Issues with chemical dependency: Chemical Dependency

Jesus A Torres

Professor Ellen Reik

English 101

Nov. 21 2013

Dependence to any substance or product can eventually kill a person. So, how can one distinguish drug addicts apart from workaholics or food addicts? As a matter of fact, one can distinguish them by their recurring habits, which clearly indicates their dependency upon substances in order to satisfy their cravings. Humans are naturally wired to be rewarded by the brain with the neurotransmitter dopamine (Bocklisch et. al 1). Chemical dependence is the dependence on chemicals found in sodas, cigarettes, and coffee that reward people’s dopamine production; chemical dependence makes this pleasure rewarding. However, many argue that chemicals in everyday products that are consumed frequently can be harmful. Therefore, chemical dependency needs to be reduced because it could possibly be harmful to human health, industries monopolize its uses, and it promotes unethical practices in organizations.

Firstly, chemical dependency needs to be reduced because it could possibly be harmful to human health. Because these synthetic chemicals alter the brain’s production of natural dopamine, this in effect sensitizes the consumer, making it so that the brain requires them to continue consuming the same amount of these synthetic chemicals (“Space, time”). Over time, these chemicals dull the brain’s dopamine receptors to the point that the brain adapts itself to completely rely upon the artificial production, where its own ability to naturally produce dopamine is inhibited. As stated by doctor Bocklish: “Drug-evoked synaptic plasticity in the mesolimbic system reshapes circuit function and drives drug-adaptive behavior” (Bocklish et. al 1). Even the production of serotonin could be altered which can lethally fry the brain as large spikes of it are known to cause serotonin syndrome. Also, dopamine rewards behaviors regardless of whether the brain can distinguish them as being beneficial or not, such as having sex or taking the new drug krokodil, which in this case can be the simple act of over consuming unhealthy foods such as fast food and sugary drinks. This can be hazardous to people’s health. Aside from consumer products containing addictive chemicals that alters one’s brain, the habits which are rewarded loosely on the amount of dopamine they receive, regardless of whether they are naturally or artificially reoccurring. For example, consuming too many energy drinks may cause someone to gain significant amounts of fat from sugar content alone with the added mix of chemical additives. Also, withdrawal effects are one of the most brutal phases a person can go through, which ultimately causes destructive patterns leading one on even contemplating suicide. Therefore, chemical dependency does negatively affect the health of consumers from a behavioral and neurological level.

Moreover, some argue that eliminating chemical dependency is futile as it is present in life saving medicines, and that its addictive properties don’t significantly alter human behavior. Others even argue that addictive chemicals work to promote healthy habits to combat destructive ones such as chewing gum to quit cold turkey, or prescription marijuana to relieve neuropathic pain or the AIDS wasting syndrome. However, chemical dependence is a very real thing and needs to be stopped because industries take advantage of chemicals to monopolize their own businesses without the concern for others.

Consecutively, the rise of organizations utilizing addictive chemicals has been associated with the rise of intoxications of the very same chemicals from consumers. As a matter of fact, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have reported that ER visits have doubled within the last 4 years from causes related to energy drinks. (ER visits) Also, the addictive properties associated with alcohol, smoking and other more serious substances prohibits their consumers much, if at all any significant amount of free well to choose whether they should stop or continue on to consume these harmful substances. Because big businesses tend to monopolize areas of potential profit, these practices aren’t safe for the consumers at all which puts their health and state of mind at risk. Economizing these risk factors is even more problematic because one can’t just simply eliminate or make the proper changes that were needed from the start in order to promote wellbeing. The public’s attention has been deliberately swayed within politics where big corporations continue to use these potentially harmful tactics to keep their businesses running.

As more and more businesses are seeing the practicality of using these effective methods to ramp up their sales, then the roots which represent the usage of such substances are ever more growing deeper within our society. This issue has gone beyond the point where one can’t simply choose the simple right of stopping the nonsense of using chemically enhanced products. Controversy has sprung up as a result of attempting to reform the practice of chemical dependency, where the rights of the practitioners of such methods were overpowered, integrated so deeply within our society and culture. This has become a problem which doesn’t appear to ever be resolved. As this article suggests, consumable products containing addictive substances may as well drive our primal instincts, in the sense that the biology of our brain influences much of our decision that we make on a daily basis. (“Food Addiction”)

Furthermore, chemical dependency needs to be reduced because it promotes unethical practices within organizations. Addictive additives in products are the driving forces in creating monopolies in big businesses, largely because they want to manipulate demand of their products to their benefit. What’s really the difference between a cartel and organizations which practice the use of chemical dependency to increase sales? According to Newman, it is clear that the agenda of these big businesses is much more than just advertising its products to its appropriate audience group, but it completely disregards under aged people that may fall prey under the influences of these corporate schemes. If these guys don’t play right and they make a profit from doing so, what does that convey to other businesses, societies, and the world? As time progresses, less restrictions will be applied to the dangers that encircles us daily. (“Introduction to”)

In conclusion, people are being targeted by corporations, and they consume drugs and all other sorts of chemicals found in their products which has to stop. Drugs are a major issue, but if people do nothing to combat these problems starting with our health and correct the errors of our ways, then corporations will endorse chemical dependency which would lead to practices of unhealthy dieting, to name a few cancer causing acrylamide or fast food restaurants causing obesity such as McDonalds. Addictive chemicals and by products should not be allowed to be used as a marketing tools just for the simple fact that this affects and alters an individuals’ way to process information. Because there are more health related risks having been reported through the rise of consumption from these products as businesses grew much larger, people should put a stop to this as this hinders our ability to prosper through health life styles.

Works Cited Page

Bocklisch, Christina, et al. "Cocaine disinhibits dopamine neurons by potentiation of

GABA transmission in the ventral tegmental area." Science 341.6153 (2013): 1521+. Opposing

Viewpoints in Context. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

O'Kane, John. "Space, time and controllable substances." AMASS 17.1 (2012): 28+.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

“ER visits tied to energy drinks double since 2007.” USA Today, 2012. Web. 19 Dec.

2013.

“Food Addiction: Could it Explain Why 70 Percent of America is Fat?.” Mark Hyman,

MD. Thurs. 18 April 2013

"Introduction to Does Advertising Promote Substance Abuse?: At Issue." Does

Advertising Promote Substance Abuse? Ed. Laurie M. Newman. San Diego: Greenhaven Press,