Jc Penny Essay Example for Free

Jc Penny Essay This is not the first time that this company has been faced with adversity. The first time was in the 1960’s when shopping went from downtown locations to more uptown locations in malls. The company transitioned to mall locations to cope with the change. This time the change did not come easy to the company. In fact this change has cost the company millions. This time JC Penney’s was faced with a challenge that they wanted to change. They wanted to transition the public’s perception of them. They no longer wanted to be viewed as an old fashioned department store. The company no longer wanted sales or clearance racks. They wanted to change the whole retail climate. They called it fair and square pricing (Baskin, 2013). This came off a lot like Wal-Mart’s always low prices campaign. This sounds like a great idea to me. However, it failed for many reasons. The main reason because it was confusing to consumers. While the other main reason being poor marketing. Many people sat in anticipation of this new campaign by JCPenney’s. There were just as many supporters in the beginning as well. When I heard of this I thought of an upscale Wal-Mart. Low prices I do not have to shop for sales anymore because these should be low prices every day. However, very shortly after this I found myself not shopping there at all. Consumers want a deal, and they do not feel that deal when they shop there anymore. It is the thrill of the hunt for consumers. Not only that but the sales ad and clearance racks used to change. They are no longer changing prices so there is no need to go daily, weekly, or even monthly. Customers may check there as a way to show case, but they are not buying. Without the sales and without the sale advertisements the company is not bringing in nearly the amount of people that were coming into the store to score the best deal. Next the advertisements they are sending out are worded poorly. They are no longer doing sales but they do mail out what they called month long value. Customers did not understand the wording of it. It was never broken down for them. Ideally they had sales, but they were not called the standard name. Therefore, customers missed out on them and they were not bringing in the clientele like a â€Å"sale† probably would have. They were not able to embrace JC Penney’s new tactic. Another problem with this campaign is that the average consumer does not know what the clothing costs. Therefore they think it should be or could be marked down. They have no idea if they were getting a good deal or not. Again the thrill of the hunt is gone, and still makes the customers confused. It was confusing to customers and that means there is a problem in marketing. When a place makes changes that could potentially be confusing marketing is the key. However, there advertisements were so irreverent that they made even less sense to begin with. They came up with a campaign after their numbers dropped called â€Å"do the math. † It was supposed to show how much easier it is to just get a low price in the beginning rather than use a coupon. This action failed for the company. The CEO Ron Johnson came out and reported later that â€Å"it was confusing† to some of their consumers (Baskin, 2013). It’s no wonder that they lost customers. They did not target other competitors about their prices just what the company was trying to do. Last but not least they attempted to open little stores inside their stores. It was a Martha Stewart collection like IKEA. Even that failed because Martha Stewart was not able to put her name on it, because she was still in litigation over her brand. So, it was still branded as JC Penney’s. Not that the name would have made much difference, but it was not thoroughly hought out within the company. Also, this is not a new tactic stores have been doing this for years. The renovation of the stores to add in this small store was costly. It has cost the company millions of dollars. It has depleted their cash, and has also caused their credit rating to drop (Baskin, 2013). This was a costly decision to make when sale s were already down. Here is the largest problem that they had they wanted become a high end store in a low end economy. If I were the CEO of JC Penney I would make quite a few changes. My first change would have been to go back to traditional wording for now. These are the words that customers are the most familiar with. I understand that some companies like to do all their changes at once because it is cheaper. However, when you are changing familiar terms it is wise to do it slowly. Or at least explain it as thoroughly as possible. Change is needed as a society, but no one likes change, because of this I feel that they should be done slowly and over a period of time. I would also have changed the price tags on their merchandise. In order to make someone feel like they are getting a deal I would change how they were priced. I would put a suggested retail price and then put â€Å"our† price on the label. This would appear to customers that they were getting a deal. Sales are because the prices are higher than what they need to be. The advertising is all about â€Å"trickery† to pull people in. In reality they were still doing sales but they were not called sales, and people did not buy into it. By changing the price tags on the items the customers are still getting the thrill of the buy. They can see what their item is going for at their competitor’s location, and impulse buy. This helps eliminate â€Å"showroom† shopping. Or leaving to check their prices somewhere else. If it is a matter of a few dollars they will not go back to purchase. However, if they can see the deal they will buy. Instead of focusing on expanding a business inside of an already expanding business I would have spent the money elsewhere. Imagine if they could have established new rules for buyers. Gone back to JC Penney’s original roots and prove their claims. It could have created new financing and lay-away policies that communicated value, and used social media to create meaningful communities of consumers who wanted to track and participate in conversations about prices. Employees could have been recruited and trained to offer a fundamentally new customer experience based on integrity. They could have changed the way Americans shop and feel they should stop. I would not have wasted money on an advertisement that was bewildering. I would have spent money marketing on calling competitors out on their prices. Sharing the news on how Penney’s was changing. How they were forward looking. Instead of making confusing ads with no sales just to avoid the word sale I wouldn’t have tried to stay away from it. Since they were still doing sales but not doing sales on certain items. Limiting the sales options were not the problem the problem was using unfamiliar wording. Measuring some of these techniques could be hard to do. Going back to traditional wording would be one way that is hard to track. However, I believe it would go hand in hand with how you would track the new price tags. That would be sales. With these new changes and advertisements I would think that sales would increase. I would not look at the actual accounting book but do a twelve month comparison on the sales on each individual store. This is time consuming and costly but I think it is the only way to see how each store is doing in comparison to how they were doing the previous month and year. During high sale times I would make sure I would have as much staff as possible on the floor to assist our customers. Maybe they do not need help but a casual conversation can lead into why they came into this department store and not the one across the way. Along with this I would like to institute team meetings once a week where department heads meet with their front line employees on all shifts. To find out their ideas and where they are hearing concerns are. Then I would have them write them up and do a teleconference with each store head to hear these ideas, questions, or concerns. I feel this is an