Drug use/abuse and deviance

Introduction

Deviance is the act of rejecting the social norms and engaging in antisocial activities which are not accepted by the community. Through engaging in drug abuse activities, such people acts immorally, unethically and against the law. Though deviance does not always portray antisocial behavior, some situations such as drug abuse clearly portrays the action against the law. This means that deviance is defined with respect to social setting. Drug abuse is a deviant behavior and according to social constructionist theory, many people engage in drug abuse activities due to lack of social control and conventional culture which reinforces conformity.  In addition, the society has rules, regulations and common values which govern its members.  Deviant behaviors do not follow the common values and society norms. Society takes responsive measures to deal with deviant behaviors contributed by drug abuse. Generally, drug abuse is socially constructed in that people engages in deviant behavior through breaking the social norm of the society.

 It is important to understand drug abuse, in order to understand how deviance behavior occurs and how social constructionist defines both drug abuse and deviance.  Drug abuse is the act of taking illegal drugs and the act contributes to negative consequences which affect life in terms of interpersonal relationship, education and other social interaction (Berridge, 2015). Drug abuse results to drug addiction.  According to Berridge (2015) drug abuse is related with crime. The important point to note is that drug abuse is contributed by substance use which is associated with repeated intake. The maladaptive pattern causes drug addiction which then leads to antisocial behavior. Someone who is addictive increases tolerance and social harm. Drug abuse is a deviant behavior because it is a voluntary action which violates the social norms.  Drug abuse leads to ethical and social issues which contribute to conflicting values in societies.   It is important to note that drug  users  changes their lifestyle and they become involved in  situation which encourage crime hence  participating  in illegal activities (Berridge, 2015).  Drug abuse affects the nervous system and personality and finally it interferes with the health and causes adverse issues in the society.  The self-administration is an action which goes against the norms of a given culture. A person who takes drug loses self-confidence and as a result, the person gains a negative sense of doing anything such as kidnapping and rape.  In addition, people show deviance in various forms in that they also engage in sexual behaviors. Particularly the young adults, they may engage in opposite sex relationship or premarital sex for the purpose of making money and for economic means (Berridge, 2015). In this situation, they put fashionable and unacceptable clothing which do not portray a positive image of the culture. Drug abuse creates a hostility environment where drug users become hostile to their friends and society in general.

According to social constructionist approach, people understand the society through the cultural rules which are imposed. The theory presents the assumption that people should focus on knowledge and follow the social reality in interacting with the social group (Shipunova, 2016). In addition, people understand the world through interaction with social groups. Thus, people create psychological constructs through social discourse. The theory is strengthened by principles which are based on the ideology that reality in social constructionist is represented by language and maintained by social progresses. Human beings enter in a world where people understand the reality and share common beliefs which should be followed within a society (Shipunova, 2016). Social constructionist is derived from the ideology that in a society, individuals constructs a sense of reality. However, people tend to reject the sense of reality or in other words they create self-production and social order.  Social constructs focuses on three elements which creates social reality. First is externalization which indicates that individuals in society have the responsibility in creating institutions. By creating an institution, they construct objective reality. Both externalization and objectivities makes an individual within the society to become a social product where he or she uses institutional role to gain social identity (Shipunova, 2016). Social constructs are natural ideas which are assigned within a society or in a particularly environment and rather than applying immutable laws, social constructionist focuses on human choices. In other words, society and world believes shapes the reality and positive perceptions. With respect to the theory, reality complies with what is socially acceptable and unacceptable behaviors are shaped by everyday situations and experience (Shipunova, 2016). Thus, failure to follow the reality is a deviance behavior and in this case, deviance is revealed through the illegal actions caused by drug addiction.  At this point, a person shows deviant behaviors which are defined by the society with respect to the norms.

Drug abuse not only affects the user but also the entire society and governmental resources.  Note that drug abuse cause adverse effects to the users’ health   and causes diseases such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, mental disorders, Lung disease among many (Borges et al, 2016).  Children whose parents are drug abuse are negatively impacted in that they lack parental care, medical care and also they are emotionally and physically mistreated. There are other risks to children in that some illicit drugs are manufactured in homes and the chemical produced includes anhydrous ammonia, iodine and others which if inhaled; they cause long term effects to the body in terms of psychological problems.  In economy particularly in business field, drug abusers are unable to work effectively hence giving other workers heavy workloads (Borges et al, 2016). Due to lack of self-control, drug users engage in unethical behaviors in a way that they even steal cash and products so that they can buy drugs. The productivity and economy in general is affected in that drug users slow the productivity due to absenteeism and poor performance. The business is affected financially in that it provides benefits and medical insurances to workers   and drug users often gets illnesses thereby misusing the finance in unproductive way (Borges et al, 2016). Other form of deviant behaviors which affects the community is theft or murder. Since drug users are unable to work in order to sustain them, they commit crime such as theft and this becomes a security issue in the society. In addition, the side effects of drug for example the effect on brain makes the drug user to commit crime such as murder since he or she lacks self-control and it is difficult to distinguish between wrong and right and to act ethically (Borges et al, 2016).

 In the case of drug abuse, the act is both criminal and deviant.  This is because, the drug user acts against the social and legal rules.  Drug abuse has effects on local and global level. It causes rapid changes in family and community and in global level it affects political and economic aspects. The implication of deviant behavior from the drug abuse affects the community in a negative way.  Family, as part of the community is affected in that the sense of belong is weakened. They are viewed through negative sight by the community members since they have the responsibility to nurture and encourage their children to act in a moral way.  Apart from deviance behavior from drug users, other deviance behaviors which are against the society norms are contributed by manufactures and distributors.  The process of selling drug leads to other harmful behaviors such as money-laundering, terrorism and use of guns.  Drug abuse disconnects young people with their family and leads to adverse effects which affect their lives. For example, studies on deviancy behavior from drug users show that young girls become pregnant as a result of engaging in drug abuse behaviors. Illicit drug and crime are closely interrelates and a higher number of crime is contributed as a result of peer pressure. Drug users tend to follow common behaviors which violate the society rule and regulations.

