cuckoos nest essays

cuckoos nest essays The "system" is something that people are always out to change. You see people trying to change it all the time, but few are actually successful at changing the system. The system can be a variety of things. In some cases it is the government, it can be the a boss or basically anything or anyone that has some type of control or authority. For some people fighting the system is their livelihood, their mission in life. They try to change the system because of the corruption, because of unjust actions, because they were a victim of it or to seek the truth. In the novels One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the main characters are out to change the system. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey, it seems that his perspective on this issue is that the system is in dire need of change. Even if you are not successful in changing the system, it is still very effective that you tried and you set an example for others to follow. Kesey also seems to believe that persistence is key when fighting the system. Kesey believes that even if you change a small aspect of the system it was well worth the fight. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the main character, Randle Patrick McMurphy, fights to change the system in a mental hospital. McMurphy is outgoing, a leader and a rebel. There was a constant power struggle in the novel between the patient's new found savior McMurphy, and the evil Nurse Ratched who rules their wing of the hospital with an iron fist. McMurphy fights to change the system to try to win back the patients' rights and in the process gain more privileges for the patients and himself. McMurphy also seems to get pleasure out of fighting the system. His motives are simple, he wants to help out his fellow patients, his friends, to make their lives better. McMurphy was successful in changing many of the rules and regulations that were imposed upon the...

