How COVID-19 pushed focus on smart buildings?

The outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus in central China and then in the rest of the world has been the most significant headline in 2020. Coronavirus disease (COVID19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. On the economic side, the impact of the coronavirus has already been extensive worldwide. Many countries have been put under strict lockdown to contain the spread of the virus, leading to a total halt to major industrial production chains, travel bans, and supply-chain disruption, along with deteriorating financial conditions and falling commodity prices. While some countries in Asia and Europe have been gradually lifting their lockdown restrictions and restarting their economy, experts predict a global recession that should be deeper than that of 2008–09. World real GDP is predicted to decline by 3% in 2020, compared with a 1.7% contraction in 2009.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has infected many vulnerable emerging markets with reduced revenue and increased uncertainty. As recession looms, crucial investment channels are drying up, seemingly creating a divide between those projects that are already underway and those that now face an uphill battle to secure the funding they require to get off the ground. This appears to be the case in the smart cities market, where major projects are being canceled while others find a new sense of purpose in a post-COVID world.

In India, work has come to a standstill on almost all of Prime Minister Modi’s 100 Smart Cities projects, as lockdowns crippled supply chains in the already highly-criticized initiative. As public attention switches to health, more scrutiny is being aimed at the government’s strategy for neglecting this vital element from the outset. Urban renewal and retrofitting program Smart City Mission, reveals that only 69 of 5,861 projects selected since 2015 have focused on health infrastructure and capacity building, that’s a little over 1% of total projects.

As the world returns to some kind of normality, cities will soon realize that all the important long-term reasons that we needed smart cities before (urban overpopulation) are still there and we may have a few more. The science suggests that COVID-19 may not just represent a challenging point in human history but actually become a new part of the landscape, one that forces us the change the way we live, especially in densely populated urban areas. There are no assurances that a vaccine will be successful or offer defense from new strains as the virus mutates, which could make mitigation methods a vital part of the future urban landscape.

“With the COVID-19 outbreak, technologies such as drones, real-time dashboards, new types of surveillance, etc. have emerged. These are being used by cities in Europe as the world moves towards a digital-only lifestyle,” reads a review of 4 European cities by Silicon Canals. “Besides this, there’s an increase in the adoption of e-health and e-government services and trends such as online education and remote work. This has, in turn, resulted in a huge drop in traffic and pollution. Further, COVID-19 has left remarkable changes in manufacturing as it accelerates digital transformation strategies.” 

While very young smart city projects, or those with pre-existing issues, will be more vulnerable to delay and cancelation during the turbulent months and years ahead, most smart city projects will survive and many more will be born out of this crisis. Whether COVID becomes a new part of human life or a very strong warning sign, our smart technology will be fundamental to the future of health and urban life.

 

Focus on Technology that Helps Optimize Air Flow

We need technology that helps manage and optimize air flow, ventilation rates, and flushing more outdoor air into buildings. Beyond optimization the import of outdoor air in buildings, Consultants are constantly looking at models to ensure that air pressurization is optimized in confined areas such as bathrooms and also open areas such as open floor plan areas to ensure that air is flushed out of buildings.  All this analysis means more work around the HVAC systems in our buildings.

For the long term, he predicted increasing importance in being able to monitor the performance of buildings, air flow and otherwise and also, more focus on resiliency, being able to shut down and restart buildings, and a focus on existing, older buildings and the indoor air quality in those older buildings. Also there is good opportunity in advances in cleaning and maintaining buildings.

 

Focus on Efforts to Create Social Distancing, Versus Facilitating “Social Collisions”

We need technology to help people optimize “social collision” in the work place with the goal of fostering greater communication and collaboration. Now, there is demand for leveraging technology to help people understand how socially distanced people are likely to be as they re-enter space.

Longer term, need to focus on the changing levels of connectivity in the workplace and how that may change the layouts and functions of workspaces. Places like meeting rooms, classrooms, airport terminals, museums, theaters and other buildings will receive new scrutiny, as we think about the future we want to create. Dedicated outdoor air systems are also areas where he sees opportunities, not only to opportunities to create higher quality environments, but also more energy efficient environments.  Increased scope for digital occupancy management systems the empower building users by giving them more control over their environments.

 

Focus on Some of the Non-Traditional Ways Construction Companies Are Providing Service to Customers

Longer term, there is demand for Well Building Technology and also a significant expansion of low voltage related work in everything from video conferencing, wifi networks, space monitoring, security, air quality, log in kiosks, auto operators on doors, hands free functions on kitchen appliances and restroom fixtures, and more. There is an increase in ability to access and even maintain building maintenance equipment, remotely.

The key functions of smart building technologies post-lockdown in the office and retail sectors

Offices 

During the lockdown, most offices have temporarily shut and employees have been encouraged to work from home. Omdia expects that an important share of this workforce will want to work from home at least weekly when the lockdown is lifted and the pandemic over, primarily for safety reasons. In addition, businesses and employees have recognised that working from home was a viable option as they were not less productive in this environment.