open door policy. I would also include suggestion boxes not only in the store, but in the break room for employees so they could bring these up anonymously if they felt the need to. Also, I would work on getting the contact information to employees for everyone in charge. Change can happen and many great ideas come from the front line, because they see and do it every day. However, their voices are not often heard. To measure the effectiveness of advertising I would do a few things. I would add a survey at the end of their receipt to figure out what they thought about the advertisement. I would also add a quick questionnaire in the store that the customer could fill out. I would also make it known that there is a number they can call at any time with questions. I would make it so that they could be heard with questions and concerns. Before I launched a campaign I would have a test market so that we could see what people could recall from the add, as well as find out if there was any confusion on what may have been advertised. The sales would play a large part also in whether it was an effective campaign. A company that has been operating for 100 years is struggling. JC Penney ’s was once a fashion icon to children, young adults, and teens. Beginning in 1913 it currently operates over 1000 stores. Growing up my sister and I waited to go through their catalogue. However, in the last few years something has changed. The company didn’t look far enough ahead to the future to predict these changes. They tried to become a higher end boutique like store in an economy that could not support it. Poor marketing and too many changes has made this one booming store one of the top ten stores that are predicted to be out of business in the next year. Works Cited Baskin, J. (2013, January 2). Lessons From JC Penneys Doomed Marketing Makeover. Retrieved May 12, 2013 , from Forbes: http://www. forbes. com/sites/jonathansalembaskin/2013/01/02/lessons-from-j-c-penneys-doomed-marketing-makeover/ Tuttle, B. (2012, June 19). More Troubles for JCPenney: Top Executive Departs Amid Sales Slump. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from Time Magazine: http://business. time. com/2012/06/19/more-troubles-for-jcpenney-top-executive-departs-amid-sales-slump/

How does Foreign Direct Investment affect the Malaysia economy

How does Foreign Direct Investment affect the Malaysia economy II. Literature Review FDI in Private Sector (Private Investment) Economic report (2010/2011) indicates that the private investment was rebound from -17.2% in year 2009 to 15.2% in year 2010 and in year 2011, private investment will stable in 10.2%. Department of Statistics, Malaysia (DOSM) (2010) indicates that in first half of 2010 the private sector capital grew by 46.6%. The largest contribution in private investment is services sector 47.2%, following mining and electricity sector and manufacturing sector which is 25.4% and 21.1% (Economic Report, 2010/2011). In the first seven months of 2010, Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) approved 545 investment projects which are totally RM16.6 billion to improving domestic economy and FDI (Economic Report, 2010/2011). The three main largest foreign direct investment countries from Singapore, Japan, and United States and in term of location in Malaysia, the state of Selangor, Johor, and Penang was become the largest approved investment (Economic Report, 2010/2011). Economic Report (2010/2 011) also indicate that FDI fall from USD7.3 billion in year 2008 to USD1.4 billion in year 2009 which is drop by 81.1%. Economic Report (2010/2011) point out Malaysia government should more focusing on more sizable and high-impart investment, promote private sector-led growth and as facilitator to enhance private investment and attract more domestic and foreign investments. FDI inflows are projected to increase because supported by government which government provided a conductive business environment and gradual revival of capital expenditure. (Economic Report, 2010/2011). Most foreign company are making profits because Malaysias investments is broad-based which largely in manufacturing, agriculture, oil and gas, and services (Economic Report, 2010/2011). AmResearch Sdn Bhd senior economist, Manokaran Mottain said that if want attract more foreign investors to improve FDI, the Malaysia government will introduce public-private sector partnership as role in business (Tan, The Star, 2010). In Najib Tun Abdul Razak (2010) 2011 budget speech, one of the strategic to improve the private investment is Reinvigorating Private Investment. In reinvigorating private investment strategic got around 20 different sub-strategic, different strategic will enhance in different aspects in private investment. So, the main strategic to improve the whole private investment is public-private partnership initiatives, high impart strategic development, and revitalizing capital market (2011 Budget Speech, 2010). In public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives, Najib Tun Abdul Razak (2010) indicates that The government will provide allocation as a tipping point for infrastructure support to ensure viability of private sector-led projects. All the PPP projects identified in 10th Malaysia Plan will enhance the private sector investment, for example, construction of highway, construction of a 300-megawatt combined-cycle gas power plan, and development projects like hospital. The total private investment will be implemented in 2011 is RM12.5 billion. In high impact strategic development, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) agree to develop the Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD) which will commencing in 2011 and the value of KLIFD will be reach at RM26 billion. The important of develop KLIFD is strength Malaysias position as the premier international Islamic financial hub and government is consider to promote special incentive packages to attract foreign investor to KLIFD. Another project in this strategic are the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) in Greater KL, estimate of RM40 billion in private investment; Malaysian Rubber Board land in Sungai Buloh, estimate of RM10 billion in private investment and also Petronas Twin Tower, estimate of RM5 billion in private investment. Malaysia government will implement seven measures to enhance the cooperation with foreign bourses which is first, divest their shareholdings in major companies by government-linked investment companies (GLICs); second, for better return to foreign investors, GLICs allowed to increase investment in overseas market; third, certain listing company will offer higher public shareholding like Petronas Chemicals Sdn. Bhd.; forth, launch sukuk and conventional bond by Bursa Malaysia; and the last one is Securities Commission (SC) will offer three new stock broking licenses, increase the number of Proprietary Day Traders, and facilitate process and procedures for listing companies. Foreign direct investment (FDI) and Economic growth in Malaysia A large number of studies was suggest that foreign direct investment (FDI) is an important source to the economic growth in Malaysia, the FDI bring in the capital investment, technology, create new job opportunity for economic growth. FDI not only stimulate the economic growth but also stimulate the growth of industrial sector and transform the Malaysia economic structure from agricultural into major producer and exporter of manufactured goods (Jajri, 2009). Karimi and Yusop (2009) examine that causal relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic growth in Malaysia. Karimi and Yusop (2009) suggest that FDI has indirect effect on economic growth in Malaysia. The Toda-Yamamoto causality test done by Karimi and Yusop (2009) suggest that there is no strong enough evidence of a bi-directional causality between FDI and economic growth. Karimi and Yusop (2009) indicate that two variables such as technology transfer and productivity have indirect relationship in FDI and growth of economic and the most important mention by