Community Development Strategies In Irish Society Social Work Essay Essays

Community Development Strategies In Irish Society Social Work Essay Essays Community Development Strategies In Irish Society Social Work Essay Essay Community Development Strategies In Irish Society Social Work Essay Essay There are many descriptions of community and community development and of its functions and maps within societies across the Earth. For this assignment, the focal point will be placed on Irish society and the functions and maps of communities and community development schemes every bit good as the people who are involved the procedure. The assignment will foremost convey about a on the job definition of community and so place the people who are associated to these communities. From at that place, the thought of community development will be analysed for its relevancy and importance to these communities to see why community development is needed and precisely what is required to originate community development schemes. Along with this, the constructs of authorization, sustainability and devolving duty will be brought to the bow in order to foreground the many different facets of community development. The sphere in which people get their most cardinal and most significant experiences outside the confines of the place community, therefore is where 1 learns and continues to pattern how to be societal . ( Cohen 1985, cited in Hardcastle et Al. p 5 ) . This was sociologist Stanley Cohen s decision when he had attempted to specify community after many other celebrated and universe renowned sociologists had spent old ages coming up with legion definitions. So from here it is evident that a definition of community is non easy to specify, however there are similarities when specifying community. The term community is widely used for certain geographical vicinities such as the Ballyfermot community , Tallaght community or the Fox stone community . By depicting these communities by their location on a map does really small to show the true significance of community nor does it account for the diverse demands, factors and issues involved in a community. Community as a geographical constr uct is limited to little more than a population of people and the vicinity they live in. A community of involvement on the other manus, such as the homosexual community, going community or any other communities of involvement are non bound by boundary lines or topographic points of abode and they tend to portion a specific involvement other than the vicinity of which they are a occupant. The differentiation between communities as location and communities of involvement is summed up by Coulshed and Orme ( 1999, pp 209-210 ) Community as vicinity, sometimes called community of abode, where topographic point is both synonymous with community and influences those who live in the community. The person is expected to portion things in common with others populating in the same geographical country, and is expected to experience some trueness to that country and its inhabitantsaˆÂ ¦ Community of involvement or functional communities exist because persons will besides hold a figure of relationships with people and establishments outside a limited geographical country. They might portion a common involvement based on leisure or work, and these webs of relationships might widen even beyond national boundaries. Examples of the differentiations between thoughts of communities can be seen every twenty-four hours now with the birth of the cyberspace. Although the cyberspace was created as a tool for military communicating within the walls of a specific location for the U.S. ground forces it has since become one of the largest and most effectual community builders on the planet. With the outgrowth of the World Wide Web, societal webs over recent old ages and the of all time increasing handiness of information along with the easiness of entree to the engineering, on-line communities have grown in stature and present feasible grounds of shared involvement communities with or without geographical boundaries such as an office, edifice, administration or even same clip zone or continent. In an Irish context it is really easy to see how the communities that have been affected by deluging hold pulled together around many of the rural countries of Ireland, these people, in many cases are populating sta t mis off from each other and however they have assembled together to contend the devastation of the inundations. This illustration of a community and this crisis development of a community could be said to embrace the true significance of community. Community development: Merely as there are many definitions for community there are many definitions for community development. ( Ross 1967, cited in Hardcastle et Al. pp 3-4 ) explains the procedure of community development- A procedure by which a community identifies its demands or aims, orders these demands or aims, develops the assurance or will to work at these demands or aims, finds the resources ( internal and/or external ) to cover with these demands or aims, takes action in regard to them, and in so making extends and develops concerted and collaborative attitudes and patterns in the community. Either manner, when explicating the demand for development or how it is carried out there is normally small difference in attacks or applications, it appears that the chief differences between development undertakings are based on what precisely they are seeking to accomplish and why they need to originate development. Community development and the demand for it by and large originate when a community is enduring negatively. There are many ways in which a community can endure negatively. It can be affected by economic alterations such as the recent cuts in the budget. It can be affected by high offense rates, low educational attainment, poorness, negative media coverage every bit good as the prioritisation of substructure as to which is more of import, a bookmakers and saloon or creche and station office. When these societal jobs emerge in communities there are really frequently effects and those effects come in the signifier of societal exclusion and marginalization. When specifying societal exclusion it is easy to indicate out captives, nuts, stateless people and those who appear to hold really small money when using the term socially excluded to a individual, However, the complexness of the term societal exclusion is illustrated by Agulnik and Hills ( 2002 p 62 ) Social exclusion is unambiguously more than poorness, but doubtless poorness is a precursor, marker or constituent of societal exclusion. Equally, societal exclusion goes beyond other economic variables, such as employment position or occupational classaˆÂ ¦ Clearly, deficiency of interaction, benefit dependence, lone parentage, populating in a sink estate and holding mental or physical wellness jobs are besides precursors, markers or constituents of societal exclusion. These constituents of societal exclusion along with the already declining fiscal state of affairs in countries of developmental demand will further force members of these communities out to the really edges of society. This is where the term marginalisation comes from and it is this job that is really frequently the accelerator for development undertakings in communities. Originating community development: When originating a developmental undertaking within a community there are frequently many barriers to being successful. Many communities have been promised so much and been given so small over the old ages that now they have developed a mood of fatalism . This temper of fatalism can attest because of the feeling of being left buttocks, a feeling that has been experienced by the communities that were promised the regeneration programmes such as St. Michaels Estate, Dominic street flats and ODevaney Gardens, all in Dublin. The temper of fatalism can besides be perpetuated by the deficiency of audience towards communities and their occupants and this can go forth the community dismayed and demoing distrust towards local governments including the council, the Garda and sometimes even community development professionals that are brought into the country. Tempers of fatalism, misgiving of authorization, deficiency of audience with members of the community by governments and societal exclusion are merely some of the obstructions for the successful execution of community development. There are tonss more obstructions to postulate with and tonss more processs to be considered when trying to originate a community development undertaking as summed up in a statement by the Community Development Foundation UK- Community development is a skilled procedure and portion of its attack is the belief that communities can non be helped unless they themselves agree to this process.A Community development has to look both ways: non merely at how the community is working at the grass roots, but besides at how antiphonal key establishments are to the demands of local communities. ( www.maori.com ) Task 2 ) The function of the community development worker and the part to the procedure of community action: Specifying the undertaking and set uping purposes and aims: When get downing up an enterprise it is of import to set up a program and set together accomplishable ends and marks. One manner of making this is for the worker to first see the country and make some research on it. This would be experimental research and would affect taking a expression around the country, paying close attending to the precedence of such things as a creche, a chemist, a convenience shop, a resort area, an activity tribunal ( tarmac association football pitch/basketball tribunal ) , a school, coach Michigans and a wellness Centre incorporating a physicians surgery, tooth doctor and babe nurse. In an ideal universe all communities should hold these comfortss at the really least, nevertheless, it is the deficiency of these comfortss along with seeable images of impairment and anti societal behavior through the presence of broken bottles, graffito, untrimmed leafy vegetables, scorched spots in the surrounding leafy vegetables and lounging teens on corner-house walls th at create the demand for community development in that country. The following measure would so be to acquire in touch with the local governments to happen out more about the demographics of the country. These governments should include foremost the Garda, to acquire an thought of offense and their general attitude towards the locals. Second, the local employment service to acquire an thought of unemployment and the committedness to looking for work from the locals, besides this gives the worker a opportunity to measure the installations for preparation chances for locals as it is hoped they will acquire involved when the development undertaking gets underway. Third, the local young person Centre if there is one in the country, this will give the worker an thought of the general committedness to development in the whole country. It would be hoped that the workers at that place would hold good cognition of the country and the locals along with a foundation of trust already built at that place. They would besides be able to allow the worker know of the size and trouble of the undertaking in front and on the positive side, may besides acquire involved in the undertaking. One other under taking could be speaking to locals, nevertheless the worker would hold to be cognizant that they could sometimes confront ill will and at the really least they could be having a colored sentiment of the country. Networking: As discussed earlier, there are some jobs to screen out by the community development worker before they can implement any alterations. When jobs have been identified in a community and an attempt is being made to alter them there are some thoughts that are built-in in leting the procedure of alteration to get down. One of these thoughts is the pattern of networking, otherwise known as contact devising. Twelvetrees ( 1991, p 16 ) describes contact doing as our staff of life and butter . He states- To acquire anything done we need to construct an confederation with other people. But besides the comparatively few people with whom we will hold an confederation to accomplish a peculiar aim, we need the support and good will of every bit many other people as possible . Some may reason that support and good will for the community and community workers has deteriorated in recent old ages because of the Celtic tiger and the rise of fight that came with that period of clip. Now nevertheless, literally every newspaper and every intelligence headline is focused on support in the signifier of the work stoppages and Marches for public sector workers and the Canal Communities Partnerships and besides focused on good will by the images of local builders and builder s suppliers prosecuting in attempts to stem the inundations in rural countries. Partnerships and coaction: When the marks have been identified and some contacts have been established it is now clip to convey these interdisciplinary bureaus together. Of class, non every bureau will be enthusiastic at first, nevertheless it is hoped that when some betterments are made they will come around and go involved in the procedure. The really hereafter of a community may rest on the coaction of bureaus because of the resources required and the support that will be needed to travel frontward with the development program in the hereafter. Harmonizing to Rigg and McGarty ( 2009, p 211 ) It is progressively recognised that service demands, societal issues and social jobs can non be resolved by individual bureaus or single professions entirely . So before sing inquiring an bureau for money, usage of their premises or any other resources it is of import to do a nexus with them. While working in an interdisciplinary environment there are tonss of positives to bask although it must be managed good and eve ryone must cognize their function to avoid wateriness, ineffectualness and struggle. It is at this point that certain differentiations are made in relation to the vision of the development undertaking and the undertaking worker. Contrary to many beliefs, good leading does non needfully intend good direction, harmonizing to Huczynski and Buchanan ( 2001, cited in Share and Lalor p 223 ) Those who make a clear differentiation portray the leader as person who develops visions and drives new enterprises, and the director as person who monitors advancement towards new aims to accomplish order and dependability . Equally good as these struggles in political orientation the one thing that is first and foremost among the undertaking is the demands of the members of the chosen community. Inter-professional competition is another construct that can sometimes crawl into the proviso of service, examples of this are really evident in communities today when associating to mental wellness and the trust that the medical profession topographic points in community attention. Harmoni zing to Owens ( 2007, p 49 ) Medical laterality remains the norm and there has been a reluctance to let non-medical squad members to lend to the amplification of comprehensive attention programmes . These are merely some of the many jobs confronting the development worker, the squads and the forces that will go involved in the development undertaking. It is when faced with these troubles that the rules of sustainability, devolving power and empowerment demand to be intelligently implemented by all involved, particularly the community development worker. Authorization: Authorization is one of those footings that can be thrown around rather lightly and can really turn into enablement and have an inauspicious affect ensuing in dependence on a service or service supplier. Authorization is based on certain rules and the old Chinese adage is the footing for an account of authorization, Catch a adult male a fish and you feed him for a twenty-four hours, learn a adult male to angle and you feed him for life . There are a figure of ways to see empowerment depending on the context ; Dubois and Miley ( 2002, cited in Chenoweth and McAuliffe 2005 P 37 ) describe empowerment- Empowerment is a collaborative procedure between practicians and those with whom they work. It is based on the place that people are inherently competent and capable given the right resources and chances. An empowerment attack requires that clients are able to alter and specify their ain ends and the agencies to accomplish them . Of class, this is merely the beginning in footings of authorization. Empowering people in today s economic clime can be really hard as the mentality for those involved in community undertakings along with those analyzing to go community workers is looking much bleaker than it did a twosome of old ages ago. However, this current state of affairs is seen as a procedure of authorization as people join together to do their voice heard to those at the really top who have the concluding say over budgets and policy. Harmonizing to Dubois and Miley ( 2002, cited in Chenoweth and McAuliffe. 2005 p 37 ) Empowerment is the procedure by which persons, groups and communities increase their personal, interpersonal and political power in order to better their state of affairss . Meaning that communities should ever hold a voice of at the degree of policy, policy devising, the Dail and at grass roots degree besides. Chenoweth and McAuliffe ( 2005 p 37 ) convey this idea- Empowerment is besides st rongly related to societal justness and to the democratic ideal of citizens doing determinations about their lives . Devolving duty: The degeneration of duty in footings of community and development is when the development worker begins to manus down the power or portion the power around. It would non be in the true spirit of authorization to maintain control of power over all resources or enterprises that have been put into action. One of the most pertinent illustrations of degeneration is in Northern Ireland. Some old ages ago the British authorities gave issues such as patroling over to the northern assembly. This of class was non merely given over to people who had no experience of policing, political relations or the development of policy and that is the same as devolving power to the locals in a community scene. The degeneration in the north took clip and tonss of readying to do certain it would travel harmonizing to program. It took much interagency work from both sides of the boundary line every bit good as tonss of input from local community groups before and after the degeneration began and this is where the degeneration in community work is really similar. The locals, through the empowerment procedure will hold got involved in the community and the development procedure, and will hold learned how to move in certain functions and perchance had some preparation in the functions within the community. At this point the development worker can get down to step off and let the community to run as a unit themselves. Besides the degeneration procedure requires trust from many of the political bureaus that control much of the budgets and resources that are required by the community development worker and the community around them. Harmonizing to Blears ( 2008 ) With the right support, counsel and advice, community groups and administrations have a immense, mostly latent, capacity for self authorities and ego administration. This should be the trademark of the modern province: devolved, decentralised, with power diffused throughout our society . Sustainability: As discussed, the authorization of a community and the premise of duty for themselves are of import characteristics of any community and of import maps that the development worker must transport out. Further to this there is another highly of import map, sustainability. Sustainability, it could be said is without uncertainty the individual most of import thought when it comes to community work although it is a much argued construct. Harmonizing to Mckeown ( 2002 ) Peoples around the universe recognize that current economic development tendencies are non sustainable and that public consciousness, instruction, and preparation are cardinal to traveling society toward sustainability. Beyond that, there is small understanding. People argue about the significance of sustainable development and whether or non it is come-at-able. The inquiry of achievability prevarications in the custodies of the development worker and the community. If the undermentioned thoughts are put to utilize by the worker so there is a opportunity of achieving and keeping sustainability. Without sustainability there will be a impairment of everything that has been built and that in bend, will necessarily allow the community and the ambiance of the community go backwards and change by reversal all the processs and difficult work that has been expressed earlier in this treatment. In order to prolong a undertaking the development worker must guarantee they maintain the locals motivated, this can be done through enterprises such as honorary awards, local media undertakings such as newssheets and newspapers. Tallaght, Ballyfermot and Northside have the Echo , a newspaper that promotes their community every bit good as maintaining them up to day of the month with the current personal businesss of the vicinity. This besides serves to use the locals, hence raising their profiles at community degree and ego esteem at an single degree. The worker must besides assist the community and its locals to go on to travel frontward, this can be done through regular meetings, constitut ion of occupants associations, vicinity tickers and monitoring and reviewing of the undertaking consequently. Possibly the biggest barriers to sustainability will come in the country of support and resourcing. Support and resources recently are really hard to acquire because of peoples deficiency of free clip in which they can function their communities, however this is where the development worker and those involved need to be advanced and originative. There are tonss of voluntary bureaus out at that place and this is where the community could tackle some resources where it would be free or come for a really little fee. An illustration of this type of apparatus is the recognition brotherhoods. The recognition brotherhoods have been runing on a unpaid footing for many old ages now and have been a immense success. Some of the employees involved in the exchequer receive a fee which is normally a per centum of what can be afforded ; this is besides because of the clip they dedicate to the brotherhood. Another manner of go oning to maintain the community motivated, traveling frontward and resourced is to come in the community in such events as the tidy town s competition. There are a few competitions around for communities to come in and they sometimes carry a hard currency award to assist with support. This competition type of attack besides instils a victorious outlook into a community hence giving them something to contend for and be proud and in bend, the opportunities of prolonging the community undertaking are greatly increased. Decision Having foremost looked at some of the definitions of community and so analyzing the procedures involved in the puting up of a community development undertaking it is just to reason that community development and the induction of such is non an easy undertaking. This has been compounded by the farther treatment into the function of the community development worker where the maps and duties were examined. From the scrutiny of the worker it can be concluded that the work is highly hard because of the committedness needed every bit good as the pattern of rules that need to be implemented. These rules of authorization, devolving duty and sustainability are easy to throw around as words ; nevertheless, it has become evident throughout the treatment that there is more to these rules than utilizing them as fancy rhetoric. They need to be implemented because of the restraints of fundss and resources every bit good as the minimum clip that some community members can offer up. With all this inf ormation it can be concluded that community development is enormously complex. With the current crisis in the economic system it is set to go more complex and will necessitate the rules of authorization, degeneration of duty and sustainability to be enforced as realistic precedences and non as portion of some political discourse to delight the multitudes. If this can be achieved so community undertakings can be kept alive.

