The arguments for and against the availability of Safe Injecting Rooms Essay Example

The arguments for and against the availability of Safe Injecting Rooms Essay The risks caused by injecting drug use pose a major public health problem both to injecting drug users and to the wider community. By looking at the arguments for and against the establishing of injecting rooms in any community, especially in Australia, issues are raised that must be considered in any effort to combat the problem of drugs in society. There is public agreement that injecting illicit drugs is a risky activity no matter where or how it is undertaken. Arguments for the availability of safe injecting rooms believe that even though these facilities may not eradicate drug taking, they can make the process less harmful to both the drug users and the public and thus can be a beneficial strategy in the war against drugs. However, the argument against considers injecting rooms as an unnecessary and potentially harmful entity by sending out a misleading message about societys tolerance of drugs, as well as continuing to expose addicts to the risk of overdose and other health problems. Even supporters of the availability of injecting rooms to injecting drug users (IDUs) are quick to point out that the provision of these facilities are only to make it safer, because this activity can never be safe. These venues are provided and supervised by health and welfare organisations for the use of injecting illicit drugs. The main aims of injecting rooms are to reduce the harm experienced by IDUs through reducing the risk of fatal overdose and the transmission of blood borne viruses, as well as reducing the public nuisance of drug users injecting in public places. We will write a custom essay sample on The arguments for and against the availability of Safe Injecting Rooms specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The arguments for and against the availability of Safe Injecting Rooms specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The arguments for and against the availability of Safe Injecting Rooms specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These aims are to be fulfilled through services such as the provision of sterile injecting equipment and paraphernalia and the provision of means of safe disposal of injecting equipment. The benefits of these two examples are obvious the former aids in controlling the risk of the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, both of greater prevalence among IDUs than in the non-injecting population, and the latter protects not only IDUs but also the public for which needle-stick injuries is a health scare. Injecting rooms are attended to by trained personnel who can provide assistance in case of overdose. An 18 month Australian trial was recently opened in Kings Cross, and in the first week a young man collapsed after shooting up in the facility because he had not used heroin for a few weeks and had a low tolerance. The nurse unit manager who was able to resuscitate him with oxygen saw this as a prime example of the sort of person weve been looking for, a person at that kind of risk (Williams, 2001, p. 9). If the condition of the IDU is more serious than the staff can handle, they can now provide ambulance officers with a known location, leading to faster response time and greater chance of survival. It also benefits the occupational safety and health for ambulance officers. Staff at the injecting room look for opportunities to advise users on less harmful methods of drug use. IDUs account for 90% of Hepatitis C cases (Wodak, 1997) as this is contracted through blood-to-blood contact, which can happen through the sharing of infected needles. For a significant reduction in Hepatitis C cases, drug users should be encouraged to adopt non-injecting routes of administration. A counsellor working in the Australian trial sees the injecting room as a fantastic opportunity to teach drug users about the risks of blood borne viruses and assisting them into treatment (Williams, 2001) and believes that because IDUs meet these workers on territory that allows them to inject in a non-judgemental environment, they are then more likely to follow through on any treatment they agree to. Injecting facilities are established as part of a strategy of harm minimisation and as such work to reduce the harm associated with injecting drug use, not to reduce the levels of drug use. Those who protest against the founding of these facilities believe injecting rooms do not help IDUs. They question the motives of the proponents of harm minimisation, unsure of whom the scheme really benefits: the bureaucrats who are hoping the problem of drugs might then go away, or the community who are tired of drug users who are considered public nuisances, as it appears not to benefit the addicts where it is a case of out of sight, out of mind (NSWCC, 1998). Another fear that people have against the establishing of injecting rooms is that the drug trade will only benefit and increase in relation, as dealers and pushers will know where to go to target those who are looking for drugs so they can then go into an injecting facility to shoot up. This is seen as aiding in the commission of crimes and facilitating illicit drug trafficking (Riley and Humphries, 2000) and the NSW government has had to reassure the public that the trial being run in Kings Cross is not breaching any drug treaties signed by Australia (Riley et al, 2000). However, the fact remains that injecting drug use is illegal and for the trials to be run, the facility has to be protected from the law. At the same time, to be successful and keep the drug trade from booming in the areas around the facility, police would have to protect the very facility that is allowing illegal activity to continue! One area of dispute in the argument for and against injecting rooms is the information that has been published about trials in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. Those for the establishment of injecting rooms have used news such as Swiss injecting rooms not having one fatal overdose since they were established 10 years ago (Wodak, 1997) or that the rate of fatal overdoses in Frankfurt, Germany went down from 150 to 30 within four years of opening injecting rooms (ADF, 1998) as evidence that injecting rooms beneficial. Those against take care to point out that any fatal overdoses that happen to IDUs who inject their drugs in a injecting facility but do not collapse until outside the facility are not counted (Muehlenberg, 1999) and that although the rate of fatal overdoses has reduced, many users are continuing to inject drugs without any thought of quitting their habit. Also, the situation in Europe cannot be directly applied to Australia and so any evidence from the overseas trials should be approached carefully. For example, in Amsterdam certain drugs considered illicit here are legal there and are much more easily obtained and as such the injecting facilities are dealing with different conditions. Another worry involved in the founding of injecting facilities is the mixed messages it may be sending to the youth in society (Wodak, 1997) as it seems that the existence of such a facility says that society approves of drugs by making somewhere comfortable, secure and legal for them to inject drugs; yet at the same time the government continues to pay for advertisements that tell the youth of Australia to not be involved in drug use. It sends messages to existing addicts that society feels it has failed in trying to help them quit and has given up by allowing them to have places where they can freely indulge their habit (NSWCC, 1998). Those opposing injecting rooms sees the founding of these injecting places as comparable to building more pubs for alcoholics, and serves only to create life long addicts who risk dying every time they inject illicit drugs (Muehlenberg, 1999). Those against setting up injecting rooms believe the biggest flaw of the argument of those for injecting rooms is that they pose two alternatives only: would society want addicts injecting in dirty back alleys rather than in clean injecting rooms? (Muehlenberg, 1999) When faced with this decision, it is obvious that people would rather have injecting rooms for the health of IDUs and their own. However, those against injecting rooms believe that there is a third option not taking drugs at all. They believe that programs of education, treatment and rehabilitation for addicts and harsher law enforcement against dealers will be adequate in combating the problem of drugs in society. Realistically it is hard for all addicts to quit and go into rehabilitation without an intermediate step and there are those who believe that injecting rooms can fulfil this purpose. In conclusion, it can be seen that both arguments are based in fact and have the welfare and best interest of IDUs at heart. Those for the establishment of injecting rooms are correct in stating that these facilities can help make the process of injecting illicit drugs safer and cleaner and thus better for the health of IDUs, and are a starting point for counselling and treatment of IDUs who wish to quit their habit. Those against injecting rooms are also right in noting that injecting drugs is an illegal activity and one that continues to be dangerous to addicts even when supervised in sterile conditions due to the detrimental effect of drugs on the human body. However, if the issues raised by both sides can be considered objectively with a view to helping IDUs to first lower the deaths through overdose then to gradually stop them from continuing their damaging habits, then a comprehensive solution may be found that can incorporate injecting rooms as a response against drugs in the community.

