Report on Air Asia Essay Example for Free

Report on Air Asia Essay The route map of all the destinations covered by Air Asia and Air Asia X are also shown. Booking services Once the destinations are selected the flight times and the base prices will be displayed AirAsia GoAir Asia Go ensures customers to book flights and the hotel rooms in their preferred destinations at the click of the mouse. AirAsia Credit Cards With the Air Asia credit cards, each customer is entitled for great deals and discounts on selected flights and purchases from Air Asia. AirAsia Insure Air Asia has its own travel insurance, which is Air Asia Insure travel protection. AirAsia CourierWith Air Asia Courier, the courier rates are 50% lower than the nearest competitor prices. It has two main services, that is Delivery to Door and Airport to Airport services. AirAsia RedTix An online ticket service in which customers can buy tickets for upcoming sporting events, theatre shows, and many more. Air Asia RedTix partners with premier event organizers to bring customers the world of high class performances and entertainments. Red MegastoreA merchandise service from Air Asia in which you can browse and shop for exclusive merchandise from the comforts of your home. Exclusive Air Asia merchandise, collectibles, exclusive cosmetics and fragrances are available for customers to choose from. AirAsia. cafeThis is an in-flight experience that is specially tailored to cater to the needs of the customers’ needs and expectations. Food and Beverages, AirAsia Merchandise, and in flight entertainment. Figure: 8 Product Services of Air Asia (Accessed on 25th May 2010) http://www. redmegastore. com/webshaper/store/viewCat. asp 3. 0 Mega Environment Mega environment are the general condition outside an organization. Mega environment have 5 elements. These are Technological, Economic, Legal Political, Social culture and International. In this particular time our group will be explaining about Technological and Social Culture. 3. 1 Social/Culture Brand culture With the tagline ‘Now everyone can fly’, Air Asia’s philosophy of low fares is aimed to make flying affordable for everyone. Air Asia also aims at making travel easy, convenient and fun for its guests Malaysia is a multiracial country, boasting races of Malays, Chinese, Indians and others. Malaysia’s state religion is Islam, but people are free to choose their religion. Malay is the official language in Malaysia, as English is also widely used. Fernandess management style to build on the basis of culture, creating a strong brand, and using his own unique way. He stressed that the departments are closely linked, and also the importance of distinguishing. He explained in the aviation industry, The pilots think they are God, and also the engineers as these are very important people. † Air Asias philosophy is: not only affordable flights, but also interesting and fun experience in each flight.

Essay on Fundamental Rights and Duties

Essay on Fundamental Rights and Duties Rights and duties play an important part in the development of a nation or the growth of an organization. Rights on the one hand give an individual an opportunity to be a part of development process while duties on the other hand make an individual obliged to play a part in the development. As a citizen of a democratic country we all are privileged to have some fundamental rights. But, apart from these rights we also have fundamental duties which we rarely talk about. Moreover responsible citizenship is not just about enjoying the fundamental rights and performing the fundamental duties mentioned in our constitution but it is about going beyond those duties. We always harp on our rights where ever we can and neglect the duties we generally have. As a citizen of our country we enjoy the rights of a privileged citizen and often we complain of the governments inability to provide services. Similarly in an organization, as an employee or a student in an institute we complain about the inadequacies of the system. But when it comes to our duty for the nation or institute, most of the times we are not aware at all. For instance as a responsible citizen, we have the duty of protecting the public properties, which we do not hesitate to destroy while protesting or demanding our rights. Destroying street lamps, burning tyres and vehicles, disrupting traffic are the common phenomena seen at the protest sites. Do we really need to do this? Have we ever realized the losses we cause to our country or organization in this manner? Do we ponder for a moment, how much effort it takes to build those structures? As countrymen we also have a duty to be patriotic towards the country and be humanitarian towards our country men. We also have a social responsibility as a good citizen. But do we perform all these duties? The answer is either a clear No, or partial Yes. We do not pay taxes in time and some of us also try to avoid taxes by questioning its worthiness while being more selfish. We expect government to do everything, without us contributing anything. Most of the unpaid electricity and telephone bills even by people who can well afford to pay those few bucks are a bit astonishing. When we feel our values to be endangered we draw in the attention by retaliating in a particular way. Take for instance, the case of attack on the girls in a pub in Bangalore by some self proclaimed flag bearers of Indian culture who thought that their (girls) presence in the pub was against the Indian culture. But they forgot that women have always been regarded and have a special place in Indian society and u sing force against them is not encouraged in Indian traditional culture. Respecting elders, honesty, veracity, non violence are some of the values of Indian Culture and these as such becomes a duty on the part of us to follow them if we really are conscious of our right to protect the Indian culture. The incident mentioned above just shows how careful we are about our rights and not our duties. The topic is basically about being a responsible citizen; its about deserving first and demanding