This trend will push these companies to reconsider their strategies in terms of workplaces and space. As social distancing and working remotely might become the norms, workplaces will have to be reshaped, using technologies that enable effective space optimization for instance. Offices and financial institutions already represent the largest end-user industry for BMS platforms (around 35% of total revenue worldwide), which is 2.5 times larger than any other vertical. A growing number of enterprise-level buildings will connect data from their BMS platforms to space utilisation and optimisation software or invest in standalone solutions that can help monitor how every square foot of space is being used - with the future objective to consolidate part of the space to reduce costs across an entire portfolio of buildings. This software primarily uses occupancy sensors to track occupied/unoccupied areas in an office building, and further data is collected related to the numbers of employees present, employees’ habits during working hours, and the times of days these rooms are available. Collecting and analysing data from multiple sensors and sources within a building to deliver actionable insights enable businesses to better use, optimize, and prioritize building spaces while ensuring high levels of comfort for employees in the building. Finally, some businesses might want to move away from hot-desking applications and flexible offices as employees might request personal desks and equipment. This will put a strain on flexible working spaces such as WeWork, which could continue to suffer in the short term after lockdown restrictions are lifted.    

While employers, owners and facility managers have already been gradually implementing solutions improving employees’ health and wellbeing in their buildings, the focus post-lockdown will be to create workplaces that are safe for employees and visitors. Smart buildings are already capable of integrating technologies that can provide this level of protection, therefore, Facility managers and building owners to invest further in these solutions, with revenues for connected equipment almost doubling by 2024 in this vertical. A key example of this could be smart technologies that can detect fevers or other key symptoms, and help offices create different working ‘zones’ in case of contamination. Equipment such as thermal cameras to identify people with fever and frictionless security could see a boost in sales in the coming months. Investments in IoT devices and platforms could also see an increase as owners and facility managers will need access to real-time data regarding their buildings, while employees and visitors will also want to have access to this information through mobile apps or public-facing dashboards (clean zones vs contaminated zones and air quality in the building). Finally, workplace hygiene will become crucial once lockdown restrictions are eased. Investment in smart restroom systems such as door contact sensors and fill level sensors on soap dispensers and hand sanitisers that can send alerts to maintenance staff will inevitably increase.

 

Retail 

As many countries around the world have been under strict lockdown to limit human contacts and the spread of the virus, this is having a significant impact on businesses in the retail sector. In countries under lockdown, virtually every retail outlet has locked their doors to consumers except grocery and pharmacy stores. Even in markets where lockdowns are not in place, physical footfall in retail stores and shopping centres has dramatically declined. 

As a result of the outbreak, non-food retailers have seen a strong decline in demand and customers shifting channels to online shopping instead. Some of these retailers have already been struggling for some time before the pandemic, especially in Europe and North America, and this extraordinary situation has been putting greater pressure on the industry. Store closures will likely increase for retailers already on the brink of going out of business. On the other hand, food retailers, warehouses and online delivery services have reported a huge growth in demand as customers have stockpiled goods and ordered more online. Food retailers have been facing record spikes in demand and must currently deal with significant out-of-stock situations on many key products. The ability to predict and manage demand has never been more important for these actors.

Retailers should continue to implement smart retail technologies, domain integrations and analytics to reduce costs through energy efficiency and to retain customers. Although many retailers, especially small and medium-sized business, lack the commercial resources to finance more advanced BMS platforms or comprehensive integration, there is a growing consensus in the industry that stores must begin or continue to digitise with IoT-enabled devices and focus on offering customers superior shopping experiences to remain competitive and attract customers back in stores.

Enhancing customer experience has always been a key point of differentiation for bricks-and-mortar retailers from their physical and online competitors, and also helps drive greater consumer spending. In future, safety and reassurance are likely to become new and important aspects of customers experience following the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, expectation among consumers will grow for a safe, enjoyable and hassle-free in store experience that replicates some of the experience of purchasing online. Store mapping and smart shelves are examples of use cases in retail that can enhance customers shopping experience. Through store mapping, either occupancy sensors in luminaires or Bluetooth beacons can track customers through a store. Customers can then potentially access this data through applications on their mobile phones. The application can display a map that enables indoor navigation and can guide them to the locations of items they wish to purchase. Smart shelves can directly interact with apps on a customer's smartphone and if the consumer has used the store's app to create a shopping list, the smart shelves can interact with the list and show you where to find the products you want. These solutions should help clients to feel more comfortable inside stores while limiting their shopping time. 

The overall picture – cause for optimism?

Clearly the comprehensive impact of the outbreak on the smart buildings market for 2020 and beyond is still evolving.  Nevertheless, there is strong potential for the Covid-19 pandemic to accelerate the uptake of connected equipment and IOT platforms across many sectors including the retail and office sectors. 

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Save Green Sea Turtles: Most Beautiful and Largest Species of Turtle!

Green sea turtles are one of the world’s largest species of turtle, weighing around 65-130kg and measuring between 1-1.2m long.

WHY THEY MATTER?

