Arguing Cause Paris

Synthetic Drugs on the Rise

In the past few years, medical problems concerning synthetic drugs have skyrocketed. An increase of visits to the emergency room started to steadily grow in 2011, most of these involved synthetic drugs (“Synthetic Drugs”). Anyone has access to synthetic drugs in the United States because the manufacturers found a loophole to have their products be constantly legal. This fact has misinformed many to believe that synthetic drugs are safe when really they can cause death and permanent damage. There is actual belief that synthetic drugs are safe. In December of 2014, to boys with no relation, Christian Berkj and Elijah Stai, both intensely hallucinated then died from using synthetic drugs. The parents of these two boys had no idea that their children had such easy access to such harmful drugs. The manufacturer, Charles Carlton, recognized his own packaging from a news story about the boys and came fourth to admit that he didn’t know his drug was capable of killing. Carlton was sentenced to time in prison and the families of the deceased boys are actively trying to make the youth aware of the dangers of synthetic drugs (Griffin, Black). The fact that even the manufacturer didn’t even know how harmful his synthetic drugs were is something to worry about. Another example of the dangers of synthetic drugs is an unfortunate situation about a 21-year-old man named Dickie Sanders, who had a bright future. He only occasionally partied and did drugs, which is similar to much of the youth today. He took a powder like substance, which was a synthetic drug, and it caused him to hallucinate so intensely that it drove him to committing suicide. Synthetic drugs not only kill from the harmful chemicals that they consist of but the side effects like extreme hallucination can cause one to take their own life (Marder). Dickie Sanders was not a drug addict or bad kid, he is just like a large percentage of today's youth. He was not addicted to drugs and it only took one time of him doing synthetic drugs for them to take his life. Far too few people realize the dangers of what these deadly drugs can do. Our society’s ignorance of what synthetic drugs can do is a problem.

Synthetic drugs are a growing problem with today’s youth. They are new genetically altered versions of already existing drugs such as marijuana. These drugs are manipulated to seem like they are harmless and just as safe as their natural version. Many teens believe that synthetic drugs will do them no harm. In reality synthetic drugs are usually nothing like the natural drug they are trying to depict. Synthetic drugs are basically just chemicals that look like their natural version, or on the other hand they might not look anything like drugs at all. Such as synthetic marijuana (Spice, K2) is only herbs sprayed with chemicals (University of Colorado Denver). “Bath Salts” are drugs that are packaged to look like harmless house products. Many who want to obtain synthetic drugs can do so without suspicion because some synthetic drug packaging states that it is “not for human consumption” (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Synthetic drugs are easy to overlook by the DEA because they don't look like average drugs, so they are easier for the consumer to get ahold of. Those who are misinformed on synthetic drugs don't realize the deception of synthetic drugs' appearance.

  • Is it clear what I mean exactly?

It is clear that I am saying that synthetic drugs are packed in a misleading way.

  • Where might the reader be confused? What could be misleading or muddled?

The reader might be confused why drugs would say "not for human consumption".

  • How does the claim(s) in this paragraph relate to my main claim?

My claim is that synthetic drugs are easy for the consumer to obtain because of how the drugs look and are packaged.

  • What support have I used to argue this claim? What links this support to my claim? (for these last two, you can underline the support and make bold the linkage if it is explicitly stated. If the linkage is unstated, write it out in this quote box.)

Synthetic drugs can permanently damage one’s brain or even cause death. Teens today do not realize this and have been, in a way brainwashed to believe that synthetic drugs will not hurt them. They think the drugs are safe because they are legal. The reason these drugs are legal is because those making a fortune off of them can constantly alter the chemical make up of the drug after one version has been made illegal. Just changing one ingredient makes their drugs legal again. This misperception about the safety of synthetic drugs is the cause of this rise in the synthetic drug problem.

  • Is it clear what I mean exactly?

I am meaning to say that synthetic drugs are thought of as safe because many versions of them are legal.