5 TD HR Nurturing An Ethical And Diverse Workplace Coursework

5 TD HR Nurturing An Ethical And Diverse Workplace Coursework 5 TD HR Nurturing An Ethical And Diverse Workplace – Coursework Example Nurturing an Ethical and Diverse Workplace of affiliation Nurturing an Ethical and Diverse Workplace I would form organizational multicultural teams to reap the benefits of diversity. Step one I seek for employees’ diversity information including age, gender, nationality, ethnicity, race, and education background amongst others. Since accessing this information would be limited, I would offer to sign a confidentiality nondisclosure form or acknowledgment (Cox, 2001). I would also access the human resources policies for information on organizational diversity management.Step two I would then classify the employees into four generations namely traditionalists, generation Y, generation X, and baby boomers. Each generation would be formed of employees with disabilities, and different employees’ ethical and racial makeup amongst other diversity considerations (Cox, 2001). Step threeThe team would be reinforced using staff survey, to obtain and list work experiences of each w ork member in the company. From the list, I would focus on building teams of employees who represent cross-functional capabilities (Cox, 2001). At all costs, the representation of team members would people from different departments, and who do not perform the same job functions. In every group, staff training will be done and team work provided and findings reviewed for multicultural competence work. Additionally, multicultural teamwork would involve integrating, multicultural skills development into staff development; introduce self assessments, goals setting, and evaluation of performance; and set board diversity goals. The teams would also be mixed up to include salaried, professional, and casual workers who participate from all job perspectives and functions.Step four In each team, I would then identify employees with diverse cultural experiences outside work to assist in overseeing engagement around the vision, goals, and objectives of the organization. This person would overs ee integration of culturally specific practices, and members’ acceptance and adjustments to differences (Cox, 2001). From the nominated culturally experienced employee, I would receive feedback for use in modification of organizational practices and processes.References Cox, T. (2001). Creating the Multicultural Organization: A Strategy for Capturing the Power of Diversity (1 ed.). United States: Jossey-Bass.

Southwest Airlines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Southwest Airlines - Essay Example red of every individual employee while interacting with colleagues internally as well as their engagements with the external community, which includes but not limited to the business partners. The organizational code of ethics sums up a working culture that binds individuals from different backgrounds into delivering the core mandate of an organization to its clientele. The Southwest Airlines is one of the companies that has provided a structured, coded guidelines of conduct to its workforce as a way of ensuring that it offers quality services to the satisfaction of its customers, with eyes set on the ultimate prize of cultivating a mass of loyal customers (Kelly, 2008). With a slogan that that reads â€Å"Doing the right thing,† Southwest Airlines has tailored its code of ethics towards ensuring that honesty, integrity, and personal responsibility prevails in all of its services rendered by its employees and/or its co-partners. The binding codes of conduct and behavior guarantees above board engagements with customers and government officials with explicit conformity with the laws the land and those of international trade/business governing its operations (â€Å"Code of Ethics†). The code of ethics also clearly states the controls that regulate how individual employees are expected to respond to the different situations encountered while on duty. A law abiding company, Southwest Airlines recognizes the supremacy of the law, and as such gives it outright weight in situations where its code of ethics incidentally conflicts with the latter (â€Å"Code of Ethics†). In its endeavors to comply with Laws, Rules, and Regulations govern ing its operations, Southwest Airlines overtly prohibits insider trading, particularly the use of non-public information [valuable company information/asset] in gaining personal benefit either directly or indirectly. The company thus expects a high degree of responsibility from its employees in protecting information that relates to the

Understanding managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Understanding managment - Essay Example The LIPC Integration Plc is a company undergoing a revolt from its employees from the aspects of introduction of new techniques within the payment system of the company. Further, the LIPC Integration Plc management team is adopting a rather different approach to the compensation strategies of the employees, a development that is not receiving the support of the employees. Thus, the bureaucratic approach by the management is raising varied issues within the given departments of the company employees. The suggestion to compensate employees depending on the given actual grade performance is raising mixed reactions for the employees and the complaints are virtually reaching a heightened level of aggravation. The issues in consideration at the management level include that the management is unwilling to increment the pay for the workers. The organization management is unwilling to adopt a different work structure for the workers as they are requesting, a factor that is reflecting their pr actice of the classical theory, which has the core characteristic of being too rigid and authoritative. This classical theory is in effect casing defect in the successful implementation of the proposed changes I the organizational management of the employee needs. The classical theory helps the organizational management to focus on its structure and the planned economic rewards rather than the individual freedoms and a conducive working environment. This establishment is affecting the approach of effective management that LIPC Integration Plc could adopt to manage the needs and expectations of the workers. The workers approach to the position undertaken by the organization is another perspective that is key to understanding the accommodation of the organizational theories in the management process. The workers in the design department have reiterated their