These turtles are believed to improve the health of seagrass beds and associated microhabitats. They will graze the beds, taking off the tops of leaf blades, while avoiding the roots. The seagrass will grow healthier and faster with a daily trim! Learn about their diet.

Green turtles graze on seagrasses and algae, which maintains the seagrass beds and makes them more productive (much like mowing the lawn to keep it healthy). Seagrass consumed by green turtles is quickly digested and becomes available as recycled nutrients to the many species of plants and animals that live in the sea grass ecosystem. Seagrass beds also function as nurseries for several species of invertebrates and fish, many of which are of considerable value to commercial fisheries and therefore important to human food security.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Green sea turtles aren't named for the color of their shells or carapaces; they're named for the greenish hue of their skin. Their shells are normally brown, dark olive, gray or black, depending on their habitat. Their shells are smooth and heart shaped. The underside of the shell, called the plastron, is a yellowish-white color.

2. There are two types of green turtles — scientists debate whether they are subspecies or separate species — the Atlantic green turtle, generally found off the coasts of Europe and North America, and the Eastern Pacific green turtle, which lives in coastal waters from Alaska to Chile. They can live up to 80 years.

3. Adults are 3 to 4 feet in carapace length (83 – 114 cm). The green turtle is the largest of the Cheloniidae family. The largest green turtle ever found was 5 feet (152 cm) in length and 871 pounds (395 kg). Adults weigh between 240 and 420 pounds (110 – 190 kg).

4. Unlike most other sea turtles, adult green turtles are herbivorous, and prefer sea grasses and algae. Juvenile green turtles are omnivores, and eat invertebrates like crabs, jellyfish and sponges. Diet changes significantly during its life. When less than 8 to 10 inches in length eat worms, young crustaceans, aquatic insects, grasses and algae. Once green turtles reach 8 to 10 inches in length, they mostly eat sea grass and algae, the only sea turtle that is strictly herbivorous as an adult. Their jaws are finely serrated which aids them in tearing vegetation.

5. They have a strong, tear-drop shape shell, called a ‘carapace’, which covers most of their body, except for their head and four flippers. Their carapace can include shades of different colours, including dark brown, green, olive, yellow and black. The green turtle is one of the largest sea turtles and the only herbivore among the different species.

6. Most sea turtles warm themselves by swimming close to the surface of shallow waters, but Eastern Pacific green turtles are known for lumbering onto land to bask in the sun. If you spot a green sea turtle on the beach, it's important to give the animal some space. In Hawaii, the green sea turtle is referred to as honu and is revered as a symbol of good luck and longevity.

7. Green turtles’ nest at intervals of about every 2 years, with wide year-to-year fluctuations in numbers of nesting females. Nests between 3 to 5 times per season. Lays an average of 115 eggs in each nest, with the eggs incubating for about 60 days.

8. Green turtles reach sexual maturity between 20 years and 50 years old. They migrate long distances from their feeding sites to their nesting grounds, which for females is the beach where they were born. In late spring and early summer, male green sea turtles arrive first at the breeding grounds — normally in shallow waters close to the sandy beach where the females lay their eggs — and wait for the females to come. While males are capable of mating every year, females’ mate only every two to four years. In the U.S., females lay their eggs in the southeastern U.S., Texas, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hawaii.

9. The females crawl out on beaches and lay their eggs during the night. When laying their eggs, they dig a pit in the sand with their flippers, fill it with their clutch of 100 to 200 eggs, cover the pit and return to the sea. The eggs hatch after about two months. The hatchlings have to run a gauntlet of predators, including crabs and seagulls, as they make their way into the sea. If they can survive this dangerous time, and other life-threatening hazards, green sea turtles can live 80 to 100 years.

10. This species can be found in the sub-tropics and tropics worldwide, with major nesting beaches in Tortuguero (Costa Rica), Oman, Florida, and Raine Island (Australia) where thousands of turtles nest each night during peak nesting season. They are also found nesting on French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Suriname, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Population Estimate*: Between 85,000 and 90,000 nesting females.

11. Status: U.S. – Down listed as Threatened (likely to become endangered, in danger of extinction, within the foreseeable future) under the U.S. Federal Endangered Species Act in April 2016. Originally listed as Endangered in 1978.  International – Listed as Endangered (facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 1982.

THREATS

Green turtles are listed as an endangered species. Despite this, they are still killed for their meat and eggs. Their numbers are also reduced by boat propeller accidents, fishnet-caused drowning, and the destruction of their nesting grounds by human encroachment.

Fisheries Bycatch

Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles a year are accidentally caught in shrimp trawl nets, on longline hooks and in fishing gillnets. Sea turtles need to reach the surface to breathe, and therefore many drown once caught. Known as bycatch, it is a serious hazard for green turtles. As fishing activity expands, this threat is more of a problem.

Habitat Loss

Sea turtles are dependent on beaches for nesting. Uncontrolled coastal development, vehicle traffic on beaches, and other human activities have directly destroyed or disturbed sea turtle nesting beaches around the world. Green turtle feeding grounds such as seagrass beds are also at risk from coastal development onshore, which leads to pollution and sedimentation in the nearby waters.

