Forces pf Habit, 2 Essays

Forces pf Habit, 2 Essays Forces pf Habit, 2 Essay Forces pf Habit, 2 Essay Name: Course: Lecturer: Date: : Forces of Habit 2 As people continued using drugs, their purposes for doing so changed. Drugs were no longer something that the physicians controlled, but people began self-administering them and this changed the social approach to drugs. The rich and the powerful in the society were ready to capitalize on this change. They defeated efforts by the government to restrict the sale of some drugs such as tobacco and alcohol despite the negative consequences associated with them. The government benefited from the drug taxes, and to some extent became dependent on them as a main form of revenue. The author observes, â€Å"The clash between opportunities for profit and concerns about health forms the central moral and political conflict running through the history of psychoactive commerce (Courtwright 91) The psychoactive revolution has contributed towards ensuring a global access of the drugs (188). Different governments have often taken advantage of the mind-altering effects of the drugs to control the people. Governments have encouraged the use of the drugs as a way of helping people deal with the harsh life situations. The modern world today is full of confident people who believe that they can accomplish anything they want. It is at the same time a world full of isolated people. People have realized that they no longer need their communities to be an integral part of their lives since they can make it on their own. The drugs have become an important part of people’s lives today because they help them deal with all the mental anguish, depression, and other psychological problems that they may be experiencing. People no longer need other people’s company to relieve their problems, since they can depend on the drugs. As technology advanced, people found new ways of using the psychoactive resources. This resulted to changes in the way that people consumed the resources. For instance, Europeans had always used wine, but the development of the distillation process led to the development of spirits that were highly addictive and had other negative health consequences. The Ethiopians chewed their coffee beans for stimulation but the development of European technology led to the development of modern day coffee, which is also addictive. The changing nature in the use of the drugs has contributed to the definition of modernity. People in the contemporary world are not afraid of trying new things, and they readily change the nature of a commodity to suit their present need. Many people would not have enjoyed the process of chewing coffee beans, but its flexibility and adaptability has led to different flavors and varieties, which many people find suitable. People in the modern world are constantly seeking gratification from the substances they consumer. The changing nature of the drugs from medicinal to recreational forms has continued to define modernity. No longer is alcohol used to treat wounds or ease labor pains, and tobacco is no longer used to fight fatigue. People have found that they benefit from the consumption of the drugs when they take them as a form of recreation. They smoke cigarettes to calm them down and to make them feel good. They take amphetamines and other drugs such as heroin and cocaine for the purposes of feeling that instant gratification. This has limited the medicinal usage of the drugs. It has led to the development and spread of the drug underworld trade. The rich continue getting richer, as they sell the drugs to the users, some of whom are now addicts. Work Cited Courtwright, T. David. Forces of Habit: Drugs and the Making of the Modern World. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2009. Print