Tobacco??

Making tobacco completely legal is a bad idea. Unlike the cases involving drugs like marijuana that can help some people medicinally, tobacco is not used to treat any sort of clinical problem. As it is right now, there is no explanation or reason for the widespread acceptance or use of tobacco, and yet our society seems to condone it. There are no health benefits related in any way to nicotine, the main drug in cigarettes and tobacco. In fact, the health of society is at stake because of the risks of secondhand smoke and polluting chemicals given off by the smokers. From a money standpoint, the tobacco industries are acquiring an absolutely huge fortune on the addictions of a countless number of people daily. The saddest of all is that the government issues its Surgeon General Warning and then sits back while a vast majority of people ruin their lives as a result of a poor decision and the deception of the tobacco companies. I agree with people that say it is their right to smoke to a certain degree. Yes, they have the right to ruin their own lives if they so choose, but not those of the others around them in society. To give these people complete control of wherever they choose to smoke seems way too much of a compromise in the wrong direction. The general public does not need to cater to the demands of people who smoke and should not have to deal with their dirty habit. At least avoiding it as much as possible by having them smoke in certain areas seems reasonable because they are using their supposed "right" to smoke, and they are bothering other people in the least way as possible.

http://www.con-suming.com/Tobacco/should_tobacco_be_legal.htm
http://www.kaieteurnews.com/2009/05/10/tobacco-legal-but-deadly/

Too Young to be a Dad

1. In my opinion, there are two main reasons that most guys feel pressure to have sex. The first and biggest influence is from the media, which portrays sex as being the absolute coolest and most enjoyable thing possible. In almost every form of media, sex is represented as the ultimate requirement needed to attain "manliness." With this input from the different forms of media sending the same message that sex is cool and mature, it is no wonder that guys feel pressure. The second influence is directly from close friends that pressure their friends in a way that makes sex seem like the ideal goal, and that makes a person seem cooler if they can "take it to a new level" with a girl and attain a sort of masculine status.

2. Girls probably feel the most pressure to have sex from their boyfriends, in my opinion. This is because they want to have the boyfriend be continually interested in them and maintain the relationship with them. Also, guys think more about sex and would most likely pressure the girls to a greater extent than either the girls' friends or the media.

3. Once alcohol is consumed and introduced to the body, the first mistake is made in regards to the equation of guys, girls, and sex. This is because alcohol causes people to lose their inhibitions, which in turn leaves them vulnerable to making decisions that they would not naturally make in a sober state. Thus, when the pressure from either the guy or the girl is given, in this frame of mind, they do not have the same ability to say no to this unwanted pressure and, in turn, unthinkingly may give way to their desires at the time.

4. Overall, making an active decision is generally much better than simply "going with the flow," as it seems the passive decision encourages. This is obviously not true of all situations, but in a circumstance such as one involving alcohol and sex, it is much more logical to utilize the G.R.E.A.T. decision-making model to ensure that the most efficient, positive decision is made. It would not make sense to do what feels right regarding sex, because too many unwanted results could occur.

Legalizing Drugs

In the United States, the drug war has been fought continuously for some time now, and is so far still showing no signs of slowing down. The question of whether or not certain drugs should be made legal has been debated for a good portion of time as well. At first glance, I was almost tempted to say that this would definitely not be a good idea, but as I thought about it and researched into it a little more, my stance solidified towards a more pro-legalizing mode, for a couple of reasons. First of all, a lot of the time it is frequently spoken by people that illicit drugs are "bad, dangerous, destructive" or "addictive," and that society has an obligation or a certain degree of "right" to keep them from the public. This seems pretty noble, and yet it doesn't matter where you look. Nowhere can you find reliable, objective scientific evidence that drugs (like marijuana, which is already prescribed in some states) are any more harmful than some of the other substances and activities that are currently legal, such as tobacco and alcohol. Who is to say that an addiction to the nicotine in tobacco is less harmful than the addiction to another substance? An addiction is an addiction. If people were simply and honestly concerned about the harmful affects of addiction, then they would also do away with tobacco and alcohol, which have for some reason been able to become a normal part of our everyday society!
Some people may think that by legalizing certain drugs, it would just create an absolutely chaotic American society with everyone taking advantage of abusing these drugs. On the contrary, I believe that the only people this would hurt would be the major drug dealers. The vast majority of people in the United States know about at least some harmful symptoms of taking large quantities of drugs and still would have their morals and ethics. Just because marijuana, let's say, is legalized doesn't mean that people would want to do it any more than they normally would because of their personal set of beliefs and conduct. If someone really wanted to take these drugs, then they would find a way anyway and this wouldn't change that fact. Also, it would end up hurting the multi-billion dollar underground black markets of drug cartels because it would put their businesses and profits much further down because no one would need to buy drugs illegally and it would put a stop to this problem. Basically, I just don't think that there is a justification for keeping certain substances illegal while others are known to also cause harmful effects in large quantities as well and also while the so-called "drug war" could be greatly minimized from the elimination of the drug lords' business.

