Week of Feb. 2, 2018
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January 31, 2018
“If nine out of ten people think you are drunk, you better lie down.”
That’s how I thought of President Trump as I watched him drone on and on about how much he has done to lift the United States out of the “carnage” that he described in his inaugural address to make our nation only a year later the strongest, wealthiest, and most unified nation in our history, giving no credit to the President who preceded him who dug the country out of the worst recession since the Great Depression.
This is nothing new to this Trump who claims credit for an economy he had little to do with, describes a unified America that is anything but unified, that he is a compassionate leader despite shamelessly parading before the nation the tragedies of others for his political purposes, and who denies thee of the most important events of the last year, the Russian intrusion into the American election, the Me-Too movement, and global warming that has had disastrous environmental impact.
I’m reminded of what Dr. George Vaillant, a psychiatrist, and Professor at Harvard Medical School, described as illustrative of the denial of Truth that Trump displays every day:
“It is all too common for caterpillars to become butterflies and then maintain that in their youth they had been little butterflies.”
I am hoping that the 20 percent of independents who Trump was clearly trying to woo in his SOTU speech so as to lift his dismal poll numbers out of the gutter didn’t fall for the pablum that he was selling last night.
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Prescription Drug Abuse in College Is on the Rise
College time comes with a new feeling of vast freedom, along with increased daily socialization and therefore – the notorious peer pressure. Freshmen are particularly prone to other people’s influence as they look to fit in and prove themselves in their new environment. Of course, there are cases where experimentation is not a direct consequence of social pressure, but a natural product of sheer curiosity.
In this context, one of the burning issues which definitely deserves more attention is prescription drug abuse. Lead by the “you only live once” motto, many students try out different drugs, while college administrators look away.
But, where does one draw a line? Tragically, prescription drug abuse in college is on the rise, particularly when it comes to cognitive stimulants.
The Problem of “Innocent” Experimentation
Besides alcohol, college students are known to recreationally consume marijuana, over-the-counter drugs, prescription medications, as well as “party drugs”, such as ecstasy. Society seems to tolerate these types of experimentation, given the fact college is a time when students get exposed to increased amounts of stress while exploring the world and their personal identities. Be it an academic success or the fear of not achieving any admirable social status, students experience a lot of emotional and mental strain, which drives them to seek out different methods of unwinding. Unfortunately, more often than not, they develop unhealthy coping mechanisms. Getting high on prescription drugs (i.e. using medications non-medically) is one of them: according to the report by the Ohio State University, 67.5% of students did so in college. The biggest problem here is that these drugs are easily accessible, while the “innocent” experimentation can turn into an addiction.
Reasons Behind Misuse
In addition to the recreational use and attempts of venting out, there are deeper reasons behind drug misuse. Drugs are consumed with the belief they can support academic success by increasing alertness, concentration, and memory. As a matter of fact, Adderall abuse has sparked much controversy specifically in this context. Also known as the “study drug”, Adderall is prescribed to patients diagnosed with the ADHD syndrome. The drug acts as a central nervous system stimulant: by increasing the number of neurotransmitters in the brain, it helps the patient focus, stay motivated, and alerted. Students misuse Adderall to pull off all-nighters, i.e. last minute study crammers, thinking the drug will give them cognitive superpowers. In addition to Adderall, pain relievers (opioids) are also popular. They are consumed in excessive amounts, which results in feeling high. Sedatives and tranquilizers are not as popular, but they find their way to the campus, as they help with reducing anxiety and regulating sleep.
Possible Solutions and Preventive Measures
Across colleges, one can notice a drug-sharing culture and even established markets where prescription medications get re-selled to peers or traded for some other type of drugs. Students that truly have medical conditions such as ADHD are frequently approached for prescriptions. Chances are these practices cannot be fully repressed, but there are some preventive measures that can be of use. The regulation has to come from healthcare providers, as well as pharmaceutical workers. In case there is a compulsive use of a certain prescription, it could serve as a pretty good sign there are some abusive practices hidden behind. Other prevention strategies include launching campaigns that would help in raising awareness regarding the dangers of drug misuse. There could be serious side-effects when healthy individuals use meds at their own risk, not to mention the possibility of getting addicted – especially because they generate tolerance over time. This side of the story is not widely discussed, opposed to the myth of getting perfect A’s with the support of stimulants.
Tackling the issue of misuse of prescription drugs is not an easy task, especially with the established student network and their ignorance. By consuming a drug that comes with a prescription, students have a false impression of safety. Maybe new legal measures and monitoring systems would help. Nevertheless, it is a problem and a serious one.
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You Can Now Experience Israeli Tour Spots On Virtual Reality
If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit major Israeli tour spots, you can now experience some of them through virtual reality tours on the Virtually Israel 2.0 website.
A project of the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation and the MERONA Leadership Foundation, Virtually Israel 2.0 features the following videos:
· Beaches
Philanthropist Adam Milstein told the Journal in a phone interview that the idea for virtual reality videos came about three years ago, when virtual reality was becoming “very, very popular” and was clearly where the future is headed. They initially produced two virtual reality videos two years ago and they were very well-received among various Jewish organizations.
“We wanted to give people a much wider variety,” said Milstein. “We wanted to give them all the different things in Israel that will interest Jews and non-Jews, so we’re giving them a lot of tourist attractions.”
Milstein explained that they had a team of volunteers that went to those specific areas in Israel that took footage and pictures of the tourist sites from different angles in order to create the virtual reality videos. He added that more videos could be on the way.
“Based on our success, we’ll do more things that people feel we didn’t cover in the first ones,” said Milstein.
Milstein hopes that the videos cause people to understand the truth about Israel.
“Israel is not a war zone. It’s not a place of the conflict between the Palestinian and the Israeli,” said Milstein. “It’s a place of peace and prosperity and happiness and innovation, a place that anybody should go and enjoy. We’re showing Israel the way it is, the real colors, we don’t let the media contaminate the image that we have on Israel.”
“The main takeaway is, we’re using innovation to tell the truth about Israel.”
The videos are all available on 2D and can be seen in 3D on platforms like Google Cardboard.
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