8 replies to this topic

[Dozzer]

Drug users are well informed about the harms associated with the drugs they use, and perceive alcohol and tobacco to be amongst the most dangerous substances, according to a survey by UCL (University College London) and Imperial College London researchers. The findings, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, suggest that the current system of classifying psychoactive drugs in the UK may need to be revisited.

The study, led by Dr Celia Morgan and Professor Valerie Curran at UCL, surveyed 1,500 UK drug users via a website. Drug users were asked to rate twenty psychoactive substances on a 'rational' scale previously developed by Professor David Nutt, Imperial College London, who collaborated on this study. Heroin, crack and cocaine topped the list in terms of harm, but alcohol was rated fifth, solvents seventh and tobacco ninth. Ecstasy came 13th in the harm rating, LSD 16th and cannabis 18th. Thus, the survey found no relationship between the drug's legal status, based on the current classification system, and users' ratings of harm. In the UK, the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) currently classifies psychoactive drugs as A, B or C, though alcohol and tobacco remain unclassified.

Dr Celia Morgan, UCL Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, says: "Given that the Misuse of Drugs Act aims to signal to young people the harmfulness of drugs, this suggests a flaw with the current classification of drugs. We found that drug users rated legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco as more harmful than Class A substances like LSD and ecstasy. We found a high correlation between harm ratings by users and those made previously by scientific experts across all substances, suggesting users are well informed about the harms of drugs.

"The reported prevalence of use of each substance also suggests that the classification of drugs has little bearing on the choice of whether to use substances or not. For example ecstasy, a Class A substance, was the fourth most regularly used psychoactive drug, according to our survey.

"We also asked drug users about their perceived benefits of taking psychoactive substances, as this is clearly important in a person's decision of whether to take a drug or not. Psychoactive substances LSD, cannabis and ecstasy were consistently rated as having the highest short and long-term benefits. These findings add to the debate on the validity of the current classification of drugs in the UK.

"Worldwide, there are an estimated two billion alcohol users, 1.3 billion smokers and 185 million users of other drugs. Despite public health campaigns, levels of substance misuse continue to rise. One of the reasons for this may be the public's confusion about the actual risks of different drugs as they often receive conflicting messages from the legal system, the media and health campaigns. We recommend that future health campaigns consider whether to include the benefits of some drugs. By only citing harms, such campaigns likely represent -- from a user's perspective -- an unbalanced view and may mean that the overall message is more likely to be ignored."

The authors are following up the study with the launch of a new larger survey, in collaboration with the Beckley Foundation, hosted at www.internationaldrugsurvey.org.

The 20 substances surveyed in the 2009 study were alcohol, alkyl nitrates, amphetamines, anabolic steroids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, buprenorphine, cannabis, cocaine, crack, ecstasy, GHB, heroin, LSD, ketamine, khat, 4-MTA, methylphenidate, solvents, street methadone and tobacco.

Participants were asked to rate them according to physical (acute or chronic) harm, psychological or physical dependence, intensity of pleasure, intoxication and social effects, including costs to the health service.

A similar survey of experts including psychiatrists and pharmacologists led by Professor Nutt in 2007 found that, of the same 20 psychoactive substances rated on a 'rational' scale, experts rated alcohol as the fifth most dangerous drug, whereas MDMA/ecstasy was rated 18th out of twenty, despite its Class A status. Overall, there was no relationship between a drug's legal status and its rated harmfulness. The 2007 study was published in the Lancet.

Original Article : www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124204318.htm


WOW !!!