Plastic Bags

Unfortunately, plastic bags are doing big harm to their food cycle. Plastic has only been mass-produced since the 1940s, but it’s having a devastating impact on sea turtles. Many of us are doing our part to reduce plastic pollution by recycling and reducing single-use items, but governments must also step up to take accountability and end this pollution epidemic.

Fibropapilloma (also known as FP) is a disease associated with lesions and rapid tumor growth on the eyes, mouth, and soft-skin areas, as well as internal organs. FP, believed to be connected to ocean pollution, has greatly affected their populations, especially in Florida and Hawaii, but also the Caribbean and Australia.

Light Pollution

Light pollution near beach nesting sites poses a risk to sea turtle hatchlings, which may get confused and crawl toward the light instead of travelling to the ocean. Green sea turtles and their food also face over-hunting, including for use in sea turtle soup.

Over-harvesting and Illegal Trade

Worldwide, the green turtle continues to be hunted and its eggs harvested. Much of that is for human consumption, but trade of turtle parts remains a profitable business. Tens of thousands of green turtles are harvested every year, particularly in parts of Asia and the Western Pacific. Along the Eastern Pacific coast of Mexico, despite complete protection, green turtles are still at risk from exploitation. In West Africa, sea turtles are killed for use in medicine and some traditional ceremonies.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Today, green sea turtles are classified as an endangered species and we need to do all we can to protect them! To find out how you can help, swim over to wwf.panda.org

1.     ADOPT A TURTLE

Make a symbolic turtle adoption to help save some of the world's most endangered animals from extinction and support WWF's conservation efforts.

2.     TAKE ACTION

Join us to make change. Speak up for species and places through WWF's Action Center.

 

 

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Together We Can Make World Drug Free: Know the Facts and Risks of Street Drugs!

Drug abuse is a major problem in the World. One of the most significant issues concerning drug abuse is the high risk for developing an addiction. The abuse of drugs can have serious ramifications on a person’s physical health, mental health, and overall well-being.

Diagnosed clinically as a substance use disorder, addiction is a recognised condition involving compulsive use of a substance despite negative consequences.  Drug abuse is the inappropriate use of substances – including alcohol, prescription medication, or illegal drugs – for purposes such as pleasure, to feel or perform better in certain situations, or to change one’s perception of reality.

Abusing substances creates both changes in behaviour and in the way the brain works, specifically in the areas governing judgement and reward. Continued abuse of substances can be a warning sign that an individual is beginning to lose control over their drug use.

Many people don't understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing to. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will. Drugs change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to. Fortunately, researchers know more than ever about how drugs affect the brain and have found treatments that can help people recover from drug addiction and lead productive lives.

What Is drug addiction?

Addiction is a chronic disease characterised by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences. The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, but repeated drug use can lead to brain changes that challenge an addicted person’s self-control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs. These brain changes can be persistent, which is why drug addiction is considered a "relapsing" disease—people in recovery from drug use disorders are at increased risk for returning to drug use even after years of not taking the drug.

It's common for a person to relapse, but relapse doesn't mean that treatment doesn’t work. As with other chronic health conditions, treatment should be ongoing and should be adjusted based on how the patient responds. Treatment plans need to be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient’s changing needs.

What happens to the brain when a person takes drugs?

Most drugs affect the brain's "reward circuit," causing euphoria as well as flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine. A properly functioning reward system motivates a person to repeat behaviours needed to thrive, such as eating and spending time with loved ones. Surges of dopamine in the reward circuit cause the reinforcement of pleasurable but unhealthy behaviours like taking drugs, leading people to repeat the behaviour again and again.

As a person continues to use drugs, the brain adapts by reducing the ability of cells in the reward circuit to respond to it. This reduces the high that the person feels compared to the high they felt when first taking the drug—an effect known as tolerance. They might take more of the drug to try and achieve the same high. These brain adaptations often lead to the person becoming less and less able to derive pleasure from other things they once enjoyed, like food, sex, or social activities.

Long-term use also causes changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well, affecting functions that include:  learning, judgement, decision-making, stress, memory, behaviour

Despite being aware of these harmful outcomes, many people who use drugs continue to take them, which is the nature of addiction.

Can drug addiction be cured or prevented?

As with most other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, treatment for drug addiction generally isn’t a cure. However, addiction is treatable and can be successfully managed. People who are recovering from an addiction will be at risk for relapse for years and possibly for their whole lives. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medicines with behavioral therapy ensures the best chance of success for most patients. Treatment approaches tailored to each patient’s drug use patterns and any co-occurring medical, mental, and social problems can lead to continued recovery.

More good news is that drug use and addiction are preventable. Results from NIDA-funded research have shown that prevention programs involving families, schools, communities, and the media are effective for preventing or reducing drug use and addiction. Although personal events and cultural factors affect drug use trends, when young people view drug use as harmful, they tend to decrease their drug taking. Therefore, education and outreach are key in helping people understand the possible risks of drug use. Teachers, parents, and health care providers have crucial roles in educating young people and preventing drug use and addiction.

