COMPARISON DRUGS ADDICTION BETWEEN MALAYSIA AND BRUNEI

• Now, we want to share the results that we already found. First questions, Why should we expose and explain more about drug abuse among people? As we know, a lot of people outside there are missing their information about drugs. We as a intelectual people should be responsible to give them more knowledge about this focus topics.

  • • Today, this problem happens often at many place like town or village. The government cannot settle this problem until now. Firstly, using drug wrongly without doctor advices can give many effects human. As we know, drugs can give benefit for people if we use it without doctor advice. Now a days, the people do not go to clinic or hospital medical check-up because they have to go through many steps like making an appointment, so this can take a long the time to see a doctor. Finally, they just go to the pharmacy and buy a medicine. Sometimes, we do not problem health, so this can give disadvantage if we take the wrong medicine because medicine might be not suitable with human body. So the people must see doctor because he or she can suggest the suitable medicine. This can cause people to use the drugs wrongly.

  Second is a taking overdose drugs. For example, for this case happens many times for people who are sick such as cough, fever and flu. The people take many medicine because their health have not recovered. So, they make the decision to decision to take overdose drug because they want to recover. But, the cell in the body cannot receive too many medicine. After that, this case many happen among athletes. They take a drug to enhance the energy. They do not know, after they take overdose drugs can damage cell in the body until can result in death.

  Next, distribute drugs among people who have low awareness about that the dangers of drugs. Today, you can see many cases of a drug addicts at any place like is a city or village. This case is not only from the man, but this case may occur among the women. Try to think together, why does the problem very increase every year? How to settle this problem?

  Now a days you can see this problem from the news at television, internet and article. The government do not settle this case until now. Many programs already are organized, but this problem cannot be settled. For example, you can see at the village like Felda. We know at this place has many second generation like teenagers who have low awareness about the dangers of drug. They do not have knowledge about it. This problem begins individually from the city and they go to the village and try to sell the drug to teenagers. Firstly, this person just sell the drugs very cheaply because they want to attract the teenagers to try the drug and buy it. In this case, we cannot blame the government or family. But, the government must to take more action immediately to settle this problem to organize any program about drugs. In the program, the government must give many information to teenager about the drug. So, this can be to clean the drug addict in the place. The society must cooperate with the government and police.

  The government can give stiff penalty or punishment for those involved like is a death. This penalty is very suitable to those involved because this can give to instruction to people.

  This is a statistics comparison between Malaysia and Brunei. Sometimes we don’t think very positive and professional. Many problems happen because the people have many problem like is individual, family, work and money. This is a source can be individual to take a drug. This statistics have categories such as teenagers, local people, permanent resident, foreigners and other. Drug addict by the teenagers are 643 people in Malaysia compared to Brunei is 103 people . This is because the teenagers do not find it easy to buy the drugs. After that, they do not have a lot of money to buy the drugs and also many teenagers now have knowledge about dangers of drugs.

  By the local people, we can see in the Malaysia have 2572 people who are drug addict compared to 279 people in Brunei. From the local people, we can see the drug addict are most high. This is because, these people find it easy to buy the drugs from any place like nightclubs. After that, they are very stressed and try to take drugs because they want to settle this problem. But this cannot be settled and can give many problems. Then, they have money to buy a drugs.

  From the permanent residents in Malaysia, there are 1396 people who are drug addicts compared to only 52 people in Brunei. After that, foreign in Malaysia has only 96 people compared to 40 people in Brunei. Then for others in Malaysia 669 people are drug addicts compared to in Brunei only 3 people are drug addicts.

  
  
• http://www.psychiatry-malaysia.org

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DISADVANTAGES OF DRUGS

1.BIOIDENTICAL EFFECTIVENESS

The FDA requires that a generic have an effectiveness range of between 80% and 125% of the effectiveness of the original drugs. This means a drug that delivers only 80% of the therapeutic punch of the original is acceptable to the FDA. For most drugs, this may not cause problems and you still get the clinical benefit. However, there are a list of drugs that have a very narrow therapeutic window, and substitution with generics should be carefully discussed with your doctor. Generic substitutions are not recommended to replace some drugs, including Levothyroxine (hypothyroidism treatment), Quinidine and Clomidine (cardiovascular drugs), Phenytoin (seizure medication), Warfarin (blod clot prevention) and Theopylline (breathing treatment for asthma). This problem was very dangerous and can make our body function getting worse.

