Pharmaceutical Drug Addiction among African American Male Adolescents

A Brief History Abuse of pharmaceutical drugs is the recurrent use of medication without requisite direction and advice from a qualified medical expert. It also involves use of medication in contravention of expert advice and requirements (Boyd, 2007). Such abuse encompasses habitual use of prescription medication with a view to achieve good feelings and pleasure.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Pharmaceutical Drug Addiction among African American Male Adolescents specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most abused medication includes pain relievers and medication used to alleviate anxiety among patients. Statistical data indicate a high and alarming rate of abuse among African American adolescents in the United States. There are various manifestations of such abuse among young black adults in America. Due to this practice, there are increasing cases of hospital admissions because of complications resulting from ab use of pharmaceutical drugs. The numbers of registered deaths are currently on the rise (Boyd, 2007). History of pharmaceutical drug abuse in America dates back over a hundred years. During that period, there was rampant use of laudanum, a derivative of opium and alcohol. Laudanum was a remedy for nausea, insomnia, anxiety, among other medical conditions (Boyd, 2007). During early 19th century, doctors regularly prescribed the concoction to patients despite its high disposition to addiction. However, Caucasian women were highly susceptible to abuse of laudanum. Most men had susceptibility to abuse of alcohol and other forms of drugs. Abuse of pharmaceutical drugs among black adolescents became a serious problem in 1980s when the trend grew in popularity. Currently, many black adolescents in America commence abuse of prescription drugs in their pre-teen years (Boyd, 2007). Discussion Cases of addiction to pharmaceutical drugs are increasingly becoming common in American society. Ther e is a trend of abuse and addiction among individuals in the productive bracket of American society. The alarming rate of abuse and addiction emanates from various implicit and explicit factors that influence and determine the vice. Such factors include social, demographic and economic factors. There are cultural factors that also determine likelihood of abusing prescription drugs (Boyd, 2007). Among African American adolescents, there is high prevalence of abuse and addiction with regard to pharmaceutical drugs. Prevalence of this practice manifests through numerous cases of individuals who face arrest and prosecution because of abuse of prescription drugs. In some cases, there is involvement of prominent personalities in society. This is a clear indication of the inherent gravity of this matter. Abuse of prescription drugs is prevalent because of their availability in the market. Adolescents have easy access to prescription drugs through unscrupulous and dishonest doctors. Such do ctors avail drugs to young people in full knowledge of the apparent dangers of their actions (Boyd, 2007).Advertising Looking for term paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Habitual use and abuse of prescription drugs leads to addiction and dependency. During initial stages of use, individuals derive pleasure and joy from such activities. After a certain period of use, the body gets used to the drug. In order to achieve pleasure, it becomes necessary that the person must increase dosage. This trend continues and eventually escalates into an epidemic. Currently, many people have total dependence on prescription drugs. They face numerous challenges as they struggle to fight the vice that has potential to cause harm and even lead to death (Thomas, 2006). As individuals fight the habit, they find it difficult to cope with life. There have been reported cases of suicide due to effects of pharmaceutical drugs ad diction. Addiction to prescription drugs heralds numerous negative effects for society. It reduces productivity because addicts have difficulty in carrying out productive undertakings. Addicts are habitually unwell because of side effects that result from abuse of pharmaceutical drugs (Thomas, 2006). Authorities should take necessary and urgent measures to correct the spiralling trend of abuse and addiction to pharmaceutical drugs. Failure to institute such measures will usher in a generation that cannot support itself due to addiction and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs. All relevant authorities and agencies have a responsibility to ensure that the young generation does not indulge in such activities because they lead to counterproductive behaviour (Thomas, 2006). Treatment and care for addicted persons is costly and requires money and other resources. Authorities spend huge amounts of money to treat and rehabilitate addicts annually. Such funds and resources should go into other con structive national undertakings. Society should always endeavour to sensitize members on the apparent dangers of abusing pharmaceutical drugs. Such efforts will go a long way in reducing cases of abuse and addiction to prescription drugs (Thomas, 2006). Policies on Addiction Most individuals who abuse pharmaceutical drugs argue that they are safer and less harmful that other drugs. This misconception is responsible for high prevalence of abuse and addiction among young people in America. Various policy efforts seek to institute corrective measures with regard to this problem (Cicero, 2007). Through such efforts, people will learn the negative effects of using prescription drugs erroneously. Efforts such as National Drug Control Strategy endeavour to deter abuse of pharmaceutical drugs in society. The strategy has measures that create awareness on pitfalls associated to abuse of prescription drugs. It advocates for proper acquisition and use of pharmaceutical drugs to avoid negative repercussions. It also creates awareness on proper and safe storage of pharmaceutical drugs to avoid alteration of their chemical qualities and components.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Pharmaceutical Drug Addiction among African American Male Adolescents specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Any alterations regarding composition of such drugs could lead to poisoning and possible death (Cicero, 2007). The strategy also involves monitoring of all activities relating to pharmaceutical drugs. Through Prescription Drugs Monitoring Programmes (PDMPs), the strategy seeks to evaluate and regulate acquisition and use of pharmaceutical drugs to ensure compliance to standards and regulations. The strategy also provides mechanisms through which healthcare practitioners share critical information regarding use and sale of pharmaceutical drugs. As part of deterrence, the strategy proposes heavy fines and punishment for tho se found guilty of improper and illegal use of pharmaceutical drugs (Cicero, 2007). Diverse Populations Cases of addiction to pharmaceutical drugs are increasingly becoming common in American society. There is a trend of abuse and addiction among individuals in the productive bracket of American society. The alarming rate of abuse and addiction emanates from various implicit and explicit factors that influence and determine the vice (Cicero, 2007). Such factors include social, demographic and economic factors. There are cultural factors that also determine likelihood of abusing prescription drugs. Among African American adolescents, there is high prevalence of abuse and addiction with regard to pharmaceutical drugs. Prevalence of this practice manifests through numerous cases of individuals who face arrest and prosecution because of abuse of prescription drugs. Apart from young African Americans, other demographic segments indulge in this practice. The issue regarding abuse of pharm aceutical drugs is not unique to one demographic section in society. It is ubiquitous and prevalent across society (Gordon, 2006). Treatments Treatment of addiction is complex because of various aspects that characterize the problem. Healthcare practitioners appreciate the complex nature of the issue and therefore apply various methods to fight the problem of addiction. The most popular