later. The selection of this topic is slightly influenced by the speech made by our former president Mr. Abdul Kalam Azad YOU say that our government is inefficient. YOU say that our laws are too old. YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage. YOU say that the phones dont work, the railways are a joke, the airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination. YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name YOURS. Give him a face YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you dont throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground Links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between5 PM and 8 PM. YOU comeback to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity. In Singapore you dont say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldnt dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. .. YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 kph) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, Jaanta hai sala main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and sos son. Take your two bucks and get lost. YOU wouldnt chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand. Why dont YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why dont YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an ali en country why cannot you be the same here in India So lets put a full stop in complaining about the system. This system is created by us what and we are the system. Lets look at what that can be done by us and what not. Everyone has a duty to be a responsible citizen. But unfortunately, not everyone takes this responsibility seriously. There are plenty of people the world over who do not know what being a responsible citizen means and they are the people who destroy our communities. For being a responsible citizen results in a happy and harmonious community if everyone else does the same. 2. Responsible Citizen Being a responsible citizen covers many areas some of them legal obligations, some social and some moral. So of course, because not all of them are legal obligations, being a responsible citizen is not as easy as staying within the law. In fact, to be a truly responsible citizen, we sometimes must go out of our way to do things which help our society give a little of our time and effort for the greater good. 2.1 Legal Obligations No one can be a responsible citizen without staying within the law. It is as simple as that. Criminals, by their very nature, are not behaving as responsible citizens. Laws exist to protect citizens, the communities they live in and their property. So to be a responsible citizen, we must respect these laws and abide by them. Harming others or others property does not equate to being a good citizen. 2.2 Social Obligations Social obligations really form the bulk of being a responsible citizen and what this means. To be a responsible citizen, we should help our communities and those who live in them. So, being a responsible citizen can encompass things such as volunteering. Volunteering, the third sector is worth billions to our economy and even more to those who are helped by volunteering. But in the interests of being a responsible citizen, this could include smaller things too. So, volunteering for the Samaritans is a noble job to do and one which is certainly needed. But the elderly lady who lives alone may need someone to do her shopping and this demonstrates responsible citizenship just as much as volunteering in an organisation. Other social obligations of being a good citizen can include things such as helping local businesses. This may means buying the meat for Sunday dinner from a local butcher rather than a supermarket, or using a small local bookstore rather than the internet. Being a responsible citizen also means being involved in our communities. This may be demonstrated by being on the school parent teacher association or the village hall committee. It may be as simple as attending events organised by these people. 2.3 Moral Obligations Moral obligations of being a responsible citizen are harder to pin down because different people have different moral codes. But one place we can all start is in helping the environment. The environmental problems society is facing are of our own making and we all have a moral obligation to do what we can to change this. So by living as environmentally friendly life as possible, we can help fulfill our moral obligations of being a responsible citizen. Taking recyclables to be recycled and using a compost bin are two easy ways and there are many more. And they can be linked in with other obligations. For example, if you have a compose bin but no plants to use the compost on, you could give it to people who have plants but live alone, making them less likely to generate a huge amount of compost themselves. Being a responsible citizen should not be a hard thing but it should be something which occasionally requires a little extra effort. This is because being a responsible citizen is, at its core, about being a less selfish person, and putting the needs of society before your own needs. It does not means you have to sacrifice all your free time to volunteer or help others, but it does means taking a little time to think about the impact of your actions on others. A NATION IS HELD TOGETHER BY SHARED BELIEFS AND SHARED ATTITUDES. THAT IS WHAT ENABLES THEM TO RISE ABOVE THE CONFLICTS THAT PLAGUE ANY SOCIETY. THAT IS WHAT GIVES A NATION ITS TONE, ITS FIBER,ITS INTEGRITY, ITS MORAL STYLE, ITS CAPACITY TO ENDURE. -JHON GARDNER 3. Beyond Fundamentals: 3.1 Voting: India as we know is one of the youngest country of the world. More than 50% of its total population is between 20 30 age group, so it has immense probabilities of becoming a global powerhouse. As a country of energy, a country of youthfulness as a country of vibrant young engineers, dynamic technocrats, promising scientists, enthusiastic sportspersons, India has become the cynosure of world. But this country of youths has another face as well. Imagine a case where we are sitting in our