them is the performance of one variable does contribute to stability of another variable. This meaning that the performance in a sector will be affect to each other, for example, stability of manufacturing sector will enhance the private investment in private sector. Har, Teo Yee (2008) examine that the relationship between FDI and economic growth in Malaysia for the period 1970 to 2005 using the time series data. Har et al. (2008) determined that there is a positive relationship between the FDI and economic growth based on their empirical result and FDI was played an important role in Malaysias economy. To achieve economy development of Malaysia, government should concern the importance of FDI in economy growth; for example, encourage more foreign direct investment to increase the employment in Malaysia and advance technology in production can increase more skilled labor to increase productivity (Har et al., 2008). Although the empirical result showed that has a positive relationship between FDI and economic growth, but it has bringing some negative effect on some sector, for example, domestic producer, they will facing difficulties to survive in the market because the foreign investor become monopoly and losing the market power. Therefore, Har et al. (2008) were suggesting that government should implement some policies like joint venture to make a win-win situation between domestic producer and foreign direct investor. Har et al. (2008) also indicate that the political stability is an important role in FDI because the new policies implemented by government will be affects the decision making of foreign direct investor. Jajri (2009) examines the influence of foreign direct investment (FDI) over the growth of the Malaysia for the period of 1970 to 2003. Based on the empirical result done by Jajri (2009), the result showed that FDI was significant influence on the growth rate of Malaysias economy and has a strong market and macroeconomic stability to promote FDI. Jajri (2009) shown the human capital was more important in FDI because it can improve the productivity, innovative capabilities, and strengthening the supporting industries to attract more foreign investment. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in manufacturing sector growth Yusop and A.Ghaffar (1994) examined that several quantitative factors that was influence FDI in Malaysian manufacturing sector. In this study, Yusop and A.Ghaffar (1994) indicate that gross national product (GNP), interest rate, external reserve, manufacturing output, economic health, currency stability, local financing, availability of adequate human and physical infrastructure are important factors to influence the FDI in manufacturing sector. Oman (1984) defined that a foreign entity own majorities of the equities in firm should be consideration involve in FDI activities. So, the purpose of Yusop and A.Ghaffar (1994) in this study is measure the company is consider as FDI company if the company has at least 50% of equities. After this study was done, Yusop and A.Ghaffar (1994) suggest few aspects can improve the FDI in manufacturing sector. First, the result show that between the (LMOG) and FDI have a positive relationship, that meaning human aspect and physical infrastructures ar e related to manufacturing sector and it is important for foreign investor (Yusop and A.Ghaffar, 1994). So, to attract the foreign direct investment in manufacturing sector, Yusop and A.Ghaffar (1994) suggest the provision of a well trained and efficient labour force, special or subsidized industrial sites, and other infrastructural facilities. Second, to increase the flow of FDI, the allocation of special fund or credit facilities for firm also important, for example, the local finance is the important consideration for foreign investor because it will affect their FDI decision (Yusop and A.Ghaffar 1994). Third, tax incentive is the important element to improve and increase the flow of FDI, the policy maker can utilize tax incentive to leading the FDI activities in manufacturing sector (Yusop and A.Ghaffar 1994). Chandran V.G.R (2008) found that FDI was a determinant in manufacturing sector in his empirical analysis about examines the FDI over manufacturing growth in Malaysia which is in developing country during 1970 to 2003. Chandran V.G.R (2008) suggests that to improve the FDI in manufacturing sectors, the first action is focus on improving productivity and innovative capabilities. Quality of FDI can only be attracted if the host country has the ability to improve the manufacturing outputs through productivity gain rather than depending on the traditional factor of production (Chandran V.G.R, 2008). Chandran V.G.R (2008) also suggests that to more focus on education institution and the industrial needs to build up human capital stock and improve the level of education. In additional, the networks of foreign universities affiliation with local institution are important because those will enhance the competitive advantage of the manufacturing sectors. The last strategic suggest by Chandran V.G.R (2008) is the relationship between the local supplier and foreign investor must strengthened through network cohesion for many manufacturing firms. A strong supply chain must be establish so that foreign investors will realize that the local supplier in Malaysia also capable to fulfill their need in delivering material. Incentives and maintain attractiveness in Malaysia for FDI Oti-Prempeh, Abenaa A. (2003) examines the concept of FDI in developing country such as Malaysia, Mexico and South Africa in his paper. Oti-Prempeh, Abenaa A. (2003) showed that there are some reasons to make the Malaysia become attractive in FDI like the Malaysia undervalue currency, low inflation rate, low cost of labor. Malaysias National Economic Program (NERP) also became a attractive for foreign investor, it is because the six objective of the NERP enhance the confident of the foreign investor and Malaysia plans to become industrialized nation by year 2020 (Oti-Prempeh, Abenaa A., 2003). Oti-Prempeh, Abenaa A. (2003) indicate that the Labuan is the city with tax haven, free regulation and law, and full natural resources like oil and gas to attract foreign investor to invest in Malaysia. The Malaysias investment policy provides incentive to foreign investor such as Promotion of Investment Act 1986 and the Income Tax Act 1967. This Act provides incentive in many sector so that fo reign investor can enjoy the advantages like full or partial exemption from income tax, for example, Malaysia current income tax rate was 30%. Consequences, foreign investor can get higher rate of return on their investment (Oti-Prempeh, Abenaa A., 2003). Duasa, J (2007) also indicate that Malaysia has attract a large portion of FDI inflow after Malaysia introduce the Investment Incentive Act 1968 and the Free Trade Zone during the second Malaysia Plan (1971-1975). In Chandran V.G.R (2008) opinion, the Malaysia can maintaining their attractiveness for FDI is because of moderate overall cost, political stability, and good infrastructure. In the other hand, FDI liberalization in Malaysia also provide incentives to foreign investor, Chandran V.G.R (2008) suggest that Malaysia should focus on providing labor force and complementary asset in the long run to maintaining the attractiveness of Malaysia. In manufacturing and agricultural sectors, Malaysia was providing incentives to let the foreign company or investor to enjoy different advantages when they invest in Malaysia. The two major incentives provide by Malaysia government are pioneer status and investment tax allowance (ITA). In Pioneer Status, A company grated Pioneer Status enjoys a 5-years partial exemption from the payment of income tax and it pays tax on 30% of its statutory income. (MIDA, 2010). In addition, Malaysia also provides the promoted area to encourage foreign direct investment. Invest in promoted area such as Sarawak, Perlis, Sabah and some certain area can enjoying a 100% tax exemption on statutory income during in 5 years exemption period (MIDA, 