means of treatment is therapy (Gordon, 2006). The addict attends therapy sessions where a therapist prescribes various procedural activities to alleviate the problem. During therapy sessions, they share personal information with a therapist. Subsequently, they receive counselling services regarding their problem. The therapist offers tips on how the client can effectively abstain from abuse of prescription drugs. Apart from therapy, other medical procedures seek to reverse the ravages of addiction to pharmaceutical drugs. Such medical procedures materialize through crucial phases that mark the road t o recovery (Gordon, 2006).Advertising Looking for term paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Critique The field of social work and human services is an important domain that plays a critical role in provision of vital services to needy persons such as addicts. Social work and human services seek to offer an avenue for intervention and relief for persons who experience difficulties and challenges in various areas of concern (Paulozzi et al, 2006). Through social services provision, individuals have access to professional care and support that guarantee their social well-being and holistic existential circumstances (Paulozzi et al, 2006). By offering such services, social work experts act as a bridge between individuals and the community. However, social workers should conduct a thorough and comprehensive assessment in order to acquire a clear understanding of the recurrent individual needs. There should be clear policies to enhance and promote efforts against abuse of pharmaceutical drugs (Paulozzi et al, 2006). Future Research There are numerous research undertakings with r egard to the issue of abuse and addiction to pharmaceutical drugs. Many scholars continue to institute research undertakings with a view to achieve a clear understanding on this issue. However, there is room for further research and studies regarding addiction to pharmaceutical drugs. Future research should focus on deterrence mechanisms to ensure reduction in cases of abuse and addiction. There is need for research on factors that lead to misuse of pharmaceutical drugs. References Boyd CJ, et al (2007). Prescription Drug Abuse and Diversion among Adolescents In America. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 161(3):276. Cicero TJ, et al (2007). The Development of a Comprehensive Risk-Management Program for Prescription Opioid Analgesics: Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS). Pain Med 8(2):157. Gordon SM, et al (2006). Knowledge and Use of the Internet as a Source of Controlled Substances. J Subst Abuse Treat 30(3):271. Paulozzi, L. J., Budnitz, D. S., Yongli, X. (2006). Increasing Deaths From Opioid Analgesics in the United States. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 15(9): 613-617. Thomas CP, et al (2006). Trends in the Use of Psychotropic Medications Among Adolescents, 1994 to 2001. Psychiatr Serv 57(1):63. This term paper on Pharmaceutical Drug Addiction among African American Male Adolescents was written and submitted by user Kaleigh Lang to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Battling Nerves and Anxiety Over Presentations

Battling Nerves and Anxiety Over Presentations Nearly everyone experiences nervousness when they perform in some way, whether in giving a speech, taking a test, offering a presentation, or teaching a class. Its something everybody deals with. But some people hide their nervousness more than others. Some people simply understand that nervousness is self-perpetuating. Here is an alarming little equation: Signs of Nervousness Leads to Increased Nervousness In other words, one sign of nervousness can cause other symptoms to pop up. To clarify this cruel little formula, just think back to a time when you were speaking in front of a group. If you noticed that your hands were shaking or your voice was cracking, you probably became distracted and unnerved by these signs. They probably embarrassed you and made you even more nervous, which made your heart beat faster. True? Theres good news: This formula also works in reverse. If you can prepare ahead of time to prevent and disguise the normal causes for nervousness, you can avoid a chain reaction of symptoms. Types of Fears That Cause Anxiety The best thing you can do is to over-prepare when youre facing an intimidating situation that makes you nervous. The number one cause for nerves is feeling inadequate about the topic. Fear of Looking Stupid: Whatever your topic may be, from phases of the moon to Internet safety, you must research it thoroughly. If you try to skimp or slide by with a little knowledge, youll start to feel insecureand it will show. Prepare ahead and go way beyond the parameters of your specific topic. Find out all you can about the how and why of things, especially if you will be answering questions about your topic. Fear of Forgetting Information: When giving a speech, its normal to forget details if youre nervous, so you should take steps to avoid this. Make an outline of your topic or make several note cards to use as prompters. Practice with the note cards and re-make them if they confuse you in any way. Make sure you number any note cards so you can keep them in the right order. Fear of Freezing Up: You can avoid the appearance of freezing up during your presentation, discussion, or speech by having props on hand. These can include a drink of water, a notepad, or a visual aid. Anytime you feel like you might go blank, say Excuse me for a moment, and take a drink or pretend to jot something down. This will give you an extra moment to gather your thoughts. Its also a good idea to have one note card prepared that you can go to in a moment of panic. This card could contain a space filler like an anecdotal story that goes along with your topic. If you need to go to this panic card, you could simply say, You know, this reminds me of a story. After you complete your story you can say, Now where was I? and someone will tell you. Types of Symptoms That Increase Anxiety You can reduce some nervous symptoms by scoping out the room where youll be speaking or presenting. Find out if youll be standing still, sitting down, walking around, or using a microphone. Educate yourself as much as possible about your situation. It will give you a greater sense of control. Dry mouth: Prevent dry mouth by carrying a glass of water with you. Also avoid drinking carbonated drinks before you speak, since those tend to dry out your mouth.Shaky, nervous voice: The more you know your topic and the more confident you feel, the less trouble youll have with your voice. If you start to feel short of breath or shaky, just pause to consult your notes or take a sip of water. Breath slowly and give yourself a moment to re-group. It wont look odd to the audience.Rapid heartbeat: Its not a good idea to eat a big meal before an event. The combination of jittery nerves and a full stomach can create a strong heartbeat, which will make you feel short of breath. Instead, eat a small but healthy meal before you speak. More Tips for Battling Nerves Prepare transitional phrases ahead of time to help you flow from one idea to the next. If you dont have a good transition, you might get nervous as you struggle to change from one topic to another.Practice your speech, presentation, or argument out loud and in front of the mirror several times. This will help you fix any awkward segments.If you have a microphone, concentrate solely on it as you speak. This helps you block out the audience.Dont think about underwear. Some people suggest that you imagine your audience wearing underwear. You can do that if you really want to, but it might not prove very helpful. The real idea behind this trick is to think of your audience as ordinary people just like you. They are ordinary, and chances are, theyre all impressed at your courage and very supportive.Move around the room if you have the opportunity. This sometimes helps distract you from the eyes of your audience and it can make you look professional and in control.Start out your presentati on with a great quote or a funny line. For instance, a good line to use as an icebreaker is I just want you all to know that I am not picturing you in your underwear.

