Cocaine Abuse in The Boost
The Boost is a film which provides an example of
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The Boost is a film which provides an example of the types of problems which result from the abuse of cocaine. The story concerns a salesman named Lenny Brown (played by James Woods), who gets involved in cocaine after being introduced to it by a friend. In the course of time, cocaine becomes the most important thing to Lenny and as a result he loses everything that had previously been important to him. First, he loses a great job with fringe benefits after stealing money from his boss in order to pay for his habit. Later, he loses an opportunity for a second chance when the drug causes him to become violent with his potential business partners. Finally, Lenny loses his wife Linda (played by Sean Young) when he beats her up and she is forced to seek refuge from him. At the end of the film, Lenny is shown complaining about all his losses; however, it is also obvious that cocaine is still more important to him than anything else. The reasons for Lenny's behavior can be explained by examining the abnormal psychology surrounding substance abuse. Many psychological studies have focused on the patterns which exist in pathological cocaine use. These studies show why people get into using cocaine in the first place. Most people are attracted to the drug because it gives them a temporary feeling of euphoria and physical energy, as well as a feeling of confidence. Because of these factors, many people who are driven to be successful in business are attracted to the drug.
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onnected to cocaine abuse is the tendency to experience convulsions or even heart attacks, especially when the dose is very large or strong. This problem is shown in the scene in which Lenny tries some unfamiliar cocaine and has a seizure which the doctor calls a "phase 2 reaction." Many substance abuse researchers have warned that cocaine is especially dangerous for pregnant women. In particular, there is the danger that the mother will have a deformed or stillborn baby as a result of using the drug. In The Boost, Linda allows herself to be coerced into trying cocaine again after she has become pregnant. Although she loses her baby as a result of a fall down a flight of stairs, as opposed to the drug itself, it can be seen that her accident was caused by her being under the influence at the time.
In addition to the problems which are directly related to the drug itself, cocaine may cause a number of substance-induced organic mental disorders, many of which are permanent. Thus, a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that a large percentage of cocaine abusers develop "lifetime criteria for a psychiatric disorder other than substance use disorder." According to the journal, these disorders incl
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Approximate Word count = 2055
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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