drawing room and watching the morning news ..the media persons showing some of our well known leaders taking money for supporting other party or for any other malicious reason. The first thing we do is we start blaming our political system, we never think even for a while that have we played any role in strengthening this system? Have we not contributed in establishing this system of power politics? Have we not chosen these cunning politicians? Werent we influenced by the inflammatory speeches that were deliberately made to create some fire? The modern political system is all about power and money. If we see the profile of a recently elected MPs we will find that almost 300 members are billionaires. Do they really represent the India whos 22% of population is still below poverty line? Arent they the product of this power politics? Isnt the modern Indian politics driven by selfishness instead of the interest of social service? Dont we prefer going according our interest in spite of national interest According to a recent survey majority of the Indian youth especially those living in cities dont go for voting. They prefer going to cinema or watching television. instead of going to polling booths. This is certainly not going to change the scenario. If we really want to change the country, If we really want the tradition to change we have to participate in the elections or at least we have to make sure the person we are going to chose as our representative should be a person of will and a person having an intension to work f or the society, for the country. So the youth of the country and the rich class need to show interest in voting and deciding the future of the country. 3.2 Respecting National Emblems Bertrand Russell once said, Love for your country should be of an extreme nature. Modern era is the era of cut throat competition, an era of hectic schedule, a lifestyle of burgers and pizzas, an age of pubs and discos. The young India is lost somewhere in this euphoric illusion. We hardly remember the martyrs, the independence or republic day is like a holiday for us, we dont even bother to stand up in respect of our national anthem. Our national tricolour doesnt make us feel proud any more. We boastfully talk about patriotism but when it comes to show it we deliver a little. Our attitude comes in between !!! The time is to respect the national heritage, the pluralistic culture of our country and more importantly respecting the people of India. 3.3 Cleanliness/Showing Right Attitude We always cry about the prevailing sanitation problems in our cities. The piles of garbage around our houses and for this we doom the municipality, again comes the famous word system that has been saving our faces to be unveiled and have saved us from disgrace. Do we ever think about the way we behave in our daily life? Do we ever evaluate our attitude? Most of us have the habit of spitting on road while walking, putting garbage on roads in stead of dustbins, we spit on the platforms, in the corners of our offices, classrooms, we dont look for a dustbin after having a coffee or after having a chocolate, we scribble on our benches in our classrooms, we make ourselves immortal by writing on our monuments and finally making them dirty and ugly. We go to our pilgrimages with an immense sense of respect and make them dirty with sheer ignorance !! The solution is that we should always try to change our habit in a positive way. Instead of waiting for the municipality to work we should take the responsibility to make our neighborhoods clean. Its all about changing our attitude. As William James has rightly said The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitude of minds So what if the municipality is not working properly, its our neighborhood and finally its our responsibility. if we become sincere about our duty everything will be fine. A famous quote goes like this. You improve, the world will get improved. So if we want this world around us to improve, if we want the system to be perfect and smooth we have to take the responsibility. 3.4 Following Traffic Rules One of the common instances in our daily life we see or we do as well is that not following the traffic rules. We dont stop for the red lights and when we are caught we try to settle it down by bribing the policeman. If we have been in Germany we would have stopped for the red light even at the mid night. If we follow the rules in Germany cant we do it in our country? We need to respect the signals. If one starts before the green signal, others will automatically follow him, saying no one is following the rules. Why cant we be the one to follow it? We complain that the traffic police always ask for bribe, why do we allow ourselves to be caught in such a scenario (Exceptions apart)? Few easy things that one can follow Stop for Red signal Start only when Green signal is on Using seat belts while driving Parking our cars only in the designated area Not overtaking on bridges or wherever it is mentioned not to. Wear a helmet when we drive a two wheeler. Dont use mobile phone while driving Dont drink and drive(so that you save your life and others life as well) Avoid overloading or riding three persons on bikes 3.5 Pirated CDs and Books We always cry for the prevalent adulteration in the food stuffs and other daily use stuffs, we often complain about the duplicity of the products available in the market. But we hardly bother when it comes to buy a CD cassette or a book and what is the reason? it is cheap in the veil of this statement we hide our crime. Dont we support crime when we go for this kind of shopping? So make sure when you go to buy a CD cassette or a book doesnt buy a pirated one. By this you are contributing in nation building and at the same time you are paralyzing the system of duplicity and cheating and finally you motivate creativity buying a pirated edition of a book is a kind of insult to the author, so make sure we dont insult the creativity when we buy any book next time. 3.6 Respecting Values The one thing every Indian is proud of is Indian culture, Indian values. We