Most Dangerous Drug

[Tony]

What drug poses the greatest danger to the individual in your opinion? Why?

Do you support the legalization of drugs? Which ones? Where do you draw the line between legal and illegal?

[Andonyx]

I was going to say tobacco.

Sorry, it's lame but it's the one I'm addicted to and the one I'm almost certainly going to die from, and the one I cannot quit.

Of course it's not a drug...so....

Enh....nevermind, just subtract one from the other column.

[iankaplan]

Crystal Meth appears to put people into a psychotic state. Tweakers are malnourished and weak from not enough food and sleep.

It's cheaper than most other drugs, so anyone can keep getting high indefinitely. It's all homemade, so potency and adulteration is an issue.

Legalization of drugs is an issue I have not decided on yet. Usually I say I'm for the legalization of all drugs, but sometimes I'm not so sure.

[Tony]

Originally posted by Andonyx
I was going to say tobacco.

Sorry, it's lame but it's the one I'm addicted to and the one I'm almost certainly going to die from, and the one I cannot quit.


I have never been addicted to cigarettes. I have smoked on and off for a couple of years and I smoke less now than I ever have. For me, it is more of a guilty pleasure that I partake in on weekends, than it is a habit. I smoke about 3/4 (that's 75%) of a pack a week, that's 15 smokes a week.

[Jessica Blue]

Nicotene is definitely a drug...and I'd put it at the top of the list. Overall it's probably done more damage than any other drug.
I've heard it's the most addictive substance of them all.


I support the legalisation or decriminalization of many drugs for several reasons.

*it should be regarded as a health issue not a criminal one.

*making popular drugs illegal turns citizens into criminals

*it would take some of the power out of the hands of the drug dealers

But most of all because the *War on Drugs* just hasn't worked. It's time for a new approach.

I'd also add that there should still be a strong emphasis on drug education and rehab.

[jj]

The usual delivery method for nicotine is so far at the top of the list I'm surprised you didn't include it.

[corplinx]

caffeine definitely, prostate poison

[KelvinG]

I said PCP. I've seen some real ugly stuff from people on that crap. It's unpredictable and often incites violent behaviour coupled with a sense of invincibility.

[ZeeGerman]

Depends on what you mean with dangerous. If you refer to personal health riscs it could be crack, nicotine or some of the other stuff, I really don't know. If you refer to overall damage caused by a drug it's most definitely alcohol and I'm surprised that it's not on the list.

Zee

[Mr Manifesto]

You forgot alcohol. I've seen some real ugly stuff from people on that crap. It's unpredictable and often incites violent behaviour coupled with a sense of invincibility.

[ZeeGerman]

Originally posted by Mr Manifesto
You forgot alcohol. I've seen some real ugly stuff from people on that crap. It's unpredictable and often incites violent behaviour coupled with a sense of invincibility.

Hah, I said it first :D

Zee

[Jon_in_london]

I'd say tobacco closley followed by alcohol. This is of course not in absolute terms but in terms of the problems they cause in society in part due to their widespread use.

Check out http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/psychoactives.shtml

Seems like a woo-woo site but gives honest info on most drugs.

[Mr Manifesto]

Originally posted by ZeeGerman
Depends on what you mean with dangerous. If you refer to personal health riscs it could be crack, nicotine or some of the other stuff, I really don't know. If you refer to overall damage caused by a drug it's most definitely alcohol and I'm surprised that it's not on the list.

Zee

DESMOND: Do you take cocaine, Irene?
IRENE: No, I do not. I never took cocaine or any other drugs. I don't take drugs.
STANLEY: Nicotine is a drug. Caffeine is a drug.
IRENE: (referring to STANLEY) Who's Shorty? Those drugs are legal!

(From Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me)

[Jon_in_london]

Special K?

[Mr Manifesto]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
Special K?

C'mon, man, rave on, haven't you heard of it? Get loved up on it some time. Fair play an' all.

It's also known as ketamine.

[fishbob]

What drug poses the greatest danger to the individual in your opinion? Why?

Do you support the legalization of drugs? Which ones? Where do you draw the line between legal and illegal?Greatest danger to the individual would be the worst health damage - which is likely to be different for different people. You said you smoke 15 cigs a week. Some people can not control their smoking so well and for those people tobacco will be very bad. Others are more affected by PCP or some of the other nasties. Addicts are often mean, display bad judgement, are not reliable, and are best described as *ss*oles. I refuse to work with them.

Years ago, I worked in a drug crises center for a few months. The 2 worst cases I saw were:
- a 12 year old girl speed freak. She called us for a ride to the emergency room about once a month.
- a huge scary PCP user. He came in to calm down and told stories about driving while wasted and killing his friend when he crashed the car.

