Mothers Against Drunk Driving Essay Example for Free

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Essay Moral entrepreneurs refer to people who create or define what is wrong. They claim that a certain social phenomenon is a problem that deserves or calls for an immediate response or action. They persuade the society to make or set strategies or policies based on a specific viewpoint. After identifying a social problem, they work on policies that are consistent with the problem definition. A good example of moral entrepreneurs is Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the anti-tobacco lobby. MADD has gained public support in fighting against drink driving which was responsible for many crimes. They have increased the public awareness of drinking to make people more aware about the adverse effects of driving under the influence of alcohol. They changed their initial name of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers to Mothers Against Drunk Driving so that it would gain more meaning as it was against the law. MADD is not opposed to the individuals but to the act of drinking. It has provided grass root leadership so as to create major social change in the people attitudes and behaviour towards drunk driving. It carries out effective research in an effort of providing relevant and accurate information to the public in matters related to drunk driving. Governments, corporations, educators, the media and the public at large encourage MADD’S efforts. It is comprises of men and young women of all walks of life who are willing to join hands in fighting drunk driving as well as underage drinking. It is committed to offering assistance to victims and survivors of drunk driving through emotional, legal, medical and financial ramifications. MADD has large number of trained victims advocates across the country that provide the appropriate information needed. They inform of the criminal justice procedures and assist victims through out the period. Communication is a very important aspect in ensuring that MADD’S activities are successful. It uses the media, the Internet, public or outreach and collaborations with the entertainment industry to ensure that its issues are well addressed. It’s committed to eliminating the problem from grass root level as well as advocating for high-visibility law enforcement strategies. They advocate for severe penalties to those found guilty for instance through license revocation. To influence the public opinion to accept the definition of a problem as important and that which requires to be addressed amicably will require moral entrepreneurs to engage vigorously in public activities. After identifying the ‘evil’ in society they must influence the public with the intension of pulling them to their school of thought. They influence the larger population, legislation, organise public demonstration as well as create issues for the mass media. Tobacco smoking is a serious drug issue that needs to be addressed. Smoking is linked to dangerous health effects not only to the user but also to those surrounding them through the second hand smoke. Tobacco ingredients comprised of over 4000 chemicals all of which can cause harmful effects to the body. They include tar, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide, metals and other radioactive compounds. It can cause cancer and other lung diseases. It causes irritation to the trachea and the voice box and can increase symptoms like coughing and wheezing as well as permanent damage to the air sacs of the lungs. Smoking in public should be prohibited second hand smoke can also cause cancer in human beings leading to deaths of many people. In establishing an effective strategy to gain public support it would be important to first carry out appropriate research on the effects of smoking to human beings. Disseminating this information to the public would enable them have a better understanding of the actual effects of smoking. Incorporating scholars, scientists and relevant professionals not only in the research but also in the information dissemination works to increase the credibility of the efforts against smoking. Lobbying the government to enhance laws against smoking in public places like restaurants, and bars would also be an appropriate step in the fight against adverse effects of smoking. Smoking should also be prohibited in the work place so as to protect innocent workers from the effects of second hand smoke. Installing ‘no-smoking zone’ posters in offices and in other public places would be a way of communicating to people that smoking is not tolerated. Anti-smoking campaigns can be vigorously established where mass education on the dangers of smoking would be applied. Liasing with entertainment programs would also be appropriate in disseminating information regarding smoking. Effective communication must be incorporated in all the campaign strategies. Teamwork is very crucial if any strategy is to be successful. It is therefore very important to ensure that there is collaboration with governmental as well as non-governmental programs. Incorporating people of all races, age, gender and ethnicity would bear positive responses in the fight against smoking. Essay 2 ‘Frequent fliers’ are addicts who are constantly checking in hospitals for detoxification. Their rate or frequency for such visitation could be as high as 100 nights in a year. The detoxification process is at a cost to the government especially when catered for in Medicaid and frequent visitation by same patients aggravates the problem further. (www. jointogether. org). Some patients blame their drug addiction to their social situations. A person would be a heavy user of alcohol, cocaine and heroin but after a detoxification program he or she would go back to drugs when he squandered his money on women and drugs and be rendered homeless. This would trigger their motive of going for a detoxification. They would seek the detoxification due to their homelessness and financial constraints instead of their own personal will to quit drugs. Their main aim would be to acquire a shelter rather than a solution to their drug problem. The fact that the detoxification is free and it offers quality care could be a reason facilitating the ‘frequent fliers’ in hospitals for detoxification. Medicaid programs to fund the drug and alcohol treatment cost much for the government. The cost is aggravated, as there are categories of patient and varying cost for the treatment. Patients going for detoxification may do it at different hospitals across a state and if the patient is being among the most expensive patients the cost will be very high According to hospital executives, the expensive form of detoxification is a significant moneymaker as it brings about more than 40% profits to the hospitals in question. The hospitals may be too unwilling to drop the prices, as their profits would be jeopardized. In fact many hospitals offer the care but opt for the expensive ones rather than the cheaper one. Approximately 80% of the detox patients get treated at the most expensive level as it is the only one available. New York State tends to spend more than other states on alcohol and drug related issues. There is evident wastage of government resources because over 80% of the patients in medically managed detoxification are not serious cases and could have been attended to using cheaper detoxification means. The argument presented is that if the a state paid less for the top level care it would be able to pay for others and the development of such services would be enhanced. An effort to change the detox payment system would spell doom for the hospital industry, as it is one of the hospital’s sources of profit. (www. jointogether. org). Drug treatment would be a very effective way of solving the ‘frequent fliers’ problem. It would also be less expensive and yield better results for the user as well as the government which would now reduce its expenditure costs would be minimal if patients consistently visited the same hospitals and same doctors than if they visited varying doctors. The theory that best explains the phenomenon of ‘frequent fliers’ is the first one, which explains how desperation among the drug addicts sees them back to hospitals for detox. To them, the hospitals act as a home or place that provides shelter for them and this is their main reason for visiting the hospitals. (www. jointogether. org). To my opinion better strategies should be put in place to ensure that addicts visiting hospitals for detox do so out of their own will and not due to compulsion. They ought to have realized that they have problems that need to be addressed and not as a means of seeking greener pastures when life becomes hard. Counselling is also an appropriate measure in ensuring that after the detox addicts reduced their addiction or became better people in society rather than continuing with their drugs abuse problems. Programs established to assist the drug addicts in solving the ‘frequent fliers’ problem would include those geared to increase their skills. Such programs should be geared to restoring their effectiveness or their normal lives through training. This way they would be fit better in the society and lead better lives free from drug addiction. With the training they can regain their self-respect, ethics, and morals and better handle their addiction problem. Effective training can enable them get stable employment which can provide them with the finances to cater for their basic needs for instance shelter, food and clothing and they would not require to go back to the hospitals for the provision of basic needs. With self-respect, they would not indulge in activities that do not add value to their life. Employment is about engagement of mind and time and the chances for idleness are minimized. This works to ensure that they are not attracted back to their drug addiction. More counselling professionals should be incorporated in the hospitals so that those going for detoxification for the first time do not find a reason to go back. More funding should therefore be drawn to this respect. Funding for their accommodation or shelters before they stabilize and suit well in the society is also an appropriate measure. Family members of the addicts should also be trained on how to best handle these people so that they do not go back to their drug addiction. Since drugs would best work for them, they should consequently be funded so that more money is not wasted in trying to fund the detoxification programs that are not efficient or effective to the addicts. They are patient who need help and ought not to be exploited to gain hospital profits.