boastfully talk about the culture of sacrifice and forgiveness, respecting elders, honesty and truth, non violence etc. we proudly talk about our ethics but sadly gone are the days .we no more respect our so called Indian heritage of honesty and truth and these are being derided in this culture of i-pods and 3g technology the cut throat competition and our willingness to succeed provokes us to use short cuts and we call it smartness so what exactly we need to do? We need to stand firm for a cause; we need to compromise with the compromise this time we need to kill the devil inside that motivates us to use shortcuts for success. As Henry Fielding has rightly said Let no man be sorry he has done well; because others have done evil! If a man has acted right, he has done well, though alone; if wrong the sanction of all mankind will not justify him. 3.7 Corruption and its birth: Now take a glance on our view on Corruption. We might have at some part of time or other complained of corruption all around and talked in great detail in a board room. But in reality do we really fight against this evil in society. Mostly the politicians are blamed for corruption and using unfair advantage of their position. But it is not just the politicians the evil is rooted deeper in the society. A tree cannot nurture without the roots and the roots of this corruption are we the common man. Firstly, we are allowing it to grow. As Edmund Burke says- For evil to flourish, good people have to do nothing and evil shall flourish. Secondly we are ourselves involved in corruption to get an unfair advantage or as a shortcut to our path. For instance, when we are caught for first time in a traffic violation we offer the police person on duty a lesser amount in lieu of a greater official fine according to traffic rules. As responsible citizens, do we not have the right to fight against an d root out corruption? If these politicians are blamed are we not responsible for their election? The question then arises why we elect such people. May be we are not interested in nation building or we might be looking for our narrow minded goals or short term advantages. The leaders if not responsible will lead to failure of the team as whole. So why not be good leaders and enter politics and make a difference in the society? Why not show the way to others. Thomas Carlyle says-Make yourself an honest man and then you may be sure there is one 4. Conclusion: Rights and duties go hand in hand. Before we complain of the inadequacies of the system and claim our rights we must also consider our responsibility and fulfill the duties. As the famous saying goes- Great power brings great responsibilities. Change has to happen but might take some time and we have to wait for it. Change in an organizations or nations culture is a continuous process, it will happen over a period of time and it will take a consistent effort on the part of individuals. Beginning is always tough, we can elaborate it by this example; imagine a case when you are following two way traffic, one fine day this road becomes one way. It will be very difficult to get accustomed to this new change. Later it becomes part of our life; we are not going to think about this option and we become habitual of it. This applies to all these soft duties as well.

Juvenile Delinquency :: essays research papers

BOOT CAMPS ARE A BAD ALTERNATIVE Boot Camps For Children are A Failure According To Substantial Media Research. Wilderness Therapy Treatment - A non-profit consumer protection information, health, safety, referral & education site. More Information: www.Wilderness-Therapy.Org E-mail: info@Wilderness-Therapy.Org Peter S. Canellos, Contributing Roporter, BOSTON GLOBE, April 30, 1989, PAGE: 29 SHERIFFS, LAWMAKERS EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES TO JAIL //acs-VT2000 At least one former supporter of boot camp has turned into a skeptic, however. Larry R. Meachum, who opened the first prisoner boot camp in the nation while serving as commissioner of corrections in Oklahoma, opposed such a proposal when it came up in Connecticut, where he now serves as corrections commissioner. Meachum, a one-time acting corrections commissioner in Massachusetts, cited three potential pitfalls in the program, said Connecticut corrections spokesman William Flower. - The"widening-net syndrome."Judges, seeing the boot camp as a positive alternative for jail inmates, will sentence to jail young delinquents who would otherwise be placed on probation, adding to the corrections population rather than reducing it. - Limited effectiveness."That 'scared straight' philosophy doesn't work for everyone,"Flower said."Some of the street toughs like it. They like the violence of it." - Brutality."It can lead to training instructors going into excess,"Flower said. Instructors have a hard time taming the street kids, he said, and respond, as in the military, by demanding more and more physical exercise. "He started the first one in the country in Oklahoma,"Flower said of Meachum."What he discovered is the support systems for the program have to be in place before you do a boot camp. It's not the simple solution that it appears to be. It's not the panacea that people think it is." AMERICA'S FOREMOST EXPERT ON BOOT CAMPS SAYS THEY DO NOT REDUCE RECIDIVISM -- THEY FAIL GARY MARX, Chicago Tribune, Oct. 12, 1994, From: NewsHound@sjmercury.com HARD TIME: BOOT CAMPS FORCE OFFENDERS TO SHAPE UP? \ acs-VT2000 ''The simplistic view that military and physical training will work (in reducing recidivism) is wrong,"says Doris MacKenzie, a University of Maryland criminologist who is the nation's foremost expert on boot camps. ''Many boot camps Use punishment for punishment's sake. They try to make it look tough for the public, but they are not doing what really works." BOOT CAMPS ARE NOT WORKING GARY MARX, Chicago Tribune, Oct. 12, 1994, From: NewsHound@sjmercury.com HARD TIME: BOOT CAMPS FORCE OFFENDERS TO SHAPE UP? \ acs-VT2000 There's only one problem: boot camps aren't working, or at least not as well as politicians and other proponents said they would.