2010). In investment tax allowance (ITA), a company can apply ITA to grant an allowance of 60% on qualifying capital expenditure within 5 years. In the other hand, for each year of assessment, a company may be able to offset this allowance to against 70% of its sta tutory income and the rest of 30% will be taxed at the prevailing company tax rate (MIDA, 2010). The Malaysia also provides promoted area in ITA incentive which is if any company invests in the promoted area; a company can enjoy 100% allowance on qualifying capital expenditure in 5 years. In addition, for each year of assessment in promoted area, the allowance can be utilized to offset against 100% of the statutory income. Different additional incentives also provided by government in many sectors, here just discuss one major of additional incentive for all sectors which is Reinvestment Allowance (RA). From the MIDA website, reinvestment allowance is given if a company involves in manufacturing or agricultural activities, operation at least 36 months from year assessment 2009, and purposely reinvest in expansion, automation, modernization or diversification business (MIDA, 2010). Reinvestment allowance is given 60% on the qualifying capital expenditure, 15 consecutive years, can be offset against 70% of statutory income and can fully against of statutory income if a company invest in promoted area or attain productivity level exceeding the level determined by Ministry of Finance. (Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP), 2010, Chap. 3, pp. 39-41) indicated Malaysia annual FDI inflow has grown by only 1% CAGR from the period of 1991 2000 to 2001 2007. The FDI performance is worst in past 20 years, so, Malaysia must improve its performance by using some initiatives which is; Benchmarking Malaysias attractiveness, Empowering Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) to attract investment, and Investing in talent recruitment (10MP, 2010, Chap. 3, pp. 39-41). In benchmarking Malaysias attractiveness, Malaysia will identify the key factor of the understanding of the foreign investor by conduct an annual survey (10MP, 2010, Chap. 3, pp. 39-41). The key factor will affect the Governments policy decision making to make out some adjustment to ensure Malaysia can compete for capital and increasing the FDI attractiveness, for example, reducing the corporate and personal income tax rates is a type of factor can improve the attractiveness of FDI inflow in Malaysia (10MP, 2010, Chap. 3, pp. 39-41). In empowering MIDA to attract investment, MIDA will more focus in few sectors those can support innovation and productivity growth and will focus on quality of investment rather than quantity (10MP, 2010, Chap. 3, pp. 39-41). Several change will made by MIDA to attract FDI which is given the authority to negotiate directly with investors for target projects, enhance the coordination and cohesion among the relevant investment promotion bodies in the country, and enable the necessary organizational flexibility to attract and retain the talent it needs to be internationally competitive (10MP, 2010, Chap. 3, pp. 39-41). In investing in talent recruitment, liberalization, good quality of life, and better compensation package will increase the number of worker flow into our country (10MP, 2010, Chap. 3, pp. 39-41). Malaysia also introduces the Talent Corporation (TC) which is under the Prime Ministers Department to improve our FDI. TC has three key roles to improve the inflow FDI, the first is catalyst lead and drive innovative national talent management initiatives. The second key role is as a facilitator and creating and motivating for private sector. The third key role is deliver major national initiatives on talent across the human capital development pipeline (10MP, 2010, Chap. 3, pp. 39-41).

Trinidad and Tobago: Carnivals

Trinidad and Tobago: Carnivals Carnival, The Pulse of Trinidad Tobago Draft Trinidad Tobago is a twin-island republic, located on the southern fringe of the Caribbean Sea, approximately six miles off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. The economy of this tiny republic (with an area of 1,979 square miles and a population of approximately 1.3 million) is acknowledged as the most prosperous and sophisticated, in the island states of the Caribbean region. It is largely based on oil and natural gas, which it mainly exports to North America.[1] The islands offer contrasting experiences, Trinidad hosts the commercial, financial and industrial activity of the nation; while Tobago is the Tourism destination of foreign visitors, with its sandy beaches, coral reefs, sport fishing, and all-inclusive hotels. The social experience is also a significant attraction. The widely diverse cultural components of the island nation, makes for interesting customs, foods, and activities. The resulting easy-going, laughter-filled nature of the average Trinidadian and Tobagonian, makes for a great host, and memorable experiences. This unique potpourri of peoples with their contrasting cultures, blended gradually into the personae known as a â€Å"Trini†, is annually rejuvenated in that cauldron of harmony, known as Trinidad Carnival. Trinidad Carnival developed as part of the Roman Catholic observance of Lent, which mandates the abstinence from meat and pleasure (carni flesh and vale to say good bye to). Its pre-Lenten activity culminates in two days of explosive masquerading, leading up to Ash Wednesday, but the actual festivities start with the parties, competitions and shows that begin right after the Christmas season is over. Of, course the creative activity that results in the vistas of sight and sound on Carnival Days usually start shortly after the end of the previous Carnival. Brilliant costumes by the thousands are created and assembled at Mas Camps throughout the island, as early as September. Hundreds of pannists religiously practice their musical arrangements at the various panyards, in preparation for the musical competitions. Songs specially created for the festival are performed nightly at the Calypso Tents and blared with monotonous regularity from the many radio-stations, who promote their favorites for the various Calypso, Soca and Chutney competitions. At the fetes (day time or night time), tourists will look on in amazement at the throngs of people effortlessly jumping in time with the beat of the runaway harmony of calypso or soca music played by the steelband, brass band, or the ubiquitous fete DJ. These parties are so infectious, that it impossible to be a spectator for long, and one by one, the non-participants fall prey to the music and energy, and shuffle or sway as best they can to the beat. These parties also present an opportunity to experience the aromas and tastes of many local dishes, generally, flavorful and spicy: corn soup, pelau, roti, doubles truly, finger-licking, delicious! The weekend before Ash Wednesday, hosts the finals of most of the major competitions of the Festival. On Saturday night, the Panorama competition final is the big event with remaining 16 bands competing for the highly coveted title of â€Å"Panorama Champion† and significant prize-money, in two categories large band and medium band. This event is the ultimate challenge, the moment for which all the participating pannists have so diligently practiced over the past several months. Emotions are so charged at the venue The Big Yard at The Queens Park Savannah from players and spectators alike, that the electrical energy could probably light up the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. The musical harmony can be heard from afar, sweet and euphoric to the connoisseur. In the wee hours of Sunday morning, the judges scores produce emotional highs for the winners and their supporters, lows for the disappointed, and fuel for lively debate until the next Panorama. On Sunday night, all look forward to experiencing the breathtaking spectacle of sound and color of the grand finale of all Competitions â€Å"Dimanche Gras†, so named because all the major finals took place at this event (until the Panorama Final