Free trade or protectionism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Free trade or protectionism - Essay Example With the current world moving more and more towards capitalism, even the so called socialist countries like China have adopted free trade practices in recent times. However, no system is perfect and has its own pitfalls. Thus, protectionist measures have to be taken to balance the threats posed by negative fallouts of free trade. It is analogous to an institution encouraging creativity and enterprise by delegating authority and responsibility but ensuring accountability as well through certain disciplinary arrangements. Thus there is a need to identify a current world trading system that is the most appropriate and find a balanced view from the ongoing debate between Free trade and protectionism. As a means to achieve peace and prosperity in the world, the concept of free trade has been the most internationally discussed and acted upon topic and area of research. The topic is relevant not just academically, but economically and politically as well. Both views to and for free trade have found some or the other form of hypothetical or empirical basis. Besides being intellectually stimulating, the topic finds itself high in relevance in international as well as domestic affairs. Thus there exists sufficient, academic, moral and ethical motivation to pursue research on the topic. To find sufficient basis for the relevance of the ongoing nature of the debate between free trade and protectionism based on the hypotheses that debate between free trade and protectionism is essentially of an ongoing nature and will continue to be so, since the world socio-economic and political arrangements are becoming increasingly dynamic and keep changing at an increasingly faster pace. To examine the relationship between various international and domestic factors that shape up the direction in which the free trade policy of a nation or group of nations moves, based on the premise that in order to understand the nature

The Impact of the Peace Pact between Palestine and Israel Research Paper

The Impact of the Peace Pact between Palestine and Israel - Research Paper Example Moreover, Hamas in the eyes of Israel is the perpetrator of violence on Israelites (Gilbert 84). Â  3. Israelites feel that Palestinians should refrain from terrorism because it adversely affects the chances of a successful peace pact between Israel and Palestine. In essence, it makes Israelites mistrust Palestinians regarding their willingness to strike a peace pact and implement it. Â  1. The Palestinians believe that their course against Israel is an act of claiming what is rightfully Palestinian’s. In other words, the destruction of Israel is part of reclaiming their land which was grabbed by Israelites. Â  A. The peace agreement between Israel and Palestine will improve the security of both sides of the conflict. In relation to this, there are various benefits that are dependent on the peace pact. For instance, the peace pact could lead to a decrease in military inventions from both sides. However, for a decrease in a military intervention to become a reality, there are various conditions inclusive in the peace pact process that ought to be.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay Example for Free