Free College Essays - Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale the Wuss in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter: Dimmesdale the Wuss "But (Hester) is not the protagonist; the chief actor, and the tragedy of The Scarlet Letter is not her tragedy, but Dimmesdales. He it was whom the sorrows of death encompassed_. His public confession is one of the noblest climaxes of tragic literature." This statement by Randall Stewart does not contain the same ideas that I believe were contained within The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I, on the contrary to Stewart's statement, think Dimmesdale is a coward and a hypocrite. Worse, he is a self-confessed coward and hypocrite. He knows what he has to do to still the voice of his conscience and make his peace with God. Throughout the entire story his confession remains an obstacle . While Hester is a relatively constant character, Dimmesdale is incredibly dynamic. From his fall with Hester, he moves, in steps, toward his public hint, at the end of the novel, of sinning. He wants to unburden himself by revealing his sin to his congregation, but somehow can never quite manage this. He is a typical example of a "wuss", using today’s terminology. To some extent, Dimmesdale's story is one of a single man tempted into the depths of the hormonal world. This world, however, is a place where the society treats sexuality with ill grace. But Dimmesdale’s problem is enormously complicated by the fact of Hester's marriage (for him no technicality), and by his own image of himself as a cleric devoted to higher things. Unlike other young men, Dimmesdale cannot accept his loss of innocence and go on from there. He must struggle futilely to get back to where he was. Torn between the desire to confess and atone for his sin and the cowardice that holds him back, Dimmesdale goes slightly mad. He takes up some morbid forms of penance, fasts and scourgings, but he can neither whip nor starve the sin from his soul. In his agony, he staggers to the pulpit to confess, but his words come out as generalized and meaningless declarations of guilt. The reverend seems to want to reveal himself, but Chillingworth's influence and his own shame are stronger than his weak conscience. Dimmesdale cannot surrender an identity which brings him the love and admiration of his parishioners. He is far too intent on his earthly image to willingly reveal his sin.

Hagar is to Blame for her own Misfurtune in Margaret Lawrences The Stone Angel :: essays research papers

It is impossible to avoid unpleasant situations throughout an individual’s lifetime, especially if they are a result of bad luck or another combination of events beyond one’s control. Misfortune however can also be self-inflicted. This particular case is apparent in Margaret Lawrence’s The Stone Angel, a novel in which the protagonist, Hagar Shipley’s continuous misfortune is a direct result of several of her character flaws. An exaggerated sense of pride, a lack of compassion and empathy and an inability to communicate clearly are Hagar’s most prominent character flaws, and perpetually bring about misfortune. Many of Hagar’s relationships have been hindered, or have eventually deteriorated as a result of her exaggerated sense of pride. Because of this her misfortune in relationships is self inflicted, as she decides consciously or unconsciously to sustain her pride rather than her relationships. When Hagar decides to marry Brampton Shipley, a man thought to be unsuitable for someone of her social status, her father literally forbids her to wed. He tells Hagar that his thoughts are solely for her welfare and that to marry without a fathers consent is simply not done. More to spite him rather than to defend her personal conviction, Hagar says â€Å"It’ll be done by me.† (Laurence 49). This defiant and rash remark results in the loss of her father’s relationship, and the loss of of her sound financial future, as Hagar is left no money in her father’s will. Her decision is clearly based on pride. Similar behavior is seen throughout the novel. Another unattractive personality trait of Hagar’s is her insensitivity to others. Hagar consistently focuses on herself and does not empathize with others in a situation, regardless of their difficult circumstances. This is destructive to her relationships. Individuals would not feel as if they mattered. This lack of empathy also explains her inability to generate new relationships. An example is when Hagar’s son Marvin and daughter in law Doris, confront Hagar about their inadequate physical or emotional capabilities to care for her. They then suggest she move into a retirement home. After a long argument, Hagar is reduced to tears. Marvin and Doris are then distressed - Hagar simply says â€Å"Good. They’re frightened. I hope they’re scared to death.† (Lawrence 77). This lack of empathy causes Hagar’s insensitivity to Doris even though Doris herself is not in prime physical condition.