According to social constructionist, drug abuse and deviance is related with social influences.  In this theory, individuals are interconnected with cultural and political contexts and the interaction creates aspect of humanity as well as social practices. The theory presents the assumption that human nature is not universal but the mutual existence is shaped by socialization and enculturation (Gergen, 2015). It is important to note that deviant behaviors which are caused by drug abuse are referred to as crime in that the actions are non-conformity following that they fails to comply with the law. Gergen (2015) presents a similar notion based on social constructionist and asserts that individuals’ interaction and social reality influences understanding. In addition, people develop social reality through interaction in life. The author asserts that social constructionists creates communal beliefs and connects themes related with gender, power and more. Through this theory, it is possible to understand the human interaction and how they relate in the world experience in creating understanding. Gergen, (2015) asserts that social constructionist focuses human interaction and behavior and asserts that personal representation regulates thoughts and behaviors of others.  In relation to human interaction and gaining social reality in life, the theory presents the ideology that deviance arises due to lack of individual control. Gergen, (2015) drug users engage in deviant behaviors which harm their health and society as well. They engage in illegal activities such as drinking driving, property damage among other unaccepted behaviors. The author asserts that people tend to engage in deviance behavior during the stage of drug addiction. At this stage, addiction affects the brain and the brain change contributes to long-lasting harmful behaviors (Reibstein, 2013). In this case, harmful behaviors are referred to as deviant behaviors because they are against the social norms and they affect the society in various ways. In other words, deviance is socially constructed given that norms which are set up within the society are violated.  Scholars and research asserts that the act of misusing drug is a voluntary behavior which makes the person to lose self-control and behave in unaccepted manner (Reibstein, 2013). For example, alcohol lowers inhibitions and leads someone to risky behaviors including lack of responsibility. Cocaine affects the brain and increases irritability. Marijuana affects the nervous system and the drug user may lose self-control and act in a negative way (Reibstein, 2013).

In order to change the deviant behaviors and implement positive behaviors, first it is important to understand the drug use patterns and then support the drug users. Note that drug users pass through different patterns and the first pattern is known as experimental use (Riley & Hayward, 2004). In this pattern or stage, people become curious about drugs and others are enticed by peer pressure. Though drug use in this stage can cause harm, there is no addiction. People often takes mood-altering drugs and the continue use opens paths for entering in the next stage which is known as social use. In this stage, drug user takes drugs in social institution for various purposes such as recreational, having fun, socialization and more (Riley & Hayward, 2004). Social use creates an environment where drug users get an opportunity to participate in substance use regularly and he or she finds it hard to stop the behavior.  At this point, the users show defiance and depression. Third, drug users enter in Binge drinking or in others words becomes involved in risky behavior. During this stage, drug abuse not only affects the health but also cause negative behaviors which effects personal life and community (Riley & Hayward, 2004). The next stage is substance abuse and dependence. At this point, the drug user is unable to control his or her life and addiction becomes chronic and it becomes hard to recover from addiction.  If the user does not abstain, the dependency stage may cause death.  

 The drug abuse can become a positive behavior through employing behavioral approaches. Behavioral treatment plays a great role in helping them in recovery and   resisting in drug.  Therapists in behavioral treatment should provide incentives which will offer modifying attitudes, life skills, and environmental cues and help the family with communication skills and other forms of social interaction (Danielsen et al, 2016). Drug abusers and particularly adolescents can change their behavior through forming group therapy. The peer discussion can improve social reinforcement and help individuals live a drug-free lifestyle.  Other important point is that drug users can create community reinforcement approach and this will help them maintain abstinence and they can also gain problems-solving skills, communication skill and recreational activities (Danielsen et al, 2016). Cognitive –Behavioral Therapy can also change the drug abuse behaviors and create a positive behavior through providing teaching programs for the purpose of providing coping strategies.  In CBT, drug abusers will learn about consequences of drug abuse, personal skills, self-control skills and problem-solving skills and apply them in life. Next, contingency management is effective in reinforcing positive behaviors. This approach helps the drug users with low-cost incentives which act as substitutes of drug abuse (Danielsen et al, 2016). The incentives weaken the drug abuse behaviors and reinforce healthier activities which would create a meaningful life. Other effective approach which can play a great role in shaping behavior is Motivational Enhancement Therapy. This approach provides drug abusers with advice and helps them in quitting drug abuse behaviors and engaging in treatment.  In other words, the approach mainly focuses on treatment and it uses motivational interviewing and through counseling, a person involved in drug abuse understands the importance of treatment and takes a step to get a treatment and create a plan for change (Carroll & Onken, 2005). Other behavioral approach which should be included in changing behavior is Family Behavior Therapy.  This approach is effective and produces positive results since it plays a great role not only in helping a person quite drug use but also in solving other problems such as unemployment, depression and more. In other words, this approach not only focuses on behavioral aspects but also contingency management (Carroll & Onken, 2005).  FBT connects the drug user with friends and families, removes the conflict in between and reinforces relationship. The point is that the approach creates a new home environment and in contingency management, drug users are assisted in creating behavioral goals such as effective parenting. The last behavioral approach to reinforce positive behavior is Twelve-Step Facilitation Therapy (Carroll & Onken, 2005).This approach involves active engagement and ensures that drug users follows three important aspects namely, acceptance, surrender and active involvement. These play a great role in ensuring that drug abuser understands the negative effects of the behavior and the only solution is quitting. Then, the person decides to follow the 12-step program with recovery activities. Third, a person follows the treatment and becomes actively involved in 12-step programs and facilitation (Carroll & Onken, 2005).

 In order to prevent drug abuse and deviant behaviors, there should be a well-constructed plan which will involve drug abuse problems in the community, prevention programs, long-term objectives and prevention strategies (Lowe et al, 2016). Community should be responsible in assessing drug abuse and other risk factors so that it can understand the nature of the problem and implement relevant programs which will help in meeting community needs.  It is important to understand that prevention starts with the community and so it is responsible in creating motivation, hold a discourse with community members, involve the media and join hands with different level of community groups in planning and developing prevention programs on how to end the drug use (Lowe et al, 2016).  In preventive programs, risk and protective factors should be included. There should be universal programs designed for general population such as family, selective programs designed for groups at risk such as children and indicated programs designed for drug users who are unable to quit. Preventive programs designed for families will help the family members with communication skills, discipline style and other management skills.  Parents can also gain cognitive and social skills and help them to take active roles. Family program will also improve parent-child connection and family guidance (Lowe et al, 2016). Preventive program designed for children will provide academic skills, self-control and social behaviors. This will improve academic performance through teaching drug resistance, social skills and importance of creating meaningful life as a young person. Programs designed to community will provide community members with prosocial behaviors and new policies which should be followed (Lowe et al, 2016). The programs should also involve measures to deal with mental illnesses so that mentally ill can get treatment and be prevented to engage in substance abuse.

 Conclusion

Drug abuse and deviant behaviors go hand- in- hand.  Drug abusers develop tolerance and at this stage, their engage in deviant behaviors which are rejected by the society. Change in behaviors is the main symptom which is portrayed and the users become disconnected with family and society. According to social constructionist approach, society has set social norms which community members should follow. It focuses on subjective and objective reality and through knowledge and everyday interaction, people understands the reality. Deviance in this case is referred to as social construction in that the society norms should followed and failure to follow indicates that the drug user is violating the norms. The drug abuse and deviant behavior is a voluntary act created in social interaction. In general, the theory asserts that an act is defined as a deviant behavior or a social problem when there is a claim made by social movement. In other words, drug abuse becomes a deviant behavior because it violates the society norms which are created by the community. Other important point is that the community takes a social response in order to address the deviant behavior. For example in the case of drug abuse, society deals with the issue through taking measures such as medical treatment or psychiatric evaluation. Community should be in the frontline in preventing abuse through providing programs with preventive measures.