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a set of physical and mental birth defects that can result when a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, such as beer, wine, or mixed drinks, so does her baby. Alcohol passes through the placenta right into the developing baby. The baby may suffer lifelong damage as a result. FAS is characterized by brain damage, facial deformities, and growth deficits. Heart, liver, and kidney defects also are common, as well as vision and hearing problems. Individuals with FAS have difficulties with learning, attention, memory, and problem solving. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. The term FASD is not intended for use as a clinical diagnosis. FASD covers other terms such as: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) the only diagnosis given by doctors. Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) reserved for individuals with functional or cognitive impairments linked to prenatal alcohol exposure, including decreased head size at birth, structural brain abnormalities, and a pattern of behavioral and mental abnormalities Alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) describes the physical defects linked to prenatal alcohol exposure, including heart, skeletal, kidney, ear, and eye malformations Fetal alcohol effects (FAE) a term that has been popularly used to describe alcohol-exposed individuals whose condition does not meet the full criteria for an FAS diagnosis What are the Statistics and Facts about FAS and FASD? FASD is the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects. FASD affects 1 in 100 live births or as many as 40,000 infants each year. An individual with fetal alcohol syndrome can incur a lifetime health cost of over $800,000. In 2003, fetal alcohol syndrome cost the United States $5. 4 billiondirect costs were $3. 9 billion, while indirect costs added another $1. 5 billion. Children do not outgrow FASD. The physical and behavioral problems can last for a lifetime. FAS and FASD are found in all racial and socio-economic groups. FAS and FASD are not genetic disorders. Women with FAS or affected by FASD have healthy babies if they do not drink alcohol during their pregnancy. Can I drink alcohol when I am pregnant? No. Do not drink alcohol when you are pregnant. When you drink alcohol, such as beer, wine, or mixed drinks, so does your baby. Alcohol is a substance known to be harmful to human development. When it reaches the blood supply of the baby, it can cause permanent defects to the major organs and central nervous system. Is there any kind of alcohol that is safe to drink during pregnancy? No. Drinking any kind of alcohol can hurt your baby. Alcoholic drinks can include beer, wine, liquor, wine coolers, or mixed drinks. What if I am pregnant and have been drinking? If you drank alcohol before you knew you were pregnant, stop drinking now. Anytime a pregnant woman stops drinking, she decreases the risk of harm to the baby. If you are trying to get pregnant, do not drink alcohol. You may not know you are pregnant right away. What if I drank during my last pregnancy and my baby was fine? Every pregnancy is different. Drinking alcohol may hurt one baby more than another. You could have one child that is born healthy and another child that is born with problems. What if a friend, partner, spouse or family member is drinking while pregnant? Many women are unaware of the consequences of drinking during pregnancy. Some women believe wine or beer is not alcohol. In many cases, she may be suffering from alcoholism. She may need to know what effects alcohol can have on the baby. She also may need help getting into treatment. In such cases, you should contact a treatment professional at a local addiction center for advice on how to help. http://www. nofas. org/faqs. aspx? id=5 Copyright 2001-2004 National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome An individuals place, and success, in society is almost entirely determined by neurological functioning. A neurologically injured child is unable to meet the expectations of parents, family, peers, school, career and can endure a lifetime of failures. The largest cause of neurological damage in children is prenatal exposure to alcohol. These children grow up to become adults. Often the neurological damage goes undiagnosed, but not unpunished. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS), Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND), Static Encephalopathy (alcohol exposed) (SE) and Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD) are all names for a spectrum of disorders caused when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol. There are strategies that can work to help the child with an FASD compensate for some difficulties. Early and intensive intervention and tutoring can do wonders, but the need for a supportive structure is permanent. Studies on addiction in Ontario have shown about a 10 12% alcohol addiction rate among adults, with another 20% drinking to a level that places them at high risk. Legally intoxicated is defined as a Blood Alcohol Level of . 08%. A 100 lb (45 kg) female consuming 5 standard drinks (A drink equals a 12 oz. regular beer, 1 oz. shot of 100 proof liquor, 1. 5 oz. shot of 80 proof liquor, or 4 oz. glass of regular table wine) will reach a BAL of . 25% three times the legal limit. BAL reduces . 01% per hour. The Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2000/01 found that: 6. 8% of girls ages 12 to 14 19. 8% of girls age 12 to 19 26. 0% ages 20 to 24 19. 9% ages 20 to 34 consumed 5 or more drinks on each occasion 12 or more times per year. An additional: 32. 2% ages 15 to 34 13. 8% of girls ages 12 to 14 consumed 5 or more drinks on each occasion 1 to 11 times per year. Copyright  © 2005 Journals and Procedural Research Branch Office of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Most girls are 2 to 3 months pregnant before they find out. Given the prime childbearing age range, the odds are very high that about 20% of babies have been exposed to multiple binges in high levels of alcohol in the first trimester, before the girl even knew she was pregnant. It is Party Hearty Time. The vast majority of these girls are NOT alcoholics. About 50% of pregnancies are unplanned. If you are drinking, stay out of the backseat as well as the drivers seat! Maternal prenatal alcohol consumption even at low levels is adversely related to child behavior. The effect was observed at average exposure levels as low as 1 drink per week. The Canadian Centre for Childrens Research at McMaster University Hospitals (Hamilton Ontario) states that 20% of Canadian children have serious mental health issues. Typical of school boards in Canada, a major southwestern Ontario School Board (urban / rural mix) with 28,000 Elementary and Secondary School students, has 6,000 students receiving services from the Special Education Department. Of the 6,000, only 250 are classified as Gifted with the balance having significant disabilities (20. 6%). While not all the individuals with disabilities are identified as the disabilities having been caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol, the vast majority of the disabilities are of types known to be caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is so grossly under-reported that the FAS statistics are almost meaningless. There are very few doctors who have received any training in diagnosing FASD and most prefer to use non-judgmental diagnoses such as ADD, ADHD, LD, MR, RAD, ODD, Bi-Polar, Tourettes, etc.. These diagnoses dont imply the mother has done something that could have affected her baby during pregnancy. However, they can also lead to inappropriate treatment and a lifetime of pain. Failure to identify the real source can lead to more children being born with the same issues to the same mothers and the cycle continuing into the next generation FASD children having FASD babies. Alcohol, hormones, a twitch in the kilt, poor impulse control and inability to predict consequences are a deadly combination. Accidents cause people. FASD is not a threshold condition. It is a continuum ranging from mild intellectual and behavioural issues to the extreme that often leads to profound disabilities or premature death. Denial is not just a river in Egypt. Alcohol as a Teratogen on the Baby ? http://www. acbr. com/fas/. Problem: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of mental and physical defects which develops in some unborn babies when the mother drinks too much alcohol during pregnancy. A baby born with FAS may be seriously handicapped and require a lifetime of special care. Some babies with alcohol-related birth defects, including smaller body size, lower birth weight, and other impairments, do not have all of the classic FAS symptoms. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). Researchers do not all agree on the precise distinctions between FAS and FAE cases. Cause of the Problem: Alcohol in a pregnant womans bloodstream circulates to the fetus by crossing the placenta. There, the alcohol interferes with the ability of the fetus to receive sufficient oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development in the brain and other body organs. Possible FAS Symptoms: Growth deficiencies: small body size and weight, slower than normal development and failure to catch up. The fact sheets below were developed by many different authors. In some cases, the fact sheets were placed on the web by a different organization than the one that wrote the document. However, all of the fact sheets are in the public domain to encourage wide distribution. You are free to copy and use these fact sheets. The following list of abbreviations was used to indicate the source of the document in the links provided on this page. Many of the sites listed contain additional information beyond the fact sheets that are listed on this page. We encourage you to explore each site. http://www. well. com/user/woa/fsfas. htm RSmith:02-15-94 MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse 1706 East Elm; P. O. Box 687 Jefferson City, Missouri 65102 The following Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy: FAS: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Symptoms include small head/body, facial characteristics, brain damage FAE: Fetal Alcohol Effects Symptoms usually not visible, such as behavior disorders, attention deficits ARBD: Alcohol Related Birth Defects. Anomalies such as heart defects, sight/hearing problems, joint anomalies, etc. ARND: Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders Disorders such as attention deficits, behavior disorders, obsessive/compulsive disorder, etc. FASD: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders All of the disorders named above are contained in the spectrum. Full FAS comprises only about 10% of the spectrum. The other 90% may have fewer physical symptoms but are at greater risk for developing serious secondary conditions later. (Streissguth, 1997) FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation in western civilization. But Most persons with FAS have an IQ in the normal range. (Streissguth, 1997). The incidence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in America is 1. 9 cases per 1,000 births (1/500). Incidence of babies with disabilities resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure: 1/100! FAS/FAE is a major health issue in western civilization today. More American babies are born with FAS than with Down Syndrome, MD, and HIV combined. Alcohol causes more neurological damage to the developing baby than any other substance. Lecture Summary Fetal alcohol syndrome is among the most common known causes of mental retardation and as such, it is a major public health problem. The purpose of this lecture is to provide a basic overview of what we know about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. It is certainly not meant to be comprehensive but rather to give a broad overview of current knowledge in the area, and of ongoing human and animal research in the area. Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure can result in the fetal alcohol syndrome and both changes in brain structure and behavior have been reported in these children. Importantly, current data indicate that individuals exposed to heavy doses of alcohol in utero, but without the facial characteristics of FAS, can also suffer from similar brain and behavioral changes. Animal models have proven to be an excellent research tool in this field, as there appears to be good concordance between the animal and human data. The animal models provide a means to examine mechanisms of alcohol damage, to control for factors not possible in most human studies, and to help answer important clinical questions. Fetal alcohol effects are preventable, and every child born with a defect related to prenatal alcohol exposure indicates a failure of the health care system. Lecturer Dr. Ed Riley http://rsoa. org/lectures/07/index. html Background Fetal alcohol syndrome is among the most common known causes of mental retardation and as such, it is a major public health problem. The purpose of this lecture is to provide a basic overview of what we know about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. It is certainly not meant to be comprehensive. For more detailed overview, the following references might be helpful. It is important to remember that as the mother consumes alcohol and her blood alcohol level rises, that alcohol is freely crossing the placenta and the embryo or fetus is being exposed to the same blood alcohol levels. References Stratton, K. , Howe, C. , Battaglia, F. (1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Streissguth, A. P. (1997). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Guide for Families and Communities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Background Fetal alcohol syndrome is among the most common known causes of mental retardation and as such, it is a major public health problem. The purpose of this lecture is to provide a basic overview of what we know about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. It is certainly not meant to be comprehensive. For more detailed overview, the following references might be helpful. It is important to remember that as the mother consumes alcohol and her blood alcohol level rises, that alcohol is freely crossing the placenta and the embryo or fetus is being exposed to the same blood alcohol levels. References Stratton, K. , Howe, C. , Battaglia, F. (1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Streissguth, A. P. (1997). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Guide for Families and Communities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Background What each of these papers described was a common set of features that could occur in the offspring of mothers who drank heavily during their pregnancies. This constellation of features was named the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in 1973 by Jones and colleagues. In order to be diagnosed as having FAS, the individual MUST meet all three criteria. There is a specific pattern of facial anomalies, which will be shown shortly. There is pre and or postnatal growth deficiency. Usually the children are born small (7drinks/week 5 or more drinks per occasion). The data on the left side of the slide come from Louise Floyd of the CDC. The first four studies were sponsored by the CDC and the other two estimates on the left side come from the IOM report (Stratton, 1996). AI/AN stands for American Indian/Alaska Native. The numbers on the right side are from a recent study by Sampson et al. , (1997). They demonstrated rates of FAS of at least 2. 8/1000 live births in Seattle, 4. 6/1000 in Cleveland, and between 1. 3 and 4. 8/1000 in Roubaix, France. Interestingly, in this study they estimate the prevalence in Seattle for FAS and ARND at 9. 1/1000 births. This would mean that nearly 1 in every 100 children is affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. The last number from South Africa is from recent work done by Phil May and colleagues. References Egeland G, Perham-Hester KA, Gessner BD, Ingle D, Berner JE,Middaugh JP. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Alaska, 1977 through 1992: An administrative prevalence derived from multiple data sources. American Journal of Public Health. 1998. 88(5): 781-786. Aberdeen IHS Area (1995) MMWR. vol 44(#):253-261. BDMP (1995): MMWR Vol. 44(13):249-253. Atlanta, Ga. (1997) MMWR Vol. 46(47): 1118-1120. Sampson, P. D. , Streissguth, A. P. , Bookstein, F. L. , Little, R. E. , Clarren, S. K. , Dehaene, P. , Hanson, J. W. , Graham, J. M. , Jr. (1997). Incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome and prevalence of alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. Teratology, 56(5), 317-326. Stratton, K. , Howe, C. , Battaglia, F. (1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Institute of Medicine: 1996 Clinic-based (page 89), American Indian/Alaskan Native (page 88) May, P. , Viljoen, D. , Gossage, J. , Brooke, L. , Croxford, J. (1999). An epidemiological analysis of data from children with fetal alcohol syndrome and controls in Wellington, South Africa. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23 (5), 110A. May, P. , Viljoen, D. , Gossage, J. , Brooke, L. , Croxford, J (1999). An update on the maternal risk factors associated with the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome in Wellington, South Africa. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23 (5), 91A Background It must be stressed that the facial characteristics basically define FAS. Without these facial features, one cannot be diagnosed with FAS. In particular, the discriminating features are short palpebral fissures (the length of the eye opening), a flat midface, an indistinct or flat philtrum (the ridge under the nose), and a thin upper vermilion (lip). While each of these can occur in a variety of disorders, the combination of these features appears to be consistent with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Children with FAS can also have other facial features, such as epicanthal folds (tiny folds of tissues along the eye opening), a low nasal bridge, an underdeveloped jaw and minor ear anomalies. These individuals can also have a variety of associated features. Heart defects, skeletal anomalies, altered palmar creases (those creases on your hands), and urogenital anomalies are among the anomalies found more frequently in FAS. Reference Streissguth, A. P. (1994). A long-term perspective of FAS , Alcohol Health Research World (Vol. 18, pp. 74-81). image Facies in fetal alcohol syndrome Background The brain on the left was obtained from a 5-day-old child with FAS while the brain on the right is a control. The effects are obvious. The brain on the left suffers from microencephaly (small brain) and migration anomalies (neural and glia cells did not migrate to their proper location in the brain, but instead many of them simply migrated to the top of the cortex). Although it cannot be seen here, there is also agenesis of the corpus callosum and the ventricles are dilated. The corpus callosum is the major fiber tract connecting the two hemispheres of the brain (more on this later). Major findings of other autopsies of children with FAS have found microcephaly, hydrocephaly, cerebral dysgenesis, neuroglial heterotopias, corpus callosum anomalies, ventricle anomalies, and cerebellar anomalies. It must be pointed out, however, that these autopsies have typically been conducted only on the most severe cases, since these children often have enough problems that they do not survive. The interested reader on the pathological changes that occur in FAS is referred to the following articles. References Clarren, S. K. (1986). Neuropathology in fetal alcohol syndrome. In J. R. West (Ed. ), Alcohol and Brain Development (pp. 158-166). New York: Oxford University Press. Roebuck, T. M. , Mattson, S. N. , and Riley, E. P. (1998). A review of the neuroanatomical findings in children with fetal alcohol syndrome or prenatal exposure to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 22 (2),339-344. Image brain damage resulting from prenatal alcohol Background The image on the left is a normal midsaggital MRI scan of the human brain with the cerebrum and cerebellum pointed out. The data on the right show the reduction in size of the these two areas in children with FAS and PEA. PEA stands for Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol, and includes children with known histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure, but who lack the features necessary for a diagnosis of FAS. As can be seen, the extent of reduction in the volume of both the cerebrum and cerebellum is significant. While the PEA group shows a reduction in volume, with these sample sizes, this is not a significant difference. Other brain imaging studies indicate disproportionate size reductions in the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and corpus callosum. The data are presented as percent of normal matched controls. References Mattson, S. N. , Jernigan, T. L. , Riley, E. P. (1994a). MRI and prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Health Research World, 18(1), 49-52. Archibald, S. L. , Fennema-Notestine, C. , Gamst, A. , Riley, E. P. , Mattson, S. N. , and Jernigan, T. L. (submitted, 2000). Brain dysmorphology in individuals with severe prenatal alcohol exposure. image change in brain size Background One anomaly that has been seen in FAS is agenesis of the corpus callosum. While not common, it occurs in FAS cases (~6%) more frequently than in the general population (0. 1%) or in the developmentally disabled population (2-3%). In fact it has been suggested that FAS may be the most common cause of agenesis of the corpus callosum. In the top left picture, is a control brain. The other images are from children with FAS. In the top middle the corpus callosum is present, but it is very thin at the posterior section of the brain. In the upper right the corpus callosum is essentially missing. The bottom two pictures are from a 9 year old girl with FAS. She has agenesis of the corpus callosum and the large dark area in the back of her brain above the cerebellum is a condition known as coprocephaly. It is essentially empty space. Most children with FAS do have a corpus callosum, although it may be reduced in size. The reduction in size occurs primarily in the front and rear portions (genu and splenium). One interesting item is that this same pattern of reduction in the genu and splenium has been found in ADHD children. The behavioral problems seen in FAS frequently are similar to those seen in ADHD. References Mattson, S. N. , Jernigan, T. L. , Riley, E. P. (1994a). MRI and prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Health Research World, 18(1), 49-52. Mattson, S. N. , Riley, E. P. (1995). Prenatal exposure to alcohol: What the images reveal. Alcohol Health Research World, 19(4), 273-277. Riley, E. P. , Mattson, S. N. , Sowell, E. R. , Jernigan, T. L. , Sobel, D. F. , Jones, K. L. (1995). Abnormalities of the corpus callosum in children prenatally exposed to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 19(5), 1198-1202. Background There have been over a dozen retrospective studies of children with FAS (total N = 269). Overall, these studies, such as the Seattle studies or studies out of Germany, reported an overall mean IQ of 72. 26 (range of means = 47. 4-98. 2). The data presented here were collected in San Diego, CA as part of a project at the Center for Behavioral Teratology. The mean IQ performances of children with FAS were compared to alcohol-exposed children with few if any features of FAS. All children in this study were exposed prenatally to high amounts of alcohol, however only the FAS group displayed the craniofacial anomalies and growth deficits associated with the diagnosis. The other group was designated as having prenatal exposure to alcohol (PEA) and had documented exposure to high levels of alcohol but were not dysmorphic, microcephalic, or growth-retarded. In comparison to normal controls, both groups of alcohol-exposed children displayed significant deficits in overall IQ measures as well as deficits on most of the subtest scores. While the PEA subjects usually obtained marginally higher IQ scores than those with FAS, few significant differences were found between the two alcohol-exposed groups. These results indicate that high levels of prenatal alcohol exposure are related to an increased risk for deficits in intellectual functioning and that these deficits can occur in children without all of the physical features required for a diagnosis of FAS. Our PEA subjects may be somewhat similar to individuals identified by other groups as having FAE, however individuals with PEA display few if any of the facial features of FAS, and are not growth retarded or microcephalic. References Streissguth AP, Aase JM, Clarren SK, Randels SP, LaDue RA, Smith DF (1991). Fetal alcohol syndrome in adolescents and adults. Journal of the American Medical Association 265:1961-1967. Mattson, S. N. , Riley, E. P. , Gramling, L. , Delis, D. C. , and Jones, K. L. (1997). Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure with or without physical features of fetal alcohol syndrome leads to IQ deficits. Journal of Pediatrics, 131 (5), 718-721. Mattson, S. N. and Riley, E. P. (1998). A review of the neurobehavioral deficits in children with fetal alcohol syndrome or prenatal exposure to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 22 (2), 279-294. image general intellectual performance Background. This was a study of a broad range of neuropsychological tests, such as: The Wide Range Achievement Test- which assesses academic skills, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Boston Naming test-both assessment of basic language functioning, the California Verbal Learning Test-a list learning and memory test, the Visual-Motor Integration Test which measures basic visual-perceptual skills, the Grooved Pegboard test-a test of fine-motor speed and coordination, and the Childrens Category Test-a measure of nonverbal learning. Along the x-axis are the tests included in the battery; for comparison purposes, all scores were converted to standard scores with a mean of 100 and an SD of 15. Children with FAS or PEA showed deficits in comparison to controls and they were very similar to each other. There does seem to be some indication that the nonverbal measures (on the right of the slide) are not as impaired as the verbal and academic measures, which are on the left and center of the slide. The take home message is that children with FAS and those exposed to high amounts of alcohol, but without the characteristics required for a diagnosis of FAS, are similarly impaired. The FAS children tend to be a bit worse than the PEA children, but the pattern of behavioral deificits is fairly similar over a wide range of tests. References Mattson, S. N. , Riley, E. P. , Gramling, L. , Delis, D. C. , Jones, K. L. (1998). Neuropsychological comparison of alcohol-exposed children with or without physical features of fetal alcohol syndrome. Neuropsychology, 12(1), 146-153. image neuropsychological performanceBackground In addition to the abilities already discussed, a few studies have documented other specific neuropsychological deficits in individuals with FAS. Children with prenatal alcohol exposure, with and without FAS, have demonstrated various deficits on measures of executive functioning. These measures have revealed problems in areas such as planning (tower task-shown above), cognitive flexibility (trails test), inhibition (stroop test), and concept formation and reasoning (word context tests). Generally, performance on these measures is characterized by increased errors and more difficulty adhering to rules. Therefore, children are less successful overall. For example, on the tower measure shown above (Tower of California-similar to Tower of London), children with FAS and PEA passed fewer items overall and made more rule violations than controls. The only two rules were to never place a larger piece on top of a smaller one and to move only one piece at a time. As can be seen the alcohol exposed children had many more rule violations. In addition, deficits have been found on the WCST (Wisconsin Card Sort Test), a nonverbal measure of problem solving. The WCST test requires both problem solving and cognitive flexibility and has been proposed to be sensitive to frontal system dysfunction. This test is a gold standard in the measure of executive functioning in neuropsychology. Children with prenatal exposure to alcohol made more errors and had more difficulty with the conceptual nature of the task than controls. New data indicate that they have trouble identifying and defining concepts. Finally, tests of planning ability are also thought to be sensitive to frontal systems dysfunction although few such studies have been done in individuals with FAS. On the Progressive Planning Test which is similar to the Tower of London test children with FAS/FAE had difficulty with planning ahead and tended to perseverate on incorrect strategies. So far the results could be summarized as: 1) Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with a wide range of neurobehavioral deficits including visuospatial functioning, verbal and nonverbal learning, and executive functioning 2) Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure causes microcephaly and disproportionate reductions in the corpus callosum, basal ganglia, and cerebellum 3) Children with and without physical features of the fetal alcohol syndrome display qualitatively similar deficits References Carmichael O. H. , Feldman JJ, Streissguth AP, Gonzalez RD: Neuropsychological deficits and life adjustment in adolescents and adults with fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 16:380, 1992 Kodituwakku PW, Handmaker NS, Cutler SK, Weathersby EK, Handmaker SD: Specific impairments in self-regulation in children exposed to alcohol prenatally. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 19:1558-1564, 1995 Mattson, S. N. , Goodman, A. M. , Caine, C. , Delis, D. C. , Riley, E. P. (1999). Executive functioning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 23(11), 1808-1815. Background Secondary disabilities are those disabilities that the individual is not born with, and hopefully with appropriate intervention could be ameliorated. This slide illustrates the extent of these secondary disabilities as a function of age. These are individuals with FAS and FAE. As can be seen over 90% of these individuals have mental health problems and about 50% of those over the age of 12 have disrupted school experiences, trouble with the law, which is frequently severe enough to require confinement. They also engage in relatively high rates of inappropriate sexual behavior and a significant number have alcohol and drug abuse problems. Interestingly, the factors that are protective against these secondary disabilities are: Being raised in a stable, nurturant home, diagnosis before the age of 6, no sexual or physical abuse, not changing households every few years, not living in a poor quality home, and receiving Developmental Disabilities services. References Streissguth, A. P. , Barr, H. M. , Kogan, J. , Bookstein, F. L. (1996). Final Report: Understanding the occurrence of secondary disabilities in clients with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effects (FAE). Seattle, WA: University of Washington Publication Services. Image secondary disabilities Background. Much of what we know about FAS and the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure is the result of work on animal models. After FAS was identified it became important to demonstrate that the effects were indeed the result of alcohol exposure and not due to factors such as other drugs, maternal conditions, or nutritional variables. The development of appropriate animal models was very important in this regard. Models were developed for assessing physical features of FAS as well as the behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical profiles of prenatal alcohol exposure. The ideal test animal would absorb, metabolize and eliminate alcohol similar to human, transport alcohol and metabolites across.