The Illegal use of Oxycontin

Attention Getter: A pill cutter, a bottle of water, a credit card, a straw, a thick white powdery line, then a sniff†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦This is the deadly and illegal use of OxyContin, or otherwise known in my town as OC†s. Credibility: This is a sad description of an on going problem in my very own town. This is a description of a very highly addictive painkiller called Oxycontin. This pain reliever is already controlling the lives of many of my friends and many people in this country. I feel as though precautions must be met to stop the illegal use of OxyContin from spreading. Purpose: The purpose of my speech is to explain to all of you the downsides and the heavy addiction that this pain reliever causes. I personally believe that this rapidly increasing problem must be stopped. I realize that there is no denying that it's recreational use and abuse are a problem, there is another more important problem of at least equal concern the needs of people truly suffering from chronic pain and in need of OxyContin for pain relief. Forecast Statement: The negative aspects for both street users and patients and explain what pharmacists, physicians and representatives from the Purdue Pharmaceuticals are doing to ensure that this medication remains available for those who need it and stays out of the hands of those who abuse it. The synthetic opioid OxyContin has become a drug of abuse, following in the steps of other prescription drugs that contain Oxycodone, the active ingredient in OxyContin. The level of abuse and the number of people who have died because of OxyContin abuse are growing. At first many pain specialist initially believed that the controlled-release oxycondone had a low potential for abuse, boy were they wrong. In recent years, this drug has exploded to the streets. The latest report from the DEA, the Drug Enforcement Agency, states that Oxycontins have played a role in over 282 people since the beginning of 2002. The DEA says that it is only a matter of time before every community in this country is confronted with the problem of Oxycontin abuse. No prescription drug in the last twenty years has been so widely abused after it†s release. Oxycontin was pain reliever meant to do good, not bad. Oxycontin is prescribed to patients, who are chronic pain, patients who are dying of cancer, recovering from major surgery and or suffering from unbearable headaches. This pain reliever is known for its significant improvement over all other pain relieving medications. The time-release mechanisms allow the right amount of the medication to be released to keep sustained relief for people in severe pain for up to 12 hours. Not only street users become addicts, patients also become very addicted to their own medicine. Many patients go threw heavy withdrawal symptoms when their prescriptions have ended. No longer will insurance pay or doctors write prescriptions. So they too must turn to the black market to fulfill their addiction. In the worst cases some patients turn to heroin because Oxycontins to expensive. Before a person is prescribed this pill, the patient is supposed to undergo a complete physical examination, the patients record should be contained with detailed documentation of the nature and intensity of the pain, current and past treatment, other illnesses, and their history of drug and alcohol use. Then the risks, type, dosage, and quantity of the pain medication must be explained to the patient. Prescriptions will only be filed out during office hours, lost prescription slips will not be rewritten or otherwise replaced, lost or stolen medications will not be replaced. If asked by the doctor, the patient can be submitted to drug testing and urine screening to ensure that the patient is taking a controlled release of the oxycodone. All of these steps must be taken before the prescription can even be written out by the doctor. The Connecticut Company, Purdue Pharma, first introduced Oxycontins in December of 1995. Since then the popularity of this pain pill has grossed to over 1 billion dollars in U.S. retail Sales last year with of 5.5 million prescriptions written. Street users are attracted to the drugs euphoric high. The time- release is licked or peeled off of the pill. It is then crushed with a hard object broken up to a white powder, then it is broken up into very small lines and snorted or mixed into a dilute and injected into their veins. The drug then provides a high very similar to heroin, like heroin, it becomes highly addictive. OxyContin is a narcotic drug. Narcotic drugs cause not only a physical addiction but also a psychological dependence. Narcotics are drugs that produce a change in response to sensations. Sounds appetizing doesn†t it. The problem with OxyContins is that each tablet contains higher amounts of narcotic than any other painkillers, because of the extended action of the medication. Authorities suggest that this is the reason for the streets popularity. OxyContin abusers who have never used heroin may be attracted to heroin when they can no longer afford the high street level price of OxyContins. Heroin is much cheaper and gives a stronger feeling of euphoria. You may ask how do these drugs get into the hands of abusers? Pharmacy workers take the drug directly from the shelf. People create fraudulent prescriptions. People