OxyContin Essay Example for Free

OxyContin Essay 1. Article Summary: OxyContin and Prescription Drug Abuse The article â€Å"OxyContin and Prescription Drug Abuse† by Inciardi and Goode provides detailed overview of drug problem in the United States. In particular, the authors discuss OxyContin, its prescriptions, diversification and problems which may appear after its using. The authors argue that the patterns of drug abuse has been changed – drugs are emerging and disappearing from drug scene, and it is more difficult for scientists to analyze which drug may cause the most severe addiction. OxyContin was firstly introduced to American market in the very end of 20th century and it was used in pain management. OxyContin is claimed to be unique as it provides patients with long-term relief from heavy pains, especially it is useful for patients who have been suffering from chronic pains for many years. Nevertheless, in the recent years the attitude towards OxyContin has changed as researchers claim it has negative affect on patients’ health causing addiction and increasing abuse potential. However, medical effects are still appreciated. Oxycodone is an active component of OxyContin and it has been used for centuries in pain management. The authors define oxycodone as â€Å"a semi-synthetic narcotic analgesic most often prescribed for moderate to severe pain, chronic pain syndromes, and terminal cancers†. (Inciardi Goode, p.17) Oxycodone is very effective in management pain if it is supervised by physicians. The uniqueness of OxyContin is that it contains aspirin, whereas others oxycodone medications don’t. In such a way, OxyContin is able to lengthen and increase efficiency of oxycodone. Physicians say that OxyContin is able to ensure pain relief for about 12 hours, although it is argued that it may become alleged abuse. Clinical tests show that OxyContin is effective analgesic in patients with moderate and severe pains. Nevertheless, Food and Drug Administration stress that OxyContin carry high abuse risk as it acts similar to narcotic substances. Thus, use of OxyContin should be carefully managed, in particular in patients with higher risk of substance abuse. Additionally, OxyContin is claimed to carry a boxed warning known as ‘black box’. The authors admit that â€Å"although there are several sources of national data on drug abuse that have been operated for decades, the collection of specific data on OxyContin abuse is quite recent†. (Inciardi Goode, p.19) One of the government-sponsored studies shows that drug abuse is higher among high school students, adolescents and young adults. This report dates 1975, whereas OxyContin studies appeared only in 2002. According officially collected data of 2002, it is revealed that about 3-4% of 8th, 12th and 10th graders have used this medication at least one time during the year. One more interesting fact is that the use of Vicodin was significantly higher than that of OxyContin. Medical examination of deaths during the period of 2000-2001 showed that about 950 deaths were related to oxycodone use. Statistic is shocking and the question appears: how can oxycodone be effective and, at the same time, so fatal. About 49% out of 950 deaths were associated with OxyContin abuse – 146 deaths were ‘OxyContin verified’ and 318 deaths were ‘OxyContin likely’. Medical experts argue that the death â€Å"may be a result of overdose induced by a combination of substances, not just the oxycodone itself†. (Inciardi Goode, p.19) OxyContin abuse was firstly reported in rural Maine, and then in Appalachia and Ohio Village. These regions appeared to be at the highest risks as rural areas are more isolated and have less information about addiction effects of oxycondone. Summing up, the authors argue that OxyContin abuse is still on the rise. 2. Two Articles: Compare and Contrast Similar to the article â€Å"OxyContin and Prescription Drug Abuse† by Inciardi and Goode, the article â€Å"Misuse of Pharmaceuticals Linked to More ER Visits† by Donna Leinwand discusses the problem of substance abuse in the United States. Leinwand adds that the problem is worsening because of over-the-counter drugs: â€Å"Overdoses of prescription and over-the-counter drugs are sending more people than ever to emergency rooms†. (Leinwand, p.12) However, the primary difference in authors’ positions is that Leinwand defends position that the problem with drug abuse is attributed to pharmaceuticals, whereas Inciardi and Goode argue that people prefer overdosing themselves to manage pain. Leinwand stresses that, according official rates, there were more than 613,000 cases of overdosing cocaine and heroine, whereas the number of improper prescriptions is about 598,000. Inciardi and Goode say that OxyContin is very effective in pain management; although they stress that it is at risk to develop addiction. However, they still recommend OxyContin prescription if it is supervised by professional. In contrast, Leinward argues that it is necessary to prevent drug abuse even if it is effective in pain management by re-shaping and re-evaluating approaching to dealing addictions – firstly, by seeking for new medications with no addiction effects. Pharmaceuticals should be very careful with drug prescription as misuse may result in severe addiction. Both Leinwand and Inciardi and Goode consider hydrocodone and oxycodone as the most common drugs associated with overdose as they are narcotic painkillers. They argue that oxycodone abuse is still on the rise – up to 24% increase in overdose over the past years. Medical use of narcotic painkillers has grown and the authors recommend proper management and finding new effective painkillers with lower addiction risk as â€Å"these are beneficial drugs, and we want people to have access, but these are also substances that can be easily abused†. (Leinwand, p.12) Summing up, both articles are professional, well-developed and properly supported studies of the drug abuse problem in the United States. The authors provide theoretical and practical framework by offering official statistics, opinions of medical experts, etc. These articles set the background for further researches in drug abuse field.