  • Where might the reader be confused? What could be misleading or muddled?

The reader might be confused on how synthetic drugs manage to stay legal, but that is explained in later paragraphs.

  • How does the claim(s) in this paragraph relate to my main claim?

My claim is that synthetic drugs are a problem because many don't understand that they shouldn't be legal because of the dangers they can do.

  • What support have I used to argue this claim? What links this support to my claim? (for these last two, you can underline the support and make bold the linkage if it is explicitly stated. If the linkage is unstated, write it out in this quote box.)

Many people are unaware of the consequences or synthetic drugs, as one can clearly see from the incidents of the deceased boys as a result from taking synthetic drugs. This is one of the first and major causes of synthetic drugs becoming a problem. The fact that some don’t believe that synthetic drugs are harmful could be those who simply do not care, which would cause them to make poor life choices, such as taking synthetic drugs. A more distinct reason is that most people who don’t know the harmful consequences are probably not accurately informed. Jenny Marder explains the harmful effects of synthetic drugs, specifically MDVP (also called “bath salts”), which causes the same side affects as amphetamine and cocaine at the same time. Amphetamine causes dopamine transporters to open up and cause more dopamine to be transferred to receptors. Cocaine does the opposite in that it closes the receptor so the dopamine cannot go to the place it wants to. Marder uses the example of a sink to clarify what this means. Imagine a sink that is plugged with the faucet turned on all the way. The water (or dopamine in the brain) is overflowing. This is what happens to the brain when someone takes MDVP, hence Marder’s article name “The Drug That Never Lets Go”. MDVP is different from other drugs in that it does not wear off after a day, for some the symptoms lasted up to two weeks (Marder). This is because, as Marder explains, “If you look at the chemical structure of MDPV, it has one structural feature that the other molecules don't: a short carbon chain with a methyl group at the end.” MDVP is structured so that the hallucinogens and other side affects do not go away, which drives people, such as Dickie Sanders, to kill themselves (Marder). If people were accurately informed then synthetic drugs wouldn't be a problem.

  • Is it clear what I mean exactly?

I am explaining in this paragraph the actual affects of MDVP, a synthetic drugs, to the readers.

  • Where might the reader be confused? What could be misleading or muddled?

The reader might be confused when I talk about dopamine, transporters, and receptors. I tried to clear this up by adding the sink analogy.

  • How does the claim(s) in this paragraph relate to my main claim?

The claim in this paragraph is that many aren't accurately informed on what synthetic drugs are which relates to how synthetic drugs is becoming a problem.

  • What support have I used to argue this claim? What links this support to my claim? (for these last two, you can underline the support and make bold the linkage if it is explicitly stated. If the linkage is unstated, write it out in this quote box.)

Many can argue that synthetic marijuana (K2) is not harmful because they’ve been using this drug for years and there has been no problem. While this may be true for some people, it is not true for everyone. This is because the chemicals associated with synthetic marijuana are not distributed evenly. Synthetic marijuana is herbs sprayed with drugs that are supposed to mimic the affects of natural marijuana. It is true that many use synthetic marijuana without any harmful consequences. But the day that these K2 users get a batch of it that has had far too many chemicals sprayed on it, it will be too late for them. Synthetic marijuana is 1,000 times stronger than natural marijuana and smoking K2 that has been sprayed too much can be fatal and cause long term brain damage (University of Colorado Denver). Those who have used K2 on many occasions are usually not informed on the fact that it only takes one strong batch of K2 to cause permanent damage or even death.

  • Is it clear what I mean exactly?

This is where I am taking apart the opposing argument. The opposing argument is from the perspective of someone who has been using synthetic drugs for a long time without any negative side affects.

  • Where might the reader be confused? What could be misleading or muddled?

The reader might be confused about how some people have permanent damage after one use of a synthetic drug.

  • How does the claim(s) in this paragraph relate to my main claim?