It ask to look critically at a contemporary social or cultural issue Essay

It ask to look critically at a contemporary social or cultural issue - Essay Example However, with societys liberalization came the dawn of a new age where homosexuals declared openly their sexual preference for same sex partners. They lobbied for social acceptance by challenging legislative statutes, and proceeded to sensitize people about their inherent right to express themselves freely. Consequentially, society remains divided on whether to accept or reject same sex couples. Discussed below includes a brief overview of the history of the gay movement detailing challenges homosexuals face and milestones they managed to overcome. This discussion also tries to analyze the context of homosexuality in contemporary society by analyzing the international reactions on homosexuality. Anthropological research on ancient societies spanning across the globe reveal homosexualitys prevalence. Murray & Roscoe (2011) advanced that homosexuality was consistent and common among African societies. According to these anthropologists, societies refrained from shunning such acts because they deemed them permissible. This explained why some of their leaders engaged in homosexuality; for example, King Mtwapa II, leader of the Baganda kingdom located in Uganda engaged in sexual relations with other men. Presently, modernization of society continues to redefine individuals perspectives on homosexuality. Majority remain ignorant of their past influences leading to irrational deductions. Moreover, religious doctrines influence peoples views on morality by differentiating between right and wrong. Therefore, issues pertaining to same sex relationships are immoral and shunned by societies built on conservative, religious values. Finally, legislative restrictions also continue to shap e perspectives on homosexuality. The laws of any country reflect the countrys cultural and religious views. Consequentially, countries with strict religious backgrounds and conservative cultures institute legislations that prohibit behaviors that deviate from