2. SIDE EFFECTS FROM INACTIVE INGREDIENTS

The FDA doesn't require that manufacturers of generics use the same inert ingredients to compound the drug. Inert or non-active ingredients are important because they determine how the drug is dissolved and delivered to the target organs. So even if the amount of active ingredient is identical in the generic and original drug, the reformulated drug may not be as effective in delivering the same dose. Furthermore, some people may have allergic reactions to different inert ingredients in the generic formulation.

3. EXPIRED DRUGS

Virtual pharmacies sometimes import counterfeit drugs into the US drug supply; these importations may also damage drug safety on an international level. They also import cheap foreign replicas of many U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs; this can pose a serious health risk to consumers. The dispensation of drugs from a pharmacist to a person they don’t know or have not seen, can prove to be very dangerous. Many of these imported drugs are also expired orcontaminated and stored under unsafe or inappropriate conditions. The drugs which are dispensed without a prescription by a doctor eliminates the possibility of being checked by a licensed professional, and treated accordingly, resulting in patients not receiving appropriate medications, and not being aware of the dangers associated with improper administration. Another drawback to using an online pharmacy is, that you get what you buy, there is no way for you to return it, as there is no forwarding address.

4. USING PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS

Tranquilizers and Sleeping Pills

Today's hectic schedules and external pressures put great strain on the human body, often resulting in stress and agitation. Surveys show that 15.6% of people use tranquilizers to relieve anxiety. Of this percent, 39% use them daily, and 78% admitted to taking tranquilizers for more than a year. Most tranquilizers belong to a chemical family called benzodiazapines, although more common names include Valium, Librium, Xanax and Halcium. Sleeping pills, another common type of tranquilizers, include sedatives known as barbiturates, buspirone, Diphenhydramine, Hydrozyzine and Meprobamate.

Although confirming their popularity, studies question the efficacy of tranquilizers and sleeping pills. Evidence suggests that even the most potent tranquilizers are ineffective after periods of four months and sleeping pills have been shown to lose efficacy after only two to four weeks. In addition to limited performance, tranquilizers and sleeping pills can cause a multitude of side effects, such as low blood pressure, hip fracture, liver disease, allergies and breathing problems. Mind-altering effects include decreased mental functioning, forgetfulness, withdrawal syndrome and lack of coordination. Alarmingly, approximately 16,000 auto accidents each year are attributed to the use of psychoative drugs such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills.

Studies also shows that tranquilizers are unnecessary under most circumstances. In fact, in many studies, patients responded to placebos as well as they did to actual tranquilizers, proof that the therapeutic effects of tranquilizers don't merit their harmful effects. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "anxiety is a normal response to stress, and only when it is severe and disabling should it lead to drug treatment."

Antipsychotic Drugs

Antipsychotics drugs are another example of treatment clouded by misconception and misdiagnosis. Although intended to treat only serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, an estimated 750,000 people over the age of sixty-five regularly use antipsychotics drugs. This figure is alarming considering that approximately 92,000 people over the age of sixty five have been clinically diagnosed with schizophrenia. Experts believe that many people wrongly turn to antipsychotic drugs after experiencing symptoms similar to schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and confusion, when in many cases, these symptoms are side-effects induced by other drugs the consumers take regularly.

Adverse effects of antipsychotic drugs include nerve damage, tartive dyskinesia (difficulty in chewing or swallowing), loss of balance, muscular fatigue, delirium and Parkinson's disease. One study found that 36% of patients with drug-induced Parkinson's had been using antipsychotic drugs when diagnosed with the disease. Assuming that the patients had classic Parkinson's, doctors tried to treat the illness with another drugs, rather than stopping the antipsychotic drugs causing the symptoms.