When you use street or club drugs, you’re taking a lot of risks. The drugs are dangerous, and usually there’s no way to know how strong they are or what else may be in them. It's even more unsafe to use them along with other substances like alcohol and marijuana.

Here's a rundown of common street drugs and the health threats they can pose.

Bath Salts

These designer drugs came on the scene fairly recently and became popular fast. That may be because they were easy to get and used to be hard to detect in drug tests.

They're highly addictive, and they come in a crystalline powder that users swallow, inhale, or inject.

Despite their name, bath salts have nothing in common with products you can use for a soak in the tub.

What else they’re called: Plant Food, Bloom, Cloud Nine, Ivory Wave, Lunar Wave, Scarface, Vanilla Sky, or White Lightning.

What type of drug is it?

Bath salts contain manmade stimulants called cathinones, which are similar to amphetamines.

What are the effects?

These stimulants increase levels of dopamine, a brain chemical that can create feelings of euphoria.

Some say the effects are similar to cocaine or methamphetamines. But they’re even more likely to cause serious health effects, including: Violence, Paranoia, Agitation, Hallucinations, Psychosis, Racing heart, High blood pressure, Chest pain, Panic attacks, Dehydration, Kidney failure, Death

Cocaine

This drug comes in different forms. A user can snort the powder type through their nose or inject it into their bloodstream. Crack is a crystal form of the drug that’s smoked and absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs.

What else it’s called:

Blow, Bump, C, Candy, Charlie, Coke, Crack, Flake, Rock, Snow, or Toot.

What type of drug is it?

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant made from the coca plant. Crack cocaine is even more addictive.

What are the effects?

It triggers your brain to release dopamine and creates a euphoric feeling. The high is intense but short-lived, which leads people to use it repeatedly to try to keep the feeling going.

The risks are:

Increased heart rate, High blood pressure, Increased body temperature, Stomach pain, nausea, Loss of appetite, malnourishment, Heart damage and heart attack, Stroke, Death, Loss of smell, nosebleeds, and problems swallowing, Higher risk of HIV and hepatitis C due to sharing needles or other drug equipment

When used during pregnancy it can cause spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, birth defects, and a baby born addicted to the drug.

Ecstasy

Users often take this drug by mouth in pill or tablet form. You can also snort it or inject it into a vein.

What else it’s called:

MDMA or Molly.

What type of drug is it?

This is a man-made stimulant and hallucinogen.

What are the effects?

Ecstasy increases levels of several chemicals in the brain, including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. It alters your mood and makes you feel closer and more connected to others. Users get a sense of euphoria and a boost in energy.

When the drug wears off, though, it can lead to confusion, depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.

The physical effects that it has on the body can be very similar to other stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines. Those effects include:

Increased heart rate, Increased blood pressure, Tense muscles, Nausea, Blurred vision, Dizziness, Sweating or chills.

Flakka

This designer drug is similar to bath salts. It is a pale-hued crystal that users eat, snort, inject, or vaporise using an e-cigarette device.

It might also be referred to as Gravel, because of the way it looks.

What type of drug is it?

Like bath salts, it also contains synthetic cathinone.

What are the effects?

The drug has a stimulant-like effect but can cause paranoia, hallucinations, and can lead to violence or self-harm. It’s been linked to deaths due to heart attack, suicide, and kidney damage or kidney failure.

Heroin

Heroin comes as a white or tan powder, or a black sticky substance, known as “black tar heroin.” Users can inject, inhale or smoke it.

What else it’s called:

Brown Sugar, China White, Dope, H, Horse, Junk, Skag, Skunk, Smack, and White Horse

What type of drug is it?

It’s an opioid derived from the opium poppy flower. It’s rapidly absorbed into the brain, which makes it highly addictive.

What are the effects?

A rush of euphoria followed by dry mouth, a heaviness sensation in the arms and legs, and a fuzzy mind.

Heroin use can be deadly. Risk factors for overdose include, simultaneous use of sedatives or alcohol, use of prescription pain pills, and recent abstinence with relapse. It can also lead to:

Collapsed veins, Skin Infections, Gastrointestinal problems (especially constipation), Kidney disease, Suppressed breathing, which is which is leading cause of coma, brain damage, and death, Risk of catching HIV and hepatitis C through sharing needles and other drug equipment

When used during pregnancy it can cause spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, birth defects, and a baby born addicted to the drug

Krokodil

This drug isn’t common in the U.S., but it’s used widely in Russia, especially among young adults as a cheaper alternative to heroin. It’s a man-made form of morphine and about 10 times stronger.

It’s a combination of several harmful chemicals including codeine, iodine, gasoline, paint thinner, lighter fluid and others.

Users inject it into the bloodstream, and it has a rapid and brief effect. It’s also sometimes spelled Crocodil.

What type of drug is it?

Opioid.

What are the effects?