Reflective Assessment of Holistic Wellbeing

Reflective Assessment of Holistic Wellbeing Introduction Health, like beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder and a single definition cannot capture its complexity. To this end, this essay aims to explore what health means to me and how it has been influenced by the experience of coping with my mothers chronic illness. To me, health transcends the absence of disease to include the physical, psychological and social well-being of a person; it means the empowerment of the individual, and is the foundation of a fulfilling life; it also means caring about the people who care about you and whom you care about. Describe For a period of time, my mother has been complaining of pain in her joints, hips and more recently, her back. I always had a bad feeling that there was something sinister about her pain even though our general practitioner could not pinpoint anything serious after several differential diagnoses. However, as she has a family history of joint pains, I chose to be in a state of denial to her pain and attributed it to a genetic condition she had that would go away with time. However, that was not the case. My family observed that my mother was getting more emotionally irritable as time went by, and the nagging pain meant that she often found reasons not to take part in social activities that we organized. It got to the extent that she was constantly lying in bed and could not do her favourite activities, such as going to the market, without considering the amount of movements she would have to go through. The radiating pain also gave her sleepless nights and all these were taking a toll on her quality of life, among many other factors. It was debilitating. And as her daughter, I felt helpless. More so because I was studying medicine, and was plagued with the guilt of not being able to relieve the suffering of the person I loved the most. The persistent pain worsened and my family decided to consult a specialist for a second opinion. A tumour was suspected. While the specialist made his diagnosis, I was very worried for my mother. I tried to prepare myself mentally to cope with the worst case scenarios, and this affected me emotionally and psychologically. I had no one to turn to as I did not want to worry others, and was at a loss of what to do. The results later revealed that my mother was diagnosed with a benign tumour (spine haemangioma). The specialist said that it was the lesser evil because it was not malignant, but that she would feel chronic pain throughout her life. What provided comfort to my family was the knowledge that there were treatments available to contain the tumour through methods such as radiotherapy and physiotherapy. Reflect It pains me to know that the person I love would be put through suffering both from the disease and its treatment, and I wished I could be the one going through it instead. Upon reflection, I realize that I had not been dealing with my emotions effectively. The fear of finding out more and my escapist mentality had prompted me to create an internal barrier, such that I could not provide the care and support for my mother as I would have liked her to have felt. Health means the holistic wellbeing of a person Witnessing her chronic suffering has made me realise that health does not merely mean the absence of disease but it requires a more holistic view which encompasses the physical, psychological and social well-being of a person. I used to think of health as merely the absence of physical pain that arose from diseases, and to this extent, the physicians task of relieving suffering was merely to alleviate the immediate physical pain and discomfort. However the literature I was exposed to on the nature of suffering in ill persons made me come to the realisation of my limited understanding of the term suffering. Through my research to understand the multi-faceted dimension of a person, and what suffering entails, I hope to be able to better understand what my mother is going through (albeit only the tip of the ice berg). Health means the empowerment of the individual, and is the foundation for a fulfilling life As the Catalan proverb goes, from the bitterness of disease, man learns the sweetness of health. I have too often taken for granted the gift of health that empowers a healthy individual to pursue things that matter in life not only ones aspirations or happiness, but down to the little things that affects our everyday living. For instance, I have seen how the chronic pain influenced my mothers daily routine, and brought much discomfort when travelling or doing household chores. I have come to appreciate that health enables individuals to use their body as a vessel to fulfil their dreams and satisfy their needs without being tied down or be restricted by suffering. Health is thus the basis which enables people to pursue happiness and wealth, aptly worded by Elbert Hubbard, who said, If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want. It takes a loss of health to appreciate these words o f wisdom. Health means caring about the people who care about you and whom you care about I always thought of Health as merely a personal responsibility and a duty that an individual owed only to himself. However, this experience has prompted me to comprehend how the absence of health in individuals will affect the mental, social and physical health of their loved ones as well. Research, analyse and connect The academic literature available allows me to gain a deeper insight on what health means to me and allows me to make sense of my experience in a broader context through considering the perspectives of others. Through examining the concept of human suffering brought about by the absence of good health, I learnt about the distinction between suffering and pain. A person who is in pain may not feel a proportional