Become a Better Student With These English Study Tips

Become a Better Student With These English Study Tips Learning a new language like English can be a challenge, but with regular study it can be done. Classes are important, but so is disciplined practice. It can even be fun. Here are some guidelines to help you improve your reading and comprehension skills and become a better English student. Study Every Day Learning any new language is a time-consuming process, more than 300 hours by some estimates. Rather than try and cram a few hours of review in once or twice a week, most experts say short, regular study sessions are more effective. As little as 30 minutes a day can help you improve your English skills over time. Keep Things Fresh Instead of focusing on one single task for the entire study session, try mixing things up. Study a little grammar, then do a short listening exercise, then perhaps read an article on the same topic. Dont do too much, 20 minutes on three different exercises is plenty. The variety will keep you engaged and make studying more fun. Read, Watch, and Listen. A lot. Reading English-language newspapers and books, listening to music, or watching TV can also help you improve your written and verbal comprehension skills. By doing so repeatedly, youll begin to unconsciously absorb things like pronunciation, speech patterns, accents, and grammar. (Scientists call this phenomenon indirect learning). Keep pen and paper handy and write down words you read or hear that are unfamiliar. Then, do some research to learn what those new words mean. Use them the next time you are role-playing dialogue in class. Learn the Sounds Separately Non-native English speakers sometimes struggle with certain word pronunciations because they do not have similar sounds in their native tongue. Likewise, two words may be spelled very similarly, yet be pronounced quite different (for instance, tough and though). Or you may encounter combinations of letters where one of them is silent (for example, the K in knife). You can find plenty of English pronunciation videos on YouTube, such as this one on using words that begin with L and R.   Watch Out for Homophones Homophones are words that are pronounced the same way, but are spelled differently and/or  have different meanings. There are a number of homophones in the English language, which is one of the reasons why it can so challenging to learn. Consider this sentence: Pack your clothes, then close the suitcase. Both clothes and close sound the same, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings. Practice Your Prepositions Even advanced students of English can struggle to learn prepositions, which are used to describe duration, position, direction, and relationships between objects. There are literally dozens of prepositions in the English language (some of the most common include of, on, and for) and few hard rules for when to use them. Instead, experts say, the best way to learn prepositions to memorize them and practice using them in sentences. Study lists such as this one are a good place to begin.   PlayVocabulary and Grammar Games You can also improve your English skills by playing vocabulary games that are related to what youre studying in class. For example, if you are going to study English on topics that focus on vacations, take a moment to think about your last trip and what you did. Make a list of all the words you might use to describe your activities. You can play a similar game with grammar reviews. For example, if you are going to study conjugating verbs in the past tense, stop to think about what you did last weekend. Make a list of the verbs you use and review the various tenses. Dont be afraid to consult reference materials if you get stuck.  These two exercises will help you prepare for class by making you think critically about vocabulary and usage. Write It Down Repetition is key as youre learning English, and writing exercises are a great way to practice. Take 30 minutes at the end of class or study to write down what happened during your day. It doesnt matter whether you use a computer or pen and paper. By making a habit of writing, youll find your reading and comprehension skills improve over time. Once youre comfortable writing about your day, challenge yourself and have some fun with creative writing exercises. Choose a photo from a book or magazine and describe it in a short paragraph, or write a short story or poem about someone you know well. You can also practice your letter-writing skills. Youll have fun and become a better English student. You may even discover youve got a talent for writing.

Industrial Revolution and its Effects on Science Literature review

Industrial Revolution and its Effects on Science - Literature review Example Scientific research leads to the advent of numerous devices like the telephone, phonograph, elevator, ice machine, gasoline-powered cars, and light bulbs, to name a few. In the field of entertainment, new technologies such as the radio and moving pictures became popular. The huge improvements in the process of obtaining and working on raw materials affected primarily metallurgy and chemistry. Applied first in coal mining and textiles, the new techniques, new machines, and new methods rapidly spread into other industrial areas. The application of steam to transportation led to the railroad system, which in turn generated dozens of other technical changes in iron and steel, bridge building, communication and organization ("The Industrial Revolution"). An increase in scientific publications was facilitated by the network of informal societies like the Lunar Society of Birmingham, in which members met to discuss science and its application to manufacturing. Some of these societies published volumes of proceedings and transactions, new inventions, as well as papers about them. Scientific research post-Industrial revolution has also resulted in advancements in chemical and biological warfare as well as in nuclear weaponry. The term Romantic covers most of the music, art, and literature of Western civilization from the nineteenth century.

