Sample Position Paper #2

[My annotations are in blue]

Your Name
Mr. Swanson
English 100 – ticket #8143
Position Paper
Date

The Effects of Ecstasy on Teenagers in America

Writer defines the problem with a long anecdote.
    John used to be an intelligent, talkative, outgoing young man.  He was
doing very well in his first two years of college, and then slowly he just
began to withdraw from school completely.  He used to call his friends all
the time to go out, and he was a lively energetic person who loved to
experience each day to its fullest.  He had dreams and aspirations of
graduating college with a degree in business.  Presently, John doesn't
attend school anymore.  He doesn't talk to any of his old friends, and he
doesn't experience each day to its fullest anymore.  He is not the same
person he used to be and he probably will never be again.  What has happened
to him is the result of the drug called ecstasy otherwise known as MDMA,
which stands for methylenedioxymethamphetamine. This all happened when John
was first introduced into the "rave" scene.  Raves are like never-ending
parties that last anywhere from 5 hours to 12 hours, sometimes even longer. 
Raves can be found in just about all locations across the country and are
attended by large numbers of youth, sometimes up to 20,000 people.  When
John attended his first rave with some of his friends, the mysterious
atmosphere and all it had to offer enthralled him.  It was by far the most
exciting thing he had ever experienced.  The atmosphere was confusing, dark,
and mysterious.  It was full of life, fun, pleasure, and thousands of people
his age.   The colorful hypnotizing lights flew across the walls and
ceilings blurring his vision with every glance.  People were dancing to the
entrancing music, holding on to one another, and having the time of their
lives.  A few aspects that attract people to raves are the hypnotic
electronic music, meeting new people, having fun, and the liberal use of
ecstasy.  When John started going to raves, he eventually began taking
ecstasy.  Soon, he became addicted to both ecstasy and the raves and had the
urge to start going every week.  The dosage of pills he took slowly
increased from one pill a month, to six pills a week.  Eventually, his
personality changed and it became hard for him to concentrate on work,
school, and things in general.  It got to the point where he slept all day
and partied all night.  He didn't care about his life, school or aspirations
anymore; all he cared about was the raves, his "raver" friends, and ecstasy.

    Ecstasy is one of the most popular fastest growing drugs in America today. 
It is easily accessible to teenagers and has grown to be very common not
only among teens in the rave scene, but also suburbs and campuses.  Ecstasy
has the reputation of being a "safe drug" that brings few side effects.  It
is also commonly used because users only have to swallow a simple pill,
rather than snort a line or inject a dose.  It is often used at raves and
parties because it enables people to dance longer and remain active for a
longer period of time.  The hypnotizing effect it produces causes many to
become easily addicted and drawn to the drug.  There have also been many
fatalities in which ecstasy has been involved.  The University of Psychiatry
is Zurich, Switzerland, has done research that shows that ecstasy releases
dopamine and other chemicals into the system, and causes the feelings of
"good moods" and emotional excitation.  People who have taken ecstasy report
feelings of intimacy, euphoria, well-being, and empathy.  There have also
been studies from the Human Neurological Pathology Laboratory in Toronto,
Canada, which show that levels of seratonin and ketamine were decreased by
50-80% in the brain, which is responsible for much of the brain's memory. 
As I stated earlier, ecstasy is popular among teens because it has the
reputation for being "safe" and is easy to consume.  But this is not the
only cause.  There are many influences present that are also responsible for
the reputation of ecstasy and its widespread use.  For example, there are
many websites on the Internet that are run by young people in which promote
the use of ecstasy and praise its effects.  The use of ecstasy has invaded
music today as well.  There is a song from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony that raps
about the "good" feelings of ecstasy.  It just goes to show how wide spread
and realistic has come to be, and John is one out of many teens that is
experiencing this growing social problem.

    The solution to this problem would be to enforce the law on the illegal
using and selling of ecstasy.  The government should put more effort into
investigating the places where ecstasy is sold and bought, such as raves.  I
suggest that they send out young undercover law enforcement agents to large
raves and bust the people who are selling these drugs.  Many of the buyers
of ecstasy are minors, so the penalty for ecstasy dealing should be even
heavier.  I've attended a rave myself, and I find that the use of ecstasy is
very liberal and that you can purchase ecstasy as easily as candy no matter
how old you are.  Another important point is that I believe that the U.S.
government should work with international governments in Europe where
massive amounts of ecstasy are produced.  Together they could work together
to crack down on ecstasy laboratories and drug traffickers.  However, this
problem is so complicated that proposing one solution would not solve it. 
Not only the government is needed for this problem, but the help of parents,
teachers, and adults is also called for.  I suggest that parents and
physicians do something by achieving a better understanding of this drug in
order to effectively counsel and treat young teens.  It is to my knowledge
that many parents and family physicians are not aware at how ecstasy has
become widely used.  People should sit up and take notice at how ecstasy is
taking over the lives of many of the teens of America.