Reference

Shipunova, T. (2016). Features of the Social Control of Deviance. Sociological Research, 55(1), 31-44.

doi:10.1080/10610154.2016.1184067

Borges, G., Cherpitel, C. J., Orozco, R., Zemore, S. E., Wallisch, L., Medina-Mora, M., & Breslau, J. (2016).

Substance Use and Cumulative Exposure to American Society: Findings From Both Sides of the

US-Mexico Border Region. American Journal Of Public Health, 106(1), 119-127.

doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302871

Berridge, V. (2015). History and its contribution to understanding addiction and society. Addiction,

11023-26. doi:10.1111/add.12903

Riley, S. E., & Hayward, E. (2004). Patterns, Trends, and Meanings of Drug Use by Dance-drug Users in

Edinburgh, Scotland. Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy, 11(3), 243-262.

doi:10.1080/09687630310001643111

Lowe, J., Liang, H., Henson, J., & Riggs, C. (2016). PREVENTING SUBSTANCE USE AMONG NATIVE

AMERICAN EARLY ADOLESCENTS. Journal Of Community Psychology, 44(8), 997-1010.

doi:10.1002/jcop.21823

Danielsen, Y. S., Rekkedal, G. Å., Frostad, S., & Kessler, U. (2016). Effectiveness of enhanced cognitive

behavioral therapy (CBT-E) in the treatment of anorexia nervosa: a prospective multidisciplinary

study. BMC Psychiatry, 161-14. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-1056-6

Gergen, K. J. (2015). Culturally Inclusive Psychology from a Constructionist Standpoint. Journal For The

Theory Of Social Behaviour, 45(1), 95-107. doi:10.1111/jtsb.12059

Reibstein, J. (2013). Commentary: a different lens for working with affairs: using social constructionist

and attachment theory. Journal Of Family Therapy, 35(4), 368-380. doi:10.1111/j.1467-

6427.2011.00562.x

Carroll, K. M., & Onken, L. S. (2005). Behavioral Therapies for Drug Abuse. American Journal Of

Psychiatry, 162(8), 1452-1460.

Causes and implications of drugs

Alex and his three colleagues had a picnic event where they went to rest and in the event they smoked marijuana. As the event continued, Alex offered his friends with another substance by the name heroin but they all previously declined to abuse the drug. After a while, Alex, Hannah, and mac decided to try out the drug but Tara declined again leaving her the only person in a group of four who never used the heroin. The drug had no side effects on Alex and Hannah but Mac was highly affected by the drug. The drug knocked him out and stayed unconscious for several hours before any help could arrive. Mac stayed unconscious for almost twelve hours before anyone could recognize the danger they all were responsible for creating. This shows a very high level of irresponsibility amongst them and the fact that they were using an illegal substance makes this a criminal offense that could end in jail terms. Alex being the person responsible for causing the accident seems to not even care about what happens to his friend Mac.  

Marijuana is obtained from a form of dried flowers, leaves, seeds, and stems of a hemp plant known as the Cannabis sativa. In the United States, the most abused drug by individuals of all levels is the marijuana. The most affected generation is the younger one wherein every group of ten people, seven abuse the drug. Currently, the number of those abusing the drug has reduced and but the number of those who have an idea that the drug is harmful has decreased thereby making it possible that most of them abuse the drug. Legalization of this harmful substance for use in medication especially among the adults has increased the knowledge and understanding of many that the substance might not actually be harmful to them as well. Just like marijuana, Heroin is also a harmful drug substance that could be fatal when used by individuals. Heroin is also illegal in the United States and also in most states in the world. This is a recreational substance that should be used by the experts only since it has side effects that could lead to the death of the individuals who use this product.

Heroin is used as a medication in rehabs where the long term users are injected as they also undergo counseling to reduce the withdrawal effects of this substance. Heroin drug is injected into the blood veins of individuals and can also be smoked or even inhaled and when the drug gets into the body system, it can stay up for several hours in the body thereby increasing the chances of these individual having blackouts for a long time. Heroin has its side effects such as the depression of the respiratory system and this effect leads to the person becoming mentally ill and most of them require the control or help of another person in what they do on a daily basis. Basically, other related side effects of this product are the infection of the heart valves, infections in the blood borne, pneumonia, and constipation. Alex and his friends decided to abuse the drugs as a way of having fun amongst themselves but which later proved to be dangerous. Marijuana has been legalized in most states in the world not only for medical use but also as a recreational substance but with limits.

People have been given the opportunity to grow and sell the drug but with limits on how much quantity one can deal with at a given time. Alex offered marijuana to all his friends which never had any side effects to any of his friends but made the matters worse when he introduced them to heroin which brought trouble amongst the group. Alex had the idea of how much the drug can affect his colleagues but never refrained from giving them this harmful substance. Influencing others to use drugs is prohibited and this could see Alex being imprisoned for influencing his friends into drug abuse. It is against humanity to see a friend suffering and do nothing about it. The actions of Alex and his friends of not calling for help immediately after Mac was down and unconscious shows how irresponsible they are whereas they were in the same group which used heroin.

Mac suffered pneumonia as a result of the drug and did not receive any treatment on the spot, therefore, increasing the chances of him having a heart failure or heart depression. Under the law, marijuana remains a drug substance that is under strict regulations and controlled by the government. It is a federal offense to transport or use marijuana in any public places and this could lead to the jailing of the individual who performs such acts. Under the 2013 act regarding state laws on marijuana, the federal government was given the power to provoke any state laws regarding the transportation and the use of marijuana in those states. With this, the federal government has the capability to influence the states to enact strong laws on marijuana and drug use. This law states that the marijuana substance remains a very illegal substance and should not be used by any individual. This law if it is followed Alex, Hannah, and Mac could spend some time in jail since they will test positive on smoking marijuana if a test is conducted. The use of heroin is prohibited worldwide. Alex and his colleagues face a possible imprisonment of not more than one year.

Narcotics are highly prohibited in most countries as they increase the drug abuse rates which make most people be dependent reducing the number of working individuals, therefore, lowering the economic growth rate. Under the influence of heroin, Alex never saw the need to call the authorities after his friend fell ill almost dying in the field but even rebuked those who tried to inform the authorities or any other source of help. Tara also was responsible for the fatal accident that Mac suffered though he tried to help. Tara noted the reactions of Mac earlier but failed to take an emergency action which involves rushing him to the nearest healthcare center. This could have avoided them from running into trouble which in this case can be equated to murder. Mac’s murder was not the only murder that could have been recorded on this day alone. Tara had unmounted a restriction sign and also a barrier for individuals not to fall into a pond and used it as firewood without knowing the danger created.

