What are the different ways cocaine is transported into the United States through Mexico Region?

What are the different ways cocaine is transported into the United States through Mexico Region?

            My question that I was searching information on was since cocaine largest consumption is in the United States, what are the different ways that cocaine is transported into the United States through the Mexico, Caribbean’s, etc? After doing some research this is what I found out that the U.S./Mexico border is the primary point of entry for cocaine shipments being smuggled into the United States. There is approximately 65 percent of cocaine smuggled into the United States crosses the southwest border. It’s interesting to learn that actual organized crime groups operate in Colombia control the worldwide supply of cocaine. There are actual key managers in Colombia that continue to oversee the overall operations that take place. It’s interesting to learn that Colombia-based drug groups have allowed Mexico-based trafficking organizations to play an increasing role in the U.S. cocaine trade. By the mid-1990’s, Mexico-based transportation groups were receiving up to half the cocaine shipment they smuggled for the Colombia-based groups in exchange for their services.

            Now today traffickers operating from Colombia continue to control the wholesale-level cocaine distribution that are heavily populated northeastern United States and all along the eastern seaboard in cities such as Boston, Miami, Newark, New York, and Philadelphia. The operating from Mexico wholesales go through the Midwestern United States. These cities conclude of Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angele, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle. But during the 1990’s when the organized crime group from Mexico were expanding their roles as cocaine transporters and wholesale-level distributors control operations were in southern California. Now today, Chicago is the key command and control center for cocaine operations, and with that being said Atlanta is increasingly important as the trafficking hub for cocaine.

            So when it comes to the drug smuggling from the Mexico and Colombia area is that they actually ended up working with one another. They figured that they could actually benefit from one another and increase their profits. They were able to smuggle more drugs in the U.S. than any other route known. That is why many of the forces have really started to crack down to control this problem and keep it from occurring. Drug trafficking corporations have tried to come up with new ways that these smugglers are trying to come up with. But everyday these drug bases are coming up with new ways to get around the traffickers, yet it’s still a process that keeps everyone on their toes.  

Samantha N D

Source:

http://www.policyalmanac.org/crime/archive/drug_trafficking.shtml

How Does Dancing Release Stress?

Dance is an outlet for emotional expression, stress reduction, and creativity that benefits youth during stressful situations by channeling their energy positively and helping them bind with their peers. Dance was also found to increase life satisfaction. Dance has also been shown to stimulate brain function.  Dance is a completely natural approach to stress management. It's also an important part of self expression. It is often used as a part of the recovery process for people with chronic illness. Therapeutically, dance uses movement to improve the overall well being of an individual both physically and mentally. These are all of the reasons why I love to dance because it does exactly these things to my body. I believe that's why I have to do it from time to time because it releases all of the stress that I have from being in school.

sources:http://www.the-standard.org/life/dancing-boosts-health-relieves-stress/article_63b27627-c2cc-59cd-832c-14c8a2319487.html

Angel Morrisey

What are the long-term effects of Ecstasy (MDMA)?

Ecstasy is a synthetic drug that contains amphetamine and hallucinogenic properties. It is a stimulant drug. While there are many threatening short-term effects of Ecstasy, there are also plenty of dangerous long-term effects that can become permanent. Ecstasy is very toxic to the brain and can, therefor, destroy part of your brain. MDMA is known to affect the neurons that use serotonin to communicate with other neurons. It also may cause memory loss to the user. Ecstasy can also cause seizures and affect the heart's ability to maintain normal rhythms.

Many MDMA users will acquire serious injuries because of the hallucinations. Many times, the hallucinations can cause very disturbing images and cause the user to do anything in their power to escape. More long term effects include: kidney failure, bleeding in the brain, dehydration, or even death.

Ecstasy is definitely not a drug to mess with because it can be so dangerous. Long term effects, such as brain damage, is irreversible and will affect the user in an extremely negative way for the rest of their life.