was relegated to Saturday because of the significant logistics involved). The crowning of; the Calypso Monarch, the National King and Queen of the Bands can be enjoyed live, at the Queens Park Savannah, for an entry fee amounting to the cost of a ticket to a Broadway Show, or in the home, for free on National Television. Before the break of dawn on Monday morning precisely at four a.m. the Street Parades are officially launched with the Jouvert celebrations. This phase signifies the opening of festivities and is characterized by the portrayal of characters and ‘mas forms intrinsic to the development of Trinidad Carnival. One popular portrayal is the commentary on social and political events, through the satirical use of placards, costume and pantomime once the essence of the early Carnival art form. Several Bands parade in costume, but the theme and content are subdued and remind of the somber costuming of Halloween. Much like the grey of dawn, before the beauty of tropical sunshine. Monday evening breaks the exhausted sleep of revelers, who are part of the Big Parade, for the prelude to the big day, Carnival Tuesday. All registered bands parade in the streets in all the towns of the twin island nation, but the major spectacle occurs on the streets of the capital, Port of Spain. Costumes are elaborately made with beads, plumes, brocades, sequins, lots of color and style. To participate in the parade (‘play mas), apart from purchasing a costume from the â€Å"Mas Camp† which can now be done from overseas via the Internet you must be physically fit; for the process of jumping and dancing on the asphalt, in 97 ° F + temperatures, is no picnic! As a result, from the month of December, gyms and parks are invaded by intended masqueraders, sweating and jiggling, in the hope of miraculously looking like Brad Pitt, Barry Bonds or Halle Berry in their precious little costumes. On these Parade days, the crowds on the streets would rival those of New O rleans Mardi Gras. There are specific parade routes for the bands to use in order to access the three main judging venues in the capital city. The most popular venue with spectators and masqueraders alike, the Queens Park Savannah, is the place to be when the color and glitter of the sea of swaying costumes are caught in the splendor of the setting sun! The magic of Carnival is not just in the audio-visual spectacle, but for the islanders, it is a time when the soul of the Trinidadian regenerates itself, while achieving the goal of the religious of observance of Lent. The nation experiences lower crime rates, while social and class differences are set aside. It is as though the soul of the Trinidadian recognizes that the time has come for the annual leveling of the human playing field, which is necessary for peoples of a diverse ethnic heritage, to coexist in harmony and to foster the cross-fertilization of cultures, critical to the identity of a unique Trinidadian. At this time, the superficial world of commerce is placed on the back burner. Carnival is a time to enjoy the art, music, friendships, and simply to relax. So significant an event is Carnival to the Trinidadian, that those, who found it difficult to return to the motherland every year to be part of the renewal, have began to introduce the process to their adopted countries and cities: New York, Boston, Miami, Toronto and Notting Hill (England). However, as any Trini will own, it is not the same. Carnival in Trinidad Tobago, once truly experienced cannot be forgotten, and the attraction to return is difficult to resist. Source Out of an annual US import of 631 million cu ft of LNG, 439 million cu ft originated in Trinidad Tobago Energy Information Administration; US Natural Gas Imports by Country (Annual)

conflict in finding forrester :: essays research papers

In the film Finding Forrester, their was a big conflict between Jamal and Mr. Crawford. Mr. Crawford and Jamal had their difference though out the film. Their were lots of problems that Mr. Crawford had against Jamal. The conflicts were based Jamal race, and his intelligence. First, their was a big conflict inside the class room. Mr. Crawford was asking one of the students a question, and Jamal jumped in the conversation. Jamal was trying to help him out, so he told the boy to say his name, which was the answer to his question. Mr. Crawford was very angry. Mr. Crawford then tried to preach to Jamal by quoted some sayings. Mr. Crawford never got a chance to finish his sentence, because Jamal would finish them. Mr. Crawford then got mad. He then ordered Jamal to leave the class because he was embarrassed. The second conflict between Jamal and Mr. Crawford was when Mr. Crawford didn’t believe that Jamal wrote a paper that he was assigned to write . Mr. Crawford told Jamal that he would have to write the whole paper over in his office. Even though Jamal was trying to convince Mr. Crawford that it was his paper, Mr. Crawford still didn’t believe him. Jamal did the essay anyway. The last conflict between Jamal and Mr. Crawford was when Mr. Crawford found out that Jamal had used William Forrester topic to his essay. Mr. Crawford then told Jamal that he had to write an apology letter and read it in front of the class. He also told him that he could just tell him if William Forrester gave him permission to use his title. Jamal refuse to tell them that he knew William, he also refuse to write the letter and read it out loud. Jamal told William about the two option that he was given and asked for his advice. William told him that he should apologize, but Jamal refused. Jamal then told William that he should come to the school and tell Mr. Crawford, William refused. Jamal told William that they had threaten to kick him out of school. William decided to show up to Jamal school. He read an essay that Jamal wrote. Mr. Crawford thought it was Williams writings, and begun to tell him how great the paper was. William then told Mr. Crawford that the paper was Jamal.

Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun †Freedom :: Raisin Sun essays

A Raisin in the Sun – Freedom Have you ever found money coming between you and your family and disrupting love and life? Money can destroy families and change them for the worse. In the Raisin in the Sun, the author Lorraine Hansberry, uses events of her life to relate and explain how the Younger family, of Chicago's South side, struggles and improves throughout the book. One main cause for their family's problems is because of money and how it causes anger to control the family. The play deals with situations in which the family is dealing with unhappiness from money. Walter, the man of the house in the Younger family, tries impressing Travis, his son, too much with money instead of teaching him the more important lessons of life. Walter also dreams to invest in a liquor store and make a lot of money and becomes overwhelmed and badly caught up in his dream. Lastly, the Younger family is much too dependent on the check their Mama is receiving. The family has lost the fact that their mama tries to tell them, before, freedom was life but now money seems to have the controlling factor in life. When money becomes an obsession for a family, problems occur. Walter seems to be a good father to Travis, but starts to lose control by the end of the play. When with Travis, Walter relates too much to money, instead of focusing on their family fun in life. Walter tries to impress Travis with money and thinks that teaching Travis to be rich is the happiest way to go. In the play, it shows that Travis is becoming like his father and is starting to think about money at too young of an age. In scene two in Raisin in the Sun, Travis complains to his mother, Ruth, that he wants to work so he can earn some money. His father responds by giving Travis money and trying to impress him. Walter says to Travis, "In fact, here's another fifty cents... Buy yourself some fruit today or take a taxicab to school or something!"(Page 30). It is all right to be happy with money but it shouldn't be the reason to be proud of your family.

