Part 2 of this post will focus on the heavier drugs aspect of substances. These aren’t as prevalent as cigarettes and alcohol, but they are out there, and it’s just as important to know to stay away from these things as well. The main problem is that, even though smoking and drinking cause health problems, using drugs will also cause a ton of health problems, but at a much faster rate. With smoking and drinking, it might take years or even a decade to develop serious health problems, but with drugs it’s a lot quicker. In some cases it only takes a few months for massive damages to be done.
I wouldn’t consider marijuana to be a huge risk, as long as it’s not laced with anything, because it’s a natural plant. But I wouldn’t suggest doing it a lot because it’s been shown to decrease motivation and can also impact the brain in negative ways. It has also been linked to lung cancer if done frequently enough.
When it comes to all of the other drugs though, it’s important to stay away from them at all costs. Avoid them like the plague; drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, meth, heroin, etc, etc. There’s a long list of all kinds of other pills and substances that fall under this same category. Do yourself a favor and stay away from all of them. These things will not only ruin your health quickly, but they’ll also ruin your life and possibly end it (drug overdoses).
Sometimes, it can seem like drugs are the cool thing to do, because celebrities are doing them, and they’re available at parties and their made out to be this fun and pleasurable experience. You might feel peer pressure to do them, but anyone who would negatively judge you for not using is someone who isn’t worth being friends with anyways. It’s really important to keep your guard up and not let these things tempt you to use. It’s also important to mention that, unlike cigarettes and alcohol, these things are very illegal and can get you sent to jail and possibly get put on your permanent record, making it hard to get a job. They can also get you fired if your place of work participates in drug testing.
It would take a long time to go over the huge amounts of health consequences that drugs can do to your brain and body, but you can learn more about them from these links: http://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/medical-consequences-drug-abuse, http://alcoholism.about.com/od/sa/a/drug_effects.htm. And for more motivation to stay away, check out http://planetoddity.com/faces-of-meth-addicts/. Not only will drugs ruin the inside of your body and mind, but they will take a horrendous toll on your physical appearance as well. With most drugs, you can expect them to cause such effects as hair loss, teeth loss, scabs, increased aging and wrinkles, just to name a few.
In conclusion, there’s really no reason to be using any of these substances, and every reason not to be. Don’t let the media or other people think for you. The truth is, we’re born with only one body. We need to treat it with the utmost care and respect, because if any intense harm is done to it, it can be extremely difficult, or sometimes even impossible, to reverse such damage. And our bodies do so much for us, trillions of things per second, every single cell. The least we can do is show our respect to them by treating them with the care and nurture that they deserve so that they can keep functioning optimally.
Showing posts with label Alcohol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alcohol. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The Importance of a Substance-Free Lifestyle Part 1
In some of my earlier posts, I talked about using certain nutritional and hygienic practices to maintain quality levels of health. In this post, I’m going to address another strategy of equal importance; living a substance-free life. The term “substance-free” means to live a lifestyle abstaining from alcohol, smoking, drugs, and any other harmful and unethical substances.
I’ll start off with addressing cigarettes and alcohol. The problem with these two things are that not only are they perfectly legal and easy to gain access to, they’re also heavily advertised to people of all ages and walks of life. Also, a big percentage of people smoke,and almost everybody drinks alcohol, so this sends a message that might as wellsound like “The media is always advertising these things, and tons of people use them, so they must be perfectly alright. I might as well fit in and join the crowd.” However, parts of the media have been addressing how unhealthy cigarettes are and the damage that they cause, so that’s a step in the right direction.
Some people will just start out smoking one or two cigarettes here and there if they’re with friends who smoke. But even that’s a problem because the tobacco companies purposely fill cigarettes with nicotine and other extremely addictive chemicals. So even if you just start out small, it won’t take much time until you’re craving cigarettes more and more to the point where it becomes a full on addiction. Here’s a website that offers a quick summary of the health consequences of smoking: http://doingyoudamage.com/. Also, long-term smoking will cause permanent harm to your voice making it sound very raspy and unhealthy and will increase the rate at which you age. Overall, the tobacco industry is filled with greedy corrupt murderers. Think really carefully before making the choice to support them while harming your body and health in the process.