After a while, a child aged five almost died in the pond after falling into it through the space created by Tara. This is ignorance that ought to be charged heavily. People are always warned against the use of illegal substance since the risks involved are many and drugs not only affect the user but also the society. This is so since when Tara chopped off the restriction sign; anybody could have tripped or accessed the pond, therefore, a hazard to the society. The five-year-old child fell and drowned in the pond as a result of Tara removing the fence. According to the law, it is an offense to cause a hazardous situation to the others and one could be jailed for such actions. These actions have all been caused by the use of marijuana and heroin. If these two substances were out of the picture both the child and Mac could not have suffered the implications of substance use. Members of congress especially in the United States are finding a way of curbing this menace that has from time to time caused deaths and accidents in the community.

Drugs such as marijuana should even not be allowed to be used in medical centers. The legalization of these harmful products has allowed the younger generation to assume that these products are safe for use. However, this is not the case with every state since there are states where drug abuse is strictly prohibited even in private. Possession of any prohibited substance could land a person in jail without trial. Such steps if followed by every nation, the world would be in a better place where there are less or no drugs to be used by people. The departments of justice should find effective means of rooting out drugs in the society and any state that legalizes drug and substance use should be fined at an international level to reduce its activities.   

Case study 702

Hearing impairment is a common disorder but it is a sensitive and a serious issue that affects children from all age brackets.  Based on the recent research an approximation of two percent of children is subjected to a particular degree of hearing loss.  In addition without quick and actual treatment hearing impairment can cause children to agonize from several significant speech postponements, social issues as well as educational challenges.  Hearing impairment as well as deafness generally, manifests with particular characteristics and symptoms.  Despite the fact, that the symptoms may differ from a child to another   particular traits and conduct are indicated characteristically of hearing challenges (Fernandes, Hariprasad, & Kumar, 2015).

From observation of the six-year-old child with hearing impairment, he is characterized by speech delays, communication difficulties, selective hearing, behavioral characteristics and differential diagnosis (Fernandes, Hariprasad, & Kumar, 2015). The child, however, seems social and with hearing aids he is able to hear and this has affected his learning abilities. Speech and language development delays   can be categorized as classic symptoms of hearing impairment in children.  As noted by most health studies most children with hearing impairment are first diagnosed with the issue as toddlers.  In short, those children who   are not able to state even a single word by the time they are one or two are in most cases diagnosed with hearing issues.  A toddler with adequate  hearing  is  fully  able  to typically  name familiar  things ,  be able to follow  the given simplified  instructions and be able to recognize  the names of those that are close  by  the time they attain  fifteen up to  twenty-four months of development.  Those that are characterized by poor hearing abilities are normally unable to communicate based on the fact that they cannot understand the spoken words or even imitate speech.  However when the issue is addressed early children are able to catch up with their age mates (Fernandes, Hariprasad, & Kumar, 2015).

The observation proved that speaking for a hearing impaired   child is characterized by a struggling speech and communication.  These children normally express challenges in self-articulation or in responding to questions (Bukatko, & Daehler, 2012).  during  my observation I noted that the child was  characterized with a peculiar  sound, speech  pattern was  a bit slow , intonation as well as  challenges in  the pronunciation  of  terms.  Despite the fact that for children  it is normal to  tune out  some  commands that are made  by those that are close  most of the children  who seems to be portraying a certain  degree of ignorance are characterized with  hearing issues.  Based on the annual pediatric American report those that are characterized by hearing issues are characterized   by the ability to hear certain pitches and words.  The behavior of not hearing even the calling of their names can be labeled as a conduct that is intentional but it is an inability in general.  Hearing aids and hearing tests help in developing the ability of   the child to hear.  The child is characterized with moderate hearing loss and that is the reason why the hearing aids seem to work best (Bukatko, & Daehler, 2012).

Despite the fact that hearing aids are of great assistance to individuals with hearing issues for some hearing may prove to be sufficient (Bukatko, & Daehler, 2012).  In this cases cochlear for people with profound and severe hearing issues.  The cochlear is made up of the interior and external element which aids in hearing. Children with impaired hearing can   develop different behavioral symptoms.  In most cases, they normally tune up devices in high volumes in compensating their hearing difficulties.  In addition, these children are normally involved in very close observation of their peers in order to emulate body language and communication behaviors.   Ear nerves are  additionally responsible  for controlling balance  as well as sound  and  children with  impaired hearing  might  seem  disoriented  due to the lack of adequate  of  balance control.  I observed that due to the disability the child’s academic nature is not very great.  For  children with  hearing  loss  irritability  and academic issues  are some  of the common  symptoms  related  to the disorder. In addition, there was a certain degree of unrelated disorders that were observed.  The child seemed to be disturbed both emotionally and in terms of behaviors.  Some speech of the child is characterized by abnormality as well as delays (McDevitt, Et al. 2012). Based on the incapability of hearing effectively hearing impaired students are often subjected to educational gaps. This is always the case for the students because their impairment can be regarded as an invisible disorder that is characterized by communication challenges.

An individual with hearing impairment holds partial of full loss of the general capability to discriminate and hear sounds.   This is usually caused by the abnormality in the functionality and structure of the ears.  A hearing impairment is usually described in regard to the degrees of the hearing loss and the kind of hearing loss that an individual is subjected to (McDevitt, Et al. 2012).  Hearing  loss is  normally caused by either  premature birth,  childhood infections,  genetic  factors  otitis  infection and head  trauma  after  the occurrence of birth.  Hearing issues are normally characterized  by  poor school performance,  poor coordination,  delayed  language, listening and  attending challenges  recurring ear infections ,  the sound of speech delay and  the inability  to  pronounce words easily (McDevitt, Et al. 2012).

Via his observations of children’s cognitive development Piaget come up with an intellectual development stage theory which engages four different stages.  This includes sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and the formal operational level (McDevitt, Et al. 2012).  Based on the theory children normally progress information based on the four stages where each is characterized by different shifts in regard to how children generally understand things in real life.   The  theory is based on the assumption  that children are  similar to  scientists and the operate on trying  to  explore  and develop  a sense  of  things that surrounds them.  The cognitive stage of the child that I observed is categorized in the preoperational stage which includes children of between two and seven years (McDevitt, Et al. 2012).  At these particular stage children normally learn through the utilization of pretend plays but they are still subjected to the difficulty of logic and analysis the perceptions of others.    In addition children in this particular stage normally struggle in gaining an understanding of constancy ideal.  For instance, when children are given to pieces of a particular thing they are bound to choose the one that seems larger despite the fact that the two pieces may be equal.  The cognitive  skills  domain  can be  divided into two  that  is  generalized cognitive  and  specific  concepts of learning.  Specific learning normally involves Data, facts, rules as well as concepts in areas like language, sciences, and mathematics.  Cognition is normally described as the general procedure of gaining as well as knowledge understanding which is more crucial as compared to specific concepts teaching.  The second section is made up of skills such as interpreting, reasoning, deciding, creativity and solving issues.  For the child he is not  fully able to  develop  these  skills  as  his interpretation  and gaining of knowledge is affected  by  his  hearing  impairment.