Sybil

Video Case Report PSY 281 – Abnormal Psychology Guilford Technical Community College For Dr. Stephen Ash Student Name(s): Kallie Roberts, Porsha, and Jarvis Date: 15, April 2013 1. Name of Video: Sybil 2. Assigned Case Character: a. Character Name: Sybil Dorsett b. Played by Actor/Actress: Sally Field 3. DSM-IV-TR Diagnoses: Axis I: Dissociative Identity Disorder (300. 14) Axis II: N/A Axis III:Axis IV (External Stressors): Screeching sounds, like the one from the swing that triggered her flashback, and also any woman with the same hairstyle as her mother like the woman pushing the swing that caused her to flashback and lose her substitute teaching position, Sounds of piano music, the sight of any hook like objects, feeling backed into a corner like when her father told her she didn’t have a problem when she knew something wasn’t right. Any combative behavior toward her causes her to convert into Peggy, her younger extremely fearful self. Also if someone touched her hands she would feel extremely threatened.And the color purple would cause alternate personalities to surface. Axis V – Current/Worst GAF: _24_ Highest GAF in previous year: _75_ 4. Diagnostic Documentation for Axis I or II Diagnosis: Dissociative Identity Disorder (300. 14) I. Primary Diagnostic Criteria for Dissociative Identity Disorder A. The presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self) : Sybil including her regular personality had about thirteen more.Vanessa, Holds Sybil's musical abilities, plays the piano and helps Sybil pursue a romantic relationship with Richard. She's a young girl, possibly 12 years old. Vicky is a 13 year old who speaks French, a very strong, sophisticated and mature personality who knows about and has insight into all the other personalities, though Sybil does not. Peggy is a 9 year old who talks like a little child. She holds Sybil's artistic abilities, and appears while crying hysterically because Sybil's fears. She is confused; like, she doesn’t know that she’s in New York and instead, thinks she is in the small town that Sybil grew up.Peggy feels the greatest trauma from her mom's abuse, often feeling sad/depressed and unable to find happiness. Her biggest fears include the green kitchen, purple, Christmas, and explosions. Marcia, dresses in funeral attire and constantly has suicidal thoughts and attempts suicide. It’s presumed she tried to kill Sybil in the Harlem hotel but was stopped by Vicky. She thinks the end of the world is coming, but what she really fears in the end is Sybil. Mary, is Sybil's memory of her grandmother; she speaks, walks and acts like a grandmother, and is anxious to meet Sybil's grandmother.Nancy, kept waiting for the end of the world and was afraid of Armageddon. She's a memory of Sybil's dad's religious fanaticism. Ruthie is one of Sybil's less developed selves, a baby in fact. When Sybil thinks she hears her mom's voice, she is so terrified that she regresses into Ruthie, an alter that parallels Sybil as a helpless, regressive, pre-verbal baby. Clara, Ellen, Margie, Sybil Ann is around 5–6 years old and is supposedly very shy. Sybil also had male identities such as Mike who built the shelf in the top of Sybil's closet to hide Vickie's paintings, which she does at night.He and Sid want to know if they can still give a baby to a girl like daddy did even though they are in Sybil's (a female's) body. He's around 9–10 years old. Sid who wants to be just like his father, loves football. He's around 7–8 years old B. At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take control of the person’s behavior: Vanessa, Holds Sybil's musical abilities, plays the piano and helps Sybil pursue a romantic relationship with Richard. Vicky has insight into all the other personalitie s, though Sybil does not, once Sybil lost control Vicky would step in and sometimes even attend therapy sessions with Dr.Wilbur. Peggy, who talks like a little child, holds Sybil's artistic abilities, and appears because Sybil's fears. She is confused and doesn’t even know that she’s in New York. Marcia constantly has suicidal thoughts and attempts. It’s presumed she tried to kill Sybil in the Harlem hotel but was stopped by Vicky. C. Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. Sybil told Dr. Wilbur that when she was a little girl she woke up one day and was two years older. When she was admitted to the hospital for cutting her hand she didn’t know she gave Dr.Wilbur to do neurological tests on her. She didn’t even know when she got to the hospital or even how long she had been there, and when she felt smelt the fragrances Dr. Wilbur gave her she regressed into another personal ity, and woke up with another time lapse. D. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e. g. , blackouts or chaotic behavior during Alcohol Intoxication) or a general medical condition (e. g. , complex partial seizures). Note: In children, the symptoms are not attributable to imaginary playmates or other fantasy play.Back to Overall Video Case Report Format: 5. Etiology: According to Nevid et al. Abnormal Psychology in a Changing World, 8th ed. (2011, hereafter:   text), Dissociative Personality Disorder (DID) formerly known as multiple personality, is a type of dissociative disorder that’s characterized by â€Å"changes or disturbances in the functions of self, identity, memory, or consciousness, that make the personality whole†(p209), or â€Å"A dissociative disorder in which a person has two or more distinct, or alter, personalities†(p555). It is the emergence of two or more personalities.In dissociative disorders, the m assive use of repression â€Å"resulting in the ‘splitting off’ from consciousness of unacceptable impulses and painful memories†(p. 221). Those with DID express the impulses through the development of alternate personalities. In some with dissociative identity disorder their main or â€Å"host† personality does not know about the alternates, but the alternates do know about the main personality. Also the alternates sometimes won’t know what other alternate personality-part has done, or even that they exist.There can be at least two controllers of the of the person, and even the different personalities can have different ages and sexual preferences. The rate of DID is higher in women than men and females also tend to have more â€Å"splits† than males, averaging about 15 or more, than do men, who average about 8 alter personalities†(p213). The psychodynamic approach to the causes of DID, according to Nevid et al. , â€Å"Dissociative d isorders include ‘massive repression’, resulting in the ‘splitting off’ from consciousness of unacceptable impulses and painful memories†(p221).They may portray these painful memories and impulses through the development of alternate personalities. From the social-cognitive theory standpoint, the habit of mentally separating yourself from painful memories and unacceptable impulses, by â€Å"splitting off†, is reinforced negatively by â€Å"relief from anxiety or removal of feelings of guilt or shame. The late social- cognitive theorist Nicholas Spanos, â€Å"believe that dissociative identity disorder is a form of role-playing acquired through observational learning and reinforcement†(p222).They are so engulfed in the so called role-playing that they forget they’re enacting a role. From a biological perspective, research is still in its early stages to determine whether brain function has anything to do with Dissociative identity disorder. But recent studies have shown â€Å"structural differences in brain areas involved in memory and emotion between patients with dissociative identity disorder and healthy controls†(p222). But the relevance of the differences haven’t been determined as of yet.Despite the massive amounts of evidence involving traumatic severe sexual and physical abuse during childhood in DID cases, those who experience severe trauma rarely develop dissociative