Antidepressants

Although a very real illness, the cause and symptoms of depression are also frequently misunderstood. As with other mental disorders, many cases of depression are actually caused by drugs used to treat other ailments. Depression is associated with a long list of medications, including, barbiturates, tranquilizers, corticosteroids, diet drugs and painkillers. Other types of depression may be triggered by thyroid disorders, cancer, hepatitis or other form of illness. It is critical to define the underlying causes of the depression before administering treatment.

Adverse effects of antidepressants include low blood pressure, irregular heart rate, enlarged prostate, nausea, blurred vision, worsening of glaucoma, dry mouth, disorientation, loss of memory and fatigue. The safety and efficacy of an antidepressant can only be determined after obtaining both a careful and detailed history of the patient and a complete knowledge about the available medicines and their indications.

http://www.livestrong.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://ezinearticles.com

ADVANTAGE OF DRUGS

1. Uses For Medicine

Vaginal spermicides are a type of contraceptive (birth control). These products are inserted into the vagina before any genital contact occurs or sexual intercourse begins. They work by damaging and killing sperm in the vagina. Therefore, the sperm are not able to travel from the vagina into the uterus and fallopian tubes, where fertilization usually takes place.

Vaginal spermicides when used alone are much less effective in preventing pregnancy than birth control pills or the IUD or spermicides used with another form of birth control, such as cervical caps, condoms, or diaphragms. Studies have shown that when spermicides are used alone, pregnancy usually occurs in 21 of each 100 women during the first year of spermicide use. The number of pregnancies is reduced when spermicides are used with another method, especially the condom. Discuss with a doctor what your options are for birth control and the risks and benefits of each method.

Laboratory studies have shown that nonoxynol 9 kills or stops the growth of the AIDS virus (HIV) and herpes simplex I and II viruses. It was also shown to be effective against other types of organisms that cause gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, trichomoniasis, and other sexually transmitted diseases (venereal disease, VD, STDs). Benzalkonium chloride also killed the AIDS virus in laboratory studies. Although this has not been proven in human studies, some scientistsbelieve that if spermicides are put into the vagina or on the inside and outside of a latex (rubber) condom, they may kill these germs before they are able to come in contact with the vagina or rectum (lower bowel).

The most effective way to protect yourself against STDs (such as AIDS) is by abstinence (not having sexual intercourse) or by having one partner who you can be sure is not already infected or is not going to get an STD. However, if either of these methods is not likely or possible, using latex (rubber) condoms with a spermicide is the best way of protecting yourself.

The use of a spermicide is recommended even when you are using nonbarrier methods of birth control such as birth control pills (the Pill) or intrauterine devices (IUDs), since these do not offer any protection from STDs.

The safety of using spermicides in the rectum (lower bowel), anus, or rectal area is not known. However, no side effects or problems have been reported that are different from those reported for use in the vagina.

Vaginal spermicides are available without a prescription.

Before Using This Medicine

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

These products have been used by teenagers and have not been shown to cause different side effects or problems than they do in adults. However, some younger users may need extra counseling and information on the importance of using spermicides exactly as they are supposed to be used so they will work properly.

Pregnancy

Many studies have shown that the use of vaginal spermicides does not increase the risk of birth defects or miscarriage.

Breast Feeding

It is not known if vaginal spermicides pass into breast milk in humans. However, their use has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Interactions with Medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Allergies, irritations, or infections of the genitals—Using vaginal spermicides may cause moderate to severe irritation in these conditions. Also, benzalkonium suppositories may be less effective in women with vaginal infections.

• Conditions or medical problems where it is important that pregnancy does not occur—Vaginal spermicides when used alone are much less effective than birth control pills or the IUD or spermicides used with another form of birth control such as cervical caps, condoms, or diaphragms. Discuss with your doctor what your options are for birth control and the risks and benefits of each method.

• Recent childbirth or abortion or
• Toxic shock syndrome (history of)—Cervical caps or diaphragms should not be used in these cases because there is an increased chance of developing toxic shock syndrome.

• Sores on the genitals (sex organs) or
• Irritation of the vagina—It is not known whether spermicides can cause breaks in the skin that could increase the chances of getting a sexually transmitted disease, especially AIDS. Discuss this with a doctor if you have any questions.