Next we have alcohol, which is even more highly advertised than cigarettes. I believe that advertising, as well as how it’s displayed in the media, have caused it to be almost a mandatory part of life and part of the general culture. People are usually in shock and disbelief when I reveal that I don’t drink, because it’s so rare to find people this day and age who don’t. I’ll start out by saying that light social drinking every now and then is alright, perhaps some organic wine at a special event. But in my opinion, things like liquor and beer should never be used. I know it’s a way for a lot of people to have fun and feel good. But it’s not worth the potential risks and the health consequences. The biggest risks for drinking include drunk-driving car accidents, which rank high on the list of leading causes of death in this country. And also, the risk of sexual assault, which is also a very common occurrence, especially amongst college-aged people. The media will sometimes talk about those risks, but it often fails to list the health consequences. To learn more about the health consequences of alcohol, check out these links: http://www.greenfacts.org/en/alcohol/l-2/04-health-effects-alcohol.htm,http://alcoholism.about.com/od/health/Effects_of_Alcohol_Health_Effects_of_Alcohol.htm,and http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000281.htm. And also, don’t forget all of the empty calories. Drinking frequently, especially beer, is a quick way to gain excess weight.
I know that it can seem tempting to drink because of all the media advertisements and the fact that almost everyone else is doing it, but you don’t have to listen to that. And it pays off a lot if you don’t.
I’ll start off with addressing cigarettes and alcohol. The problem with these two things are that not only are they perfectly legal and easy to gain access to, they’re also heavily advertised to people of all ages and walks of life. Also, a big percentage of people smoke,and almost everybody drinks alcohol, so this sends a message that might as wellsound like “The media is always advertising these things, and tons of people use them, so they must be perfectly alright. I might as well fit in and join the crowd.” However, parts of the media have been addressing how unhealthy cigarettes are and the damage that they cause, so that’s a step in the right direction.
Some people will just start out smoking one or two cigarettes here and there if they’re with friends who smoke. But even that’s a problem because the tobacco companies purposely fill cigarettes with nicotine and other extremely addictive chemicals. So even if you just start out small, it won’t take much time until you’re craving cigarettes more and more to the point where it becomes a full on addiction. Here’s a website that offers a quick summary of the health consequences of smoking: http://doingyoudamage.com/. Also, long-term smoking will cause permanent harm to your voice making it sound very raspy and unhealthy and will increase the rate at which you age. Overall, the tobacco industry is filled with greedy corrupt murderers. Think really carefully before making the choice to support them while harming your body and health in the process.
Next we have alcohol, which is even more highly advertised than cigarettes. I believe that advertising, as well as how it’s displayed in the media, have caused it to be almost a mandatory part of life and part of the general culture. People are usually in shock and disbelief when I reveal that I don’t drink, because it’s so rare to find people this day and age who don’t. I’ll start out by saying that light social drinking every now and then is alright, perhaps some organic wine at a special event. But in my opinion, things like liquor and beer should never be used. I know it’s a way for a lot of people to have fun and feel good. But it’s not worth the potential risks and the health consequences. The biggest risks for drinking include drunk-driving car accidents, which rank high on the list of leading causes of death in this country. And also, the risk of sexual assault, which is also a very common occurrence, especially amongst college-aged people. The media will sometimes talk about those risks, but it often fails to list the health consequences. To learn more about the health consequences of alcohol, check out these links: http://www.greenfacts.org/en/alcohol/l-2/04-health-effects-alcohol.htm,http://alcoholism.about.com/od/health/Effects_of_Alcohol_Health_Effects_of_Alcohol.htm,and http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000281.htm. And also, don’t forget all of the empty calories. Drinking frequently, especially beer, is a quick way to gain excess weight.
I know that it can seem tempting to drink because of all the media advertisements and the fact that almost everyone else is doing it, but you don’t have to listen to that. And it pays off a lot if you don’t.
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