Summary

    The website of the Office of National Drug Control Policy says that among
high school students surveyed in 1999, 5.6% of 12th graders, 4.4% of 10th
graders, and 1.7% of 8th graders have used ecstasy in the past year.  6.8%
of college students and 7.2% of young people ages 19-28 surveyed in 1998
reported that they have used ecstasy at least once in their lives.  
According to the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 3.4 million
people have reported using ecstasy at least once in their lives, and the
greatest numbers of users were in the age range of 18-24.  The site reports
that using ecstasy can cause serious psychological and physical damage.  The
psychological effects that can occur are confusion, depression, anxiety, and
paranoia.  These effects can last a few weeks after ingesting ecstasy.  The
physical effects that can occur is muscle breakdown, kidney and
cardiovascular failure, increases in heart rate and blood pressure and
dehydration.  There is recent research findings that show that ecstasy use
can cause long-term damage to parts of the brain that are critical to
thought and memory.

This is good work, but the writer fails to cite the source properly.  Be sure you check chapter 22, especially the sample essay at the end, to see an example of the MLA format.

Below is an evaluation.

    The website of the Office of National Drug Control Policy is a good source
of information because it is a reputable organization and is run by
government officials.  Their information is always updated and their surveys
are done annually.  This site provides many helpful statistics and facts
that are simple and easy to understand.

Summary of another source.

    According to a news report that was posted on CNN.com, Barry McCaffrey, who
is the U.S. national drug control policy director, announced a $5 million
dollar radio and Internet campaign to educate parents and the public about
the dangers of the use of ecstasy.  McCaffrey says that many parts of
society such as parents, teachers, and some police officers do not
understand the dangers of ecstasy.  He says that "We've got to talk to
parents who are taking their young people to an all-night rave and seeing
police uniforms and believing that because its quoted as alcohol-free that
this is a safe environment, their young people are at risk in that
environment."  Emergency room records show that ecstasy use among patients
have increased many times during the past year.  McCaffrey says that harsher
penalties for trafficking and distribution is requested, but reports that
Congress probably will not pass a bill for it this year.
Barry McCaffrey is an excellent source of information because his status as
the director of the U.S. National Drug Control Policy gives his legitimate
standing.  He is aware of how popular ecstasy is among teens today and
understands that something must be done.  His opinion that parents and
adults in general should be aware of ecstasy and its harmful effects
provides evidence that this problem exists.  This report shows that the
dangers of this drug and how wide spread it has become has gotten so big
that some people have stood up to take notice.

    "Ecstasy, the amphetamine-like drug made popular by "raves" and other mass
dancing events, can severely deplete levels of a brain chemical linked with
mood", reports an article posted on the CNN News website.  The article says
a 26-year-old man who died of a drug overdose had very low levels of
serotonin in his brain.  Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter linked
to mood, appetite, sleep, and emotions.  This man had reportedly been using
ecstasy for nine years.  "This is the first study to show that this drug can
deplete the levels of serotonin in humans," says Stephen Kish of the Center
for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada.  "The levels of
serotonin and another chemical associated with serotonin were 50 to 80
percent lower in the brain of the ecstasy user."  Ecstasy is related to the
hallucinogen mescaline and the stimulant amphetamine, and causes neurons in
the brain to release serotonin.  Kish adds that some of the behavioral
effects of ecstasy are due to the massive release and depletion of
serotonin, and that the depression people feel after the drug wears off
could be explained by the depletion of serotonin in the brain.

Evaluation

    This report was a good piece of information because it explains thoroughly
the effects of ecstasy on the human brain.  It explains what the drug does
to the human brain and what recent studies find.  I think that this report s
a very good source because t was on CNN and also posted on its website.  CNN
has up to date news and has a very good reputation.

Summary of another source.

