philosophy and ethics teachings

religious attitudes to the mind and body:

sanctity of life-the belief that humans life is special,sacred and valuable

body-the physical make up of a person which can be affected by drugs

• some religious belivers think that the body is not important and can be hinder spiritual development because of physical needs and desirres. other religious belivers subject the body to physical suffering to encourage spiritual growth.
• most religious believers think that it is important to care for your body.
• These religious belivers may think that life is a gift from god and they have the duty to look after it and keep it safe.

What are drugs:

• drugs are substances that affect the bogy and mind in some way or another.
• normally religious people are influenced by their beliefs and teachings when deciding to use drugs
• attitudes to drugs depend on whether the drug is illegal or legal

medically prescribed drugs:

medically prescribed drugs- drugs prescribed by a doctor as part of medical treatment

• medically prescribed drugs are legal to use 
• these drugs include drugs prescribed by the doctor and those you can buy at the chemist
• all religions permit the use of these drugs because they are used to save, help and improve someones life.

legal drugs and taxation:                                                                                                          legal drugs-drugs that can be purchased legally some of these drugs have age restictions.  

Taxation-a legal levy by the goverment taking a portion of the money from the sale of goods

• legal drugs include tobacco and alcohol
• in the uk these drugs are permitted they can be brought anywhere but by someone who is over the age of 18
• these drugs are taxed by the government so this means when someone purchases an item some of the money they have paid goes towards the government

Why tax legal drugs?

• discourage people from using it 
• drugs can lead to health problems and this can increase the coast of health care so in the long term it can save money
• raise money for the government to use on the public services
• they are luxury iteams os people sould pay for them 
• the money from the tax can be used to fund medical reserch and the treatment of addicts

religious attitudes to legal drugs:

• diffrent religions have diffrent oppinoes about the use of drugs
• some belivers think that it is okay to use drugs (they may use wine at a celebration)
• on the other hand some belivers think that you should not take drugs at all as it can harm the body and you are damaging your mind.

tobacco:

• usually smoked in cigarettes but is also found in cigars, chewinf tobacco
• it is very addictive the nicotine in the cigarettes is very addictive and it can easily become a habit but it is very diifucult to break the habbit as user think it is good for relaxation
• many religious belivers do not use tobacco as it damages your body

impact of tobacco:

• high cost- high taxation makes smoking very expencive
• smocking can lead to many diifrent health problems such as cancer and breathing problems
• the smoke can pollute the environment with its smell and waste products
• affects others health

Alcohol:

• many religious belivers see nothing wrong with the us of alcohol
• some people do say alcohole intake is wrong as it can do long term damage to the body and it can affect the users family members and the society.

Caffeine:

• caffeine is a stimulant that is mostly consumed in drinks such as coffee, tea and enery drinks
• many religions dont have a problem with caffine but individuals may choose not to use caffeine because of its effects.