The Relationship Between Smoking and SelfEsteem Essay

The Relationship Between Smoking and SelfEsteem - Essay Example In "Relationship Between Self-esteem and Smoking Behavior Among Japanese Early Adolescents (1999)," the authors define self esteem as "an evaluative term that reflects a persons perceptions about his or her personal characteristics and abilities" (p.1). In keeping with this definition, it is appropriate to discuss the ways that "self perception" is most unstable and negative during adolescence. Because this is the case, many studies focus specifically on self-esteem and its influence on one's decision to smoke during adolescence. Because studies have adequately demonstrated that long term smoke use often starts in the teen years, it is appropriate to focus on adolescent smokers and on why they were initially drawn to the habit, even with the understanding of its health risks and taboo-like nature. Although my own research will seek to demonstrate the connection between low self-esteem and smoking in college students rather than adolescents, it still remains relevant to explore the re asons why individuals initially take up smoking. Typically, these are many of the same reasons that these same individuals continue to smoke, and so this research will remain relevant through these same individuals' college years, giving way to my own research, which seeks to prove this connection among college students. So, given these reasons, this paper specifically explores smoking and self-esteem in adolescence in terms of the correlation between low self-esteem and initially starting to smoke. In their article, authors' Kawabata, Cross, Nishioka, and Shimai (1999) echo this idea when, after conducting in depth studies about self esteem and smoking, they report that, "One of the most important findings from this study is that self-esteem may be a factor associated with the initiation of smoking among early adolescents of both genders" (p.4) Many studies have proven that low self-esteem is linked to several risk taking behaviors. Perhaps this is because, as authors Luhtanen and Crocker (2005) state, "Low self-esteem is associated with negative emotions which may lead to behaviors that offer an escape from self awareness" (p.1). Like alcohol, drugs, and other types of addictions, smoking often offers adolescents an escape from the pressures that life inevitably brings during the difficult teenage years. Clearly, when an adolescent is dealing with issues such as self image, depression, stress, and low self worth, he or she is going to have less of a problem entertaining the idea of something that might be hazardous to their health. At this point, he or she is worried about issues that seem larger than the dangers of smoking and addiction. Specifically, if the smoking offers them some kind of solace from the world they are fighting with, of course they will be inclined to take the immediate escape. They are not thinking of long term consequences, but rather of the temporary feeling of relief that the cigarette can offer them. Of course, this type of thinking can become dangerous because there is no concern with potential dangers and/or consequences. It is simply immediate gratification that is sought. The idea is that perhaps if an adolescent was taught to value him or herself more, and led to have higher self worth, then this dangerous

The Relationship between Multidisciplinary Teams Essay

The Relationship between Multidisciplinary Teams - Essay Example The supplying of medicines to the public is highly dependent on the type of medicine. Medicines are legally divided into three categories which include: Pharmacy (P), Prescription Only Medicine (POM), and General Sale List (GSL) (Jones, 2004). While GSL are supplied to the public through a wide range of facilities, such as supermarkets, P and POM medicines are only available at registered pharmacies. Moreover, in order to buy POM, the buyer must have prescription from a certified practitioner. Currently in Europe, there are two agencies that provide drug license: the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA). Mostly companies apply for an EMEA license as it is accepted all around EU while MHRA mainly functions within the United Kingdom (Davis, 2003). A company may apply for a drug license through a centralized system or a decentralized (or mutual recognition) system. In a centralized system, the committee assesses t he drugs to be used by human and monitors its impact before approving or disproving a drug for a license (Jones, 2004). One the other hand, in the decentralized system, a company may apply for a license in different member states, such as MHRA in the UK. One member state assesses the drug and based on the result other member states may object or agree to license the drug. If one or more member states object to the drug, the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP) then advices the EU commission on whether to license the drug or not (Davis, 2003). The Medicines Act of 1968 is still used for the prescription, supply, and administration of medicine (Sturm & Unutzer, 2000). Back in 1989, the circumstances in which nurses might prescribe a drug were taken into consideration and it was recommended that nurses having qualification of a district nurse or health visitor should be given permission to prescribe certain drugs falling in the list of limited formulary (Department of He alth, 1989). This was implemented recommendation was implemented nationally in 1998 in England. The main route of drug supply is through a pharmacist who may prescribe POMs and P medicines (Jones, 2004). They may also prescribe black triangle drugs (Jones, 2004). However, this principle is not rigid and can be bent in situations that require some other health professionals to supply the drugs to assure health care (Crown, 1999). The medicine legislation allows the dentists and doctors to supply and administer medicines and also allows nurses and health workers to do so as directed by the doctor or dentist (Nuttall & Rutt-Howard, 2011). Moreover, the legislation also allows certain health professionals, including occupational therapists, chiropodists, and radiographers, to supply certain medicines. In August 2000, the Medicine Legislation was amended in order to clearly define and explain the Patient Group Directions PGDs and include other private and voluntary services (RCN, 2006). The amendment clearly defines the limited situations in which medicines may be administered under the PGDs as not doing so would jeopardize the health of the patient (RCN, 2006). A multidisciplinary non-medical prescribing team (MDPT) includes a team leader, which must be employed by the trust, who develops and maintains the roles of each member in the team using his or her professional skills. The MDPT plays an important role in shaping