    I had an interview with a friend named Mike who wishes for his
identity to remain anonymous.  Mike has been in the rave scene for about 3
years and has also taken ecstasy for many times.  He started raving at the
age of 19 and still raves once in a while today.  When he started raving, he
was new to the environment and to the drug ecstasy.  He says that almost
everyone at the raves was on ecstasy and he soon experimented with the drug.
  He heard that ecstasy made you feel "good" and that its effects were
harmless.  Soon he started raving every week, and every week he took
ecstasy.  His dosage started from about two pills a month to about 3 pills
taken at every rave.  He says that ecstasy made him feel peaceful, relaxed,
loving, and good.  It made him feel like he loved everyone and just made
warm emotions flow through his body.  He said that when you take ecstasy,
your body is sensitive to the touch.  This is the reason for everyone always
hugging and massaging each other at raves.  "It's a feeling that no other
drug I've tried can produce," says one of Mike's friends.  Mike confirmed my
opinion that ecstasy is growing fast and is used by many teens across
America.  "I traveled to New Jersey and New York last year, and raves and
ecstasy are very big over there," says Mike.  We discussed the topic of
ecstasy being sold to minors at raves and parties.  He says that many minors
can sneak into raves and clubs easily and can obtain ecstasy effortlessly. 
In fact, he's seen it happen all the time.  At the event of every large
rave, it is almost guaranteed that an incident involving ecstasy will occur.

     At one rave about 6 months ago in Los Angeles, a sexual assault occurred
and a couple of fights.  These things are typical of a rave and usually the
people involved are under the influence of drugs, most predominantly
ecstasy.  Mike tells me the he currently has stopped taking ecstasy due to
health reasons.  About a year ago, he came to the realization that he and
his friends were going nowhere in life.  He realized that he was not the
same person he used to be.  It became hard for him to remember things, and
think quickly, and the all night raving and partying burnt him out.  One of
his close friends was hospitalized last year due to an ecstasy overdose. 
Doctors that treated his friend say that he suffered permanent brain damage.

    I asked him if he thought ecstasy was a danger to teens today and if
something should be done.  He says, "I do believe that ecstasy is a growing
danger to many people at this time, and something has to be done, seeing my
friends throw their lives away because of this stupid drug has made me
realize that one night of fun and feeling good is just not worth it."

Evaluation

    This interview is an informative piece of information.  It provides an
inside look to ecstasy and how easily it can influence teens.  It provides
an up close and personal perspective of someone who has been in that
environment.  After the interview, I had a better understanding of how bad
this problem has gotten and feel more strongly that something must be done.

    After obtaining all the research for this project, I strongly believe that
ecstasy is taking over the lives of many teens of America and many people
remain unknowing of this problem.  I think that it won't only take the U.S.
government's participation to help with this problem, but also the help of
governments worldwide.  This problem starts in the lab of an ecstasy maker
and it should stop right there.  Most labs are found in the Netherlands and
also some parts of Europe.  Moreover, adults such as parents and teachers
should be more informed of the dangers of this drug so they can better
educate their children.  More investigations need to be done and more people
need to be aware of this problem.  The government needs to pass a law that
will have harsher penalties for drug trafficking and selling.  We need to
have stricter laws on this drug.

Below the writer acknowledges the sources but didn’t cite these sources in the text.  Again, be sure to check chapter 22.

Works Cited

National Library of Public Medicine.  "Psychological and Physiological
Effects of MDMA ("Ecstasy") After Pretreatment with the 5-HT (2) Antagonist
Ketaserin in Healthy Humans" October 23, 2000
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list
_uids=10989266&dopt=Abstract> (28 October 2000).

National Library of Public Medicine.  "Striatal Serotonin is depleted in
Brain of a Human MDMD User" July 25, 2000
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list
_uids=10908909&dopt=Abstract> (25 October 2000).

Office of the National Drug Control Policy.  "Club Drugs" Facts and Figures
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/f_and_f/club/index.html  (25
October 2000).

CNN.COM.  "U.S. Government Launches Anti-Ecstasy Campaign"
August 2, 2000 http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/children/08/02/ecstasy.campaign/ (25 October2000).

CNN.COM  "Ecstasy Use Depletes Brain Chemical, Study Finds" July 25,2000
http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/07/25/ecstasy.brain.reut/index.html (25
October 2000).

S, Mike.  Personal Interview.  27 October 2000.

Updated:  23 September 2005