The EPA and Anti-tobacco Zealots Essay -- Smoking cigarettes Tobacco

The EPA and Anti-tobacco Zealots Tobacco smoking has been one of the hot controversies of our time. Many people find tobacco smoke annoying, smelly and just plain dirty and unpleasant. Some smokers themselves agree with that sentiment. Today's smoking restrictions, not to mention the attack on smokers and extortion of tobacco companies, could not have been engineered simply on the grounds that tobacco smoke is unpleasant. We needed another reason. So the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) literally manufactured, using bogus science, the finding that second-hand smoke is a class A carcinogen causing death and illness for tens of thousands of people who are simply around tobacco smoke. The major news media, along with anti-tobacco zealots, convinced us of the wisdom of the EPA report. They downplayed or ignored findings showing EPA science to be bogus and outright fraud. (1) The EPA and anti-tobacco zealots "proved" that tobacco smokers harmed other people. Stopping and preventing harm to others, especially to the nation's children, is something most Americans can wholeheartedly support. Thus, all manner of smoking regulations descended upon the nation from bans on smoking on airplanes, in airports and restaurants to bars, workplaces and even outdoor open air stadiums. Let's pretend that the EPA's bogus science about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke is legitimate and examine this business about harming others. The first thing we should acknowledge is that we live in a world of harms. The secondhand smoke from my cigarette might harm you. However, your being able to prevent me from smoking harms me; I have less enjoyment. We cannot say which person's harm is more important and should take precedence. The reason why is t... .... District Court Judge William L. Osteen found reason to nullify the EPA's 1992 report that claimed second-hand smoke to be a class A human carcinogen and cause of lung cancer. He found that the EPA knowingly, willfully and aggressively put out false and misleading information. 2. Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says about large food servings, "It's high time the [restaurant] industry begins to bear some responsibility for its contribution to obesity, heart disease and cancer." Dr. Ronald Griffiths, at Johns Hopkins University, concerned about coffee addiction says, "If health risks are well-documented, caffeine could be catapulted in public perception from a pleasant habit to a possibly harmful drug of abuse." Along with Michael Jacobson, he wants the FDA to regulate caffeine content in soda, coffee, tea and chocolate.

Health and Nutrition Worksheet Essay

Use Ch. 1, 2, & 3 of Visualizing Nutrition, supplemental course materials, the University Library, the Internet, or other resources to answer the following questions. Your response to each question should be 75 to 100 words. 1.What is nutrition? Why is nutrition essential to our daily lives? For me nutrition would be eating the right types of food in order to maintain your body healthy. Nutrition is very essential to our daily lives because without proper nutrition our bodies would be fully functional. Either you would be tired or weak everyday no matter how much sleep you get or how long you’re at the gym for, again without the proper nutrition’s your body wouldn’t be fully functional. 2.What is the connection between nutrition and health? The connection between nutrition and health is that no matter what you do, everything starts with a foundation. In a house the â€Å"basement† would be the foundation, the part that’s holding the house up. But with our health, proper nutrition would be our foundation to a healthy lifestyle. 3.What is the relationship between poor nutrition and disease? The relationship between poor nutrition and disease is that with poor nutrition you are going to be more prone to catching a disease because your body is going to be weak and isn’t going to stand a chance against a virus. 4.What does it mean to eat a balanced diet? Why is food choice important for good nutrition? For me a balanced diet would be eating the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to help your body get the right amount of nutrition it needs, this means that if your body needs just 1 cup of wheat and 2 cups of fruits then that’s what you’re getting, not more or not less. Food choice is important for good nutrition because if you don’t get the right food that will satisfy your â€Å"pyramid† then you’re going to have too  much of one thing and not enough of the other which will lead to an unbalanced diet. 5.Why is physical activity important to a person’s health? What changes, if any, should you make to ensure you get enough physical activity? Physical activity is important because it can improve your health and reduce the risk you developing certain kind of diseases. Also by being active it will also help you stay fit and prolong your life rather than just being at home and being a couch potato which will hurt you a lot, because I am in the military I believe that I am already fit, sometimes I even think I’m getting too much physical activity, we workout 5 days a week and 4 out of the 5 days we work out in the morning and afternoon. 6.What influences your food choices? Why? What influences the food I pick would be a variety of things such as how it smells, looks, taste and most of all my culture. I’m Puerto Rican so I was brought up eating rice and beans for me food wasn’t food unless rice and beans were included. But around ten years old I moved to New York where its multicultural so that’s where I started tasting all different kinds of food such as Italian, Dominican, and real Chinese food, and realized that in order for something to be ‘food’ rice and beans’ didn’t have to be included. What also influences the food I pick depends on my son, me and my wife wont usually cook something that he doesn’t like but he’s so picky at times that we just make something healthy for all of us and he won’t eat it, I would have to feed it to him in order for him to eat it. 7.What is the difference between digesting protein and carbohydrates? Which would make you feel fuller longer? Why? The difference between digesting protein and digesting carbohydrates is that proteins are digested into amino acids while carbohydrates are digested into simple sugars. Also carbohydrates are converted into glucose which are then stored in the body and Proteins are broken down into amino acids which then are used to build and repair body tissues. I believe that protein will make you feel fuller because you don’t have to eat as much in order to satisfy your hunger. 8.How does today’s society affect our nutritional habits? Our society today affects our nutritional habits tremendously It’s so hard to control our food portion because of the food industries in the United States. Right now for example we could go down the street to McDonalds and order a Big Mac meal. Now the Big Mac alone has about 550 calories but then they give you some fries with the Big Mac and a fountain drink. Now if you were brought up like how I was, which was your mother or father yelling at you and telling you, â€Å"you need to eat everything on my plate†, then of course you are going to inherit those habits and you’re going to be eating everything they give you, and that of course unhealthy. You’re going to be eating a lot more than what you’re supposed to, making us gain weight and even have health issues. 9.How are nutrients used to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP)? Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, acts as a source of fuel within your cells. Formed from a series of chemical reactions, carbohydrates, proteins and fats can all be converted into ATP following digestion. One type of food that provides a source of ATP is meat and fish. These foods contain several animal cells, with each cell containing preformed ATP. The nutrients found within meats and fish may also provide a source of ATP within your body. Upon consumption, the fatty acids and proteins in meats and fish are digested and absorbed. If your body requires an immediate source of energy, these nutrients are used to make ATP within your own cells, helping to fuel your body. 10.Consider your personal dietary habits. What are some modifications you might make to promote good health? My personal dietary habits are eating only two meals a day and just drink water or powerade throughout the rest of the day. Which I know now that is a terrible idea, skipping meals isn’t good for us. In them two meals I eat a day, since I’m always at the gym I eat a lot of meat to intake a lot of protein, and with the meat I would eat about 1.5 cups of rice and .5 cups of beans, which is diffidently not maintaining a balanced diet at all. Some modifications I might make to promote good health would be to not skip meals, and maintain a balanced diet, not too much and not too less.