identity disorder. In relation to the diathesis-stress model, â€Å"certain personality traits, such as proneness to fantasize, high ability to be hypnotized, and openness to altered states of consciousness, may predispose individuals to develop dissociative experiences in the face of traumatic abuse†(p222).Not particularly that those with these types of personality traits will absolutely develop dissociative experiences, but can help trigger a dissociative phenomena when paired with a traumatic event, just as a de fense mechanism. â€Å"The most widely held view of dissociative identity disorder is that it represents a means of coping with and surviving severe, repetitive childhood abuse, generally beginning before the age of 5†(Burton ; Lane, 2001; Foote, 2005). They will split into an alter personalities as a mental defense to unbearable abuse.When abuse of such severity and persistence continues, the alters become stabilized and hard for the child to maintain a unified personality. â€Å"The great majority of people with Dissociative identity disorder report being physically or sexually abused as children†( lewis et al. , 1997; Scroppo et al. , 1998). In some tests 75-90% of all subjects tested were abused sexually or physically. Also according to figure 7. 1 on p224 in the Abnormal Psychology in A Changing World, social reinforcement can also lead to stabilization or even the creation of new personalities. Enactment of alter personalities is strengthened by positive reinforc ement in the form of attention from therapists†(p224). According to R. P. Kluft, Temple University, â€Å"in the 1990s there were highly polarized debates about whether multiple personality was iatrogenic, instigated and sustained by clinicians' interest in motivating patients to demonstrate the condition's phenomena, and whether the abuses alleged by patients, often recalled after years of apparent amnesia, were false, suggested by leading questions or subtle expressions of interest.It still is unclear whether multiple personality can be created by iatrogenic factors alone†(Kluft). 6. Treatment: The most common form of therapy in treating those with Dissociative identity disorder are psychodynamic paired with eclectic therapies, with psychodynamic being the base of therapy to get to the true root of the problems, with efforts to unify the several different personalities into one cohesive unified personality. â€Å"However, integration of personalities is not always po ssible.In these situations, the goal is to achieve a harmonious interaction among the personalities that allows more normal functioning†(Gluck). Drug therapy can be used to subdue the coexisting issues like depression or anxiety, but doesn’t affect the DID. Psychotherapy is the primary treatment for dissociative disorders. This form of therapy, also known as talk therapy, counseling or psychosocial therapy, which involves talking about your disorder and related issues with a psychodynamic therapists.Psychotherapy for dissociative disorders often involves techniques, such as hypnosis, that help you remember and work through the trauma that triggered your dissociative symptoms. The course of the psychotherapy may be long and painful, but this treatment approach is very effective in treating dissociative disorders. According to the Mayo Clinic another form of therapy is creative art therapy. This type of therapy uses the creative process to help people who might have diffi culty expressing their thoughts and feelings. Creative arts can increase elf-awareness, help cope with symptoms and traumatic experiences, and also produce positive changes. Creative art therapy includes art, dance and movement, drama, music and poetry. Cognitive therapy is a type of talk therapy that helps you identify unhealthy, negative behaviors and beliefs then replaces them with healthy, positive ones. It's based on the idea that your own thoughts, not other people or situations, determine how you behave. Even if an unwanted situation has not changed, they can change the way they think and behave in a positive more unified way.There aren’t medications that specifically treat dissociative disorders; a psychiatrist can prescribe SSRI’s, anti-anxiety medications or tranquilizers to help control the mental health symptoms associated with dissociative disorders. â€Å"A case study is presented illustrating how traditional long-term therapy can be defined in renewable short-term stages. At various therapeutic intervals therapy may be discontinued or deferred based on the client's definition of personal wellness. Such a conceptualization can facilitate client health while demonstrating accountability for the use of ongoing psychotherapy services† (Applegate).The most common approach to thinking/feeling about the process of recovery from trauma or abuse is to conceptualize it as working through a series of stages. Herman summaries several such models in a table. In the three-stage model of modern trauma therapy outlined by Herman, a phase of safety, in which the patient receives sanctuary and support and is strengthened, is followed by a phase of remembrance and mourning, in which the mind's representation of its traumatic experiences is explored, processed, and mastered and in which the losses and consequences associated with traumatization are grieved.The mind is reintegrated, and roles and functions are resumed in a phase of reconnection. In the nine-stage treatment of multiple personality (Kluft, 1999a and Kluft, 1999b) with multiple personality (1) the psychotherapy is established and (2) preliminary interventions are made to establish safety, develop a therapeutic alliance that includes the alters, and enhance the patient's coping capacities. Then follows (3) history gathering and mapping to learn more about the alters, their concerns, and how the system of alters functions.Then is it possible to begin (4) the metabolism of trauma within and across the alters. As the alters share more, work through more, communicate more effectively with one another, and achieve more mutual awareness, identification, and empathy, their conflicts are reduced, as is contemporary amnesia. They increasingly cooperate and experience some reduction of their differences and senses of separateness. This is called (5) moving toward integration/resolution. More solidified stances toward one's self and the world are reached in (6) integrati on/resolution.Smooth and functional collaboration among the alters, usually including the blending of several personalities, is called a resolution. Blending all alters into a subjective sense of smooth unity is an integration. Then the patient focuses on (7) learning new coping skills, working out alternatives to dissociative functioning, and resolving other previously unaddressed concerns. Issues continue to be processed, and mastery without resort to dysfunctional dissociation is pursued in (8) solidification of gains and working through.Finally, treatment tapers, and the patient is seen at increasingly infrequent intervals in a stage of (9) follow-up. Treatment may be challenging to patient and therapist alike. Work with traumatic material can be upsetting and destabilizing. Worse than that is the pain of tying into what patients learn to their own perceptions of their relationships, with significant others who may appear to have been guilty of mistreatment that wasn’t re membered before.. Patients should be informed about the possibility that material that emerges and may be useful for treatment may not prove to be accurate. Processing traumatic memories has been controversial because the accuracy of initially unavailable memories has been challenged†(Kluft), and the affects experienced with this process can cause upset and trigger self-destructive actions. Sometimes decompensating occurs or an inability to maintain defense mechanisms in response to stress, resulting in personality