Temperament is made up  of the  person’s  difference in  motor  activation,  emotions as well  as  intentional reaction  in regard  to stimuli.  This helps in shaping the outcome of a child   by influencing the manner in which individuals interact worth the environment and how children generally respond.  Emotional intelligence normally involves   different skills that include emotions recognitions for self and that for others (Bukatko, & Daehler, 2012).  This is the capability of reflection before engaging in a particular activity which may involve self-calming,   self-esteem, and empathy.  This skill can best be developed through the encompassing value to the children.  For  a hearing impaired  child those  that  surrounds them are  supposed to listen to  them as  they try to speak  which  helps in  developing a stronger  emotional intelligence.  Hearing impaired   children are normally faced with the challenge of recognizing where to utilize certain emotions such as curiosity and surprise. In equal terms they are usually unable to describe the terms but when among those that holds   hearing issues they are fully able to express.  The issue of emotional development of hearing impaired individuals is normally rooted to the issue of language but this is not the main factor (Lokanadha, Ramar, & Kusuma, 2004).  These children normally exhibit different emotional development in a more different way as compared to those with hearing abilities. These children as observed are not normally much attached because of the emotional   development shortage.  Children while   they grow up they are usually characterized by the emotion of curiosity   and this may not be expressed correctly by a child with a hearing impairment.

Being able to communicate effectively with those that surrounds is essential for a child’s development. For children, they do not normally interact with their peers in order to share or gain any knowledge but to develop their skills of communication (Lokanadha, Ramar, & Kusuma, 2004).  for  the hearing  impaired  they normally face   challenges  in interacting with  others  due  to speaking and listening  challenges. I  observed  that  despite the fact  that the child  seemed very social  their  socializing capability is weak  due to  communicating  difficulties.  If a child is brought up by supportive parents who pays attentions to the child with the hearing issue the child is bound to learn to imitate emotions as well as language (Bukatko, & Daehler, 2012).  The speech of a hearing impaired child is usually characterized by miscommunication and speech delays.  Language development normally relies on the ability of a child to hear.  This, therefore, implies that hearing affects communication, learning as well as the development of language.  Children with listening difficulties are normally characterized by delayed receptive and expression skills.  The deficit of language normally results in reduced academic achievement results, isolation as well as low self-esteem due to communicating challenges.  This additionally impacts the general vocational choices of a child because of pronunciation issues.  A child with hearing issues normally constructs sentences that are short and simplified as compared to those with the hearing ability (Lokanadha, Ramar, & Kusuma, 2004).  This helps in effective communication as well as proper understanding.   The child that I observed is very social due to the help of the hearing aids and very social too.  However, his language is not well developed as he struggles with speaking challenges.

As children develop they normally experience different interactions.  At the beginning, the interactions begin with friends as well as families   but after a short, while this grows to incorporate the community in general (Lokanadha, Ramar, & Kusuma, 2004).  Through participation and interaction in these interactions, children begin to understand norms and different behaviors in the society.  For the hearing impaired social competence is something that does not come easily.  They normally require the support of the parents so that they can learn the mode of working and playing with peers.  In addition  parental support  helps to ensure that  in social  scenario  these children feel comfortable, respect  diversity  as well as  develop  independence capabilities.  Peers interactions help in the development of social skills through plays.  However hearing impaired children normally isolate themselves from others because they feel different and they are not able to express and communicate effectively (Lokanadha, Ramar, & Kusuma, 2004).  Supportive parenting style helps in the development of social skills more adequately. 

This is a classroom observation case that I choose. A 6-year-old boy who is hearing impaired.  He is currently in first grade.  He receives special education services from the government.  He has a shadow that is with him throughout the day in school.  He has hearing aids to help him hear, his speech has not been affected due to his hearing loss.  He is very social and very bright.  His academic levels are pretty low due to his disability.  He mastered reading and math and his writing skills still need improvement.

The child development domains which include cognitive, emotional, communication and language development and social development are directly connected.  There is one domain that influences all others which are the cognitive development.  This is the capability of a child to reason and develop fresh ideas.  When the  child  has  the challenges  of  reasoning this means that  they may not be able to   response  positively  in terms of  emotional development.   If the emotional development of a child is negative their social interaction is affected and thus they experienced   low communication skills and delayed language development.  For this child, his social development domain is stronger than all the others.

I choose the above case because it is an illustration of the general effects of   hearing impairment on a child’s development.  From the case, I learned that the child’s low academic performance is directly linked to   communication and language issue.  In additional, the cognitive ability of the child is very low and that is why his reading and mathematical analysis skills require more improvement.  The child   additional demonstrates low emotional attachment which is connected to the issue of language, interaction, and communication.

Stevenson, J., Kreppner, J., Pimperton, H., Worsfold, S., & Kennedy, C. (2015). Emotional and behavioral difficulties in children and adolescents with hearing impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 24(5), 477-496. doi:10.1007/s00787-015-0697-1

I choose the article by Krepper Et al., (2015), because it justifies that a child that is   characterized by hearing impairment is faced with emotional and behavioral difficulties. The article aims at estimating the degree in which adolescents and children with hearing issues are subjected to behavior and emotional challenges.   This, therefore, answers my question on whether the hearing impairment is directly linked to emotional and behavioral responses of a child.  This thus justifies my observation on the child who is characterized by emotional and conduct challenges because he is not able to express his emotions in the correct manner.

References

Bukatko, D., & Daehler, M. W. (2012). Child development: A thematic approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Fernandes, R., Hariprasad, S., & Kumar, V. K. (2015). Physical therapy management for balance deficits in children with hearing impairments: A systematic review. Journal Of Paediatrics & Child Health, 51(8), 753-758. doi:10.1111/jpc.12867

Lokanadha, R. G., Ramar, R., & Kusuma, A. (2004). Hearing impairment: An educational consideration. New Delhi, India: Discovery Publishing House.

McDevitt, T., Ormrod, J. E., Cupit, G., Chandler, M., & Aloa, V. (2012). Child Development and Education VS. Sydney: Pearson Education Australia.

Stevenson, J., Kreppner, J., Pimperton, H., Worsfold, S., & Kennedy, C. (2015). Emotional and behavioural difficulties in children and adolescents with hearing impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 24(5), 477-496. doi:10.1007/s00787-015-0697-1

Staffing process

  Family and Medical Leave Act

FMLA   has played an important role in covering employees through providing unpaid leave and job protection.  The legislation has given employee the opportunity to cater for their family and at the same time hold a job position (Guerin & England, 2015).   FMLA has brought significant changes in retirement security and lifetime earnings.  Workers are allowed to boost their retirement saving and increases lifetime earning   since they have social security in their labor force.  According to U.S census Bureau, women have enjoyed the benefits following that out of 80.4% of women, 69% holds their jobs position, same hours and same skills after leave (Guerin & England, 2015). This indicates that women continue earning the pre-leave wages.  In addition, FMLA has eliminated the financial setbacks which affect the families.  Other important point is that FMLA has increased employer profitability hence boosting company’s profit.  Workers have improved their performance in that work-family programs have reduced absenteeism and employee turnover.  Companies with FMLA have increased their value and reduced-business operation cost (Guerin & England, 2015).