Krokodil is named for the crocodile-like appearance it creates on the skin. Over time, it damages blood vessels and causes the skin to become green and scaly. The tissue damage can lead to gangrene and result in amputation or death.

LSD

This drug became popular in the 1960s and is still commonly used today. It's made from an acid found in a fungus that grows on rye and other grains.

What else it’s called:

Acid, Blotter, Doses, Hits, Microdots, Sugar Cubes, Trips, Tabs, and Window Panes.

What type of drug is it?

Hallucinogen.

What are the effects?

It causes someone to see, hear, and feel things that seem real, but aren’t. These hallucinations, called “trips,” can last as long as 12 hours.

LSD can cause physical effects such as dilated pupils, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, less appetite, dry mouth, and shakiness.

Marijuana

It's still the most-used illegal drug in the U.S. and India, despite it recently earning legal status for medical purposes in many states.

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of the hemp (Cannabis sativa) plant. Most people smoke marijuana, but it can also be added to foods and eaten.

What else it’s called: Blunt, Bud, Dope, Ganja, Grass, Green, Herb, Joint, Mary Jane, Pot, Reefer, Skunk, Smoke, Trees, Weed, Ashish, Boom, Hash, and Hemp.

What type of drug is it?

It can act as both a stimulant and a depressant, and even a hallucinogen.

What are the effects?

Marijuana contains the chemical THC, which acts on different parts of the brain to create the “high” that users experience, such as changes in sensations, mood, body movements, thinking, and memory.

When used regularly, marijuana can affect brain development and lead to cognitive problems. It can become addictive for some people, and also cause serious health problems such as breathing issues, increased heart rate, and higher risk of heart attacks, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts for some people. Among young people, heavy MJ use has been associated with cognitive impairment and mental illness, like schizophrenia. However, in adults, chronic use has not been associated with serious medical conditions.

Methamphetamines

Meth is a white powder that users swallow, smoke, snort, or inject. It’s made from a combination of pseudoephedrine, a common ingredient in cold medications, along with other toxic chemicals.

What else it's called:

Crystal meth, Chalk, Crank, and Ice.

What type of drug is it?

Stimulant.

What are the effects?

Meth creates an immediate high that quickly fades. As a result, users often take it repeatedly, making it extremely addictive. The physical effects are very similar to other stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines. Those effects can include:

Increased breathing, Rapid heart rate, High blood pressure, Increased body temperature, With repeated long-term use, meth can lead to extreme weight loss, skin sores, and severe dental issues. Chronic abusers often suffer from anxiety, confusion, insomnia, hallucinations and delusions, and paranoia. Injecting the drug can raise the risk of getting HIV or hepatitis when sharing needles and other drug equipment.

When used during pregnancy it can cause spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, birth defects, and a baby born addicted to the drug.

Mushrooms

Psilocybin and peyote mushrooms are eaten, brewed in a tea, or added to foods to get a high. Though cravings may occur, physical dependence isn’t usually present with hallucinogens. 

What else they’re called:

Boomers, Little Smoke, Magic Mushrooms, and Shrooms.

What type of drug is it?

The active ingredient is psilocybin, which is a hallucinogen found in certain types of mushrooms.

What are the effects?

The effects start within about 20 minutes and last as long as 6 hours. Similar to LSD, mushrooms can cause hallucinations, an altered perception of time, and an inability to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s not.

Taking high doses or using them for a long time can cause panic, psychosis, or flashbacks. They can also cause extreme pupil dilation, nausea, and vomiting.

Salvia

This drug is an herb in the mint family that’s native to parts of Mexico. Users chew or smoke its leaves.

What else it’s called:

Maria Pastora, Sage of the Seers, Diviner’s Sage, Sally-D, and Magic Mint.

What type of drug is it?

Hallucinogen.

What are the effects?

The drug creates intense but short-lived effects, which start within 5 to 10 minutes and last about 30 minutes. The hallucinogenic effects include changes in vision, mood, emotions, and body sensations.

Little is known about the health effects of salvia, though animal studies show it may have an impact on learning and memory. The Drug Enforcement Administration doesn’t consider salvia an illegal drug, but several states have passed laws to regulate its use.

Spice

This is a mixture of different herbs and chemicals that looks similar to potpourri. Users either smoke it like marijuana or make it into an herbal tea-like drink.

What else it’s called: Black Mamba, Bliss, Bombay Blue, Fake weed, Fire, Genie, K2, Moon Rocks, Skunk, Smacked, Yucatan, or Zohai.

What type of drug is it?

Synthetic cannabinoid.

What are the effects?

Compounds in Spice act on the same parts in the brain as THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. As a result, the effects are very similar, such as feeling happier and more relaxed. But the compounds in Spice can lead to a stronger effect.

Users also report severe anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations.

Other effects of Spice can include:

Rapid heart rate, Vomiting, Confusion, Seizures, Increased blood pressure, Heart attack (rarely)

Drug Abuse Facts

Drug abuse not only affects the individual, but also can have far-reaching consequences that affect family, employment, personal health, health care systems, local communities, and society as a whole.  The following examples illustrate the potentially profound impact of substance abuse at an individual and societal level, including the toll it may take on health and family.