Drug Test Benefits

Recent increases in the use of illegal drugs and problems related to that use have raised a variety of public health and safety concerns. These concerns have led many to propose drug testing as one of the best ways to combat the proliferation of drug use. Although the focus is testing for drugs, it is worth noting that similar calls for increased testing has risen due to the spread of HIV and the threat it poses to those exposed to it. Clearly, these public health and safety concerns conflict with privacy claims of those being targeted for testing. Nevertheless, many view the public safety threat as serious enough to override completely any individual privacy interests. Indeed, public opinion polls indicate that there is widespread support for a variety of testing programs, even those that are random and mandatory. Although drug abuse should not be tolerated in the workplace, care must be taken to limit the extent to which drug testing intrudes on people=s privacy. The idea is to use the technology carefully, with adequate justification, and with enough safeguards and precautions to ensure that testing is done thoughtfully and responsibly. Both the government and private business argue that they have a significant interest in testing citizens and employees for a variety of reasons. First, they can fight the Adrug [email  protected] by weeding out users and stopping drug use. Second, they can ensure safety by revealing conditions that pose a serious threat to co-workers or the public. Third, they test employees so they can maintain a fully responsive and effective workforce. Fourth, they can identify those who will be unable to work in the future. Fifth, it will help reduce the cost of employee health care plans. Finally, drug testing will help maintain public confidence in the integrity and trustworthiness of their operations. Many insurance agencies argue that testing is necessary because it fundamentally causes the healthier employees to pay higher premiums to cover the costs of the coverage for those who are at greater risk levels. All of these arguments provide strong reasons to consider drug testing. In some industries, such as health care and transportation, even casual drug or alcohol use can result in not only increased costs, but also in lawsuits and loss of life. Even if the employee is not chemically dependent, a spouse or family member using drugs or alcohol can mean missed work, extensive personal phone calls and increased dependent medical benefits. Supreme court justice Antonin Scalia found drug testing to be an invasion of privacy and a practice of A needless indignity. @ He states that if a blood test is used, it involves puncturing the skin. If a urinalysis is utilized, the sample must sometimes be gained under direct observation to guard against drug-free substitutions and falsification of results. He feels that there are more effective methods of identifying drug users. For example, a daily observation of moods, behavior, and productivity, can detect drug use and be dealt with immediately. Many employees feel that implementing a drug testing program will prove to the lack of trust between the employer and employee. They feel that this will cause high turnover rates from year to year. It will also lower employee morale and effectiveness while on the job. These problems could be avoided by just utilizing the observance plan mention earlier. Opponents of drug testing also focuses on the limitations of the testing procedures, arguing that the tests are highly inaccurate. One worry is the sensitivity of the tests. Many types of tests procedure inaccurate, innocent parties will be harmed because most tests produce a large number of false positive results, indicating that there has been drug use when there has actually been none. Such false positive results can rise from the use of medications, passive inhalation of marijuana smoke, or the technology employed for many drug tests. Drug testing opposers cite the human error of lab personnel that further implicates the accuracy of results The first two cases on drug testing to reach the Supreme Court were argued in 1988. From the decisions issued the following year, it is clear that the court held that urine tests are a significant intrusion into a fundamentally private domain. Since then, every court that has addressed the issue has found that urinalysis and blood tests intrude on privacy as a search and seizure forbidden under the fourth amendment. Courts have mainly focused on the privacy invasion involved, first, in the process of urination and the manner in which the specimen is obtained, and second, in the individuals interest and safeguarding the confidentiality of the information contained in the sample. While drug tests might also violate the fifth amendment protection of due process and constitutional privacy interests, courts have taken the privacy claims of the fourth amendment to be the most forceful constitutional threat. Some surveys show employees strongly support drug testing because it promises greater safety and harmony at work. However, scores of civil suits in the early and mid 1980's challenged the procedure as an invasion of privacy. The courts have upheld most testing programs, and fewer suits are now being filed. In a study conducted by the society for Human Resources Management, human resource professionals most consistently favored the use of drug and alcohol testing, soliciting criminal record checks, and monitoring visual display, terminal keystrokes and phone activity. While employers may deem these activities as essential to preserve workplace safety and productivity, many employees would argue that they violate their privacy, both on the job and at home. Employees may not be invaded by having to participate in drug tests with the urinalysis. Technology has advanced so that any impairment in a workers performance while on the job due to drugs or alcohol will be monitored on computers. It is called performance or impairment testing by its creators, and is a game-like device that can test judgement and motor coordination through the ability to manipulate a cursor on a VDT screen. The benefits reveal the cause of an employee impairment. Performance tests would offer more privacy to the worker and promote a less hostile environment People have objected mostly to random drug testing, which is mainly limited to government and private jobs that effect public safety, like those at nuclear power plants, airlines, railroads and trucking companies. More than 90 percent of the testing is of job applicants. But most of these same companies also test after accidents and when suspicions are aroused through erratic behavior. Fewer than 10 percent of the companies test randomly or at the time of annual physicals An employer has an extreme amount of influence on an individual to receive some type of treatment for their addiction. They are in the position to provide incentive for accepting treatment, as well as emotional support afterwards, because the job usually is of extreme importance to the addicted individual. The management should offer and accessible health insurance plan so that when the employee needs to receive the treatment that they can easily do so without having to involve several other people Once the addict has received the needed care, their job structure should be altered by management. They should be placed in a less stressful atmosphere. Their amount of work decreases for a certain amount of time, and they should not be placed on a demanding quota schedule that could trigger an emotional swing back toward the addiction The key to this success is having a good prevention program in place to detect problems at an early stage in their development. @If these problems can be detected early then outpatient treatment can be successful,@ says Maureen Whitmore of Occupational Health Services in Larkspur, California. Once a company has invested their time and money in rehabilitation of the employee, there are steps that must be followed to keep the employee from returning to their addiction. First, a peer support group should be provided where open discussion is encouraged in trying to cope with a new life and the new found pressure of work. Second, management should help their employees reintegrate back into the workplace. They will be confused and easily persuaded by stress that might have led to the problem in the beginning. Third, the company should hold AA meetings on-site and provide a crisis number to call in case of an emergency. Fourth, supervisors should be educated to watch for returning signs that the person is under stress. Fifth, management should involve family members and provide lifestyle education. Finally, stress reduced activities should be offered on-site, such as aerobics and fitness classes, and workshops on how to improve interpersonal skills. I feel that employee drug testing in some manner is essential to the performance and effectiveness of an employee in a company. Management needs the assurance that every employee is doing their job without any type of impairment from an outside source. However, I also feel that urinalysis testing is an invasion of privacy. As an employer, I will not be concerned with what types of drugs the employee is taking, but he is impairing the performance of the company. As I mentioned earlier, technology has advanced in such a manner that there will be no need for urinalysis tests. Performance or impairment testing programs will test the employee=s judgement and motor coordination through the ability to manipulate a cursor on a VDT screen. This will provide the employer with accurate information on the abilities of the employee to perform their job. It also keeps the employees addiction private and not for their employers to know. I feel that the increased health insurance coverage and the increased ease of access for employees will help them seek treatment for their addiction. However, there will need to be severe disciplinary actions for those who continually test positive. Once an employee has received treatment, the follow-up plans must be persuaded by management. This should help the employee to receive the needed attention for their problem, and help the company continue to have an effective employee. Drug testing has many benefits and set backs for both employers and employees. Certain types of drug testing are necessary in to days workplace for there to be an increased effectiveness of a company on their industry. However, employees still have privacy rights that cannot be infringed upon. A good and successful detection program and rehabilitation program are essential to the survival of the employee in the workplace. Eventually, the drug addiction will impair their abilities for life.