sense of suffering it is similarly possible for one to suffer even in the absence of pain. (Sanders 2009) In light of my mothers chronic illness, I was prompted to examine the literature on human suffering which made me realised that my understanding of the word suffering was limited at best. While I had always aspired to be a doctor to relieve the pain and suffering of people, I was of the view that human suffering was synonymous with physical pain brought upon an ill person due to diseases. However, literature has shown that suffering goes beyond the physical pain, and suffering defined merely as pain, disregards the broader significance of the suffering experienced by the ill. (Charmaz 2008) Suffering includes physical pain, but it is not limited to it. It can be understood by examining the many aspects of a holistic person and when any of these aspects is threatened, suffering ensues. These aspects may include a persons past, his or her role in society, relationships with others, day-to-day behaviour, and perception of the future. (Cassell 2004) The persistent pain my mother experienced affected her ability to do things that she had long associated herself with, such as playing tennis or climbing the stairs. In addition, my mother may have seen herself as being defined by several societal roles, such as being a wife, mother, caregiver to her parents, and a useful member of society. If the pain overwhelms her and restricts her from fulfilling these roles, she may see herself as being less than whole, and this may contribute to her perpetual suffering. In considering the holistic person and the suffering which impacts upon the many aspects of a person other than physical afflictions, it confirmed my understanding that health should also mean the physical, psychological and social well-being of a person. By understanding the multiple aspects of a personhood, I now better appreciate why medical education is shifting its emphasis from the traditional reductionist biomedical model of medicine to the biopsychosocial model of health. The limitations of the biomedical model is that it treats diseases in terms of abnormal physical mechanisms (Engel 2002) and this is inadequate in relieving sufferings in patients, as we now understand it to transcend the physical mechanisms to also encompass the holistic well-being of a person. The implications of the failure of physicians to understand the nature of sufferings can lead to medical interventions that (though technically adequate) not only fails to relieve suffering but becomes a source of su ffering itself. (Cassell 2004) This reflective practice also gives me a timely opportunity to evaluate my emotions and thoughts against that of the wider community. Relevant academic studies have shown that chronic illnesses also has an impact of the lives of caregivers. (Jung-Won Zebrack 2004) The emotions and thoughts that I felt were validated by researchers that show that receiving news of the chronic illness of a loved one can provoke emotions such as sadness, denial, grief and guilt. This may be due to guilty feelings of not giving adequate support to the ill person or it could be due to the emotional pain of feeling the loss of a loved ones health. (McIntyre 2005) It is important to attend to the impact of chronic illness on caregivers as research has shown that the holistic health of a caregiver has the potential to influence the health outcomes of persons with chronic illness. (WE 1999) Suggested methods of coping with these emotions include talking to someone; being informed about the disease as it give s the caregiver a sense of control; and accepting that there is a limit to the relief that a caregiver can provide. (familydoctor.org 2010) Decide, act and evaluate In light of the reflective writing and the academic literature reviewed, I hope that this will help me to come to terms and cope with the negative emotions I felt since receiving news of my mothers tumour. I can approach this by confiding in someone I am comfortable with, confronting my escapist mentality by finding out more about my mothers spinal haemangioma, and being aware of the treatments that she is going through. Her treatment is likely to expand over a long period of time, and she would need much emotional support and love from me. I have to be open to discussions about her illness and not evade any conversation on the topic as I did before. This reflective practice has also helped me to be more understanding and sensitive to the suffering of patients and their families. As a medical student, I have been made aware that the suffering of patients extends beyond physical pain, and that it is necessary for physicians to focus on patient-centred medicine and attend to the biopsychosocial model of health. It is also important to be aware of the impact that caring for a chronic ill patient has on the caregiver. To this end, I can be proactive as a future practitioner in asking caregivers how they are coping, and provide them with support services that they can turn to. I have also realised the important roles that practitioners play in preparing caregivers for the transition of roles to care for the ill, and in helping them anticipate changes that may occur in their lives. This gives caregivers a better sense of control over the situation, and increases their confidence in caring for the patient. A major takeaway from reflecting on what health means to me has been my understanding of the importance of medical practitioner to focus not only on curing diseases but also to relieve the sufferings of patients, understood holistically. To me, health transcends the absence of disease to include the physical, psychological and social well-being of a person; it means the empowerment of the individual, and is the foundation of a fulfilling life; it also means caring about the people who care about you and whom you care about.