If you recognise some or all of the following things happening to someone you care about, or happening in your own life, drug abuse may be an issue that needs to be addressed in treatment:

1.     Isolating from family and friends who don’t use drugs

2.     Spending time with new friends or friends who get high or drink

3.     Never having money or often asking to borrow money, even for small items

4.     Showing up late to work/school or not showing up at all

5.     Losing a job

6.     Doing little to find a job if out of work

7.     Paying less attention to basic hygiene

8.     Changes in sleeping habits

9.     Extremely private about possessions, including their bag, room, or car

10. Lying about using or drinking

11. Sneaking away to get high or drunk

You may find hidden bottles of alcohol or drug paraphernalia among your loved one’s belongings. Personality changes often occur with substance abuse and addiction. You or your loved one may be more irritable or agitated, and even blow off commitments or family events.

 

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BELIEVE YOU CAN SUCCEED AND YOU WILL !!

SUCCESS MEANS MANY WONDERFUL, positive things. Success means personal prosperity: a fine home, vacations, travel, new things, financial security, giving your children maximum advantages. Success means winning admiration, leadership, being looked up to by people in your business and social life. Success means freedom: freedom from worries, fears, frustrations, and failure. Success means self-respect, continually finding more real happiness and satisfaction from life, being able to do more for those who depend on you.

Success means winning.

Success – achievement – is the goal of life!

Every human being wants success. Everybody wants the best this life can deliver. Nobody enjoys crawling, living in mediocrity. No one likes feeling second-class and feeling forced to go that way.

There is nothing magical or mystical about the power of belief.

Belief works this way. Belief, the 'I’m-positive-I-can" attitude, generates the power, skill, and energy needed to do. When you believe I-can-do-it, the how-to-do-it develops.

Look at it this way. Belief is the thermostat that regulates what we accomplish in life. Study the fellow who is shuffling down there in mediocrity. He believes he is worth little, so he receives little. He believes he can't do big things, and he doesn't. He believes he is unimportant, so everything he does has an unimportant mark. As times goes by, lack of belief in himself shows through in the way the fellow talks, walks, acts. Unless he readjusts his thermostat forward, he shrinks, grows smaller and smaller, in his own estimation. And, since others see in us what we see in ourselves, he grows smaller in the estimation of the people around him.

Now look across the way at the person who is advancing forward. He believes he is worth much, and he receives much. He believes he can handle big, difficult assignments-and he does. Everything he does, the way he handles himself with people, his character, his thoughts, his viewpoints, all say, "Here is a professional. He is an important person."

The how-to-do-it always comes to the person who believes he can do it.

Belief triggers the power to do. The most essential element-in fact, the essential element-in our space explorations today is belief that space can be mastered, Without firm, unwavering belief that man can travel in space, our scientists would not have the courage, interest, and enthusiasm to proceed. Belief that cancer can be cured will ultimately produce cures for cancer. Currently, there is some talk of building a tunnel under the English Channel to connect England with the Continent. Whether this tunnel is ever built depends on whether responsible people believe it can be built.

Belief in great results is the driving force, the power behind all great books, plays, scientific discoveries. Belief in success is behind every successful business, church, and political organization. Belief in success is the one basic, essential ingredient of successful people.

Believe, really believe, you can succeed, and you will.

People who have failed in business ventures and in various careers gives lot of reasons and excuses for failure. In a casual sort of way the failure drops a remark like "To tell the truth, I didn't think it would work" or "I had my misgivings before I even started out" or Actually, I wasn't too surprised that it didn't work out."

The "Okay-I'll-give-it -a -try-but -I -don't -think-it -will-work" attitude produces failures.

Disbelief is negative power. When the mind disbelieves or doubts, the mind attracts "reasons" to support the disbelief. Doubt, disbelief, the subconscious will to fail, the not really wanting to succeed, is responsible for most failures.

Think doubt and fail.

Think victory and succeed.

It is well to respect the leader. Learn from him. Observe him. Study him. But don't worship him. Believe you can surpass. Believe you can go beyond. Those who harbor the second-best attitude are invariably second-best doers.

A person is a product of his own thoughts. Believe Big.

Adjust your thermostat forward. Launch your success offensive with honest, sincere belief that you can succeed. Believe big and grow big.

Believe in yourself, and good things do start happening. Your mind is a "thought factory." It's a busy factory, producing countless thoughts in one day.

Production in your thought factory is under the charge of two foremen, one of whom we will call Mr. Triumph and the other Mr. Defeat. Mr. Triumph oversees manufacturing positive thoughts. He specialises in producing reasons why you can, why you're qualified, why you will.

The other foreman, Mr. Defeat, produces negative, deprecating thoughts. He is your expert in developing reasons why you can't, why you're weak, why you're inadequate. His specialty is the "why-you-will-fail" chain of thoughts.

Both Mr. Triumph and Mr. Defeat are intensely obedient.