Sources:
www.thegooddrugsguide.com
www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/ecstasy

Jamie LW

 

How are drugs detected in the body?

       Drugs are detected in the body by taking samples of urine, saliva, breath air, hair, blood, sweat and body fluids.  There is a ten panel drug test that is used to detect certain drugs.  Those drugs are: Cocaine, Methadone, propoxyphene, Tricyclic antidepressants, Synthetic cannabinoids, Phencyclidine, Opiates, Methaqualone, Cannabinoids, Amphetamines, Buprenorphine, and Barbiturates.

            I thought it was interesting that scape hair testing can detect drugs for a period of 30 to 90 days but body hair can detect drugs in a period of up to a year because it grows at a slower rate.  Cocaine can be detected in the urine 2 to 5 days except for heavy users it can be detected 7 to 10 days.  It can be detected up to 90 days in the hair and 2 to 10 days in the blood. Cannabis can be detected in the urine for up to 3 to 4 days and heavy users up to 10 days.  It’s detected in the hair for up to 90 days and in the blood 2 to 3 days and 2 weeks for heavy users. 

           

 

 Vernita M. R.

December 7, 2013

 

 

Source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_test

 

How Can I Slowly Start To Change My Bad Eating Habits?

I learned that I need to take baby steps when changing my diet. Making changes in how I live and eat can have a major effect on my health. Some suggestions that I saw from health experts were to start my day with a nutritious breakfast, get eight hours of sleep each night, eat my seated at a table without distractions, reduce my portions by 20% or give up second meals, and try lower fat dairy products. I also learned that I need to become more mindful of what I'm eating and drinking. When you become more aware of what you're eating you'll notice how you need to change your diet and what all you need to do. Some people benefit from diets by keeping food diaries. When starting a healthy food diet you need to make a plan and be specific. You need to write down your options clear to where you can understand what you're going to do during this diet. Also you need to have a new mini goal each week that you set for yourself. These mini goals will eventually add to make a major change in what you're doing. Make changes in how you prepare your meals each day. Watch what you put on your food. You also need to be realistic with your goal, don't put too much on yourself so soon because that won't help at all. You won't do very well and you'll stress yourself out. Going slow will help you keep the pace going and that way you can build up your tolerance. Last but not least you need focus on practicing stress management. Focus on dealing with stress with whatever works for you so that you won't fall back on your goal. 

Source:http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-steps-to-changing-bad-eating-habits?page=2

Angel Morrisey

Sex Education

Anysha 

Sex education has its advantages and disadvantages with many parents. Some advantages are that recent studies show that there has been a decrease in teen pregnancy. Along with decreasing teen pregnancy: sti’s have been reduced. However many parents do not believe in sexual education being taught within the schools. This is because sex ed interferes with their religion or values. They believe that this encourages children to have sex rather than informing them. Other parents feel as though that it is their duty to talk and inform their own children about sex not the school.  

http://www.ehow.com/info_8181030_advantages-disadvantages-sex-education-school.html

Why are circumcision rate decreasing?

Circumcision rates are declining in the U.S. and all over the world. New research showed that there is no health benefits for circumcision. However, the research on this changes constantly. People suggest that it is cruel to circumcise their children and are opting against it. Some insurance companies have stopped covering it on their health plan making it too expensive for families. All of these reasons have resulted in a slight decline. With information about circumcision constantly changing the rates keep going up and down until solid research comes out.



http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/22/u-s-circumcision-rates-are-declining/?_r=0
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/circumcision-rates-declining-especially-in-western-states/

What is the relevance of the desire phase for women in Kaplan's model?

Ellen Rehm

Masters and Johnson published their book in 1996 of a linear model of sexual response for both men and women. The book was composed of four stages, beginning with excitement/arousal and proceeding to plateau, orgasm, and resolution. Kaplan came along in 1979 adding the concept of desire to the model and condensed the overall response into three phases; desire, arousal, and orgasm. Over the past decade, this framework has been called into question for women for many different reasons.