PARADISE FLUBBED: Pynchon & the New World Essay -- essays papers

PARADISE FLUBBED: Pynchon & the New World When, in Gravity's Rainbow, "A screaming comes across the sky," it is the sound of a V-2 rocket arcing up and over the English Channel.But the rocket's vapor trail (which Pirate Prentice sees from kneedeep in the primordial mulch of his bananararium) points further on: over the Atlantic, on toward America, the New World, Tyrone Slothrop's "yearned-for, perhaps illusory home." The rocket's path ends a fraction of an inch above the reader's head, the rocket suspended, poised ... A tableau representing the possibile if not quite realized Apocalypse.In his first novel, V., Pynchon explored the death-worshipping mania, the will-to-the-inorganic hubris, the sheer Gotterdamerà ¼ng gaga-ness of a Dying Europe.And the final scene from Gravity's Rainbow seems to (almost) complete that arc, to represent Europe's death rattle; a last gasp (and grasp)--as if the Old World, having given birth to the New, now wished to take that Other in a last suicidal embrace. Don't bother, says Vineland.We'll do it ourselves, eventually.Not by introducing some new evil into this New Eden, but simply by retro-fitting America with the same brutal mannerisms, the same authoritarian conceits, the same mania for Tidying Up that destroyed Europe--all of these urges which Pynchon sees as (in Fredric Jameson's terms) "necessary preconditions" for the rise to imperialist hegemony and colonialist cruelty, and the inevitable descent into fascist insanity. The "whiteness" of decay that looms over V. is for Pynchon inextricably connected with America's Puritanical beginnings, both genealogical and esthetic.The Crying of Lot 49 ends, in fact, with what Edward Mendelson calls a "penultimate Pentecostal" moment: the bo... ...nd thus it might be suggested that capital 'A' fiction challenges rather than satisfies, disappoints (that word implying how much of our thinking is shaped by our lifelong desire to escape gravity's wagging finger) rather than reassures.The minimalist Triumvirate rules beneath a banner stolen from Holiday Inn:No Surprises.While what we read with greater effort offers, we sense, greater reward.To push beyond, further, aside; to hack through the jungle despite the fact that the pathway is perfectly clear, asphalted, guard-railed, signposted, edge-trimmed, icon-d, OSHA-inspected, patrolled, mapped, sanitized .... Pynchon's fiction lives, and occasionally (all too seldom) communicates from Out There, out in the jungle, out where the distance between Sign and Signifier is a gap wide enough to break your neck, should you leap into it.Out on the Frontier, still, always.

