Nicholas Hronik
Life, Society, and drugs is a great class for learning about the way drugs are used and
distributed around the world. It is not the class for learning about where to get the quick fix,
but instead learning all the intricate details of what causes drugs to be an issue in the modern
world. The class starts with teaching us about the drug cartels, which are groups of drug
smugglers located around the world. Then the class moves on to teach about heroine/opium,
Amphetamines/cocaine, marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol. We got some firsthand looks at
student experiences and a lot of insight into why people are producing/using drugs. It is truly
amazing how big of a problem drugs/addiction has become and how little most people know or
care about it.
Learning about the drug cartels is probably one of the most interesting parts of the
class. I decided to read Wolf Boys: Two American Teenagers and Mexico’s Most Dangerous
Drug Cartel by Dan Slater. The book gives a great perspective-based story from both sides of
the drug war focusing on the zeta cartel and the police. Although most of the more recent news
has been about the Mexican cartels, it is not the only place they exist. The class also teaches us
about both the history and full production line of the Columbia based cartel even stemming
through places like Trinidad and Tobago. It also touches base on the problems with the cartels
in Afghanistan using whatever tactics they can to cover up their illegal operations there. The
cartels/kingpins hold a lot of power in the underground world and have corrupted
people/political powers with money, murder, and drugs.
Heroin and opiates are taking the U.S. by storm, but it is more than just the everyday
news you will get from this class. In many ways the opium epidemic is supporting a war in
Afghanistan, making people in South America drug producers, and opium has been a problem
Nicholas Hronik
in Asia for a long time already. The golden triangle is not something from Zelda, but it is Burma,
Laos, and Thailand where most of the opium from Asia originates. One thing is for certain,
America needs to stop buying so much opium. Fentanyl is the main drug people are hearing
about today, but krokodil is one of the latest crazes in Russia. I have seen some pictures of what
that stuff can do, and all I have to say is gross!
Amphetamines may be coming from your neighbor, but it turns out that most are
coming from Mexico and Asia. This kind of stuff is no funny business, even though it is usually
considered taboo, there is a lot of people taking this stuff. We got to see firsthand into the
biggest drug in Thailand right now known as yobo. It is a mixture of methamphetamine and
caffeine that comes in a pill form that is usually smoked. We have all seen the commercials on
TV, do not let your brain get eaten by the meth please! Even though there is a lot of bad
publicity when it comes to amphetamines, there is medicinal uses for them when it comes to
things like ADHD. Cocaine is primarily coming from south America, and we got to see exactly
why cocaine is such a big problem in Columbia. The history of Cocaine is also very interesting,
and it is incredible how powerful Pablo Escobar got to be. There is medicinal Cocaine too, and it
is used as a short-term anesthesia.
Marijuana is where most of the latest medicinal craze is though. It may help with
Parkinson’s, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Tourette’s syndrome, and
almost anything you want it to. It sure is making a comeback, but is it also still making people
couch potatoes? No kidding though, the part of marijuana that does not make you high, known
as hemp, has some great production qualities and CBD is just as affective at treating a lot of the
diseases and also doesn’t get you high. Where in the world can we go to get stoned, the answer
Nicholas Hronik
is not very far. How is this affecting the war on drugs anyway? It sure seems like legalizing it
may have taken away a lot of money from the bad guys.
Alcohol/tobacco sure have been problems for a long time. These giant legal companies
and interesting history facts bring a lot of this great drug battle to the forefront in this class.
With all kidding aside, the class is great. I already wanted to know a lot about drugs and alcohol,
so getting to know it on a more global level has been awesome.