Health profile examining a health issue in the community i worked Essay

Health profile examining a health issue in the community i worked - Essay Example The disorder is a chronic inflammatory condition often linked to allergies, in which the airways develop increased responsiveness to various stimuli, characterized by bronchial hyper-responsiveness, inflammation, increased mucus production, and intermittent airway obstruction. The symptoms of asthma, which can range from mild to life threatening, can usually, be controlled with a combination of drugs and lifestyle changes. Many environmental factors are known to precipitate attacks of asthma. These factors are all either allergens or irritants. Allergic factors play a role in many, but by no means every, case of asthma. Some factors and triggers that can cause an asthma attack are: dust, animal dander, pollen, an infection, breathing cold air, exertion, reactions to certain medications, workplace chemicals and cigarette smoke. Asthma is increasingly becoming a public health concern because of its rapidly increasing prevalence, affecting up to one in four urban children.2 Susceptibility to asthma can be explained in part by genetic factors, but no clear pattern of inheritance has been found. Asthma is a complex disease that is influenced by multiple genetic, developmental, and environmental factors, which interact to produce the overall condition. The incidence of asthma seems to be higher among low-income populations, which in the western world are disproportionately minority, and more likely to live near industrial areas. Additionally, asthma has been strongly associated with the presence of cockroaches in living quarters, which is more likely in such neighborhoods.3 A genetic role in asthma has long been suspected, primarily due to the clustering of cases within families and the concordance for asthma in identical twins. Several studies conclude that heredity increases ones chances of developing asthma, particularly if allergies or other allergic conditions are present. Moreover, one may pass this tendency to asthma to the next generation. The

The Concept Of Sell Then Build

The Concept Of Sell Then Build Housing market play an important role in economy of Malaysia. The demand on housing market increasing year by year since the population of Malaysia is increasing. Undoubtedly, buyers nowadays buy a house is not only for living use, but also for investment use. This criterion causes the housing market become larger than before. In addition, home-buyers who have ability nowadays also require a quality house for their living place. To support the large market, the developers act as a key role to supply the large number of housing needed and high quality houses. Therefore, housing delivery system plays an important role to supply the houses to home-buyers. Currently, there are two important housing delivery system adopted in Malaysia that is STB system and BTS system. The developers in Malaysia had implemented the conventional STB system for many decades, and with this system, developers successful to meet the housing market needed. However, there is no system can be implemented perfectly without any flaws. According to the housing provision performance in five years of Malaysian plan, it shows that the public and private sectors have over-supplying the houses needed by using STB system. Furthermore, the badly performance of supplying the housing have risen during the economic downturn and the abandoned projects occurred in 1980s and early 1990s had make the home-buyers disappointed with this situation. Thus, government had first time introduced build-then-sell (BTS) system to be implemented in 1990 to solve the abandoned housing problem. However, some of the developers claim that BTS system still not feasible to implement in Malaysia housing sector. From developers viewpoint, many considerations need to be considered such as the approval of planning process, financial supports, firm characteristic and others in implementation of a suitable housing delivery system. The Concept of Sell-Then-Build (STB) System In Malaysia, most of the developers prefer to adopt STB system as the housing delivery system in their development. With STB system, the developer is allowed to collect money from potential home-buyers before the houses being constructed. The money collected from home-buyers can use as part of the finances for the development. Therefore, the developers can reduce the bridging finance borrowed from bank or financial institution. Under STB system, house-buyers considered as one of the financiers to a development project since they part-finance the construction cost of the project via individual end-financing obtained from a financial institution (end-financier). On the other hand, the developer may obtain a bridging finance from financial institution (bridge-financier) to bridge-finance the construction costs paid out pending receipt of progressive payment from the end-financiers. There are two main purposes for a pre-sale condition. First, a pre-sale demonstrates a certain level of saleability for the development. With the STB concept, the developers can sell the houses first before they construct the housing projects. Therefore, the developers can estimates the number of houses needed to construct in a housing project. Second, with the pre-sale, it can minimise the bridging finance required to fund the cost of completion in case the developers fails to achieve further sales after the disbursement of the bridging finance(The Association of Banks in Malaysia, 2009). With the STB concept, the developer can minimise the possibility to sustain loss. The Problems Faced by Conventional Sell-Then-Build System STB system had been implemented for four decades in Malaysia and had met the target needed in housing market. However, the implementation of STB system has bring some housing problems which caused by human-being. These problems have caused many home-buyers disappointed with the housing market. Under STB system, the home-buyers face with numerous problems such as defect problems, late delivery, difficulties in getting Certificate Fitness for Occupation (CFO) and land titles approval, and abandoned projects. The latest few years, many home-buyers have complained that the poor quality of houses built by developers. There are many houses built under STB system faced with the bad defects such as walls and floors cracking, foundation sinking, roof leaking, retaining walls collapsing, septic tank not working and pipes blocking (Property Times, 2005). This situation may occur since the money had been collected from home-buyers by developers during construction period. The unethical developers will try to jerry-build the houses to gain more profit. Their irresponsibility behaviour make the bad defects occurred and they escape from the responsibility after they have collect all money. As we know that, under STB system, the un-built houses are sold to potential home-buyers by showing with a model house. However, there is a risk raised since the workmanship and design of actual house unit built by developers may be different with the model house. Additionally, the problem of late delivery of houses is always happened under STB system. Although the developers had promised to complete the houses on the specific date stated in Sales and Purchase (SP) Agreement, but the completion of the houses is always delayed from the date promised (Ng, 2007). This problem is keep occurred and make the home-buyers puzzled. Again, the difficulty to get CFO and land titles approval have make the home-buyers