with or without true illness visit several doctors, perhaps even in several states to obtain a large quantity of the drug. Dishonest doctors write improper prescriptions for money or favors. Addicts rob houses, nursing homes and pharmacies just to get high. On the other hand, many doctors don†t prescribe it because they don†t want to be suspected of irregular practice. As a result of numerous robberies many drug stores no longer carry Oxycontin for the fear of being robbed. All of these factors are hurting the people who are legally prescribed OxyContin or other narcotic pain relievers to treat legitimate conditions, often are unfairly accused of being addicted to the pain medications. Misconceptions about proper pain management sometimes lead to under-utilization of available pain medications. Cancer patients and people in recovery are at a high risk of losing their medication because of the increasing sillegal use of the drug. Many law suits are being brought against Purdue that might hurt the avaiblitly of the drug. What is being done to stop this rapidly growing epidemic? Purdue Pharma has responded to the growing problem of OxyContin abuse by distributing over 400,000 brochures to pharmacists and healthcare professionals to educate them on preventing diversion. Legislative initiatives are also being drafted to make Oxycontins distribution less appealing by creating more strict penalties. Meeting with law enforcement officials in several states. Offering grant money for education and drug abuse prevention programs. Purdue Pharma claims it is committed to finding solutions. In the long term, millions of dollars are being spent on research and development a new pain medication, less likely to be abused. A new painkiller, still in development, is not expected to be available for at least three years, and has yet to be named. Purdue Pharma is anticipating that clinical trials will begin in early 2002. However, years of research and the FDA approval process are hurdles which must be cleared before anything newly-developed can be marketed. Clearly, that is not an immediate solution to the OxyContin problem. That's why the DEA has stepped in with a sense of urgency, offering its proposals as deterrents to the abuse. There is way around it, illegal OxyContin use is a problem. It's both. OxyContin is one of the best-selling brand-name drugs in the world, and also one of the most abused drugs. Although, this pill is meant to help save lives it is killing more than it is helping. Many street users of OxyContin are young, like my friends at home are who are unaware of how potent these tablets can be. The addiction to this pill is so dangerous and if is not taken under control it will control you. If you know someone who may be addicted please get them help before there lives go down the tubes. I hope you all can see how important this subject is. It is affecting my life, I hope you can stop it from affecting yours.

Dual Identities Essay

What is identity? We know from intuitive self-awareness that personal identity exists. It seems to be a fact of conscious life, as common as the word â€Å"I.† But the real question is how to define it? I have come to realize that there is no set definition on what makes an identity, so if my understanding is correct anything and everything can make an identity. There is no wrong answer. It varies from person to person. For example Andre Dubus, the author of â€Å"Witness†makes his identity clear through stories in which he shows his disability. In his case having a disability is part of his identity â€Å"I cannot stand or walk . . . I cannot live as normals do.† As for myself, I can relate, although not to the extent as Dubus, I can understand the anger that goes along with a disability. My disability is anemia, and while most people that suffer from anemia do not see anything other than minor side effects, I do. I am severely anemic, and so it affects my everyday life. I have trouble getting up in the morning because I am too tired, even after a good night sleep. I have to take iron pills and I eat red meat almost every day. Furthermore, I have seen more doctors than I wish to remember and they all tell me the same thing â€Å"you’ll grow out of it.† â€Å"Really, thanks Doctor, you’ve been so helpful,† I reply sarcastically. Few people know about my sickness, which I plan to keep that way. For some reason I feel that if many people knew about it they would feel bad for me, and could possibly think I was weak, which is the last thing that I want. Part of my identity is being strong and un-afraid, which is a difficult thing to pull off for a girl. Dave Barry the author of â€Å"Guys vs. Men† thinks that a lot of men give â€Å"guys† a bad name. Just like Barry I think that a lot of girls give females a bad name. Let me explain. I think that a lot of girls are overly dramatic, way too emotional, and acted dumber than they really are, for reasons that are very unclear to me. I know that I am feeding into the stereotype, but some girls fit the stereotype too well to not comment on. I refuse to take guff from anyone, unless I deserve it, and I speak what is on my mind. I have heard that I can be very threatening, but I do not believe that I should refrain from speaking my mind when I see it necessary.  