are carried by neurotransmitters in the brain.
Nicotine: is found in tobacco products like cigarettes and cigars which are produced form tobacco leaves. It affects the brain by attaching itself into a brain neurotransmitter called acetylcholine and works by overexciting the brain.
Marijuana: is obtained from cannabis plant, when taken it affects the brain like the other drugs by affecting their thinking problem solving and other brain functions. Marijuana increases loss of memory in individuals, it makes it hard for people to remember certain information.
Fenethylline is another drug which is a combination of amphetamine and theophylline, captagon has interesting properties that intellectually stimulate the brain to improve its performance in during exams.
People are motivated to use these different drugs because of the stimulations they cause to body but the brain is the organ that is adversely affected.
Why it is important to know in the special education field
The abuse of prescriptive drugs has been identified as a serious issue that the American society is facing today and students undertaking the special education programs are no exceptional to this statistics. Special education is part of the general education system that provides a range of programs and systems that support students who require different learning method in order to excel as well as other students. According to Laviano,” Studies have shown that students with learning and other forms of disabilities are at greater risk of using drugs that their peers, (2009)”.
Studies show that, knowledge on drug abuse has increased, this means that even children who are taking special education are vulnerable to engaging in drug misuse especially because they might have underlying factors that can motivate substance abuse. “Students with special education needs are highly vulnerable to abusing drugs, notwithstanding this little information is given to them concerning abuse. (Laviano, 2009) ”.
In assessing students for special education programs it is discovered that most of them suffer from ADHD, because of their condition they are prescribed with medication that often puts them at greater risk of subsequent drug abuse (Dennis, 2008). That is why getting a background study on drugs abuse provides special educators with drug abuse information that points the gap that exists in providing all students with substance abuse information.
Substance abuse prevention has improved in the past decade with attempts to use research based strategies to create awareness on drug abuse. Special educators need to have trainings on these research based drug abuse programs, in order to effectively customize them to reach special education students as well. It is therefore important that special education teachers are equipped with knowledge pertaining drug abuse so that they can also disseminate the information to their students.
The influence of fenethylline on the brain growth or nerves
According to Logan “once the drug is taken orally it is converted into two compounds namely d-amphetamine and theophylline which are absorbed into the blood stream within an hour, and then transported into the brain. When the drug enters the brain it then interferes with normal functioning of the brain (2002)”. Scientists have indicated that drugs such as the Fenethylline affect the brain in the following parts mostly the brain stem, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex. Amphetamine as one of the components that form fenethylline, has effects that primarily focus on the neurotransmitter dopamine by increasing it to abnormal levels and keeping it in the system longer that it normal time (Rahim, Alsanosi, Yagoub. Mahfouz, and Solan, 2012).
The human brain contains billion of cells which pass signals to the brain necessitating necessary actions by the brain. Fenethtlline has amphetamine in it which stimulates over production of certain neurotransmitters leading to early depletion of neurotransmitters.
Role of drugs in changing human behavior
As a complex part of the human system that controls most of the functions undertaken by humans, any interference in the way the brain works through drug use will consequently lead to behavioral change. The brain communicates to the rest of the body using nerves and neurons and receptors, when a person uses drugs the drugs interfere with the channels of communication between the brain and the body causing them to behave differently.
Addiction is a major behavior change as a result of the use of drugs; most drugs increase a neurotransmitter called dopamine which controls certain body functions such as locomotive, motivation and emotion. Popescu Lupu,Panus, Neagu-Sadoveanu, and Buda Note that “overstimulation of the dopamine neurotransmitter through drug abuse produce effects that encourage and reinforce drug use (2010)”. The national Institute of Drug Abuse describes drug addiction as a chronic disease that affects the brains and causes subsequent seeking of the drug, (2011)
As mentioned earlier, use of drugs such as fenethylline over time causes a person to become dependent on the drug in order to perform. “Drugs like fenethylline mimic the functioning of the brain neurons by activating them by their use is not similar to that of the brain’s neuro transmitter and therefore they send the wrong messages which leads to abnormal behavior (Logan 2002).”
Modern method to educate students to avoid taking fenethylline
The conventional methods used to educate students on drugs such as fenethylline include classroom lessons, talks, lectures and video showing. To an extent these measures are effective in some way but with the current generation that is technologically savvy, strategies to create awareness on the effects of fenethylline should take a different approach.
One technique involves engaging students on debates concerning the effects of fenethylline and how to avoid its use. Where students choose which side to support and provide evidence on the same. Debates encourage students to do research which increases their knowledge pertaining to fenethylline as a drug.
Art is an important channel through information is passed to the audience; therefore, a theater performance on the effects of fenethylline would be appropriate in passing important information with regard to the drug but as well entertain the students. This mechanism solves the problem of boredom that is common in traditional methods such as lectures or classroom lessons on drugs.
Another method is creating a game that contains information on the dangerous effects of using fenethylline, facts about fenethylline and other important information that relates to fenethylline. Games are popular among the modern generation of students and game developers requested to develop games that are actually informative on fenethylline and most importantly its effect. Students can easily understand the message especially if it packaged through a hobby that most students engage and it is fun as well.
A life skill approach is another way of teaching about the effects of fenethylline, the approach enhances interaction between the teacher and the student and increases the potential of drug abuse prevention technique. Life skill can be considered a modern way of educating students because life skill gives student the information that is relevant and meaningful to apply and practice in their social interactions. Life skill is an experiential learning that provides education on drug abuse in a student focused manner. This approach allows for interaction between the student and the instructor, students are able to get the right information by asking questions directly from the instructor.
Students can also be taught on how to avoid fenethylline by engaging them in anti-drug actions, such actions include creating anti-drug art projects that can be displayed around the school and act also sensitize other students on how to avoid use of dr...