disappointed with the insufficient supply of housing units. The worse housing problem under STB system is the abandoned project. Since the developers can legally sold the un-built houses to home-buyers and collect money from them before construction finish, there is a risk that the developers run away with the money before the houses were completed. National Housing Buyers Association Malaysia (2006) revealed that, the developers abandon their projects when they have sold almost all the houses. The table below had been shown the abandoned project occurred from 1990 until 31st May 2009. From the table 2.1, we can know that, there are 5,484 home-buyers became the victims of abandoned projects. From developers viewpoint, the abandoned projects are only a small number from total housing development projects and not a serious problem. However, the home-buyers as victims need to bear a heavy of money loss and disappointed with the housing market in Malaysia. Over the years, there is insufficient supply of housing units which have affected most home-buyers. Therefore, the government is trying to find a solution to solve these problems. As a result, government had proposed to implement BTS system in Malaysia to avoid these problems raised again and again. The Concept of Build-Then-Sell System The concept of BTS system is definitely different with the concept of STB system. STB system allows the developers to sell the house units before they built and obtain the money from home-buyers to fund construction or secure bridge financing through joint venture arrangements with banks (Nor Aini Yusof, 2009). This may give chance to some developers managed to get away from completing their projects with few financial consequences at the expense of unsuspecting home-buyers. Under STB system, many home-buyers complaints about shoddy workmanship, late delivery of houses and abandoned projects, therefore, the government introduced four initiatives, which include the establishment of a new One Stop Centre (OSC) at local authorities, the Issuance of Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) by professionals is introduced to replace the CFO and BTS system (INTAN, 2007). The concept of BTS system is the developers must complete a housing project before they can sell it to the home-buyers (The Star, 2007). Therefore, the developers cannot collect the money from home-buyers before they complete the housing project under BTS system. The risks of housing development are shared between developers and their lending banks only. Therefore, fewer developers adopt BTS system compared to STB system since only developers with strong financial support are able to implement it. The housing projects that are built and marketed by using BTS system need not comply with the statutory standard SP agreements. As difference with STB system, the BTS system allows the developer does not receive progressive payment from end-financiers as STB system. In order for the development project to work successful, the developer need borrow higher financing from the bridge-financier to finance the project. Hence, the bank has to play an important role by providing bridging finance for the construction costs and this will increase the risk exposure of the financial institution. Generally, the banks prefer to lend loan to individual purchasers in many smaller parcels instead of lending it all to the developer in one parcel. Therefore, it is difficult for the new started companies which do not have necessary track record to convince the bank to provide them with the financing to do it in the new BTS system. It is believed that the new concept will give some impacts on the current financing practices involving the type of financial resources such as end finance and bridge finance, and the parties involved in development project are developers and bankers. It is also believed that the BTS system will leave a great impact on the developers and the whole property industry since there is only the bridging finance to fund the construction activities. In Malaysia, BTS system is not a totally alien system since a few financially strong developers with developments in prime locations have implement the complement BTS system. There are two main types of BTS system, which include complete BTS and partial BTS. The complete BTS is the developer builds the house and sells when completed CCC or CFO, there is no prior agreement as STB system, therefore, the developer entitle to sell at market price at the time of completion. On the other hand, the partial BTS is a housing delivery system which combined both BTS and STB. For partial BTS, the SP agreement is signed before the construction start and developer can collects a certain percentage as initial payment during the SP agreement being signed. The balance of the houses price will be paid after completion with CCC or CFO. The partial BTS can be 10:90, 20:80 or 30:70, the percentage of partial BTS is depend on the developer. The government is more concern to 10:90 BTS compare to other partial BTS. In fact, 10:90 system is still a Sell first then Build model since the houses are still not yet to be build at the time signing of SP agreement. However, if the developer fails to complete the project and cause the abandoned project for whatever reasons, the buyers are protected from any disastrous fallout. This option is introduced by Ministry of Housing and Local Government (MHLG) in which the 10% deposit is paid to the lawyers as down payment upon signing the SP agreement and the sale is locked-in while the balance is payable after the completion of CCC or CFO. The Stakeholders in Build-Then Sell System The word of Stakeholder means that the individuals or groups who are involved or affected either directly or indirectly by a system or program (Atkinson et al, 1997). Hence, the stakeholders of BTS system include individuals or groups whose interests or quality of life affected by the decision to apply BTS. This impacts received by those people either positively or negatively. The stakeholders in BTS system include housing developers, home-buyers, financial institutions, government, professional bodies and social activists. The details of those stakeholders are shown as Table 2.2. Stakeholders Descriptions Developer Developer is an entrepreneur. They can identify the need for a particular property product and is willing to take risk to produce it for a profit. Background of developer may be in building, estate agency, engineering, finance, law, architecture or business management. They are involved in the real process of development. Some of the developers have total responsibility for the management of every stage of a development. Whereas others are given a large amount of responsibility to a project manager, retaining a more strategic policy role. Financial institutions Developers seek a number of funds to secure the full measure of equity return from development projects. Therefore, the financial institution plays an important role to finance the projects. Such financial institutions become active developers in their own right are largely a function of the prevailing general investment climate and the particular performance of the property market. According to Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, under BTS system, banks need to make some commitment towards providing suitable funding to projects. Professional bodies Architect The architect plays a role to critical to the development process. Architect will translate the concept or idea of developer into a workable and attractive solution. Several major elements in the development process