Teen dies playing beer pong with hard liquor

[belligerent drunk]

That graph is somewhat bullshit imo. No harm to others from methamphetamine while so much harm from cocaine and even amphetamine causes more harm to others, lol. But yes, if drugs like heroin were legal and regulated, cheaper and more available, there would definitely be less harm to others from their use. How does one even cause harm to others on heroin? Driving accidents is the only thing I can come up with.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Yeah the methamphetamine entry is freakin' bizarre...they list a whole host of other substances like cannabis, methadone and ketamine as being more "harmful to others" than methamphetamine, which, in my opinion and experience, is one of the most "socially corrosive" drugs out there. I guess that's more of a UK-centric survey but I will say that methamphetamine addicts around where I live are usually involved in all kinds of criminal activities.

 

[slimvictor]

Alcohol can be dangerous, but I really don't see how heroin is "safer."

Less toxic? Sure, if you're lucky enough to get the right stuff. But safer overall? Not a chance.

Maybe you are only considering black-market heroin? Pharmaceutical heroin is actually pretty safe.

Here is a more specific version of "the graph".

Source: David Nutt, Leslie King, Lawrence Phillips, “Drug Harms in the UK: A Multicriteria Decision Analysis,” The Lancet, Nov. 1, 2010

 

[slimvictor]

Yeah the methamphetamine entry is freakin' bizarre...they list a whole host of other substances like cannabis, methadone and ketamine as being more "harmful to others" than methamphetamine, which, in my opinion and experience, is one of the most "socially corrosive" drugs out there. I guess that's more of a UK-centric survey but I will say that methamphetamine addicts around where I live are usually involved in all kinds of criminal activities.

Meth addiction is incredibly strong and can easily lead to illegal harmful activity in order to maintain.
But if meth were legal, things might be pretty different.
In North Korea, meth addicts are not wrecking the fabric of society (which is already wrecked, maybe, I admit).
They easily maintain their addictions, cheaply, legally, without having to steal in order to get money for their next fix.

 

[Incunabula]

That graph is somewhat bullshit imo. No harm to others from methamphetamine while so much harm from cocaine and even amphetamine causes more harm to others, lol. But yes, if drugs like heroin were legal and regulated, cheaper and more available, there would definitely be less harm to others from their use. How does one even cause harm to others on heroin? Driving accidents is the only thing I can come up with.

It does harm to others, by forcing addicts to commit crime so they can afford their daily fix. Also, there's usually of lot of disease, as well as social and financial problems associated with being a heroin addict - which unavoidably has an impact on the addicts freinds and especially familys lives.

It would obviously be different if it was legal. But they made that graph as it is today, right now, in the UK. (I think.)

That graph propably can't stand alone, there needs to be an explanation along with. How it was made, and what it was based on. I don't think it's complete bullshit. But obviously, it's a very complex topic, so it is difficult to categorize like that.

 

[weekend addiction]

It amazes me how I've drank so much and then some punk kid in Wisconsin (generic example) has one too many wine coolers and hits the bricks. I've been tested at .4 and I believe .5 as well at the hospital while on shit ton of other drugs and I'm fine. Maybe some brain damage I don't know about but other than that I'm 100 okay. Must be lucky.

 

[my3rdeye]

I would get so much crap from the average Australian for saying this but I think we should follow America's lead and raise the legal drinking age to 21.

Quick question - in the United States is that drinking age rule, being 21, a federal thing or do some states have a lower age limit for drinking?

Peace

It's 21 in every state now. The thing is 18 year olds will still drink. If this kid was in a bar this would never happen, no bartender would serve a lethal amount of alcohol. So raising drinking age to 21 would likely increase kids drinking at houses or dorm rooms or public parks, all the places there is no bartender to cut them off. I think the drinking age should lowered to 16 in an effort to decrease home based drinking games which are banned by law in bars, at least here.