Organizational Behavior-No Fair Pay In This Place Essay

The purpose of this paper is to examine the motivational effects of pay level on worker performance. It is discusses some of the elements that contributed to the employees in Western Satellite office to express feelings of inequality. Some of these elements include academic qualifications, educational background, just to mention but a few. The paper also tackles some of the reasons why the New York worker is considered a ‘comparison other’ as opposed to the worker in Seattle. Moreover, the paper explores how the issue of inequality in the case- no fair pay in this place was either resolved or not. For instance, we find in this case that this issue was not resolved. Last but not least, the paper also examines some of the other factors that may have contributed to the dissatisfaction that was experience by the two workers. Some of these factors include; lack of communication, culture, lack of adaptability, lack of empathy, just to mention but a few. Introduction  The purpose of this paper is to examine the case study that revolves around no fair pay in the workplace and the fact that employees working from different cities receive different numerations irrespective of how much responsibility one has within the organization, their academic qualifications and the years of experience within the industry in which they are operating. (Armstrong, 2006, p. 62) Question One What are some of the elements which contributed to the employees feelings of inequality? These include educational background, years of experience, responsibilities that one has and last but not least academic qualifications. The employees were stressed with the kind of work they had to perform such as having heavy load of unhappy clients and their urgent demands, complaining customers, just to mention but a few. (Meredith, 2004, p. 2) Susan was hired based on her degree in Business Administration. She was responsible in planning, problem solving and supervising a number of employees and this included Dan Donaldson, a public relations spokesperson of the company. However, despite all these responsibilities, she received a remuneration of $30,000 per annum. This was very disappointing since she had 20 years of customer relations and supervisory know-how, not to mention the current degree that she had received in business. (Meredith, 2004, p. 3) On the contrary, Helen who was based at the headquarters in New York received $40,000 in only ten months as opposed to 12. This made Susan furious since she had no customer contact, no university education, no one to supervise and no seniority. In a nutshell, Helen had an annual salary of $48,000. (Meredith, 2004, p. 3) Pay determination may possibly have one or more objectives, which may frequently be in conflict with each other. The primary is equity, and this may take numerous forms. They comprise income distribution through reduction of inequalities, defending real earnings (purchasing power), and the notion of equal pay for work of equivalent value. Moreover, pay differentials based on differences in skills are all associated to the idea of fairness. (Deckop, 2006, p. 65) Performance pay systems in organizations are based on assessment of the personality worker, often by their line administrator who may or may not be experienced in process. Performance pay is extensively renowned as contributing to pay inequalities, predominantly in this case (New York and Seattle). (Culbert, 1996, p. 68) Question Two Why the New York worker was considered a ‘comparison other’ but not the worker in Seattle? The New York worker was considered a ‘comparison other’ because the front lines of the job were in Seattle where the client based was centered and the services were rendered. Moreover, employees at Seattle received heavy load of unhappy clients and their urgent demands while she contentedly remained in her comfort zone that was stress free. Research has recommended that some individuals are more flourishing in their careers than others even when they have had equivalent learning and experimental opportunities. One clarification for these disparities may possibly relate to differences between intellectual intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ). IQ measures academic competencies or one’s aptitude to use acquaintance in making decisions and adapting to innovative situations. This can best be illustrated with Helen who works in at the headquarters in New York. However, as much as she is based in New York, all the tasks are carried out in Seattle, and this means that she is not using the little experience and experimental opportunities that she acquired to perform her duties. (Lamal, 1991, p. 72) On the other hand, EQ is a measure of expressive and societal competencies or one’s aptitude to recognize expressive expressions in someone and others. Even though both can be enhanced through training and altered over time, EQ is separate from IQ in that it is one’s aptitude to standardize emotions in reaction to ecological stimulus. EQ has been popularized as an educated skill that is a superior interpreter of life success than intellectual achievement or technological aptitude. This can best be illustrated with Susan and Dan Donaldson who had superior performance, academic achievements, work experience and interpersonal skills. They had to deal with resolving customers issues on a daily basis while Helen and her fellow workers who were based in New York sat and waited for the final produce that came from Seattle. (Harris, 2001, p. 78) The workplace surroundings