such as the acquisition of planning approval, the design of the building and the control of the building contract are fully concerned by the architect. To conform the developers do not run away with the bridge finance, architect need to prepare a report of development stage by stage to bank for bank to release money. Engineers There are several engineer involve in the construction process of the development project. They working closely with the architect and combine to ensure that the plans are structurally and that the mechanical systems will service the building effectively. The engineers involved in a development projects include structural engineer, geotechnical engineer, mechanical and electrical engineer or building services engineer and environmental engineer. Quantity surveyor The quantity surveyor is in charge with the task of cost analysis and cost control. Quantity surveyor included in the initial design deliberations and financial appraisal. Solicitor The services of a solicitor in the property development process include acquisition through the various stages of planning approval, contracts for construction, to eventual sale or leasing Table 2.2 Stakeholders in Build-Then-Sell System The Issues of Build-Then-Sell System in Malaysia Since there are a large number of abandoned projects caused by the economic downturn and developers financial inadequacy, the government introduced the implementation of BTS system. BTS system has been studied over past two decades. In early 1981, the implementation of the BTS system proposed by the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Association (Zulkilfli Abdul Ghani, 2004). A decade later, Dr. Ting Chew Peh, the then-Minister of Housing and Local Government, called for implementation of BTS in 1991. There are a lot of benefits to implement BTS system compare to STB system. First, when the developer adopts BTS system, the home-buyers have the chance to see built housing units. The home-buyers also can spot the weaknesses of the houses built and the interest of the home-buyers are protected. Home-buyer prefers to gauge quality of the house rather than simply betting on such issues based on a coloured brochure. Since the home-buyers can see the houses first before they decide to buy it, so the quality of the houses built is guaranteed. The government endorsed BTS in 1996 which reflected in the 7th Malaysian Plan in Dewan Rakyat by previous-Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (New Strait Times, 1999). However, this is only a small portion of developers adopt the BTS system. Hence, the government offered incentives to the developers who apply either BTS or 10:90 system. The incentives include the fast-track approval for BTS projects, a waiver of the RM 200,000 deposit for a housing developers license and an exemption from the low-cost house construction quota. There are some affords have been done by government to support BTS system. First, the government has expanding the role of the current OSC. With the existing of OSC, the development applications process become simultaneously and systematically via a committee headed by council presidents and made up of other technical department officers. In addition, the other impetuses include replacing the CFO with professionally issued CCC, drafting of a Building and Common Property Act 2007 to ensure a better maintenance and management of stratified properties and waiving of the license deposit for developers who opt for the BTS system. The incentives offered to developers include the reduction of up to four months for the processing of development proposals and the option for developers to replace the quota to build low-cost homes with medium-cost homes. According to Previous Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi (2007), the approvals for selected projects such as BTS, high impact projects, government and foreign investors would be shorter than other projects. The time taken to approve projects for those selected projects will be slashed from five years to six months. In addition, CCC will replace CFO to avoid delays. However, under the CCC system, certified professionals like architects and engineers are authorized to approve buildings for vacant possession. Although professional will managed the issuance of CCC, the local authorities will continue to monitor the construction to ensure it is done according to regulations. In 2007, the government announced that the implementation of BTS and STB can be adopted parallel at the same time. Since the developer can choose whether to adopt the new BTS concept or the STB concept, therefore only a few developers have taken the governments offered incentives to implement BTS system. The developer prefer STB system rather than BTS system because developers are more familiar with STB system which has been practiced for over 50 years in Malaysia and developers did not want to take risk on the new system. Additionally, most of the developers are still unclear with the application of incentives offered by government. Under the STB system, some professional misconduct was believed to contribute to the housing industrys problems. For instance, a dishonest architect will approve project progress although the specifications do not achieved by developers. Again, many lawyers prepare their documents during the pre-construction stage and will simply walk away if the project has been abandoned. To avoid these problems occurred, most of the professional bodies believed that the BTS or 10:90 system would minimize the industrys problems and help boost the housing industry. Although the BTS concept can protects home-buyers from being stuck in case a development project is abandoned, but it cannot avoid a development project from being abandoned in the first place. The risks of property development would still exist with or without the BTS system. This is because the risks associated with property development may cause by other factors such as increases in project costs, main contractors capacity and regulatory issues which can affect whether the project can be completed or not. According to Datuk Eddy Chen (2007), the immediate past president of REHDA, there is no need to change the BTS system or its 10:90 variant since the abandoned projects are only a small portion of the millions of housing units which successfully built. However, the abandoned houses are no small matter for those home-buyers who need to pay off loans for units they will not see. From a home-buyers viewpoint, they are willing to pay a slightly price for a house as long as they are assured a high-quality house. Many people will be satisfied if they are given the chance to see and examine the completed house before deciding to buy it. Therefore, the home-buyers can accept either the BTS or 10:90 system which can reduce their risk when buying a house. According to Datuk seri Kong Cho Ha (2009), the Housing and Local Government Minister, the full BTS system would not be feasible adopted in Malaysia unless the projects are held in a hot area such as Bandar Utama. In our country, only a small amount of developers have the financial capacity to take the high risk of adopting the BTS system and the few financial institutions willing to finance a BTS project because it is risky. Therefore, it is quite hard to let all stakeholders accept the full BTS system since nobody can promise the sales of the completed houses and the return of projects. Most of the developers and financial institutions are not dare to take the risk especially in this economy downturn period. The Comparison of Planning Approval Process of