Answer

Drugs and society

Question 1

1.1 Differentiate between androgenic and anabolic effects of the male sex hormone testosterone.

Androgenic effects include masculinity or male sex characteristics –for instance body hair growth- whereas anabolic effects relate to cell growth including such processes as increased protein production, which is linked to muscle development.

1.2 Describe the potential adverse effects and possible health risks associated with anabolic steroid use by males and females, including psychological manifestations of use that have been observed in many athletes who have used these substances indiscriminately (Kochakian, 2012).

Adverse effects of anabolic steroid may include increased levels of bad cholesterol that is linked to heart attack and high blood pressure, as well as irritability including such psychological manifestations as delusions and aggression. 

1.3 Under what circumstances, if any, would you support the use of human growth hormone to enhance the height and weight of normal but undersized (i.e., below average in height and weight for their age) children or adolescents, including others interested in enhancing their physical appearance? Explain your viewpoint.

Only when talented individuals have been identified I would support human growth hormone use to enhance the height and weight of normal but undersized. This is because it would help them realize full potential in life in areas such as sports. 

Question 2

 Develop a series of insightful, reasoned statements reflecting both your understanding of and personal views on:

2.1 The use of two or more of the nutritional ergogenic aids available to enhance athletic performance in youthful participants;

These aids are crucial to improving performance since they bring about comfort, but care must be observed (Wolinsky et al, 2004). As such, they should be encouraged among youthful participants as they aid them to become better athletes in the end.

2.2 The extended use of creatine in an effort to increase muscular performance in athletes and other active people;

Extended use of creatine poses risks among athletes since its benefits are limited and may bring about weight gain, which is widely against sport requirement. My take is that the substance should be taken in phases.

2.3. The employment of values clarification programs to combat drug abuse in schools, and the criticism that such programs are essentially value-free;

Values clarification program are increasingly crucial despite accompanying value-free criticism. More so, using them means that combating drug abuse takes the shape of using one’s experience to show what and how things can go wrong, which is crucial to making schoolgoers believe adverse drug effects.  

2.4. The nature and scope of peer programs on drug abuse prevention, and the anticipated benefits and reportedly uncertain outcomes associated with such programs.

Peer programs admittedly have uncertain outcomes probably because they generally lack defined structures, but proper control mechanism should lead to expected benefits and make them effective in combating drug abuse problem. 

Question 5

5.1 Explain how the actions of opioid antagonists and maintenance substances, such as methadone and buprenorphine, and Naltrexone are utilized as effective approaches in the treatment of opioid dependence.

These substances are utilized to treat opiod dependence based on the principle of cross-tolerance in which an opiod is simply replaced with a milder one and eventually withdrawn. This way, a patient is able to suppress withdrawal problems and become opiate dependent free.

5.2 Describe the major limitations and concerns associated with each of the following therapies used to treat opioid dependence:

opioid antagonists-limitations include differences in sensitivity and doses of agonist and antagonist utilized.

 methadone maintenance concerns include the accompanying strict protocol as well as showing up in urine.  

buprenorphine concern include that its relatively expensive and available mainly to those with adequate resources. 

rapid opioid detoxification limitation include that it not as fact and painless as it is claimed (Collins et al, 2005).

5.3 Finally, describe your own personal viewpoint on the efficacy and ethics or morality of using chemical substances in the treatment of opioid dependence.

Chemical substances are not particularly effective in treating opioid dependence and it contravenes morality as it goes against widely accepted social teachings about drug abstinence (Fiellin et al, 2002).