Conjoined Twins :: essays research papers

Out of approximately every 400,000 births, four are conjoined. Of the four, three will die within twenty-four hours. Of the remaining set of twins, 70% of them will either die (one or both) or they will live out their lives handicapped. The overall survival rate for conjoined twins is between 5% and 25%. Considerably more males conjoin in the womb than females; however females are three times as likely as males to be born alive. Approximately 70-75% of conjoined twins are female. Conjoined twins who survive are truly miracle babies. They are a medical phenomenon, and even more so in society, for the survival rate of conjoined twins is so low that meeting conjoined twins that survived is a rare occasion. Conjoined twins, defined by Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, is: â€Å"Identical twins born with their bodies at some point and having varying degrees of residual duplication, a result of the incomplete division of the ovum from which twins developed.† Simply put, conjoined twins are twins whose bodies are joined together at birth. There are many different names for conjoined twins, however the two most common are conjoined and Siamese. The word Siamese most likely originated from the twins Chang and Eng who were from modern day Thailand. Both words however refer to twins who are a form of monozygotic twins. Monozygotic twins are formed when a single fertilized egg splits into two embryos. Or perhaps in an easier to understand way, conjoined twins are formed when the zygote (a cell that is the result of fertilization) of identical twins fails to completely separate. This failure of the zygote to completely separate is not affected by heredity, infertility treatments, maternal age, or any other factors. The cause of the birth of conjoined twins is really unknown, and at this point completely random. There are several conjoined twins now present in the world, most of which have been featured in some kind of news article or TV show. Some of the most famous conjoined twins are Chang and Eng Bunker, and Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst. Chang and Eng were Chinese Americans born modern day Thailand in 1811 and are most likely responsible for the term Siamese Twins being coined. Mary and Eliza are the earliest known set of conjoined twins. They were born in 1100 in Biddenden, Kent, England. There are many different types of conjoined twins, depending upon where the twins are joined together.