idea also sees entity firm level performance such as efficiency, productivity, efficiency and competitiveness; as a result of not only the sufficiency supply of human resources with suitable skills, but also a workplace surroundings that incessantly optimizes the use of these skills throughout the way work is intended and prearranged, the suitability, access and association of supports and tools to do the work, the association of decision making, rewards and appreciation for performance. The New York worker is considered a ‘comparison worker’ as opposed to the worker in Seattle since she lacks interpersonal skills, academic achievements, superior performance, just to mention but a few. Despite all these, she is considered the best just because she is based at the head office located in New York. (Bate, 1994, p. 81) On the other hand, the Seattle worker who has all the necessary qualities such as work experience, interpersonal skills and academic qualifications; is looked down upon just because she is operating in Seattle. (Meredith, 2004, p. 2) Question Three  How was the inequality resolved? The inequality was not resolved at all. As a matter of fact, once Mr. James commented that nobody said that it was fair and rather, that was how the staff in New York are remunerated, that was the end of the discussion. Mr. James did not validate his statement, neither did he explain why that was the case. Instead, he was interested in how Susan found out about Helen’s salary. (Meredith, 2004, p. 3) Participation in the labor force is usually regarded as an important measurement of equality. Having a job is significant to individuals. Jobs are a numerically important starting point for livelihoods. They are also significant proportions of social respect, acknowledgment, individuality and self esteem. Even though the sources and solutions for increasing inequality are multifaceted and open to dispute, the corporeal and psychosomatic penalties are real and straightforward. (Mathis, 2006, p. 99) It is understandable that we require more than legislation, bylaw and exacting programs to generate a diverse workforce usual in association. We also need customs of understanding the challenges. This mean examination of ‘what goes wrong’. Both the need for continuous coercive dealings and the phenomena of the turning door or equity tell us regarding the pervasive and systemic character of the status quo in workforce composition and in the organization and conduct of business and government. (Max, 204, p. 104) When individuals talk concerning inequality, they tend to center completely on the proceeds part of the equation. According to the case- no fair pay in this place, there is the gap between the employees in New York and Seattle and this is based on remuneration amongst the employees. (Armstrong, 2006, p. 8) The verification of increasing disparity in the United States and around the globe is both obvious and disturbing. As power, capital, and probability are increasingly concerted in the hands of the extremely few, this age of â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have not† is connected with a wide range of unenthusiastic outcomes for faraway too countless. A good illustration is seen in the case-no fair pay in this place, where Western Satellite Office workers are experiencing inequality problems based on remuneration since they are not based in New York where the head office is situated. They are the ones who experience customer service problems since each and every customer wants to be served and at the end of the day, they feel so stressed and worn out, yet when it comes to remuneration they receive less than what the worker in New York receive. This is not fair since the worker in New York doesn’t experience the pressure that the Seattle worker receives. (Lamal, 1991, p. 106 Question Four What are the other factors which may have contributed to the dissatisfaction experienced by these two workers? Culture A managerial culture affects how the company performs. Culture is the behavior of a group of individuals. This consists of; the beliefs, civilization, acquaintance and practices. Individuals depend on it for security, evenness and the ability to act in response in a given circumstance. (Harris, 2001, p. 92) According to this case, the reason why Helen and Susan received different remuneration was because Helen was situated at the head office in New York. This was the culture of that organization that was based on the location of the city. Therefore, Susan having been situated at Seattle was bound on her $30,000 per annum, and this was regardless of her qualifications. (Meredith, 2004, p. 3) Lack of Communication Generally, lack of communication on the part of the boss contributes to the displeasure among the workers in the association. Communication problems are a purpose of message and organizational procedure, and managerial factors. Effectual communication of performance requirements to all workers will reduce the number of complaints and grievances. Nonattendance of this communication domino effect in workers not performing. For instance in our case, when Susan was about to present her case, Mr. James had already predicted and he simply brushed the matter off by making a comment concerning the issue. He didn’t give room for discussion concerning that matter; neither did he give an explanation nor a satisfactory solution. This resulted to laxity among the workers in the western satellite office. (Bate, 1994, p. 98) By not communicating well enough, Mr.  