This model assumes that men and women have similar sexual responses, which they do not. Many women do not move progressively through the phases as described; they may move from sexual arousal to orgasm and satisfaction without experiencing sexual desire at all. They can also experience desire, arousal, and satisfaction but no orgasm. Some researchers propose that much of female sexual desire is actually responsive rather than spontaneous. For example, a reaction to a partner being spontaneous rather then her own spontaneous feelings.

Source: Female Sexual Response. Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. March 2008. Retrieved from http://www.arhp.org/publications-and-resources/clinical-fact-sheets/female-sexual-response

How can couples increase intimacy non-sexually to complement their sex lives?

Luke Newman

            Bonnie Lynn Wright is a PhD who wrote an article explaining non-sexual forms of intimacy on behalf of the Honor Society of Nursing.  She explains that often people associate “being intimate” with being physical with one another and having sex. She argues that the word has an entirely different meaning.  Couples can be intimate but not having sex and people can be having sex and not be intimate.  The terms are mutually exclusive.  Wright lays out three things that most increase non-sexual intimacy: sharing, being kind, and giving.  Her suggestion for sharing is to listen to music together and pick out “your song.” Whenever you hear that song, you’ll always think of each other and smile.  With being kind, she suggests small actions that show you care, like holding the door open or doing chores.  For giving, Wright suggests being open in communication with partners and potentially going to church as a couple.

Wright, Bonnie L. "What Are Some Non-sexual Forms of Intimacy?" - Sex & Relationships. Sharecare.com, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.sharecare.com/health/sex-and-relationships/non-sexual-forms-of-intimacy>.

Why isn't spirituality and personal beliefs not incorpated with sex education?

By:  Erica Haywood

Spirituality and Personal belief is a huge conflict when it comes to teaching sex education, especially in schools.  This is generally a conflict because most schools teach sex education in terms of the anatomy, physiology and emotional aspect of it over religious beliefs.  Some do stress that the only way to remain safe from HIV and STDs is total abstinence.  When sex education is taught, it's mostly in depth of how it works and the various ways of doing it, not really clarifying whether it is right or wrong in which situations.  This is a huge controversy because some parents believe that when taught about sex that it is exposing them to it and some parents don't want that for their children.  While other parents believe that exposing them to it is a good idea because in a way it protects young people from the dangers of sex.  An article in New York times suggests that schools should be diverse to the different groups and ethnicity.  This meaning that they should reach out and respect those that have the religion of saving themselves for marriage and express that it is in no way a pressure to have sex.  This topic also relates to prayer being brought into education and schools.

   http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/sex-ed-new-york-schools-fine-respect-religious-parents-opt-article-1.970783

Who is most commonly affected by asthma as far as age groups, environments, etc.?

By:  Erica Haywood

I was curious about this question because growing up, I knew a lot of peers that suffered from asthma and it seemed to have been related to the environments that they possibly grew up in.  A lot of them had to live around parents and family members smoking, some had roaches and unsanitary homes.  Learning that these are a few factors related to asthma, I want to learn more about the statistics.  Asthma is something that can occur at any age, but it is more commonly found in children and elder people.  This could be that the body is very weak at those stages in life.  As children, more males than females develop asthma and as adults, more men than women.  Asthma is something that can run in families as well.  Heavy smokers and people around second hand smoke are very likely to develop asthma.  When it comes to children, it was found that children that are born at a low birth weight, African American, raised in a low income environment and around tobacco smoke are likely to have asthma.  This research relates to my statement and answers my question because I knew a lot of children that grew up in low income environments.  A lot of times, those parents don't care that their children are exposed to these types of things and that is why asthma is very common.


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/asthma/what-causes-asthma
http://www.sharecare.com/health/asthma-causes/who-is-affected-by-asthma

What are the negative side effects to flu mist?