Build-Then-Sell System and Sell-Then-Build System Nowadays, the approval for application of planning is preceded through OSC which will be more effective and efficient than before. To encourage the developers to implement BTS system, the approval of application of planning will be approve through the fast lane within 4 months. The planning approval will be prior given to the developer who adopts BTS system. If the development located within the location that has local planning, the approval of planning will be obtained within 67 days (2 months and 7 days). Besides, the developer who adopts STB system will obtain the approval of application of planning within 6 months. The time used in the planning approval is differs for BTS and STB system. The flowchart of application for proposal development for BTS system and STB system are shown in Figure 2.1 and Figure 2.2. Figure 2.1 Flowchart of Concurrent Application for Proposal Development within 4 Months (Source: Guidebook Improving the Delivery System Procedure and Process of Development Proposal and Implementation of One-Stop Centre (Second Edition), MHLG) Figure 2.2 Flowchart of Concurrent Application for Proposal Development within 6 Months (Source: Guidebook Improving the Delivery System Procedure and Process of Development Proposal and Implementation of One-Stop Centre (Second Edition), MHLG) A new set of Standard SP Agreements needs to be set up for the 10:90 system. In fact, 10:90 system is a combination of STB system and BTS system. There are no much different from STB system in the development process and the SP Agreements. To a better understanding of the various existing sale transaction and the payment systems for the different types of purchase, Table 2.3 is shown the comparison on the delivery systems. Details Completed Properties Sell-Then-Build System Build-Then-Sell System 10:90 Payment System On the signing of Sale Purchase Agreement Pay 10% of purchase price Pay 10% of Purchase Price None Pay 10% of Purchase Price Waiting period for Completion of Construction Notice of Delivery of Vacant Possession None Within 24 or 36 months or more upon Architects Certification of Completion Within 24 or 36 months or more upon Architects Certification of Completion *Within 24 or 36 months or more upon Architects Certification of Completion Buyer to complete payments 3 months from SPA Date (in normal situation) Progressive payment system in percentage (3rd Schedule) (from first 10% payment or SPA Date) while waiting for completion of construction Full payment of Purchase Price at 24 or 36 months from SPA Date depending on the regulated contract of sale 90% of Purchase Price at 24 or 36 months from SPA Date depending on the regulated contract of sale Waiting period for actual occupation with Certificate of Fitness for Occupation (CFO) None Within 14 days from Vacant Possession or longer depending on Developers architect to procure the issuance of CFO Proposed Vacant Possession with CFO *Proposed Vacant Possession with CFO Waiting period for transfer of individual/strata titles Varies on whether titles have been issued at the time of signing of SPA Varies from developer to developer Proposed Vacant Possession with issuance of titles *Proposed Vacant Possession with issuance of titles Table 2.3 Comparison on the housing delivery system (Source: National Housing Buyers Association) The Advantages of Adoption of Build-Then Sell System To encourage developers adopt BTS system as their housing delivery system, government has offered many incentives for the developers who adopt BTS system. Hence, the developers can enjoy the advantages while adopt the BTS system. In the process of planning approval, the departments involved will give priority to the developers who adopt BTS system. Therefore, the developers that implement BTS system will obtain approval of development faster than the developers who adopt STB system. They can obtain the approval through fast track of four months while the other will obtain the approval in six months. The other incentives offered include option to build medium-low cost or medium cost houses to replace the low cost houses, exemption from RM200,000 of license fee and SPA enable developer to obtain financing. In housing development, the developers are required to build low cost houses which the requirements are differ from state to state. However, the developers who adopt BTS system can replace the low cost houses by medium-low cost houses or medium cost houses. This offer allow the developer earn more money compare with the development which need to build low cost houses. Additionally, the developers are exempted from RM200,000 for license fee if they implement BTS system. Therefore, the developers save RM200,000 and use it to finance the housing project. Most of the developers claim that they are unable to support BTS system because it is hard to borrow money from bank. Therefore, the government introduces 10:90 system which the SP Agreement can be signed before construction stage. With the SP Agreement, the developer can obtain 10% deposits from home-buyers for their development. In fact, the BTS system has bring a lot of advantages to home-buyers. With the implementation of BTS system, the home-buyers can view the complete houses first before they paid the entire payment. Therefore, home-buyers no need to worry the developers run away with the money before complete the houses. Again, the home-buyers are allow to pay the houses price after the houses completed, it is less financial burden to the home-buyers during the construction stage. In BTS development, the SP Agreement gives the legal protection to the home-buyers on price guarantee. Since the developers need to complete the houses before sell to home-buyers, the quality and workmanship of the development will be enhanced. If the quality of houses is bad, the complete houses cannot sell out and the developers will sustain the loss of bad quality houses. In the past, the developers adopt STB system as their housing delivery system and there are many houses had a lot of defects and poor workmanship. Some of the developers are dishonest and use low quality materials to build the houses to earn more money. Under BTS system, if a developer builds a low quality house, the home-buyer can decide do not buy it without sustain any loss. Therefore, the quality of houses will be enhanced under BTS system. In addition, developers are required to be more professional and responsible. Under the implementation of BTS system, only the genuine developers will involve in the development field. Since the developers need to sustain most of the development cost during construction stage under BTS system, therefore incapable developers not dare to adopt BTS system. Hence, only developers who has ability and strong in financial will adopt BTS system to build quality houses for home-buyers. This can make the home-buyers increase their confidence in development sector and the market of property can be increased. The implementation of BTS system can reduce the abandoned projects in Malaysia. The main reason that BTS system can reduce abandoned house is unable developers will not involve in development which adopt BTS system as housing delivery system. In the past, some of the developers are unable to continue the development during construction stage. This situation cause the abandoned houses exist especially during economic downturn period. Moreover, the developers who have no intention of completing their housing projects will be ridded from the housing development which adopt BTS system. The developers only can obtain financial support