Prescription Drug Abuse

Credit: politicalhumor.about.com

In October 2003, Ruch Limbaugh was accused of being involved in an illegal drug trafficking ring as a larger purchaser of pain medications.  After being accused of abusing drugs, Rush Limbaugh came forward on his national radio show saying, “You know I have always tried to be honest with you and open about my life.  I need to tell you today that part of what you have heard and read is correct. I am addicted to prescription pain medication.”

When these statements were given in 2003, I could not believe it.  Straight as an arrow right wing conservative Rush Limbaugh addicted to Oxycontin?  I feel that Rush Limbaugh’s addiction serves as a great argument for the addictive powers of pain medications.  I feel that by a well credited (by some) public figure like him proves that there is a real problem with pain medications and a strong potential for abuse.

This story is especially surprising after reading some of his previous quotes regarding drug use…”What this says to me is that too many whites are getting away with drug use. Too many whites are getting away with drug sales. Too many whites are getting away with trafficking in this stuff. The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we’re not putting others in jail who are breaking the law. The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too.”  Hypocritical or sad?

From cartoons to satelites to huge charts, Al Gore uses visuals as rhetoric throughout the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” brilliantly.   So, did Gore utilize visuals to add a dramatic touch to his points?  Or, did he have a stack of impressive visuals that he simply explained?

I really enjoyed the cartoon and thought it was a great use of visuals in the film.  It gives the audience a break from the dramatic documentary with sarcastic humor that resembles “The Simpsons.”  It really reminded me of the cartoon used in Michael Moore’s movie “Bowling for Columbine,” which was made by the creators of South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker.    Another memorable use of visuals is the part when he shows before and after pictures of the ice melting and how much the landscapes have changed. 

Here are three ideas for potential press releases:

1.  High School Seminars for parents

My first press release will be about a hypothetical series of seminars at local high schools educating parents about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.  The seminars will provide information as well as steps to prevent teen drug abuse.  The press release will be for local newspapers and/or local television stations.

2.  Barack Obama Campaign

With the timeliness of the upcoming election and all the issues being floated around, I decided to make a press release announcing Obama’s position and ideas to solve the teen Rx abuse crisis.  This press release will be given to internet media outlets, mainly political websites.

3.  Prescription drug abuse ad campaign

I plan on creating an organization similar to www.theantidrug.com.  This organization created an ad campaign targeted at parents with television commercials, print ads, many other forms of advertising to communicate the problem.  I plan on creating a series of hypothetical advertisements under my fictional organization.  This press release will be distributed to some major television stations and newspapers.

Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” is a well made documentary that uses clever rhetoric.  Throughout the film, Al Gore attempts to appeal to the viewers pathos in order to push the agenda of global warming.  Gore seems to be  playing the role of an every day American to make him more relatable to the audience, which makes them feel closer to him.  For  example, when Al is walking through the airport carrying his own luggage and waiting in line like a normal traveler.  I have a hard time believing that this is a reality.  Another example of Gore targeting our pathos is when he shows all the intense images like the glaciers falling into the ocean.  These kinds of images give the viewer a real life perspective on what it actually looks like when the ice caps are melting otherwise it is hard to imagine the intensity.   To further appeal to our emotions, Al discusses his family’s history of  being tobacco farmers and how his sister died from lung cancer. 

I really liked how Gore related the climate crisis to the tobacco industry.  The tobacco companies simply denied scientific facts that cigarrettes cause cancer much like global warming “deniers” call it a theory and the scientific proof is debatable.  I was unsure who these deniers were and why they would want to deny this problem anyway, besides the major fuel burning industries like Exxon. 

In conclusion, I found this documentary to be very informative and touching, but not very persuasive.  Most people who watched this film are probably already supporters of Al Gore and his agenda, so they were not in need of persuasion.  By Al Gore putting his name on this film blatenly targets left wing supporters, who mostly already agree that global warming is a serious problem.  The conservatives are largely the opposition to the “theory” and because his name is on the film, they will probably never get to see it thus not being persuaded.  Furthermore, I feel that his wrongly targeted persuasive documentary lacked in solutions.

The “Shock Doctrine” is a short film that examines how shock affects people and how it is used to change us. The film begins with a history on how shock therapy was used to treat people from mental or behavioral problems. It then shows how the CIA used shock therapy in an experiment where they electrically shocked human subjects. Out of these experiments came a handbook on how to breakdown prisoners to a childlike state so they can be manipulated. Immediatly after, the film shows a close up on the airplanes flying into the WTC on 9/11. It is very clever how the film creators switched gears from physical shock, to emotional and mental shock. The film argues that both physical and mental shock reduce us to a child like state and more inclined to manipulation. 

Throughout the film, many intense film clips are shown while the narrator is speaking.  For instance, while the narrator is discussing Milton Freedman, imagery of disasters, riots, and chaos are shown.  Freedman believes that immediatly after a crisis or disaster, people are most vulnerable and this is when government should push the more difficult policies.  The film cleverly uses shocking videos to shock its viewers, while discussing how shock can be used to manipulate people.  Brilliant film.

An A but B statement states a goal or objective of an issue, then provides a condition that may prevent that goal from being accomplished.

Examples:

(A) Parents are the number one line of defense to prevent teenage prescription drug abuse, (B)but many parents are unaware of the problem and are uneducated on how to deal with it.