Ellen Rehm

In the recent years, many younger children have been preferring the flu mist instead of the flu shot. My  13 year old sister included. My sister is terrified of shots therefore she thinks the flu mist is a better option for her, yet my mom is worried of the side effects.

FluMist is the brand of the flu vaccine thats given in a nasal spray. There are no needles involved in the FluMist, unlike the flu shot. FluMist is especially appealing to kids who do not like the sight of needles.
The FluMist is made from weakened live viruses. The weakened live virus reproduces inside the persons nose and produces viruses that the immune system learns to attack. It is still unclear whether the flu shot or the nasal spray flu vaccine is more effective.

Side effects with the FluMist include runny nose, headache, wheezing, vomiting, muscle aches, and fever in children. In adults, the side effects are runny nose, headache, sore throat, and cough. The Flu
Mist does not cause the flu which is a common belief.

Source: Cold, Flu, & Cough Health Center. What is FluMist? 27 August 2013. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/questions-answers-nasal-spray-flu-vaccine

Is there any evidence to support the claim that vaccines can cause autism in children?

by Dan Ritchey

            Last class, we had a discussion about vaccinations. Some students expressed that they would not vaccinate their children due to the risk of the children possibly developing autism from the vaccine. I had heard rumors of this possibility in the past and wanted to know if there was any evidence to support the claim that autism can be caused by vaccinations.

            According to the Center for Disease Control, “Many studies that have looked at whether there is a relationship between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). To date, the studies continue to show that vaccines are not associated with ASDs. However, CDC knows that some parents and others still have concerns. To address these concerns, CDC is part of the Inter-Agency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), which is working with the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) on this issue. The job of the NVAC is to advise and make recommendations regarding the National Vaccine Program. Communication between the IACC and NVAC will allow each group to share skills and knowledge, improve coordination, and promote better use of research resources on vaccine topics.”

References:
Related Topics. (2013, October 31). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/topics.html

Just what is in the emissions that factories put off into the air and what can that mean for your health?

There is a new movement in America to "go green," this can mean a variety of things from recycling to carpooling and even walking to many places that one may regularly drive.  Besides the obvious benefits of saving the planet and making the most of our resources what is in this movement for the people?  There is the financial incentive to save money and even make a small amount of cash for selling things like aluminum when you can but what about our health?  This is more of a question of the pollution that cars and many factories put off into the atmosphere on a constant basis.  Many of us have no idea what is in that smoke rising out of those towers that are commonly seen at factories in our own communities. There are many common gases that are released, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide top the list.  Ozone is another emission that is harmful, although it is helpful in the upper atmosphere, in the lower atmosphere in is devastating to our health.  Animal feeding operations often release ammonia and methane into the atmosphere, both of which can cause major harm to humans.  Common diseases caused by these agents are mainly respiratory issues like COPD or emphysema but other conditions and even some cancers can be attributed to these gases that are released into the air by large factories.  There are regulations out now to limit the emissions that a company is allowed but that does not mean that it is safe to breath those things in.  Large factories can not help many of these emissions as they are necessary for the products that many of use consume and enjoy but one must think, is the possible health consequence worth it?

Tyler Hieneman

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/environmental-pollution-caused-factories-31217.html

If where you live can negatively effect your health, then why don't doctors take that into account during checkups?

In class we learned that depending on where you live can really negatively affect your health. In the video we saw that the individual lived in multiple places in the world all with terrible environmental health issues that caused him to have a heart attack. He pondered as too why you fill doctors don't recommend and take into account where you live when asking the billion questions they already ask you. As I looked online I truly couldn't find any valid research to answer my question. But going off the video we watched and my own personal opinion I think it is due to the fact that there is not many places in there world today that the environment is truly pure and clean. Doctors wouldn't be able to make many recommendations as to how to fix the problem besides saying move to a more environmental healthy place which isn't a realistic option for most people. Yet, I do believe that doctors should take that into account when diagnosing why someone has a specific health problem.