If you develop any medical problem or begin using any new medicine (prescription or nonprescription) while you are using this medicine, you may want to check with your doctor.

2. Drugs for Beauty

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Abstract

Like it or not, many people want to improve their looks with the help of biology, and pharmaceutical companies look set to help them. Regulatory bodies need to catch up.

They want to be pert, they want to be taut, they want glossy manes into their 60s. And they want balms, dyes and depilatories that will help them achieve it. Some might dismiss it as vanity, but society's increasing preoccupation with looks is fuelling a booming business in cosmetic drugs, or 'cosmeceuticals', worth $3.4 billion last year in the United States alone.

Cosmeceuticals lurk in the shadowy ground between drugs and cosmetics. Allergan's Botox, which flattens furrowed foreheads, is one example. Merck's Propecia for balding pates is another, as are off-the-shelf skin creams with active biological ingredients.

Those who add a prescription cosmeceutical to their morning routine can have real hope of seeing results. But the enticing skincare aisles of your local drugstore tell a different story: dermatologists confess that some 90% of ingredients in anti-ageing creams are little more than overpriced petroleum jelly. Why, when you slather on jelly for wrinkles, do you need to smear on a healthy dose of scepticism?

Cosmeceutical manufacturers must shoulder much of the blame, for trying to sidestep drug regulations. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines drugs as agents intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, or that affect the structure or function of the body. Cosmetics escape the rigorous trials demanded of a drug because they are assumed only to alter our appearance. But the system falls down for cosmeceuticals, because it is the manufacturers — not the FDA — who decide whether a product is classed as drug or cosmetic. A cream that claims to cure eczema is a drug; if it claims to promote healthy skin, it is a cosmetic. This bizarre situation means that, although some cosmetics companies have excellent R&D arms, many are dissuaded from finding genuinely active ingredients, or advertising their properties if they do, for fear of having to undergo expensive drug trials. This also fuels the pseudo-science that is used to hype cosmetics.

This state of affairs must change. Cosmeceutical manufacturers should show that their ingredients genuinely work, or find some that do. The FDA should revise its outdated regulations to enforce this, so that all biologically active ingredients, whether drugs or cosmetics, have to prove their worth. Consumers are helpless to tell fact from fiction in today's non-prescription creams, so there is a market for prescription drugs with proven cosmetic powers. A few pharmaceutical and cosmetics giants, including Pfizer and L'Oreal, are embarking on research to fill this niche. Some people might argue that pharmaceutical companies should concentrate on curing deadly diseases, not feeding society's body paranoia. But if there is money in the beauty parlour, they are likely to pursue it (see page 990).

Perhaps a more thorny dilemma will face doctors who have to decide whether to prescribe cosmetic drugs to patients who demand them for wrinkles or baldness. As with any non-essential therapy, national or private health insurers can exclude them from coverage. But doctors and medical ethicists must consider whether they have the right to refuse a prescription to patients willing to pay.

The dilemmas thrown up by cosmeceuticals will become more pressing as biologists reveal the secrets behind wilting skin and barren follicles — and the molecules that might revamp them. Our attitudes are outdated. Consumers should demand more from their $20-a-pot unguents. And when 'real' cosmeceuticals are created, doctors, industry and regulators should work together to ensure that they are effective and accessible.

3. SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS USE

The spiritual and religious use of drugs has been occurring since the dawn of our species. Drugs that are considered to have spiritual or religious use are called entheogens. Some religions are based completely on the use of certain drugs. Entheogens are mostlyhallucinogens, being either psychedelics or deliriants, but some are also stimulants and sedatives.

4. HUMAN COGNITIVE IMPROVEMENT

Nootropics, also commonly referred to as "smart drugs", are drugs that are claimed to improve human cognitive abilities. Nootropics are used to improve memory, concentration, thought, mood, learning, and many other things. Some nootropics are now beginning to be used to treat certain diseases such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. They are also commonly used to regain brain function lost during aging.

http://www.drugs.com

http://www.nature.com

http://en.wikipedia.org