James avoided to get into dialogue concerning important issues such as, the reason why employees in New York receiving a higher pay as opposed to employees in Seattle. This made him appear unavailable and uncaring to Susan and the employees of Western Satellite Office; this resulted in hurting teamwork spirit and cooperation within the organization. (Deckop, 2006, p. 110) Lack of Self awareness and accurate self-assessment Without self awareness and self-assessment, Mr. James was too quick to brush off the matter that Susan had presented to him. He was unable to accept useful feedback, and he didn’t have a realistic awareness of his strengths or limitations. As a result, it created problems in their work relationships and in their personal relationships. (Culbert, 1996, p. 115) Lack of Empathy When leaders fail to demonstrate sufficient empathy in times of hesitation or crisis, they will probable be seen as unresponsive, hardhearted and in-authentic- all of which will make workers be less supportive and less communicative. The boss may be left feeling misunderstood, and will have complexity â€Å"reading† their workers. This is exactly what Mr. James did and as a result, Susan’s ability to work drastically diminished and she became less concerned with her duties and responsibilities in the workplace. (Mathis, 2006, p. 120) Lack of Adaptability Without elasticity and adaptableness, Mr. James responded negatively to the core issue that was troubling his employee Susan. This revealed emotional strain to Susan since she had to shift priorities; expressed frustration with change; had difficulties adapting Mr.  James responses and tactics to fit the emerging circumstance; and ultimately she was hesitant in taking on new challenges. (Max, 2004, p. 126) Lack of self-management Without good self management, Mr. James reacted precipitately when he predicted that there was bound to be conflict at work. This made him respond to problems in a non-constructive manner that resulted to unwanted consequences such as laxity amongst the employees (Susan). (Harris, 2001, p. 118) Conclusion  In a civilized workplace, individuals who work well ought to be rewarded through decent pay, endorsement and new opportunities, the possibility to build up new skills, admiration from coworker and management, and the individual gratification and satisfaction that comes from doing a job well. Culture determines the type of management, communication, and cluster dynamics within the association. The employees usually recognize this as the excellence of work life which directs their measure of motivation. The concluding outcome is generally performance, human being satisfaction, individual growth and expansion. All these rudiments unite to build the model or structure that the association operates from. However, all these elements are not revealed in our case since Mr. James chose not to allow room for discussion. He lacked communication skills and empathy and as a result, there was poor turnover in Susan’s output. Generally, in an organization, employers should be open with their employees and allow a forum for discussion and participation. For instance in this case, Mr.  James would have allowed Susan to present her queries and later on try to explain to her why the workers in New York had to receive a better pay than workers in Seattle. Moreover, there should be restructuring of some of the rules in Western Satellite Office and promote job enrichment. This will facilitate enlargement of the individuals within the association, better worker performance for the association, there will be maximum use of human resources for the general public at large (both in New York and Seattle), enlargement of the individual, and self-actualization of the individual.

The Effects Of Video Games On Physical Health - 1477 Words

Excess playing time International studies have shown that between seven and eleven per cent of gamers show some symptoms associated with addiction. Some teens are heavy users of online role-playing games (RPGs) such as World of Warcraft and multiplayer games such as Call of Duty in which they interact with other players in real time. These teens will often neglect schoolwork and other aspects of their daily lives when they become immersed in these games. The American Medical Association has identified â€Å"video game overuse† as ‘behaviour’. World of Warcraft, one of the most popular online games, is played by more than ten million devotees around the world; in general, online gamers spend more than 20 hours a week playing. The potential negative effects on physical health are another concern relating to excessive video game playing. If a child spends long periods of time playing video games, it may come at the expense of more active pastimes. http://mediasmarts.ca/video-games/concerns-about-video-games Cost of gaming Video games are a fun hobby, but no one ever said it was an inexpensive one. For example a brand new console such as the PS4 or an Xbox One will cost you around  £300-400 standalone with absolutely no games. Factoring in the price of games this will usually cost about  £40-50 easily for new releases. And if that wasn’t enough PC gamers have an even harder time when it comes to building their machine as a moderate gaming rig will cost the average user aroundShow MoreRelatedVideo Games : An Unhealthy Lifestyle1289 Words   |  6 Pagesare more focused on playing video games are at risk of having an unhealthy physical lifestyle. Video games play a part in a child’s health in that it could be the reason they do not get enough physical activity. 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