http://blog.insourced.com/2009/03/legalize-drugs-to-create-new-jobs-eliminate-violence/
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990501029

Environmental Pharmaceutical Pollution

In the world of today, pharmaceuticals are having a negative impact on the environment as a whole, affecting a wide range of life, including animals and humans. As a result of these pollutants not being disposed of properly, some are finding their way into the water systems that eventually lead to other water sources that supply our drinking water. Some of the pollutants are also finding some way of getting into the environment through the excretion of wastes by both humans and animals alike. Simple actions such as throwing some pharmaceuticals out in the garbage or flushing them down the toilet are causing potential risks, as the earth's surroundings are becoming exposed to these chemicals. Regardless of the methods that are used to get into the environment, these chemicals are now showing up in places that they should not be and are causing unwanted effects.

A problem that adds to this issue of pharmaceuticals polluting our surroundings is the fact that waste treatment centers do not at this time treat the water going through for medicinal compounds such as these. Subsequently, the medicines can simply pass right through without any form of detection whatsoever. This lack of a detection becomes a problem when you add in other factors and consider the following: 1) World wide, there is a vast quantity of pharmaceuticals that are used daily. 2) Of the many medicines and chemicals used on this daily basis, a quite large proportion filter their way in some way or some how into the environment through the various means that I described earlier. This alone is enough to try to solve this problem by conducting better methods of disposal for these pharmaceuticals. If a solution is not discovered for the current problem, we could face disastrous results, such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria growing and spreading uncontrollably and infecting people and animals as a result.

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/02/16/pharmaceutical-pollution-what-it-is-and-how-pharmaceutical-pollution-threatens-your-health.htm
http://www.laleva.org/eng/2006/02/how_pharmaceutical_pollution_threatens_your_health.html

Industrialized Agriculture

To start off, I'd like to define industrialized agriculture. Industrialized agriculture, or sometimes called factory farming, is a farming system in which certain industrial procedures are utilized or applied to farming methods to try to make them more efficient. Basically, this is supposed to raise the largest number of animals for the lowest possible cost by relying on organized processes involving machines to keep up a steady output of the animals or fruits and vegetables. The effects of industrialized agriculture may at first glance appear to be positive, but if you take a closer look, you can see some problems with this approach. What simply started out as a pursuit of efficiency to improve production for all farms has in the long run unintentionally resulted in a decline in economic freedom for a lot of farmers and an imbalance of economic power. This ends up favoring some of the dominant firms and more major industries, rather than the individual farm producers themselves. Now, industrialized livestock has become the world's largest supplier for meat and dairy products. In a statistic from 1996, industrialized agriculture was making up more than 43 percent of the total global meat production, and in the approximately 13 years since that time, it has definitely risen! Overall, throughout the world, more and more small farmers are being pushed out of the livestock market, unable to compete with multinational corporations. There are many reasons for the influx of corporate industrialized farming, but the main reason is because the world's population has increased and there are much more people consuming these products. This probably doesn't seem fair to those that are forced to find some other form of employment because much larger companies are able to quickly produce more and more. This, in my opinion, most likely lowers the quality of everything since the focus is on getting the most for the least amount of work, instead of focusing on getting the best quality out of everything.