from financial institution during the construction stage, they have no chance to run away with the payment made by home-buyers. If the developers have no intention to complete the projects, they will lose capital spent in the housing project. The home-buyers no need to worry when they buy a house under BTS system. This is because the developers will build good quality houses and build according to the specifications in the brochure. Additionally, the certificate of fitness is obtained before home-buyers make the payment for the house, therefore they no need to worry about being cheated by developer when they buy the houses under BTS system. Therefore, the BTS system should be implemented without any further delay to protect home-buyers interests and active property market. The Problems Faced in The Implementation of Build-Then-Sell System The BTS system is a new concept in housing delivery system for stakeholders in Malaysia, so there are less implement mechanisms and policies in Malaysia to expedite the implementation of BTS system (Nor Aini Yusof, 2009). Majority of the developers feel that the government is also not very clear with the concept of BTS system because the government has simply introduce the idea of BTS system without prepare a proper mechanisms for implementation of BTS system. For an example, MLHG prepared the guidelines for 10:90 model only, but did not prepare the guidelines for other model. The stakeholders have argued that the government should prepare proper procedures and guidelines for all BTS variants but not only for 10:90 system. Again, the policy makers include the central government, state government and local authorities should cooperate to promote BTS implementation and address administrative and procedural issues to smooth the functioning of BTS system. Moreover, the government offer the incentives for developers who implement full BTS system or 10:90 system only. These incentives will not help to encourage developers to adopt other BTS model and the developers will prefer to adopt STB system under this scenario. Although the government offer the incentives to motivate developers to implement BTS system, however there is negative response to the incentives. The incentives are not attractive enough to influence developers in adopting BTS because the unclear procedures and uncertainty of application process make the developers feel that the incentives were not worth for them to apply. Therefore, the government should address the procedures and application process clearly and offer the incentives to those developers who implement other BTS variant. Another problem faced by developers who adopt BTS system is a proper monitoring system does not exist in Malaysia. Many parties claim th

Nutrition paper

How do you feel about the dietary intake for the day you recorded? A feeling of both happiness and sadness flows within me as I study my dietary intake for the day. When we study my vegetable intake, I was able to take in a substantial amount; but barely enough to meet the required food intake. Happily I was able to take in more than enough fruits and milk to meet the expected requirement. When it came to my Meat, Beans and Grain intake, I was overwhelmed to see that I was able to take in more than double of what was expected. Also when it came to the fat intake, I was able to take in more than enough but still in the norms. Basically when we look at the over all food intake that I had, I was able to eat more than the daily requirement for almost all the food groups in the pyramid; which makes me happy. I was happy because I know that I have met most of the daily requirements. Similar: Chemical components in domestic activities Did you consume the recommended minimum number of servings from each of the food groups of the food pyramid? Unfortunately, when it came to my vegetable consumption, I was only able to eat 75% of the required amount. Meaning I lack 25% of the vitamins and minerals that I could have acquired from various vegetables that I should have consumed on that day. Happily I was able to eat more than the required amount when it comes to meat, beans, grains, fruits and milk for the day. Which means I am compensated for what I lack in vegetable consumption; at least I’d love to think I am. c. Which groups of foods are underrepresented or overrepresented in your diet? If you did not consume the number of servings from each group, discuss some reasons why you did not consume the number of servings. As was mentioned earlier, I lack vegetables in my food intake. And I barely passed when it came to the appropriate amount of fruits in the food pyramid that I should have consumed. In addition, when it came to Beans, Meat, and Grains, I ate two times the requirement. Grains are readily available in any meal, whether it be pasta, bread or rice. Therefore, unless I decide to follow a certain diet that prohibits me from eating carbohydrates, it is impossible for me to avoid eating a substantial amount of that food group in every meal. Grains in itself lacks appropriate taste that is why it is always a good idea to add another food group to it; Meat or Vegetables. Whether it be crab meat, fish meat, lamb chops, poultry, pork or beef, it is most definitely more palatable than vegetables. Any type of grain tastes much better when eating it with a type of meat since it is more palatable and tasty. Since meat contains enough salinity to give taste to any type of grains, and it may be cooked in a various number of ways that vegetables cannot. Aside from this, vegetables aside from tomatoes, eggplants onions and potatoes all taste monotonous. It is very hard to distinguish one from the other, which is why it is so dull to eat. Vegetables would be great to eat when you add salad dressing or cook it with a type of meat. Although vegetables are healthy and refreshing to eat because of all its vitamins and fiber, it is simply hard to get a person to eat it. On the other hand, fruits are very sweet and delicious, that is why it is so easy to include it on my diet. Fruits are very hard to make it into a full meal, but it is very easy to include it as a dessert in every meal, or a snack when hungry. d. Did your diet provide an adequate variety of foods, or were your choices monotonous? See how you met the various food pyramid groups. If you did not eat a variety of foods, how can you expand your field of choices? I can never say that my food intake was monotonous, because in one day, I was able to eat Vegetables, Meats, Grains, Fruits, and Milk. All food groups are present in my daily diet, there fore none of them are unrepresented, but simply Overrepresented if not underrepresented. The things that I need to improve with my daily diet are increasing my vegetable intake and also decreasing the carbohydrates and Proteins that I eat. But then again, my intake of food may be considered normal since, I may eat a little more than what is required for my daily nutrition, but I can never say that it hasn’t been enough for me to live a healthy lifestyle. My food intake can be summarized by saying that it is High Protein, High Energy and Low Fiber Diet. Stradley, L., Nutritional Chart. December 3, 2007, from http://whatscookingamerica.net/NutritionalChart.htm United States Department of Agriculture. Food Guide Pyramid: Dietary Guidance: Food and Nutrition Information Center . December, 3, 2007, from http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=256&topic_id=1348 Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Food and Nutrition. December, 3, 2007, from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/index_e.html