disturbance or a psychological imbalance. Some multiple personalities can’t handle this kind of work. But so far â€Å"reported successful recoveries to the point of integration have involved processing traumatic memories†(Kluft).Studies also have demonstrated that many recovered memories of DID patients have been confirmed, and some have not even been proven accurate. Opinion imply that deliberate processing of traumatic memories should not be perform ed unless patients have demonstrated the proper strength and stability for the work. All others should be treated supportively, addressing traumatic memories only when they are intrusive, are disruptive, and can’t be put aside. Patients sometimes have periods of anting say everything said in therapy was a joke as Sybil did when confronted more about the green room, trying to banish painful memories of trauma, betrayal, and loss associated with important people in their lives to maintain relationships and a sense of safety within those valued relationships. â€Å"Tact, containment, and circumspection are required from therapist and patient alike†(Kluft). The patient should be protected from becoming overwhelmed by and lost in the traumatic situation, and treatment should be paced to protect the patient's safety and stability. There should be no forcing or rushing. The alter system is designed to facilitate escape from pain and difficulty or, failing that, to reframe or disguise it. Alters often reenact scenarios that (in their perceptions) are tried and true methods of keeping pain at bay, even if they disrupt the patient's treatment, life, and relationships†(Kluft). Sybil displayed this when she was confronted by her father and another time when she was in therapy. In therapy, working directly with alters often may make them more prominent, but the more they’re worked, empathized, and helped to communicate with other alters, their separateness is worn down, making the personality more cohesive.The therapist should treat all of the personalities with respect, and also appreciate the immediacy, and defensive aspects of their separateness, and that they all express parts of a single personality, whose personality structure is to have multiple personalities. â€Å"Interventions to contain alters' dysfunctional behaviors, aggressiveness toward other personalities, self-destructiveness, and irresponsible autonomy (e. g. , failing to care for children, who may be seen as belonging to another personality) may prove necessary†(Kluft).The therapist may call on personalities to work on their particular issues in the treatment and to facilitate their cooperation with the treatment and one another. Treatment must respect the entirety of the patient's concerns. Certain DID’s treatment may be put off repeatedly to address other rising concerns and other mental health issues. For example, a woman with dissociative identity disorder whose child develops cancer is not in a position to pursue trauma work. 7. Personal Application: N/A 8. References: * Nevid, J. S. , Rathus, S. A. & Greene, B. (2011). Abnormal psychology in a changing world. (8th ed ed. ). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. * Gluck, Samantha; Treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder, 2008; Hhttp://www. healthyplace. com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/treatment-of-dissociative-identity-disorder-did/ealthy Place, Americas Mental health Channel, web, 01/2013; 13, April 2013. * Treatment and Drugs, The Mayo Clinic; http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/dissociative-disorders/DS00574/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs; 3, March 2011;web, 13 April 2013 * Judith L.Herman, Trauma and Recovery, BasicBooks, 1991, p 156 * Applegate, Maureen; Multiphasic Short-term Therapy for Dissociative Identity Disorder; Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association February 1997 vol. 3 no. 1 1-9 * Kluft, R. P. , Encyclopedia of Stress(2nd Edition),2007,p783-790; * Kluft, R. P. ,Current issues in dissociative identity disorder;Journal of Practical Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, 5 (1999), pp. 3–19 Sybil’s â€Å"Friends† * Peggy- an aggressive nine-year old * Vicky- a sophisticated young lady * Mary- grandmother * Mike- * Sid- * Martha-

Drug abuse Essay

The policy in Switzerland seems to be a success because in the last 10 years there has been an astounding reduction in new users, 82% in fact. Addicts are offered heroin on prescription, access to â€Å"shooting galleries†, needle exchanges and oral methadone. This medicalised drug use has removes its glamour, making it trivial and less appealing. The British government however takes the view that allowing drug consumption rooms risks increasing levels of dealing and anti-social crime. This is the disadvantage currently obstructing the government following suit. The doctor thinks that some users have turned round their lives as a result of this treatment. They come off heroin because of the boredom of routine and drudgery. In addition to the professional opinion, a more personal outlook given by a former addict stated that it should be done in very controlled conditions and only used as a last resort. As I saw on the video, drug abuse has been a problem for centuries and I personally do not see a situation where the world will be free of drug abuse. This is because, when the word drug is defined we mean a medication and there are many legal drugs that are medically prescribed for the treatment of the ill. Drugs such as morphine and paracetamol can also be misused, and the abuse can lead to deaths. In this sense the problem of drug abuse can never be completely eliminated because people will just find another drug to abuse. However, one must be cautious when reading the newspapers as it is likely to be biased. Not everything must be taken into account as it is not likely to be authentic or reliable. To a certain extent not all drugs are as bad as each other; some drugs bring about more harm than others. In other ways, if particular drugs are abused constantly and in heavy quantities they can cause severe consequences, such as tobacco for example. Particular notice needs to be taken of Danger Ratings and the seriousness of heroin addiction. More should be done to prevent this, by tightening rules and regulations and giving harsher punishments to put off new users and give help to existing addicts. Both sources offer contrasting methods for dealing with the problem. The first method, calling upon the government to update the system may not be taken into consideration by some politicians as they do not want to lose votes. However, if it is considered and action is taken, it is a worthwhile action. The second method calling upon softer laws can be seen as helping in some ways, but mainly making it easier for drugs to be abused. In my opinion, the government should tighten rules and regulations for drug abuse and crackdown on Drug related crime, reducing the usage of drugs, and also supply help for the addicts to stabilise their lives. Politics and the law are barriers to both approaches because each method has to gain the Governments approval prior to the action taken, this may prove difficult. This is due to the fact that political parties view their own positions in government more precious than the welfare of the public. As a result of this, they are more concerned with losing votes rather than losing lives. As a whole, drug abuse and addiction is a problem that cannot ever be eradicated completely but it can be controlled and reduced, particularly with certain drugs. As mentioned previously, there are options available to control the issue, and measures can be put in place to reduce drug abuse. The best method would be to take a combination of both options as stated previously. Maybe, in the distant future, drug abuse may not be such a huge pandemic as it is today.