This relates to my claim because I am taking apart the opposing argument which helps strengthen my argument.

  • What support have I used to argue this claim? What links this support to my claim? (for these last two, you can underline the support and make bold the linkage if it is explicitly stated. If the linkage is unstated, write it out in this quote box.)

Another cause of this problem of synthetic drugs is the packaging and legality of synthetic drugs and the drugs ability to not be detected in a drug test. Those who experiment with these drugs feel there is no risk associated with the experimentation because synthetic drugs will not interfere with their job because they do not show up on drug tests, and they are legal and easy to obtain. Synthetic drugs can be bought in a variety of convenience stores. This fact causes many people to argue that this makes synthetic drugs safe. That argument is wrong because synthetic drugs are not safe only because they have managed to remain legal. Synthetic drugs are packaged as incense or bath salts and can be bought for around ten dollars. They are becoming more popular which explains the rise in emergency room visits that have similarities in the symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat and extreme paranoia (Synthetic Drugs). Manufacturers of synthetic drugs have many found a way to make their drugs legal all the time. Those who make synthetic drugs tweak the chemical makeup of the drugs slightly so that they can sneak past the DEA. In an article by the University of Colorado Denver, they quote Monte saying, “Synthetic marijuana is illegal under DEA law, but companies that make it are a step ahead with new chemicals and packaging on standby all the time." Far too many don’t understand this fact about synthetic drugs so they assume that since the drugs are legal, then they are safe. The DEA is trying to keep up with the manufacturers of synthetic drugs but they have a hard time because those who are making a profit off of the drugs have no reason to stop. Those who make the drugs don’t even realize themselves how dangerous these drugs are. If more people knew about the efforts of the DEA trying to but a stop to the selling of synthetic drugs, then they would rethink their drug use.

  • Is it clear what I mean exactly?

I am saying in this paragraph that people think that synthetic drugs are safe because they are legal but they are wrong and misinformed.

  • Where might the reader be confused? What could be misleading or muddled?

The reader might be confused about how the makers of the drugs tweak the chemical makeup.

  • How does the claim(s) in this paragraph relate to my main claim?

This relates to my main claim because it shows why being misinformed is bad and that this is the cause of the problem.

  • What support have I used to argue this claim? What links this support to my claim? (for these last two, you can underline the support and make bold the linkage if it is explicitly stated. If the linkage is unstated, write it out in this quote box.)

There are some who will argue for synthetic drugs and say that they are not harmful. Those who do so are misinformed and assume that the legality of synthetic drugs makes them safe. As one can see, this is not true because they are only legal because the manufacturers have found a loophole around the DEA. Synthetic drugs are in fact illegal according to the DEA. The packaging of synthetic drugs is also a misleading factor because they are packaged in an inviting way that persuades people to think they are safe. Looks can be deceiving because synthetic drugs are dangerous and even deadly. There are many causes of why synthetic drugs have become a problem lately, but they main cause can be narrowed down to simply: not enough of the population is informed about the dangers of synthetic marijuana and many are tricked into thinking synthetic drugs are safe when they are not.

  • Griffin, Drew, and Nelli Black. "Deadly High: How Synthetic Drugs Are Killing Kids - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 2 Dec. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/01/us/synthetic-drugs-investigation/

  • Marder, Jenny. "The Drug That Never Lets Go." PBS. PBS, 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/spc/multimedia/bath-salts/

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse. "DrugFacts: Spice ("Synthetic Marijuana")." DrugFacts: Spice ("Synthetic Marijuana"). NIH, Dec. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/spice-synthetic-marijuana

  • "Synthetic Drugs." Synthetic Drugs. Syracuse University, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

http://health.syr.edu/Education/synthetic-drugs.html

  • University of Colorado Denver. "More Illness from Synthetic Marijuana Likely." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140122202217.htm

Arguing Cause Peer Review Paris

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License