Movie Review

American Meth (2008) is a documentary about how meth has become an epidemic in America. The movie showcases what meth is and what is has done to communities, families, and the lives of individuals. Especially the youth.

I feel that the documentary has done an exceeding job on covering all aspects of the drug. it covers the different viewpoints through interviews, a very well done job on interviews. From a journalism perspective, I could tell the director did a good job in asking questions. The documentary covered the emotinal damage Meth has done to many. There was also a segment shown on a family who both parents are hooked on the drug, also families who are all influenced by the drug. The documentary shows real life situations affected by Meth that instills fear and disgust in the viewers.

Although the content of the move is very informational and interesting, the quality of the videography isn't equally the same. A lot of the shots were shaky and the audio wasn't audible at times. Altogether, I believe that this documentary is worth watching if you want to get into the core Meth.

Angry Letter Draft

(my address)

Honolulu, Hawaii 96818

November 15, 2012

Oahu Transit Services

811 Middle Street

Honolulu, Hawaii 96819

Dear Oahu Transit Services,

I’ve been riding your buses on a regular basis since my freshman year in high school, and it’s been two years since: not to mention riding the bus to China Town when I was little with my grandma. Riding the bus has been a place of familiarity and it has been especially the bus drivers who’ve made the experiences enjoyable in the little ways. I appreciate the smiley greetings, heart-warming goodbyes, and the occasional small talks.

However the recent changes and current conditions have made my bus experiences difficult and uncomfortable. I’ve noticed that since the canalization of the route B bus has made rides on the 2 bus rides that I would dread. There are also many changes that have been made to other bus routes and I have no doubt that others have to affected as well. There are days where I would take the 3 bus into town from salt lake because the 32 bus only comes every hour. After waiting a long while, I would get unto a severely cramped number 2 bus, so cramped that passengers would be standing pass the yellow boundary line holding on to the sides of the bus for dear life. Sometimes there would be elderly struggling to stand up without falling between wide bus turns. If the B bus can’t be reactivated, it would do so much if there would be more 2 buses especially during the rush hours.

Not only has it been uneasy riding the 2 bus, but also when there would be times when I actually go to sit down, sometimes there would be a stench. At times I’ve seen cockroaches and bugs on the bus crawling around. Sadly I’ve also seen grafitti, and parts of the bus like the windows that need to be taken cared of. I know that some of these things listed may seem like the least of your problems but I feel that like Oahu’s buses should also be cared for more. This is one of the major forms of transportations on the island and citizens should feel confident when riding them.

I still continue to frequently ride the bus despite these problems, and so do thousands of other citizens. But I feel that you should take these suggestions and opinions, even those besides me because changes towards these problems would drastically improve the travels of your passengers.

Sincerely,

Adara Pineda

Risky Business Draft

Although meth is a serious and life threatening drug, the plummet of meth use doesn't make it less of a danger to a young individual.

Meth is a central nervous system drug that over stimulates the body and makes the body addictive to the drug. It releases high levels dopamine to the brain. Dopamine is usually acquainted with the feeling of motivation, reward, experience of pleasure, and motor skills. Because of the high levels of dopamine, meth users experience a rush of euphoria that is addictive. This drug has a negative effect on the brain structurally and functionally. These problems usually continue to exist even after one stops taking meth, if they can stop.

Surveys have shown that the meth epidemic is decreasing, causing many to believe that it's okay to let our guards down against this part of war on drugs. Studies done by The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that marijuana use rose among Americans from 5.8 percent in 2007 to 6.9 percent in 2010. That's more than 17.4 million American teens and adults. Math user rates have done done substancially by nearly half, 731,000 users to 353,000 in 2010. We may believe that the meth epidemic is slowly going to dissipate but the fight isn't over.

Surveys done by NCSL show that teens find it easier then expected to be in possession of meth than adults. More than a quarter of high school students seniors out of the US population (28.3%) say that it was either "fairly easy" or "very easy" to obtain "crystal meth" if they wanted to. This can be shocking news to parents especially when they come to realize that their child might be that 28.3%

We may believe that the cause of the meth epidemic from the beginning are the meth dealers. Although this is partly true, it is in fact the victims fault into falling into this trap. According to surveys reported by CBS news, not only is it easy for young individuals to be in possession of the drug, teens have no fear of the drug and actually believe that there are actually benefits.

This is why it is important to make aware the danger and risks of this drug: it is easy for an epidemic like this to be hidden right under your nose.