Peace From The East
**D**

[BEYOND2]

everyone has there own poison nice post

[Newest Shroomer]

Is this really true that drug users know their shit!!!...ooops stuff!
I' gonna go buy some crack and see if that works out for me! Would that be a wise decision?
Peace.
NS

[Dozzer]

Only Crack ive found to be any good, is the stuff you take the thong off of

Peace From The East
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[Newest Shroomer]

Dozzer, on 25 February 2012 - 11:56 PM, said:

Only Crack ive found to be any good, is the stuff you take the thong off of

Peace From The East
**D**

I was only kidding when i said that. You see, i take exception to the idea that "active" mushrooms are indeed drugs. I do not share anybody's opinion who believes them to be drugs. I see them as conveyors or portals into one's self.
Peace.
NS

[Dozzer]

Newest Shroomer, on 29 February 2012 - 12:39 AM, said:

I was only kidding when i said that. You see, i take exception to the idea that "active" mushrooms are indeed drugs. I do not share anybody's opinion who believes them to be drugs. I see them as conveyors or portals into one's self.
Peace.
NS

I too feel the same way...also feel that way about marajuana too, there natural and dont need chemicals to break down or make better


Peace
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[Sugaree]

Interesting post and pretty accurate from my experience.

Most of my family members in older generations don't use any substances, including alcohol, and view marijuana, mushrooms and even cigarette use as something that will make you completely irrational unable to function whether under the influence or not - if you have used any of these substances you are no longer able to think or act responsibly. Yet, they have no problem getting doped up on "happy pills" so they don't have to deal with the stress of life. I'm not saying people who legit need psych medications shouldn't take them but commenting on people in my life that will admit to taking anti-anxiety meds, even though they do not suffer from anxiety, just so they can be happy all the time and ignore the reality of life. They don't think they are even taking a drug because they are prescribed, even if they don't really need it and don't see that what they are taking is most likely causing more harm than the "real" drugs they think are so terrible.

These are the same people that thought "if we teach our kids/younger generation about the dangers of drugs, then they'll know what drugs are. So lets not say anything and pretend like drugs don't exist and not say anything that way the kids won't know about drugs at all and won't do them". Hmmmm.....looks like that worked real well now didn't it?

Making drugs illegal creates a higher demand, higher demand=higher price, higher price=larger profit margin, larger profit margin=more producers, more producers=more product, more product=more consumers, more consumers=higher demand, higher demand=higher price....ad infinitem......more producers+more product+more consumers=bigger problem.

In countries where alcohol has no restrictions regarding age limit, there are much lower rates of alcoholism because children are raised around it and taught how to consume alcohol responsibly. There are no underage parties, teens get alcohol poisoning or driving home drunk so the parents don't know what they were doing or where they were bc they can drink legally and due to that they can do it safely and responsibly because they don't have to hide their drinking.

The same goes for drugs. People are going to do what they want to do and making drugs illegal, or keeping drugs illegal that are readily available, creates an underground environment which breeds crime, violence and fake/tainted product resulting in death because the drugs are illegal and there is no legitimate way to get them or regulate the production and sale. I'm not saying all drugs are safe or should be legal, but there are a lot of drugs that are illegal because they are a drug that, I think anyway, the government can't find a way to profit from the way they do with alcohol so they say they are dangerous and spread anti-drug propaganda. Have you ever seen the early anti-marijuana ads? They claim to make people violent, sex-crazed maniacs....seriously? All I can do is listen to good music and get lost in the thoughts in my head to the point I'm not even "here" anymore but I rarely get off the couch, unless I'm going to the kitchen, when I'm stoned. I don't smoke that often anymore by choice but I agree that alcohol is much more dangerous than weed, mushrooms and some other drugs as far as physical harm and impairment of judgement (with weed anyway) are concerned so why are safer drugs illegal? It really doesn't make sense. What does make sense is that the people using drugs know a whole lot more about them then the people who don't.....maybe we should be the ones amending the drug laws

[Dozzer]

KICKASS, on 08 March 2012 - 03:50 PM, said:

Sugaree for president!

I second that motion...Gavel Slams on Table making it official

Peace
**D**

[neowulf]

Of course we know about our drugs. We have the sense to not let the government tell us what's Goodman what's bad for us. They ban the least harmful things and legalize the addictive harmful shit.