  Unemployment insurance

Unemployment insurance is influencing staffing through providing insurance payment to employees who have lost their job as a result of avoidable circumstances such as economic recession. UI is helping individuals to cater for their families through insurance (Pollak, 2007).  Workers are enjoying the benefits in that they are preventing large wage drops.  In addition, IU helps employees in getting employment in better companies where they earn higher wages.  This is evidence from the Australian data which shows that unemployment insurance helps works in finding better jobs (Pollak, 2007).  In times economic downturn, UI acts as an economic stabilizer in that it maintains higher GDP and reducing the rate of employment. Workers

Reference

Guerin, L., & England, D. C. (2015). The essential guide to family & medical leave.

Pollak, A. (2007). Optimal unemployment insurance. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck.

FOOD CONSUMPTION IN US

There are many reasons why the quality of food consumption in the US is the worst in the world. Promoting healthy diets and manageable lifestyle is the ultimate goal of many American people. The level of noncommunicable disease affecting over half of the population is very alarming and if the people and concerned organization same as government agencies diversify in agriculture, then there would be abundance of quality food stuffs in our home and it would consequently lower malnutrition levels. Production of high quality and more fundamentally healthier food in abundance is a major problem we face in The United States for a while now. The ever rising growth in population presents intense challenges in feeding them besides poor diet brings malnutrition and consequentially diseases. Technological approach in terms of applied science would boost the Quality food which meets consumer’s expectations and demands. Correspondingly, what makes the food more appealing is the assurance of safety eating in terms of maintained chemical contamination and other prevailing factors. For improved the quality food, agriculture offers the perfect solution. Agriculture has no doubt made the life of many Americans a lot better since food direct from the farm has more chance of quality food.

Secondly, high population of US populace faces the risk of obesity. The food we consume do not carry the necessary nutrients however fetching food stuff from our farm fields would have been much better. The backbone of food production is indeed agriculture and so to the economy, farmers feed us every day and for them to do so they have to be well equipped. They should have access to better agricultural methods, fertilizers, crops and other amenities not forgetting the vitality of soil quality in connection to what is to be planned. For many of us, the food in our houses, school, shops, and restaurants have foremost influences us and thus make quality and healthy eating a challenge. They might be filled with calories and other unnecessary fats which end up ruining our body rather than making us feel virtuous and healthier. This will see us through when it comes to having a better and nutritious meal for all Americans, however, the stakeholders in this sector ought to encourage more Americans to invest in farming by offering some incentives.

Thirdly, factoring technology in the production of food would ensure faster, and plenty food stuffs. Auxiliary investments in technology and structure enable food fortification. Commitment to ensure quality food has to be backed by basic and applied a science which ensures safe food whilst ensuring the demand for food is made. One thing for sure is a better prevention of bad food than trying to fix the aftermath and this involves data collection, thorough research and analysis all aimed for quality food delivery (Espi, 2106). The embracement of technology has seen tremendous efforts towards the achievement, the interested stakeholders ought to make regulations and guidelines to ensure all hazards are taken care. Actually, the set up for science-based implementation alongside the farm-to-table chain has to be a continual process. However, for the realization of such immense intervention our country has to consider vigilance scientifically on development hazards so as to address food quality issue swiftly.

Solidifying controlling systems would safeguard the quality of food in our groceries and farms. It will also help us in ensuring quality food is in supply to either home consumption or restaurants alike. This will amass the knowledge and techniques which farmers need to utilize and stick to whilst feeding the nation. This would also spread to the private operators who are linked with food industry for proper managing food safety hazards (Espi, 2106). In conclusion, making food safety has all to do with better system approach involving interested partners in the sector. The chain can be introduced anywhere as the vulnerabilities must be managed right from the farm right to the table. Staying up to date with the change of technology and climate condition is very important so as to counter check prevailing conditions which might temper the food quality.

Qn.2

Essay performance

1. The connection between the paragraphs relate very well with the topic and my confidence rest on the supporting ideas having perfect transition.
2. The topic sentence, and would love my readers to concentrate on flow of ideas which is leading the reader.

III.  Exploration of ideas covering the topic are in plenty and lengthy since I have given all the      significant factual background.

Qn.3

Writing

1. Introduction of essay as it I have deep comprehension on how to provide background information.
2. Thesis statement for which I never knew it should be at the end of the introduction sentence and for sure this will help enhance my writing skills.

III. Constructing a thesis statement that reflects the content of the whole paper. However, I still need to improve and practice more in putting down my ideas in an organized manner.

1. Writing has to undergo several significant steps in order to bring the best and deliver outstanding essays.

Reference

Espi neira, M. (2016). Advances in Food Traceability Techniques and Technologies. Elsevier Science.

CANCER

Cancer is a disease that has various types depending on the part of the body it affects. However, cancer cells are different from the normal cells through gene regulation, signaling, alteration, cell metabolism that results in a mutation leading to malignancy. Cancer is one diseases considered to be complex due to their molecular nature. Due to its complex nature, its treatment involves different levels depending on the stage a patient is where stage 4 is the worst. With the modern medicine treatment of cancer has been successful as well as its diagnosis (Laubenbacher, Hower et al, 2009). The technological advancement has assisted in data generation, imaging as well as computing. It has no age factor as it can affect any person. Largely there are some cancer types that have been attributed to the lifestyle but with time there have been other factors causing cancer.

The screening and treatment of cancer cause psychological distress in patients as a result of the chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The distress includes severe and mild forms of anxious, depressive moods, unpleasant emotions, disabling to some extent and social isolation of the patient. As a result of the effects of receiving the treatment effective management is required to increase health care settings through screening as well as improving the psychological distress (Schuurhuizen, Braamse et al, 2015). Further enhanced care is needed which includes follow-up, additional assessments, as well as monitoring the treatment process through adequately trained staff. Psychological support through cost effective ways is an important consideration hat should be implemented in hospitals. This will aid in the care approach as efficiency will be maximized. The TES trials will also aid in reducing the psychological distress (Schuurhuizen, Braamse et al, 2015).

The diagnosis of cancer especially among the young adults has a negative influence on the well-being of the society. The young generation forms the largest population of individuals working globally. In developing countries the age of 15 to 39 years are usually in transition as they are from school then they venture and establish themselves in the workforce where they begin to form intimate relationships, long term emotional attachment, sexual relationships as well as starting families (Warner, Kent et al, 2016). This shows that the age group is the most active as they as still developing and specializing in different fields. This indicates that when one is affected in the age group the social circle suffers the biggest blow. As a result of costly treatment, there is a financial strain on the economy thus disrupting social harmony. Regardless of age, cancer causes a disruption in people’s lives as well as the society. This is because it lowers social cognition, awareness as well as emotional distress which is a constant reminder in their lives. Cancer has slowed down social development and increasing social issues such that a child affected in their early days greatly differ from the rest due to the precaution attached to their health (Warner, Kent et al, 2016).

