Pg. 346 Text Response

The article on page 346 in our text book, titled “Drug testing needs improvement, not clearinghouse”, addresses problems associated with the establishment of a national database to track truckers who have failed drug and alcohol tests. Jami Jones reports the reaction of the association’s director of regulatory affairs, Rick Craig, who points out that although the problem being addressed is a serious one, industry concerns in the areas of privacy, security, and oversight indicate that the proposed solution is not yet ready to be put into practice. The core of the problem with the drug testing program is that there isn’t a real incentive for drug-free truckers. The tests are expensive and truckers that are drug-free are not given incentives to participate. Craig proposes solution that focuses more directly on detecting the small group of drug users while at the same time rewarding drug-free drivers and their employers. I’m sure the new solution will work because rewards motivate people to try harder. 

Make an Appointment with Yourself!

We all have times in our lives when we just have too much stuff going on. There are always deadlines, exams, due dates and just too many priorities to juggle. As we grow older, we have more and more responsibilities. In some cases, we get so busy with our lives that we forget to take care of ourselves. No matter how busy I am, I always make time for myself. Whether it’s going for a 20 minute bike ride, taking 10 minutes to paint my nails, or doing a weekly face mask- I take time out of my day to do it. A lot of people with busy schedules tend to forget that there are so many things they can do to relax after a hectic day of their lives. They can spend time at home for a while without any spending money. They can do one of their favorite hobbies, such as drawing, sewing, knitting, scrap booking, or etc. What people can even do is take a long, hot bath. One of my favorite things to do each night is take a long, hot shower. It helps me relax and get my mind off things. If you have kids, you can find a baby sitter for a couple hours and go out with your spouse or friends. In addition, you can nourish your mind and soul by meditating, exercising, or listening to slow, relaxing music. Leaving your problems behind for a little can help you feel better about yourself. They will still be there when you return, but you will be able to handle them with a more relaxed state of mind.

Pg. 213 Text Response

According to Rahul K. Parikh in his article titled "Race and the White Coat", racial bias in doctors and health care works is doing great harm. Studies in the year 2000 have shown that doctors rated black patients as less intelligent, less educated, and more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. It was shown that they subconsciously qualified blacks to negative traits. What this article explicitly presented was that even though doctors swear by oath to treat all patients equally, there’s still a lot of bias present. The article demonstrated that it all lies in the root of the doctor’s thought process. Racial biases exist and are affecting the quality of health care. I don’t think we can ever get rid of prejudice or racism, consciously or subconsciously. I believe it’s rooted in our brains to stereotype and generalize. We learn this from a very small age, and it’s basically embedded into our heads. Children are not born with a hatred for people who look different. Their parents instilled hatred in them, and they will probably do the same with their children, and so on. There are exceptions, but for the most part this is what happens. Everyone judges one by their race, clothes, age, gender, etc. We evolved that way. Judging other humans to see if they could do harm, was a means of survival. I think education is the way to begin the elimination process.