Interesting study about legal and illegal drugs.

mightymike · Post by **mightymike** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:48 am

I'm not judging, Lord knows I'm the last that should do that, but I find it interesting what we call illegal, and legal, and how the legal stuff can be more harmfull than the so called illegal. Right now my only drug is coffee, and I've cut down to no more than 2 cups a day.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/stor ... 12,00.html

Drink 'more harmful than drugs'
Press Association
Friday March 23, 2007 5:08 AM

Alcohol is ranked almost as harmful as heroin in a controversial new drug classification system proposed by a team of leading scientists.

The class A drug Ecstasy, possession of which can result in a seven-year prison sentence, is placed near the bottom of the league table which lists "harm scores" for different substances.

LSD, another class A drug, is also considered relatively safe despite its powerful hallucinogenic properties.

Cannabis, recently downgraded to class C, occupies a middle position. It is rated more dangerous than Ecstasy, LSD and the dance floor drug GHB, but less harmful than tobacco.

The table, published in The Lancet medical journal, was drawn up by a team of highly respected scientists led by Professor David Nutt, from the University of Bristol, and Professor Colin Blakemore, chief executive of the Medical Research Council.

It is intended to be a model for policy makers which is more scientifically based than the current Misuse of Drugs Act system that attaches "a, b, and c" labels to illicit drugs.

The scientists identified three main factors that together determined the harmfulness of a controlled substance.

These were: the physical harm to the individual user caused by the drug, the tendency of the drug to induce dependence, and the effect of the drug's use on families, communities and society.

Unsurprisingly, the results placed heroin at the head of the table with an overall "harm score" of 2.7, followed by cocaine which scored 2.3.

But more controversially, alcohol is ranked as the fifth most dangerous drug, scoring just under 2 on the table.

Wicksy · Post by **Wicksy** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:53 am

Yeah, its mad isnt it? In my research group there was a lot of work done on caffiene. Making different crystal morhpologies. It was used i guess because there were similar structures in drugs (medicinal). Its frickin' dangerous stuff! The COSHH form would scare you shitless

We obviously use ethanol aswell (pure alcohol) and thats pretty damn dangerous. Remember, back in victorian England, opium and heroin were legal. You bought it at the pharmacists. You used it for soothing teething babies to getting off your tits at an opium den. It made people quiet unlike alcohol so the police had no problems with it. Queen Victoria herself loved it aswell

mightymike · Post by **mightymike** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:10 am

It amazes me how I never craved Alcohol with my genetic history.
I come from a long line of drinkers. When I die they're gonna have to stab my liver to death with a stick.

Cigarettes on the other hand, was a nightmare to quit.
The hardest thing I ever did, and I gained a bunch of weight afterward too. Good thing I wasn't in the Mafia quit smoking program from the movie "Cats Eye", or my wife would have no fingers left.

Bad Kitty · Post by **Bad Kitty** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:31 pm

mightymike wrote:Cigarettes on the other hand, was a nightmare to quit.
The hardest thing I ever did, and I gained a bunch of weight afterward too. Good thing I wasn't in the Mafia quit smoking program from the movie "Cats Eye", or my wife would have no fingers left.

Nicotine should have been #1, #2, and #3.

Mike

yngwie308 · Post by **yngwie308** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:37 pm

How about 'energy'drinks?Man I swear all ages are addicted to this stuff,at work from some doctors to nurses,no addiction issues there

and all assorted staff enjoy Rockstar (no offence,Mark),Full Throtle,Monster,ect.
Lot's of caffeine,sugar,no sugar,low carbs,ect,packaging seems to be as important as the contents,again nothing new under the sun,I think the long term cardiac effects would need to be looked at,I have heard of at least two younger people,primarily women that have had some types of chest pain,mild but definitiely related to fatigue and the overuse of these stimulants,natural or otherwise.
It is easy to be 'addicted' to something or other,morning cup of Joe,ciggies,sugar,fat,ect,but with the modern worlds demands of excessive work,study,and other demands of our time,stress free relaxation,is a low priority and I am trying to change that in my life a day at a time.
yngwie308

marshman · Post by **marshman** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:15 pm

Was having a hell of a time getting to sleep last night, finally realized I hadn't touched a guitar all day. Definitive, no, but spooky nonetheless.

Double dose today, of course, just in case...

rockstah · Post by **rockstah** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:21 pm

just goes to show you how we believe what we read so easily. that reserach, survey, scientist blah about drugs is so fucking lame. it was to suggestIon of ' LSD, another class A drug, is also considered relatively safe despite its powerful hallucinogenic properties' is complete bullshit.
ill tell you these fucking people, whoever puts this crap out think we are idiots. this study you posted is complete bullshit. with a capitol bullshit.
i got some news , scientists dont know everything and this a clear example of it. scary to think these are supposed" leading scientists "

Mark

p.s. i drink green tea now instead of coffee.

908ssp · Post by **908ssp** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:20 pm

rockstah wrote:just goes to show you how we believe what we read so easily. that reserach, survey, scientist blah about drugs is so fucking lame. it was to suggestIon of ' LSD, another class A drug, is also considered relatively safe despite its powerful hallucinogenic properties' is complete bullshit.
ill tell you these fucking people, whoever puts this crap out think we are idiots. this study you posted is complete bullshit. with a capitol bullshit.
i got some news , scientists dont know everything and this a clear example of it. scary to think these are supposed" leading scientists "

Mark

p.s. i drink green tea now instead of coffee.

I am with you on this study complete trash. I still drink coffee thou...

mightymike · Post by **mightymike** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:09 am

I don't agree with it totally, but I still think there's a lot of truth to it.
I definitely think, from personal experience, and from what I've observed , and from the Science I've read, that Cigarettes and Booze are worse than pot. And I've thought this for years, before this study and all these other Johhny come lately studies ever came out, and there are numerous recently published medical studies that show Cigarettes cause Lung Cancer and Pot doesn't.
But common sense should tell you that no smoke is good for your lungs.
Pot may not cause Lung Cancer, but it is addictive in high doses, and I'm sure it causes other lung problems like emphysema. So you have to be savy enough to sift through the BS Mark.

I agree with you on the LSD. I think it's very addictive, the reason the problem isn't as wide spread is because of availability IMHO. I tried it once in 85, and had a strong enough desire to do it again that it scared me into never doing it again. So yes I'm experienced Jimi.

For the record I smoke neither, nor drink, nor take any kinds of drugs of any kind, and I even stopped drinking coffee. I eat only healthy food.

The only sugar I take is from the Strawberries, and Blueberries on top of my 4 egg white/oatmeal custard with Vanilla extract and Cinnamon. Cause that's my pre workout meal in the morning. My blood pressure is at optimum for a high schooler, cholesterol is at excellent level, and my standing heartrate is below 50.

I'm as big of a health nut, as I am into amps.
My healthy food, healthy attitude, and working out is my drug.

My salsa is so fresh and so good, it gives you a sense of euphoria.
It's also so hot, that it would make a Mexican Cry.

I've lost 45 pounds so far eating this way. When I was heavy, I was into heavy lifting, and used to do 4 sets of 10 with 315 on the bench. But got hurt, so now I'm going for the lean mean, swimmers body, which is probably the healthiest, if you want longevity. I was starting to have health problems before I started living healthy, and now they are all gone.

I want to be around to see my kid's kids.

That reminds me, I need to get a smaller Metropolous Tee Shirt. This XXL is just hanging on me now.