That said, legalize everything. Drugs being illegal has not solved any problems that I can see. Prohibition only served to build organized crime back in the 30s. Current drug laws have served very well to make top level dealers wealthy, build some huge government bureaucracies, and fill up prisons with a bunch of addicts. Addiction is a health problem, treat it as a health problem.

[BobK]

Chocolate.

Gives you zits and extra pounds. You can get dizzy if you eat too much too fast.;)

[kittynh]

Alcohol

tried to get rid of it, but it kills more people than any other drug

[Mr Manifesto]

Who's the wierdo who voted for marijuana?

[BillyTK]

Alcohol definitely–for its effects, its availability, and the extent of—and attitudes towards—its usage.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Mr Manifesto


C'mon, man, rave on, haven't you heard of it? Get loved up on it some time. Fair play an' all.

It's also known as ketamine.

Alright :D I was thinking of cornflakes for a while :p

[Crossbow]

Other:

Cigarettes (a legal product that kills about 270,000 Americans per year and far more than are killed by alcohol and illegal drugs combined).

[shemp]

Love is the drug.

[Malachi151]

Alcohol and heroin are the two most dangerous drugs. That you didn't even list either is pretty funny :p

[Tricky]

Actually, I'm surprised no one has mentioned "religion".

[plindboe]

You forgot religion. That's the worst drug of them all.

[plindboe]

Originally posted by Tricky
Actually, I'm surprised no one has mentioned "religion".
Argh! You beat me by 2 mere minutes. :p

[Tmy]

Coke... That crap is so expensive!

I cant believe people are tossing in achohol, tobacco, and cafine. Thats babyfood compared to the harder stuff. You cant compare a lifetime on coke vs lifetime on cigs.

[HarryKeogh]

Originally posted by Tmy
Coke... That crap is so expensive!

I cant believe people are tossing in achohol, tobacco, and cafine. Thats babyfood compared to the harder stuff. You cant compare a lifetime on coke vs lifetime on cigs.

apparently some people are considering the amount of damage done to society rather than the individual

obviously cigs kill a lot more people than coke but i'd rather be addicted to cigarettes than a coke head.

glad i'm neither.

[Malachi151]

Originally posted by Tmy
Coke... That crap is so expensive!

I cant believe people are tossing in achohol, tobacco, and cafine. Thats babyfood compared to the harder stuff. You cant compare a lifetime on coke vs lifetime on cigs.

How do you define dangerous?

Alcohol is more dangerous than coke in almost every way, except its less addictive.

In fact alcohol was banned in America before coke was.

Modern anti-drug laws never existed until Nixon.

Alcohol impares judgement more than coke and is more likely yo lead to violence by the user.

Coke is more addictive, slightly easier to OD on, but not much.

Pot is the least harmful of anything, including cigarettes, so if pot is on there cigs should be too.

Opium products are obviously the most dangerous of all.

On a per use basis I would not rate coke very dangerous at all. I mean I woudl definately ride in a car driven by a guy who just did a few lines over a guy that just drank a 6 pack. You are less likely to do something stupid on coke too.

Right now the death rate associated with alcohol in America is many times higher than the death rate for all illegal drugs combined.

recently the History channel has been running a great series on the history of recreational drugs in America. Try to catch it if you get a chance.

[Dancing David]

Other: alcohol

having worked in the mental illness field and in detox I have to say ALCOHOL is the hardest drug of all, hardest on the body, haredest to quit, haredst on your life. Alocohol kills more people than all the others combined.

followed by cocaine, PCP(causes brain damage), meth amphetamine, and on down the line. Ketamine huh, date rape drug.


I believe that all drugs should be legal but i have concernes for the number of heart attacks if we legalise cocaine.

[Quasi]

5 million people died last year from cigarette smoke. Also, booze is a big one on the list. I think pot is pretty low on the list. This is not to say that crack and crystal meth are not very dangerous, but they are a lot less widespread that cigs or booze. So overall, definetly cigarettes and booze.

[Agammamon]

Alcohol. Alcohol is pretty dangerous and that's not even factoring in the costs of ruined lives. None of the other other drugs come close to matching the devastation produced by alcohol.

[Larspeart]

Legalize them. Government has no business DICTATING MORALITY.

I voted for crack, because while people can live on herion or Crystal Meth for years or even decades, you don't find too many crackheads with long lifespans. Couple years TOPS.

[jimlintott]

Nicotine. Highly addictive and deadly.

Legalise recreational drugs and let the medical community deal with addiction. The current laws force addicts underground where help is hard to find.

[hammegk]

Originally posted by jimlintott
Nicotine. Highly addictive and deadly.



I'm with a few others: Only drug worse is alcohol.

[shanek]

I'm with the others...why are legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco not listed?

ALL drugs should be legalized. It is simply none of the government's business what you decide to put into your own body.