In conclusion, the three articles are an eye-opener to me as there have assisted me in understanding the wide scope of cancer biologically and the effect it has in psychologically and socially. I have been able to under there are various causes of cancers apart from the lifestyle. Despite its complex nature technology has aided in its treatment hence increasing the number of cancer survivors who can live their lives normally.

Reference

Laubenbacher, R.,Hower, V. et al (2009). A System Biology View Of Cancer. 10.1016/j.bbcan.2009.06.001

Schuurhuizen, C., Braamse, A. et al (2015). Screening and Treatment Of Psychological Distress In Patients With Metastaic Colorectal Cancer: Study Protocol Of The TES Trial. 10.1186/s12885-015-1313-y

Warner, E., Kent, E. et al (2016). Social Well-Being among Adolescents And Young Adults With Cancer: A Systematic Review. 10.1002/cncr.29866

Anything Medical Current Event

Cancer is the current medical event that has revealed as a feature in the life science. Scientists and doctors have discovered cancer as the fatal disease in the worldwide. In the new generation, healthcare is identifying by the genetic insights to be in the risk of developing cancer. Life science sectors it focusing on future by researching the medical for the current event of cancer.

According to Miller (2016), the carcinogen is the anticipated as the common cause of cancer in the worldwide. Carcinogen consists of viruses such as human T-cell lymph tropic, Merkel cell polyomavirus, Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus and human immunodeficiency virus. The four viruses link up and cause more than 20 different types of cancer. For instance, human immunodeficiency virus causes acquired immune deficiency which tends to increase risks of cancer. The virus has the possibility of causing conjunctiva eye cancer, cervical cancer, and non-melanoma skin cancer among others.

Cancer affects both healthy and unhealthy cells in the body hence cause skin cancer. Squamous cell carcinomas cause flat reddish patches in the skin that increase the risks of skin cancer. The spots occur all over the body when they are exposed to the sun. Carcinomas destroy the skin tissues causing infection all over the body of the patient. Currently, skin cancer is effective since it is caused by basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma cell carcinoma. The three causative of skin cancer disrupts the network of nutrients in the body because of unorganized mitochondria (Geggel, 2016). 

References

Health care plan: repeal of the Affordable Care Act

Advantages

According to Congressional Budget Office, ACA regulations coverage will be cancelled and more than $1.1 trillion people will be saved.  As a result of tax deduction, there will be a tax balance between individually purchased and health insurances paid to employees. No person will be forced to buy insurance and mandatory spending will be eliminated (Roy Avik, 1).  More importantly, repealing will eliminate authorizing laws based on new benefits and protection hence creating new protections and customer rights.  Due to the higher cost of ACA, repealing will remove a higher number of Americans from insurance and the lose coverage will go in the local hospitals and cover the uncompensated care.  Insurance premiums in the insurance companies will rise as a result of less insurance coverage (Roy Avik, 1).   Given that people will not buy health insurances, the deferral and stage government will use their regulatory power to improve local markets and improve risk management.  Almost 30.1 million people pay health insurance and a large number finds that their insurances are counseled due to failure to access the healthcare benefits. Then, they are unable to replace the insurance due to higher cost needed. Thus, elimination of insurance will favor the individuals who do not need the access to health care and particularly to services which they do not need in life (Roy Avik, 1).  The benefit in this case occurs in that individuals will be provided with free health savings.  People will save money and be able to care for the health care costs and in the income tax, people will have the opportunity to deduct premiums costs.  Other important point is that people will sell policies hence improving competition.  Insurance companies will participate in national wide insurance and will buy low-cost insurances across state lines hence improve the economy (Roy Avik, 1).  Given that a large number will not be insured, the government will impose new taxes which will reduce healthcare costs.  With ACA, big government is not working and repealing will eliminate unnecessary government programs   and enact important programs.

Disadvantages

If Trump repeals Obamacare, many people will lose their insurance coverage.  This will cause an effect on emergence rooms in hospitals and also the hospitals will be affected due to financial strain.  A large number of patients will be able to cover high deductibles and decrease in Medicaid expansion will raise bad debt in hospitals (Beahm, 24).  Women will be highly affected in that Obamacare covers their contraception and Trump’s plan will eliminate the benefit and make women to suffer.  Since many people are already insured, the change will bring chaos between insurers, state government and hospitals. This is an issue of concern which will affect the economy given that healthcare contributes one-fifth in building economy (Beahm, 25). Repealing ACA will not only affect the American people but the economy.  Given that many people will not be insured, it means that there will be no expansion of medical care. Due to lack of preventive services, there will be an increase in mortality and mental health problems.  In this case, economy will be negatively impacted in that poor health will affect workers hence reduce productivity (Beahm, 26).  Failure to have insurance coverage will increase long-term deficit, reduce national income and increase foreign borrowing. The overall results will affect the economy and the lives of people.

Work cited

Roy Avik. Donald Trump Is Right: You Can Repeal Obamacare And Still Cover Everyone With Pre-Existing

Conditions. 2016

Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2016/11/12/donald-trump-is-right-you-can-repeal-obamacare-and-still-cover-everyone-with-pre-existing-conditions/#77adac004e1c

Beahm, George W. Trump Talk. , 2016. Internet resource.

Retrieved from: http://www.worldcat.org/title/trump-talk/oclc/929864388

Why pharmaceutical companies are allowed to patent their drugs

            A patent is a device that is legal and allows an inventor to market exclusively on a new medication or invention. The Companies are allowed to patent their drugs because it offers them a monopoly for a term of twenty years (Duetsch, 1970). When a manufacturing Company initially comes up with a new drug to be used for a certain disease condition, it is sold under a brand name prescribed by clinicians. It is covered under the protection of a patent and this means that it is only that pharmaceutical Company has the permission to manufacture market and make profit out of it. The manufacturing Company must apply for a patent before the clinical trial in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the drug. This process takes a long time and therefore the effective patent period is between seven to twelve years after the drug has eventually received approval. After the expiry of the patent, the drug can then be manufactured by any other Company and they have a right to sell it too. These drugs are then referred to as generics and they have to be the same as the branded ones in terms of usage, efficacy, safety and administration. When the generic drug enters the market, it means that the patent holder monopoly is removed. This brings in competition in the market and this means a significant drop in the cost of drugs. This also results in making sure that the important and life-saving drugs get to the general population at affordable prices. The patent also allows the inventors prevention from others who would commercially use ideas without permission when the patent is still valid (Duetsch, 1970).