(A) Educating parents and teens about the risk of Rx drug abuse can help prevent teens from abusing Rx drugs, (B) but it is hard to reach parents and teens that are unaware of the issue.

( Courtesy of ahrp.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html)

  The image above is a usual form of visual rhetoric that gives a sarcastic look at the misconceptions associated with FDA approved drugs.  The warning on the bottle uses irony in an attempt to show that many FDA approved drugs are very dangerous.  Many believe that because a drug is government approved that it is safe, but this is simply not true.

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(Courtesy of National Survey on Drug Use and Health)

The second image is a graph regarding the use prescription pain relievers for non medical reasons.  A survey was conducted in 2005 by NSDUH to study how young adults obtained Rx drugs for non medical use.  The graph shows an overwhelming number of young adults get Rx pain relievers from family or relatives for free.  I feel this image is a good piece of visual rhetoric because when you see the bars on the graph compared, you really understand where this problem is stemming from and where the solution lies…at home.

(Courtesy of Cirque Lodge)

This rhetorical image shows a young girl who seems strung out and depressed.  These kinds of images are frequently used by anti-drug use organizations to show the mental anguish that drugs can do to a person.  This image also works well in regards to my audience, parents of teens, because no parent wants their son or daughter to look or feel like this.  This image can really target a parents pathos.

Parents:  The Anti Drug

This is a great website designed for parents to get information about teen drug abuse and how to prevent it. 

A Partnership for a Drug Free America

A very informative website with tons of facts and statistics.

Erowid

An informative unbiased all-drug related website.

Office of National Drug Control Policy

The ONDCP is a component of the Executive Office of the government whos principal purpose “is to establish policies, priorities, and objectives for the Nation’s drug control program”. 

The reading titled “Blogging for Better Health” is closely related to my study of prescription drug abuse.  The article tells how many bloggers are now using blogs to provide and retrieve medical information.  Additionally, blogs are being used by mental health bloggers as a way to cope, socially connect, and form identity.  Therefore, blogs can be used as technical support for prescription drug abuse information, as well as emotional support for those coping with drug addiction and the mental health issues that go along with it.

Blogs offer a way for people to provide, research, and gain information on medical issues that may pertain to them.  Blogs can act as testimonials for prescription drugs, and may warn readers of possible risks associated with them.  For example: risks of addiction, overedose, and health problems associated with particular prescription drugs.  Besides the informational aspect, blogs can offer emotional support for drug abusers.

The article gives the argument that blogs can be used as a form of treatment for those requiring emotional support.  For example, cancer patients that suffer from mental health issues can research blogs not only for information, but to get a “more positive attitude” and be more “active in participating in their treatment.”  Prescription drug abuse is closely associated with mental health, and co-exists with it.  Blogging acts very similar to drug abusers seeking emotional support and a positive attitude towards recovery.  According to the article, research shows that, “questioning and reformulating one’s life story can renew a sense of meaning and possibility.” 

Health Insurance 

 K –     I know that national healthcare is one of the main issues in current politics.  The democrats, such as Hillary Clinton, say that everyone deserves and should have healthcare through the government.  Since medical costs are so expensive, many cannot afford health insurance.  There are around 50 million Americans without proper medical insurance.  I know there are also arguments against national healthcare.  For example, national healthcare would raise taxes, may decrease medical quality, and for some, bring an unwanted level of government into our lives

            My audience is anyone who wants to make an educated decision on the issue, voters for the upcoming election who are unsure of their stand on the problem, legislators, and people without healthcare.

W – I want to know how national healthcare would affect other things, including taxes, medical quality, and government control.  I have heard that in Canada, where there is national healthcare, that people may not get the proper or best medical attention.  I want to explore why this is and how it could be prevented.

H – Since this issue is split right down the middle as an argument, I would have to explore both sides.  I would go to websites such as, mediapolicycenter.org.  I would also go to political candidates’ websites to find their views and solutions on the issue.

L – I learned that the problem does not only affect those without health insurance.  It also affects those with insurance companies that do not cover the cost of things like drug prescriptions.  This affects mainly the elderly, and those who especially need help paying for these costs.  I do know much more about the issue, but whether I choose this topic for this class or not, I will still research this issue on my own time to make an educated decision.

  Prescription drug abuse 

K – I know that prescription drugs are the second most illegally abused drug, next to marijuana.  I know that there is an alarming increase in usage among teenagers and young adults.  This generation of young people has the nickname generation Rx.  Drugs such as oxycontin have similar effects to heroin, and have a strong addiction rate.  These drugs are easy to find and easy to abuse.

W – I want to explore ways and ideas on how to stop prescription drug abuse.  I want to know what drug companies are doing or have done to prevent the abuse.  I want to know statistics on young adults abusing the drugs.  I want to know how the government classifies the drug.  I also want to know if any candidates have recognized the issue.

H – I will find information through PittCat and the internet.  Specifically, the whitehousedrugpolicy.gov, FDA.org, www.theantidrug.com, drugfree.org….  

L – I have learned prescription drugs are actually abused more than marijuana by teens.  I have learned that prescription drugs are abused by thousands of 12-13 year olds.  There are countless mind boggling facts associated with this issue.