Drug abuse

Drug abuse

Drug abuse or substance abuse is a serious problem that young people, children, and even adults face in the modern world.  Drug abuse refers to the use of specific chemicals to create a pleasurable brain. Research shows that there are more than 190 million users worldwide, and this problem has been noted to increase at a very high rate. The increase is high, especially among young adults who are under 30. Besides the long-term damage that comes with the body, drug abuse causes drug addicts who use needles to inject drugs into their system are at a very high risk of contracting HIV/Aids. The mercy foundation, a nonprofit organization, dedicated itself to educating people about the effects of drug abuse.  The foundation created images demonstrating how harmful and dangerous the continuous use of drugs can be to the youths (Grecu & Dhaval, pgm184).  One way they achieved this is by showing one youth who is addicted to drugs sniffing cocaine. They later showed them how this drug affects the body of these people. This foundation’s two visual elements aimed at showing people how bad the use of some drugs is and why people should refrain from drug abuse. This paper presents Thematic Visual Argument Rhetorical Analysis based on drug abuse by using two images developed by the mercy foundation.

The mercy foundation produced images that cautioned people against overdose or drug abuse. Some of the images produced show severe damage such that when any drug user sees, it will make them reduce or stop taking drugs. Some of the images present psychological disturbance and will automatically make these people’s minds change for the better. This foundation’s two images are meant to show the harsh reality of drug abuse to the youth and society.

Marcy’s foundation uses a picture of a woman who tries to sniff the Cocaine. The picture is painted white and black, and the woman seems to be deeply rooted in abusing cocaine. From a distance view, the woman is not able to concentrate and reason at all. There is a large quality of cocaine that the woman is struggling to finish. The quantity of Cocaine out here is to show that this is not the normal use of cocaine. The author uses the quantity to create fear among cocaine users. From a distance, one may not realize the danger that comes with Cocaine abuse. A closer look at the picture brings a serious vision in mind. The effect of viewing this image gives the viewer a sense of danger and discomfort, and from this, they can get the message that the creator is passing across(Grecu & Dhaval, pgm184).  The viewer realizes how dangerous drug use can be to the health of the users. The more the viewers view this image, the more they understand the drug abuse in society. They get the reality of the impact that comes with drug abuse in society.  From this perception, the images can change the mind as well as their perception of drugs. The creator of this image used different styles to ensure that the audience gets the message clearer. The colors of the image are black and white. The choice of black and white enables the viewer to analyze and get the message that the creator is trying to pass. It is essential to note the colors of the images since a color combination does not blend and will make it harder for the audience to analyze. When the colors fail to blend, there is a high chance that the viewers may not get the message in the image.  The first image does not have so much writing to analyze, but it just presents a visual aspect of drug abuse.

Marcy’s foundation’s second image shows a malnourished woman carrying a child and having glue in her mouth. This photo takes the viewers’ attention because of the child the woman is having. When surveying this photo, the viewer sees nothing but a confused woman wearing a ragged, dirty cloth carrying a child.  It easy to tell that the women and her child have given up in life. Seeing the picture makes the viewer have a feeling of guilt and responsibility. The viewer feels like they can do something to help this family. The image also generates a feeling of sadness, especially when the child is involved. The viewers keep in mind that the child is very innocent and was born in drug prone areas.  We both understand that children are innocent, and nobody can choose where they are born during births. Due to this, the child deserves a better environment. Marcy foundation shows the viewer this photo to show them the effect of drug abuse in society.  This image shows a terrible condition which the mother and the child live in. This brings us to what should be done to control the rate of drug abuse among street families. Since we cannot offer education to the street family, the image created feels that something can be done to control the drug abuse rate. At the feet of the women, there is a plastic bag that contains more drugs. There is also a confusing smile on the face of the women. When the viewer sees this, they may think that the woman is happy, but a close look shows that this woman is depressed and is on the verge of losing her mind (Reichmuth, Martina Larissa, et al.). Drug abuse among street families is widespread, and many governments have failed to control the rate at which the street families abuse drugs. What is saddening is that even the young children at a very tender age are introduced to drug abuse, which should be prevented at all costs.

Both visuals done by Marcy provide an effective message to the drug users. However, one is a direct message to those who are normal but are using drugs. The second one is from the street families. The message from the street family’s photo is that we should strive to educate society. The images present a correlation between the use of drugs and the negative consequences that comes with this. We cannot dismiss any of the images based on their importance to the viewer. Drug abuse should be fought with all available resources available.  People should be aware of the consequences of drug abuse.

Second Image.

First image.

Works Cited:

Grecu, Anca M., Dhaval M. Dave, and Henry Saffer. “Mandatory access prescription drug monitoring programs and prescription drug abuse.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 38.1 (2019): 181-209.

Reichmuth, Martina Larissa, et al. “Mortality of Drug-resistant Tuberculosis in High-burden Countries: Comparison of Routine Drug Susceptibility Testing with Whole-genome Sequencing.” medRxiv (2020).

Throckmorton, Douglas C., Scott Gottlieb, and Janet Woodcock. “The FDA and the next wave of drug abuse—proactive pharmacovigilance.” New England Journal of Medicine 379.3 (2018): 205-207.