Common Sense for Drug Policy - the group behind the site, is one of the most organised and influential non-user law reform advocacy lobby & activism group in the world. Representative from CSDP often presented the law reform argument on the (US) PBS documentary series Drug Wars, which was screened by the ABC here at the start of the year. Another offshoot of CSDP is the Media Awareness Program
www.mapinc.org , which monitors media comment- mostly print, but also websites, and transcripts of TV and radio - about drug issues right around the world, recently celebrated the posting of 100000 articles to the site.
That said, I think comparing "addictiveness" is a little pointless - although their sites are partially picked at middle-class academics etc, and making them realise that tere is really very litytle sense to drug policy, as some of the effects the establishment rail about in relation to illicti drugs can also be created by perfectly leagl substances like nicotine.
While it isn't a peer-based organisation, user input into their messages is a fundamental part of what they do.
Part of the problem with these sort of measurements is that, on many levels, comparing licit and illicti substances is a bit like apples and oranges. The fact is, we really can't tell a lot of the time what is an effect of frequent use of an illicit drug, and what is an effect of the circumstances users are forced to use in.
If you know you can always go to the shop for ciggies, does that make giving up easier or harder?
What impact does the fact that many opiate users only go through withdrawal because of the financial pressurews of expensive heroin. If you really love using - whether it be heroin, ice or even pot - but know you can't afford it, does that make the physical symptoms seem worse?
What about when we're coerced into it (parents have been known to padlock their using offspring to beds to force withdrawal), or when we go through it in prison?
Yes, its important to realise that many different substances can cause physical dependence and the devlopment of habitual behaviours, but only when a user has real choice about whether they will use or not will we really nbe able to compare the intensity of experiences.
Speaking personally, I find opiate withdrawal much harder than giving up cigarettes. As I have a compromised immune system anyway, the physical effects - runny nose, nightsweats, nausea & vomiting, runny poo, aches & pains - tend to hit me really hard. And I really like using, so often feel shitty because its a case of "can't afford it", not "i wouldn't mind taking a break for a while".
Now methadone withdrawal - that tops the chart. Intense symptoms can be experienced for a month (that's quite a common lngth of time actually), then symptoms of a lesser intensity for another couple of months after that. And when you're reducing, as soon as your dose drops below about 20mg, you tend to chew through your dose quickly, and experience mild withdrawal every morning. I find myself crying, having panic attacks, losing my ability to concentrate; an SSRI anti-depressant is often prescribed now as part of the withdrawal process.
The types of fits and hallucinations seen in the movie of Trainspotting (and described even better in the book) often accompany "jumping off"oses of methadone say, over 40mg daily.
It would take a huge heroin habit to create those sort of symptoms upon withdrawal.
While many users tell you exactly how difficult methadone withdrawal can be, you don't really know until you're in the middle of it, and so affordable opiates seem a very attractive option if you can't face a heroin withdrawal, or need to work or look after kids or sick family , and don't have the time to set aside to go through withdrawal.