[Charlie Monoxide]

It would seem according to some of the responses here that "prohibition" is the worse drug. It steals your liberty, finances and possessions. It also helps to maintain extremely rich (and non-tax paying) illegal organizations (both domestic and foreign).

Charlie (just say "no" to prohibition) Monoxide

[pgwenthold]

Originally posted by Agammamon
Alcohol. Alcohol is pretty dangerous and that's not even factoring in the costs of ruined lives. None of the other other drugs come close to matching the devastation produced by alcohol.

Moreover, alcoholic beverages are typically very fattening. No one has ever been accused of having a "coke belly," but there is a "beer belly."

There is a "pot belly" but that does not have anything to do with marijuana.

[shanek]

Originally posted by Charlie Monoxide
It would seem according to some of the responses here that "prohibition" is the worse drug.

Yes, and unfortunately the politicians and law enforcement personnel are all addicted to it.

[Segnosaur]

Hey, how come cyanide and arsenic aren't on the list?

(I only use them on weekends...)

[Cecil]

It depends on what you mean by "dangerous". Heroin is probably the most dangerous widely available drug, because it's physically addictive and the supply is unregulated. Addicts require the drug in order to function, and because potency is widely variable overdoses are common. Withdrawal symptoms are severe; with death a possibility if one goes cold turkey.

Datura is pretty ugly, psychologically speaking. It's an anticholernigenic that produces profound delrium lasting for several days. You become unable to distinguish between hallucination and reality. I've heard of people spending hours picking ticks off their arms, then collecting them all and flushing them down the toilet, all the while thinking they were actually there.

Alcohol and nicotine are the big problems in society right now, but only because of their widespread use. If they were as uncommon as, say, cocaine or PCP, they would be at the bottom of the list.

As for the person who voted for marijuana.... :eek: There are no studies that reliably connect it with any harmful side effects, other than temporary memory problems. It's a bronchiodilator, making it easier to expel the gunk from your lungs; it decreases the risk of lung cancer in tobacco smokers. Unlike tobacco, it's not radioactive, and so is not nearly as carcinogenic. There is no toxic dose. It's a pain reliever, appetite stimulant, aphrodisiac, and it's effective at treating certain types of cancer. Calling it the most dangerous drug in existance is folly.



I fully support the legalization of all drugs, but with age restrictions and perhaps a licensing system; one would have to pass a test on the effects and dangers of a drug before being allwed to buy it.

[billydkid]

Originally posted by Tony
What drug poses the greatest danger to the individual in your opinion? Why?

Do you support the legalization of drugs? Which ones? Where do you draw the line between legal and illegal?

I have no idea which drug is "most dangerous". I would argue that in a free society the state has no business telling it's citizens what they may or may not ingest into their own bodies. If you don't absolutely own your own body, it's patently ridiculous to talk about being free. Somehow it is supposed that people are not competent to govern themselves, but are competent to govern other people.

[schplurg]

Alcohol! It causes more physical problems to the user than most drugs, not to mention violence, auto deaths, general nuissance. Tobacco and caffeine are very harmful as well.

The 3 legal drugs are perhaps the most dangerous.

I've seen speed ruin more lives personally though than any other drug, by far. I know alcoholics who run businesses and are quite "functioning". I know no such speed-freaks and I know many of them.

[AfaintcoldcupofTea..]

All of the above. With additions of alcohol, tobaoco, caffeine and over prescribed antibiotics and the other "here take these" that is happening by overworked Medical Professionals.


Special K is a breakfast cereal that I only eat it for breakfast, I wouldn't say I am addict though? Is Coco Pops a safer option?

[AfaintcoldcupofTea..]

The problem with legalising drugs is the then whine by the medical profession about how much it then costs to treat those who abuse the legal status. The latest story about how much binge drinking cost the Uk's NHS, is although serious, but is also laughable and most of the revenue from the sale of alcohol goes to the Governments coffers. Also alcohol is such heavily promoted by the nightlife scene. Is it any wonder people binge out on happy hour drinks?

As for binge drinking more and more people are turning to alcohol as a means to deal with the stress of working in a crippling financial raped society.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Cecil

As for the person who voted for marijuana.... :eek: There are no studies that reliably connect it with any harmful side effects, other than temporary memory problems. It's a bronchiodilator, making it easier to expel the gunk from your lungs; it decreases the risk of lung cancer in tobacco smokers. Unlike tobacco, it's not radioactive, and so is not nearly as carcinogenic. There is no toxic dose. It's a pain reliever, appetite stimulant, aphrodisiac, and it's effective at treating certain types of cancer. Calling it the most dangerous drug in existance is folly.


Errmmm.. is you takin' de piss?

[shanek]

Originally posted by AfaintcoldcupofTea..
The problem with legalising drugs is the then whine by the medical profession about how much it then costs to treat those who abuse the legal status.

So, how many people are abusing the legal status of caffeine?