In Keith Bradshers essay â€Å"Reptile Dreams† Clotaire Rapaille describes teens very well by commenting that â€Å"They want to give the message, †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢I want to be able to fight back, don’t mess with me.'† Clotaire seems to sum up the thoughts of the American youth very well, or at least me. I think that I acquired that aspect of my identity from when I lived in Los Angeles. Zora Neal Hurston explains it well â€Å"I left Eatonville, †¦as Zora†¦When I disembarked on the river boat†¦She was no more,† in her essay â€Å"How if feels to be Colored Me.†She expressed exactly how I felt when I moved to Sacramento. I felt like I wasn’t myself anymore. When I lived in Los Angeles I developed an eclectic personality; because I was friends with so many different types of people I took on other aspects of my personality. Unfortunately because I lived in LA I always had to have my guard up, im not sure how to explain it correctly other than, if you lived there you would understand. For the most part everyone had to fend for themselves, and if you weren’t able to do that than you were a follower of someone who did. I later came to realize that ones sense of self, or ones identity is developed through, among other things, external influences including friends, family, and situations. Now looking back I can see where I have gotten my attitude. I’m smart mouthed, sarcastic, and blunt. Through those traits I have also acquired nicknames. A recent nickname as of this summer was, â€Å"Ms. Attitude.† This summer I went wake-boarding with some family friends, their friends, and my best friend. So basically it was my friend and I, and 7 guys. What I came to realize though this summer, is that most guys aren’t used to girls that talk back. Because I am very sarcastic the guys were very surprised, which is why I developed the nickname. They thought it was hilarious, and I was recently told by one of them that they miss my attitude, so I guess I left an impression. What is shocking to me though, is that I usually get that reaction from most guys, which leads me to believe that they have never met any girls from LA. I moved last summer before senior year to Granite Bay, and attended Granite Bay High School my senior year. I moved from my moms house to my dads house,  willingly, to avoid a lot of un-necessary drama. The move was quite unexpected for everyone but myself. I left because I came to realize that my friends were no longer my friends. Many of my friends had begun to do some very hard drugs, and so I no longer wanted to be around them. I knew it was a bad environment, so I left. I have always been very independent and have never relied on anyone else to make decisions for me. I only did what I thought was right, yet after sharing my story with a few new friends in Nor*Cal I witnessed a lot of jaw-dropping, everyone thought that it was such a big deal. My identity quickly developed, I was the girl from L.A. I valued that identity, I almost felt like superman, I was Clark Kent when I was home in LA, and Superman when I was in Sacramento. I say Superman because a lot of people kind of looked at me like that, like I was invincible. I was like nothing any of them were used to. Other than being influenced from where one lives or lived, I believe that family can have a huge impact on ones identity. For instance, because I was raised by my mom, I turned out differently than if I was raised by my dad. If I was raised by my dad I think I would have turned out much more emotionally detached, and much more independent. I say this because my dads a guy, he doesn’t seem to care about anything other than himself and definitely shows no sign of emotion or feeling, that means no hugs. If I was raised by him Im sure I would have had a job at thirteen and would probably be living on my own now. But because I was raised by my mom I grew being very spoiled, because my mom believes that school is more important than work so I was never allowed to get a job. Unfortunately I grew up having everything handed to me. Which is good because I got everything that I wanted very easily, but bad because I got used to having everything handed to me. In addition, because I grew up living with my mom I became more compassionate and caring because that’s what I was taught. I consider the way I was raised part of my identity, I grew up with very strong ties to my family and that’s part of who I am. In conclusion, I believe that there is no one way to decipher where an identity can come from. So once again what is identity? humans are the only animal that can be aware of oneself, and so we are also the only animal to  contemplate who we are, and why we are that way. Through this constant mission of self discovery everyone seems to have an ever-changing view on their personal identity. It is a fact of conscious life, as common as the word â€Å"I,† to want to know who we are. I have come to realize that there is no set definition on what makes an identity, so if my understanding is correct anything and everything can make an identity. There is no wrong answer. It seems to vary from person to person and if any given event, person, action, etc, has effected someone greatly enough it can become part of their identity, even unknowingly. For me writing this paper was a mission of self discovery, I have never really considered who I am other than the obvious. I now know who I am and why I am the way I am. To me that was the hardest thing to answer. Why?