How to Write a Perfect Home Health Aide Resume (Examples Included)

How to Write a Perfect Home Health Aide Resume (Examples Included) with an aging population, home health aides have one of the most important (and fastests)How to Write a Perfect Occupational Therapist ResumeHow to Write a Perfect Physician Assistant Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Receptionist Resume (Examples Included)How to Create a Perfect Retail ResumeHow to Write a Perfect Sales Associate Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Social Worker Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Truck Driver Resume (With Examples)

Why People Share The Psychology of Social Sharing - CoSchedule Blog

Why People Share The Psychology of Social Sharing Blog How do you get more people to share your content? It’s a simple question that lacks a simple answer. But, perhaps it’s not as complicated as you think. In a fascinating study conducted by The New York Times Customer Insight Group, it was discovered that there are five key reasons people decide to share something with others. This study on the psychology of sharing and word-of-mouth movements uncovers an important opportunity for marketers who want to do a better job growing their audience. By understanding why people share, you can better assess your own content, and its ability to result in sustainable growth and traffic to your blog. These important insights may be all that you are missing in growing a high-traffic blog. How do you get more people to share your #contentmarketing?  The Psychology of Social SharingSpoiler Alert: It’s All About Relationships I’ve probably said it a gazillion times – people buy (and share content) from those that they know, like, and trust. Most sharing, as it turns out, is primarily dependent on the personal relationships of your readers. The data shows that the likelihood of your content being shared has more to do with your readers relationship to others than their relationship to you. The most common reasons people share something with others are pretty  surprising. Let’s look at the data. To bring valuable and entertaining content to others.   49%  say sharing allows them to inform others of products they care about and potentially change opinions or encourage action To define ourselves to others.  68%  share to give people a better sense of who they are and what they care about To grow and nourish our relationships.  78%  share information online because it lets them stay connected  to people they may  not otherwise stay in touch with Self-fulfillment.  69%  share information because it allows them to feel more involved in the world To get the word out about causes or brands.  84%  share because  it is a way to support causes or issues they care about It was also found that some users share as a act of â€Å"information management.†Ã‚  73% of  respondents said that they process information more deeply, thoroughly and thoughtfully when they share it. Shareable content has more to do with your readers relationship to others than their relationship...So, what do we do with all of this? How do we actually apply it to our content? There are five big ways. 1. Bring Value To Your Readers – Every Time If your readers are sharing content that they know, like, and trust, then one of the most important aspects of our content has to be the sheer value that it offers your readers. Ask yourself, â€Å"what are my readers really getting in exchange for their time spent consuming my content? It is worth their time? Recommended Reading from Neil Patel: The 6 Types Of Social Media Content That Will Give You The Greatest Value On this blog, we frequently post content that goes well beyond the 500-600 word average that is accepted by most blogs. Sure, this is above and beyond the call of duty, but we don’t mind. Why? Because we consistently pack more information as practical advice into our posts that our competitors do. It is part of our blue ocean strategy. It is part of how we make our content more valuable to our readers. Always remember that the value you provide and the entertainment you offer can instantly make your content more sharable. You can do this too. Other options you might consider: How can you make your content more practical and actionable for your readers. Readers love putting advice into action. How you continually  supply your readers with new and unique content that has never been â€Å"done† before. How your content can provide more value than the next best post on the subject. (See the skyscraper technique) How you can compete with everything else that your readers are doing when consuming your content. As if that wasn’t enough, you also need to realize that good content comes with a high entertainment factor. Rather than a generic stock image, consider custom graphics or charts that present your content to readers in a brand new way. This content is easy to share and easy to love because it brings delight and surprise to your readers. If you haven’t before, consider a video or infographic as a way to add more value, and more entertainment, to your content. Above all, always remember that the value you provide and the entertainment you offer can instantly make your content more sharable. 2. Help Your Readers Define Themselves I love digital books, but I frequently miss the presence of a physical book sitting on my shelf. There is something about the books that I keep and their ability to define who I am. They are important indicators of how I define myself, and in the same way, so does the content I choose to share. This is an important reality to consider. I mean really, when is the last time you asked yourself how your content would help your readers â€Å"identify themselves.† Probably never, but yet it is one of the most common reasons people share content with their friends. For example, this post by Optimizely  is a great example of how users can identify themselves with your content. In the post, the author offers an opportunity for the reader to discover if they are, in-fact, a data-driven marketer. This identity dilemma gives readers a direct opportunity to define themselves to others by reading the post, and then sharing it with their own audience. By sharing it, they very well could be defining themselves as a data-drive marketer, and if that’s the case it is good motivation for them to tell others. Of course, to do this well you need to make sure that each piece of content you create has a single specific takeaway or point that your readers can focus on. Without focus, it will be difficult for your audience to identify with your content in a direct way.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 69

History - Essay Example The 1960s movement culture had also force a reconsideration of foreign policy concerning defense of democracy and human rights across countries because of liberals seemed to be blind to human rights abuses and dangers of the Soviet military power. To provide evidence that the 1960s movement had led to the development of neo-conservatism politics and worldwide reconsideration of foreign policy, Boyer (2001) stated that America’s prime interest was mainly commerce and missionary work; however, the growth of the Soviet forces had made America a buffer state which balance great power and ambitions and defend only against external threats (283). America were blind to human abuses as they were linked to the British while supporting the Jews. America believed that containment of Soviet threat is necessary and this led the nationalist or neo-conservative movement to emerge. This movement saw that while America promote different social programs, they are still blind to worldwide human rights abuses because of containment of Soviet threat. Based on the evidences, I assumed that the Soviet force was truly terrifying; if not, why would America will only aim towards containment despite seeing worldwide human rights abuses? I learned that to preserve foreign relations, establishing an ally would help a lot. However, we must see to it that the draft of foreign relations policy will not only support social welfare and defense but will also strengthen democracy and protect human rights across the globe. This must promote equality among all

Organizational Design Research Worksheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Design Research Worksheet - Essay Example National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was the first company to implement a formal matrix structure. They implemented the matrix system in their space program because it needed to simultaneously implement different projects at the same time. A matrix structure was the best option for NASA because unlike other structures, the matrix structure was less bureaucratic, slow-moving or hierarchical. It also enabled them to make every department independent of each other by equipping them with their own staffing and financing resources (Teitel, 2002). This defied the old models that had a single department to cater for the entire organization making it mandatory for one to consult and await approval before embarking on any project. Despite the matrix structure benefits, there existed some downsides for the organization. Some employees found themselves reporting to more than one superior at the same time making it real confusing for them to execute decisions which overlapped. This brought about a lot of problems for both the superiors and the subordinates. There was also duplication of work within the organization because all projects seemed to be self-sufficient in running all their affairs including the preparation of paperwork. This meant that the organization had many departments performing a similar function for example all projects had their own finance department. Despite the cons of this structure the pros outweighed them and the model has been seen to be adopted by many more organizations since its formal implementation by NASA. NASA was therefore successful in the implementation of this design (John, 2008). The most traditional of all the models of organization structures was the functional structure. It is sometimes referred to as the bureaucratic structure because of the existence of a rigid chain of command. Of all the structures it is the least complicated and easiest to understand. It is characterized by the existence