Alcohol the worst drug

[snusjus]

Same with drug illegalization. Consider all the murders and crime and prisons. It's worse of an impact on society than the drug itself.

Agreed. The unintended consequences of drug prohibition cause more harm than drug use itself. A shining example is modern day Mexico.

[CoderGuy]

I have had several friends and family members killed by alcohol related accidents (some their own doing some not), only a couple others have died due to drugs. So I would agree, alcohol is definitely worse than a lot of drugs.

According to statistics the absolute worst drug out there is tobacco. Supposedly 465k deaths annually compared to 85k for alcohol. As I said several friends and family have died because of alcohol, of all the people and family I have known none have ever died from tobacco related illnesses. As a matter of fact the only people I ever knew with lung cancer were non-smokers (and didn't hang around smokers so none of that 2nd hand smoke BS please).

http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30

[tom502]

I don't believe tobacco is that bad, apart from smoking, but even that, I tend to think there may be a political bias. Seems tobacco is just used as the blame if it's used, yet another person can get the same health problems and not smoke. And if we look at the mass diabetes and obesity and heart disease levels, yet no one wants to touch the fact that refined carbohydrates are worse, with all these 300 lbs obese diabetic children.

[CoderGuy]

I don't believe tobacco is that bad, apart from smoking, but even that, I tend to think there may be a political bias. Seems tobacco is just used as the blame if it's used, yet another person can get the same health problems and not smoke. And if we look at the mass diabetes and obesity and heart disease levels, yet no one wants to touch the fact that refined carbohydrates are worse, with all these 300 lbs obese diabetic children.

I know! Typical double standards. Smoker dies from lung cancer, his fault for smoking... non-smoker dies from lung cancer, smokers fault for smoking around them. The anti's are so bent on trying to obliterate any existence of tobacco by any means necessary that other big issues like the diabetes epidemic or obesity running rampant get ignored. You can see from the link I posted diet and exercise is a close #2 and gaining quickly.

[WickedKitchen]

Right on with the fat issue, Tom. The chemical stimulus in the brain from eating loads of carbs is nothing to shake a stick at. It's not a myth. Food can be a drug albeit more mental than physical. Carbs though can be physical. I did a wheat/gluten/sugar free diet for I think 4 or 5 months and the change was amazing. I actually got ill from eating a sandwich after that...and the friggin' bread kept me full for the whole day. Now I'm back on carbs but I'm thinking I'll try that regimen again.

Alcohol is a mother. I think it takes a long time to develop a physical dependence though. I guess it would be different for everyone, but for me I haven't gotten sucked in and God knows I've tried in the past. Now it just makes me puke when I have a lot of booze. No me gusta.

[Snusdog]

Well I for one want to start a grass roots movement.......... right here...........right now.............to stomp out the silent killer that no one is brave enough to talk about much less face

Natural Causes

That's right........more people will die this year from Natural Causes than drugs, tobacco, or war combined..................THIS KILLER MUST BE STOPPED

Therefore, join me in this worthy crusade.............................all you have to do is:

1. Drink more than you should
2. Use a tobacco product
3. Promote the legalization of pot
4. text while driving
5. burn a Koran on national TV (or any other means you can think of that will promote armed conflict )

Natural Causes must be stopped...............Join me brethren.............let's eradicate this menus....................one senseless death at a time

[devilock76]

I know! Typical double standards. Smoker dies from lung cancer, his fault for smoking... non-smoker dies from lung cancer, smokers fault for smoking around them. The anti's are so bent on trying to obliterate any existence of tobacco by any means necessary that other big issues like the diabetes epidemic or obesity running rampant get ignored. You can see from the link I posted diet and exercise is a close #2 and gaining quickly.

What shocks me is that there is so much regulation against a tobacco product being called "harm reduction" yet it seems there is no regulation for some of the absurd diet plan and exercise device crud and their claims that are all over the market.

Ken

[truthwolf1]

I plan on drinking daily once I retire. One to four drinks and somedays maybe more.
It would be great to do that now with beer over lunch hour or a whiskey at the desk but that is all frowned upon these days.
Damn, I wish I could of worked in the 50's-60's.