Research in the Universities

The pharmaceutical industry would work more efficiently if all basic research would be moved to universities from private laboratories. This is because medicines are highly valuable especially in saving lives and improving the health of people. If basic research from private laboratories were moved to the universities, then the drugs produced would be of higher quality because they will all combine their knowledge. It would be a good idea because research would be conducted widely to ensure that good ideas are shared to produce good results (Jakkrit, 2010). This would also save a lot of money that would have otherwise gone to the private laboratories. It would also ensure that the drugs would take less time to be produced because the research is more innovative. This therefore prevents risks and expenses which has made research in pharmaceutical industries to slow down. It is clear that pharmaceutical firms spend a lot of money to get the drug in the market but the cost of manufacturing and selling is very low. This is because the scale of expenditure that is required to get a new drug to the market does not block the largest firms. Moving the research to the universities will help the pharmaceutical industry to raise their cost per unit from falling. This is because the cost per unit of a pharmaceutical firm tends to fall the more it produces. Universities will help in developing fresh understanding of physiological processes and natural substances. This would be a good idea to apply knowledge rather than only directing specifically at the invention or development of a product (Jakkrit, 2010).

References

Duetsch, L. L. (1970). Research and development, market power, and patent policy in ethical drugs.

Jakkrit, K. (2010). Patent rights in pharmaceuticals in developing countries: Major challenges for the future. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.

Obesity in America

Obesity in my community is an issue which has caused adverse effects on lives of both children and adults. In my community, obesity has caused health problems, social and psychological effects. A Large number have suffered from High Blood Pressure, breathing problems and cancer. The effects have affected their families and community at large.  The diseases have caused death and the community has lost individuals who could become important people in the society.  In social environment, children are unable to pursue their education well and they end up getting low grades. On the same note, they are unable to interact with other children and this segregation results to depression and low self esteem. Adults on the other hand lack employment opportunities; they are unable to pursue higher education, break marriage relationships and finally commit suicide.

            One contributing factor to obesity is environmental factor. Environmental factors are wide ranging and some of them include lack of health foods such as fresh fruits, eating fast foods, polluting environment, lack of physical activity and lack of safe recreation places. All these are classified under environmental factors which mean that people in modern societies do not value the life style but rather spend much time on technology.

However there are preventative measures which can be used to reduce the environmental factors which cause obesity. First, it is recommended that people should create a healthy eating plan, health choices and more important choose nutritious meals. Second, people are advised to limit screen time and be active.  It is important to have time for physical activities in order to keep the body fit.

 One sociological theory that relates to environmental factor is Functionalist theory. The theory puts emphasize on society and individuals’ role and asserts that the two play a big role in developing obesity since they do not have self control on their diet or on their physical activities. When people suffer from obesity, the entire society is affected. Society on the other hand causes obesity by failing to scrutinize food manufactures distribution chain and health professionals. The theory asserts that it is role of individuals and society to create safe environment and health conditions.

Zika virus

The news article reports that under some specific conditions ,  Zika virus can live for some hours on non-porous surfaces that are hard and still continue being highly contagious. The virus can effectively be killed by some common disinfectants. The virus is reported to be normally transmitted in human due to an infected mosquito bite, and can also be transmitted through the environment if someone has uncovered cuts and comes into contacts with the microorganism (American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, 2016).There are no cases of general public infection with the virus via the environment, but there is a recorded case of the virus infection after being acquired in a laboratory. The research revealed that when the virus was in an environment that has no blood , the cleaning agents used in clinical , industrial and lab settings apart from pH 10 and pH 4 were very effective but results differed in environments where the was presence of blood.  This research can have some essential implications for people working in lab or health settings. This is true for the researchers and healthcare providers who must consider the environmental organic load such as blood before resolving to use a product in inactivation of the virus (American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, 2016).

The information provided in the article relate to the MBI 111, given that the course involves the science dealing with micro-organisms such as the Zika virus microbe.  This relates to microbiology, a discipline that involves fundamental research on the micro-organisms clinical aspects including how the agents respond to the host. The clinical presentations of this virus fever need to be understood and be differentiated with other viruses. In essence, it relates to how microbes enter, establish and multiply in a host.

Reference

American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. (2016). Zika virus can live for hours on hard, non-porous surfaces. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 22, 2016 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161115164220.htm

 FOOD CONSUMPTION IN US

If there could be abundant supply of quality food there would be lower level of non-communicable diseases. Promoting healthy diets and manageable lifestyle is the ultimate goal of many US people. The level of noncommunicable disease affecting over half of the population is very alarming. If the people and concerned organization same as government agencies diversify in agriculture, then there would be abundant food stuffs in our home and consequently lower malnutrition problems. Production of high quality and more fundamentally healthier food in abundance is a major problem we face in The United States for a while now. The ever rising growth in population presents intense challenges in feeding them besides poor diet brings malnutrition and consequentially diseases. Technological approach in terms of applied science would boost the Quality food which meets consumer’s expectations and demands. Correspondingly, what makes the food more appealing is the assurance of safety eating in terms of maintained chemical contamination and other prevailing factors. For improved the quality food, agriculture offers the perfect solution. Agriculture has no doubt made the life of many Americans a lot better since food direct from the farm has more chance of quality food.

Secondly, high population of US populace faces the risk of obesity. The food we consume do not carry the necessary nutrients however fetching food stuff from our farm fields would have been much better. The backbone of food production is indeed agriculture and so to the economy, farmers feed us every day and for them to do so they have to be well equipped. They should have access to better agricultural methods, fertilizers, crops and other amenities not forgetting the vitality of soil quality in connection to what is to be planned. For many of us, the food in our houses, school, shops, and restaurants have foremost influences us and thus make quality and healthy eating a challenge. They might be filled with calories and other unnecessary fats which end up ruining our body rather than making us feel virtuous and healthier. This will see us through when it comes to having a better and nutritious meal for all Americans, however, the stakeholders in this sector ought to encourage more Americans to invest in farming by offering some incentives.

Thirdly, factoring technology in the production of food would ensure faster, and plenty food stuffs. Auxiliary investments in technology and structure enable food fortification. Commitment to ensure quality food has to be backed by basic and applied a science which ensures safe food whilst ensuring the demand for food is made. One thing for sure is a better prevention of bad food than trying to fix the aftermath and this involves data collection, thorough research and analysis all aimed for quality food delivery (Espi, 2106). The embracement of technology has seen tremendous efforts towards the achievement, the interested stakeholders ought to make regulations and guidelines to ensure all hazards are taken care. Actually, the set up for science-based implementation alongside the farm-to-table chain has to be a continual process. However, for the realization of such immense intervention our country has to consider vigilance scientifically on development hazards so as to address food quality issue swiftly.

Solidifying controlling systems would safeguard the quality of food in our groceries and farms. It will also help us in ensuring quality food is in supply to either home consumption or restaurants alike. This will amass the knowledge and techniques which farmers need to utilize and stick to whilst feeding the nation. This would also spread to the private operators who are linked with food industry for proper managing food safety hazards (Espi, 2106). In conclusion, making food safety has all to do with better system approach involving interested partners in the sector. The chain can be introduced anywhere as the vulnerabilities must be managed right from the farm right to the table. Staying up to date with the change of technology and climate condition is very important so as to counter check prevailing conditions which might temper the food quality.

Reference

Espi neira, M. (2016). Advances in Food Traceability Techniques and Technologies. Elsevier Science.