They snap to attention immediately. All you need do to signal either foreman is to give the slightest mental beck and call. If the signal is positive, Mr. Triumph will step forward and go to work.

Likewise, a negative signal brings Mr. Defeat forward.

To see how these two foremen work for you, try this example. Tell yourself, "Today is a lousy day." This signals Mr. Defeat into action, and he manufactures some facts to prove you are right. He suggests to you that it's too hot or it's too cold, business will be bad today, sales will drop, other people will be on edge, you may get sick, your wife will be in a fussy mood. Mr. Defeat is tremendously efficient. In just a few moments he's got you sold. It is a bad day. Before you know it, it is a heck of a bad day.

But tell yourself, "Today is a lucky day," and Mr. Triumph is signaled forward to act. He tells you, "This is a wonderful day. The weather is refreshing. It's good to be alive. Today you can catch up on some of your work." And then it is a good day.

Now; the more work you give either of these two foremen, the stronger he becomes. If Mr. Defeat is given more work to do, he adds personnel and takes up more space in your mind.

Eventually, he will take over the entire thought-manufacturing division, and virtually all thought will be of a negative nature. The only wise thing to do is fire Mr. Defeat. You don't need him. You don't want him around telling you that you can't, you're not up to it, you'll fail, and so on. Mr. Defeat won't help. You get where you want to go, so boot him out.

Use Mr. Triumph 100 percent of the time. When any thought enters your mind, ask Mr. Triumph to go to work for you. He'll show you how you can succeed.

Population is growing at a record rate. New industries, new scientific breakthroughs, expanding markets-all spell opportunity. This is good news. This is a most wonderful time to be alive!

All signs point to a record demand for top-level people in every field-people who have superior ability to influence others, to direct their work, to serve them in a leadership capacity.

And the people who will fill these leadership positions are all adults or near adults right now. One of them is you.

The guarantee of a boom is not, of course, a guarantee of personal success. But just a fast glance shows that millions and millions of people in fact, a majority of them-struggle but don't really succeed. Most folks still plug along in mediocrity despite the record opportunity of the last two decades. And in the boom period ahead, most people will continue to worry, to be afraid, to crawl through life feeling unimportant, unappreciated, not able to do what they want to do. As a result, their performance will earn them petty rewards, petty happiness.

Those who convert opportunity into reward (and let me say, I sincerely believe you are one of those, else you'd rely on luck and not bother with this article) will be those wise people who learn how to think themselves to success.

The door to success is open wider than ever before. Put yourself on record now that you are going to join that select group that is getting what it wants from life.

Learn what every scientist does: observe and experiment.

Isn't it surprising to you that most people understand so little about why people act as they do even though they are surrounded by people all their lives? Most people are not trained observers. You'll want to ask yourself questions like 'Why is John so successful and Tom just getting by?" "Why do some people have many friends and other people have only few friends?" "Why will people gladly accept what one person tells them but ignore another person who tells them the same thing?"

Persons who reach the top rungs in business management, selling, engineering, religious work, writing, acting, and in every other pursuit get there by following conscientiously and continuously a plan for self-development and growth.

The what of your personal training program for success is built on the attitudes and techniques of successful people. How do they manage themselves? How do they overcome obstacles? How do they earn the respect of others? What sets them apart from the ordinary? How do they think?

Once trained, you will learn valuable lessons just through the very simple process of observing ..Here are two special suggestions to help you make yourself a trained observer. Select for special study the most successful and the most unsuccessful person you know;

It's most fascinating and fun to feel yourself growing more confident, more effective, more successful day by day, month by month. Nothing-absolutely nothing-in this life gives you more satisfaction than knowing you're on the road to success and achievement. And nothing stands as a bigger challenge than making the most of yourself.

HOW TO DEVELOP THE POWER OF BELIEF

Here are the three guides to acquiring and strengthening the power of belief:

1. Think success, don't think failure. At work, in your home, substitute success thinking for failure thinking. When you face a difficult situation, think, ''I'll win," not I'll probably lose." When you compete with someone else, think, "I'm equal to the best," not "I'm outclassed." When opportunity appears, think "I can do it," never "I can't." Let the master thought "I will succeed" dominate your thinking process.

Thinking success conditions your mind to create plans that produce success. Thinking failure does the exact opposite.

Failure thinking conditions the mind to think other thoughts that produce failure.

2. Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are. Successful people are not supermen. Success does not require a super intellect. Nor is there anything mystical about success. And success isn't based on luck. Successful people are just ordinary folks who have developed belief in themselves and what they do. Never-yes, never-sell yourself short.

3. Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. Remember this, too! Big ideas and big plans are often certainly no more difficult-than small ideas and small plans.

Related Posts:

Success Mantra: Empathy For All Humans

Grow Big By Thinking Big!

Work To Learn - Don't Worry For Money, It Will Follow Automatically.

Financial Freedom Is A Myth! Financial Confidence Is The Reality!!

9 Positive Habits To See Things From Another's Perspective, Will Radically Increase Your Success

Develop A "NEVER GIVE UP" Attitude

 

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