Soy Products and a Healthy Diet

Whenever you think about something that is soy, you might automatically think of vegetarians, vegans, or something that these people eat to try to be healthy. However, what many people think of soy products may be a misconception. But what is soy? Soy is a versatile bean that is used mostly in Asia, and is found in foods like soy milk, soy sauce, miso (a type of soybean paste), tempeh (which is kind of like a soy cake), and tofu. Soy is also sometimes added to foods like breads, cereals, and meat products, and used as a meat substitute in products such as soy burgers and soy hot dogs.
There are two different types of soy: fermented and nonfermented. The difference between fermented and nonfermented soy is that fermenting soy creates health-promoting probiotics, the good bacteria our bodies need to maintain digestive and overall wellness. The question now is "Should people really be eating this bean?" According to some scientists, risks such as endocrine disruption, digestive problems, and effects on the thyroid, fertility, hormones, sex drive, digestion, and even certain cancers may be developed from the consumption of soy products. This may be because in the United States, processed soy food snacks or shakes can contain over 20 grams of nonfermented soy protein in one serving, which definitely contrasts Asian diets (the origin of eating this bean and its widespread use comes from Asia). Asian diets include much smaller amounts (only about 9 grams a day) of primarily fermented soy products, such as miso, and tempeh, and some tofu. To conclude, if Americans are eating such large quantities of nonfermented soy, then this may all be a huge recipe for disaster, instead of being the miracle wonder food that so many people have come to think it is! I think that just like any other food, an excess of it will invariably cause some form of problem or another, and I think that people need to be aware of the risks involved and the correct amounts that can be consumed without being harmful.

Conflict Resolution

Even when conflicts seem inevitable and impossible to reconcile, sometimes a few simple conflict resolution skills can help you take a step back from the situation, clarify the nature of the conflict, and start working toward a resolution. Once you start practicing these skills, it is amazing how often a simple solution that is acceptable to everyone can be found.

Time Out:

Sometimes the best thing you can do is also the simplest. If you feel overwhelmed by a conflict and unable to think rationally, get away from the situation until you can calm down. Mention that you need some time alone to think, then walk away and don't allow yourself to be drawn back into the argument. Do come back to the topic later, though, or it may never be resolved.

"I" Statements:

Use a tool called "I" statements. These are statements describing the way you feel, beginning with the word "I." Conflict resolution skills like this allow you to express your feelings without directly blaming the other person. Try to be very specific about why you are feeling upset. For example, you could say "I am feeling angry that you didn't stop and get the groceries you said you would get, because now we don't have anything for dinner," instead of "Why don't you ever do the things you say you'll do?" This may seem like a small and insignificant change, but it can make an amazing difference in tense situations. Keep using "I" statements as the conversation continues, expressing how you feel about statements that are made and potential solutions.

Active Listening:

Pay attention when someone is trying to explain their thoughts or feelings to you. Point out things you agree about. If you're not sure that you understand what they are trying to express, try repeating back what you think they said and ask if you're right. When you're trying to communicate something, you can also ask the other person to try to repeat back what he is hearing you say. This can be a great way to figure out if your disagreement is based on a simple miscommunication.

Problem-solving:

Sometimes it becomes clear that two people disagree on a certain subject and are unlikely to change their minds. In these cases, it can be very useful to figure out what each person hopes to get out of the conversation. Both people may be ready to move on and think that the other is still invested in the argument. On the other hand, participants may each want things like a feeling that their point of view is understood, a practical compromise to implement, or an assurance that a situation won't be repeated in the future. Conflict resolution skills that help to figure out what each person's goals are can help to move a conversation forward and find a constructive resolution.

Check In:

In the case of intense or ongoing conflicts, it can be an especially good idea to check in on the situation later, when tempers aren't running so high. Ask if it's a good time to discuss the issue again briefly, then talk about how the solution is working out for you and whether you have any ongoing concerns or questions. Don't expect that all conflicts can be resolved instantly, but realize that most can be improved significantly over time with the constant application of appropriate conflict resolution skills.

In conclusion, I feel that these are all good steps that can be made, but it all just depends on the circumstances of the problem. Depending on what the actual conflict is about, it is up to you to determine which may make the most sense in the particular situation. If one of these ways doesn't work out the way that you had expected, then just try using another, and you are bound to find one that helps to meet the needs of both people in the situation.