New Study Claims Drinkers Live Longer Than Nondrinkers

A young woman living longerA new study just released on alcohol consumption suggests that heavy drinkers will outlive nondrinkers. Wait, what? Is this a game changer?

The study done by a six-member team led by psychologist Charles Holahan of the University of Texas, and released in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, followed 1,824 participants over 20 years, and found that mortality rates were highest for those who had never been drinkers, second-highest for heavy drinkers and lowest for moderate drinkers (which is defined as one-to-three drinks per day). The study used slightly more men, 63 percent; over 69 percent of the never-drinkers died during the 20 years, 60 percent of the heavy drinkers died, and only 41 percent of the moderate drinkers died.

Time magazine points out that the study (which you need a subscription to read) does not do a good job explaining their results, though they try to make sense of this data. Even though heavy drinking is associated with higher risk for cirrhosis and several types of cancer, they note that "alcohol lubricates so many social interactions, and social interactions are vital for maintaining mental and physical health." It was crazy when we discovered that beer gives us stronger bones, but this is next-level stuff. At least now we know that wine in grocery stores really will solve all our problems.

[texasmade]

Agreed. The unintended consequences of drug prohibition cause more harm than drug use itself. A shining example is modern day Mexico.

They knew the consequences. The government makes plenty fighting the "War on Drugs"

[WickedKitchen]

Hi Texasmade.

I wonder if the easing of the war on drugs would result in a net job loss. If so, how much? I mean it would be better to use the manpower for other things, but then again people will be reluctant to increased efforts of oppression...especially in today's climate.

[sgreger1]

Hi Texasmade.

I wonder if the easing of the war on drugs would result in a net job loss. If so, how much? I mean it would be better to use the manpower for other things, but then again people will be reluctant to increased efforts of oppression...especially in today's climate.

I think it would be a net increase. Were talking a billion dollar a year or more industry. And it wouldnt be closed to gov officers only. I think it would be a net gain as far as jobs. This is a huge industry, HUGE, and open to many different professions.

[Joe234]

The number of deaths and hospitalizations caused by prescription drugs has risen precipitously in the past decade, with overdoses of pain medications, in particular opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers, more than doubling between 1999 and 2006, according to a new study.

In fact, by 2006, overdoses of opioid analgesics alone (a class of pain relievers that includes morphine and methadone) were already causing more deaths than overdoses of cocaine and heroin combined.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...on-drug-deaths

[snusgetter]

IF Four Loko actually tasted good, I think it's genius. Even when I go out with my friends, I don't usually drink because it just makes me sleepy. Being sleepy makes me cranky. I'm much more uninhibited and fun without alcohol. The caffeine may help combat the sleepy effect. I will have to check this out.

You might want to check this out... it's been around longer than Four Loko
and there doesn't seem to be any controversy surrounding it:


Coffee Beer
Big Island, Hawaii

Description: Kona Brewing Company’s seasonal coffee beers — the Pipeline
Porter and Da Grind Buzz Imperial Stout — ingeniously marry two powerful
substances: alcohol and caffeine. Created by Oregon transplants and
father-and-son team Cameron Healy and Spoon Khalsa, the eclectic
brews are made from 100 percent Kona coffee grown on the nearby
Cornwell Estate.

Where to Find It: At Kona Brewing Co.’s two pubs in Hawaii:
Koko Marina Center and Kailua-Kona Pub & Brewery and at bars
and restaurants around Hawaii.

World's Strangest Liquors

[Cenex]

It's funny how legal drugs are killing way more people than illegal drugs that are only illegal because they cannot be controlled and taxed ever would.

Okay maybe not "funny," but I think you know what I'm getting at...

[f. bandersnatch]

Well shit, you didn't need to do all this research to find this out, just talk to an addict.

And I mean that in the broad sense (as in addicted to several drugs.) Most clean and sober I know will happily attest that alcohol is the most consuming of our vices.