Drugs assessed in order of danger

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 5, 2007, 8:29 pm

According to this article:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/ ... 05,00.html

we should all be doing Ecstasy

The study of 20 drugs - both legal and illegal - weighed up their physical harm, their relative addictiveness and the impact they have on wider society, to produce a new 'rational' league table.

Drugs assessed in order of danger

1 Heroin
2 Cocaine
3 Barbiturates
4 Street methadone
5 Alcohol
6 Ketamine
7 Benzodiazepine
8 Amphetamines
9 Tobacco
10 Buprenorphine
11 Cannabis
12 Solvents
13 4-MTA
14 LSD
15 Methylphenidate
16 Anabolic steroids
17 GHB
18 Ecstasy
19 Alkyl nitrates
20 Khat

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » March 5, 2007, 9:36 pm

I'm not so sure I agree that huffing is less dangerous than booze and smokes...

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » March 5, 2007, 11:23 pm

Zaelath wrote:I'm not so sure I agree that huffing is less dangerous than booze and smokes...

I'm sure there are weightings at work

Post by **Sylvus** » March 5, 2007, 11:43 pm

Wow, I don't even recognize some of the things on that list. The kids these days!

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » March 6, 2007, 12:37 am

Whoever came up with that list is apparently on drugs.

Pot is worse than acid? What. The. Fuck.

Traz-KOE · Post by **Traz-KOE** » March 6, 2007, 1:21 am

Fairweather Pure wrote:Pot is worse than acid? What. The. Fuck.

Vector and availability.

Acid is hard to find these days, and no matter how much less unhealthy than cigarettes MJ might be, you still smoke it in most cases, and smoking is still bad for your lungs.

Deward · Post by **Deward** » March 6, 2007, 11:24 am

Pure LSD is one of the safest drugs out there. It is non habit forming with no known long term affects. It might make you think you can fly though.

Pot is definitely too high on that list. Have you ever seen a long term huffer? THey are pretty nasty. They look a lot like meth users. I also think ecstasy use is way worse than pot. I don't know if it is habit forming but anything that makes you totally lose your mind like it does can't be good.

Post by **Sylvus** » March 6, 2007, 11:58 am

It's pretty silly that the main reason that most of these drugs are at all dangerous is because of them being illegal. From the crime that's associated with distribution of illegal drugs, to the deadly additives to otherwise relatively benign drugs like LSD (or MDMA to some degree. WARNING: long-term use can mess your brain up), you could reduce lethality/"dangerousness" of almost anything on this list to be at or below the levels of alcohol and tobacco just by legalizing them.

Not to mention the added tax income the country would receive from selling regulated drugs, the added budget space freed up by not wasting money on the war on drugs, the jail space freed as well as the penal system budget space freed by not jailing people for possession of drugs, the added jobs that the new industries would add, the money that said industries would pump back into the economy in the form of advertising at whatnot... Drugs are bad, but keeping (many of) them illegal is far worse.

noel · Post by **noel** » March 6, 2007, 12:14 pm

At the risk of looking like an idiot...

Where is PCP on that list? I assume it falls under one of the listed, I'm just not sure which.

Post by **Sylvus** » March 6, 2007, 12:25 pm

Do people still do PCP?

I've been in numerous settings where I've done/been offered/seen people doing just about everything on that list, and I've never even heard of anyone doing PCP outside of a couple movies/tv shows.

noel · Post by **noel** » March 6, 2007, 12:44 pm

I actually have no idea, but I know I've talked to a few individuals in law enforcement who've mentioned the difficulty in dealing with and subduing and individual 'hopped up on PCP'. Clearly that could just be a catch-all for an individual that's difficult to subdue, but I recall hearing during my youth that PCP would make you go out of your goddamn mind.

Post by **Sylvus** » March 6, 2007, 12:57 pm

On the wiki page for PCP, it says something about Ketamine being in the same family, so maybe they're using that as a catch-all. I had no idea they were related, if they're closely related I rescind my comments about PCP.

I'm sure Arb or another resident scientist will have more info for us.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » March 6, 2007, 1:26 pm

They are somehow related. I'm not sure how closely.

The last time I heard of anyone doing PCP was about 8 years ago. It still gets done in some circles, but it's not very common. And yes, it makes you a bitch to control.

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » March 6, 2007, 1:46 pm

Sylvus wrote:On the wiki page for PCP, it says something about Ketamine being in the same family, so maybe they're using that as a catch-all. I had no idea they were related, if they're closely related I rescind my comments about PCP.

I'm sure Arb or another resident scientist will have more info for us.

Not me, I know fuck all about second order synthetics, except those with legitimate psychopharm uses...:/...I could sort it out if no one knows offhand and everyone is really keen to know...

Ok the five minute research course is basically they are unrelated...They are both anesthetics which cause dissociation...

PCP apparently has decreased in popularity maybe because it makes people psychotic regularly...

noel · Post by **noel** » March 6, 2007, 1:59 pm

Nah it was just more of a curiosity. The only reason I asked is because I had it in my mind that it was a really 'bad' drug and I was curious about where it ranked.

If no one is doing it anymore, I guess it's kind of a moot point.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » March 6, 2007, 4:21 pm

Sylvus wrote:It's pretty silly that the main reason that most of these drugs are at all dangerous is because of them being illegal. From the crime that's associated with distribution of illegal drugs, to the deadly additives to otherwise relatively benign drugs like LSD (or MDMA to some degree. WARNING: long-term use can mess your brain up), you could reduce lethality/"dangerousness" of almost anything on this list to be at or below the levels of alcohol and tobacco just by legalizing them.

Not to mention the added tax income the country would receive from selling regulated drugs, the added budget space freed up by not wasting money on the war on drugs, the jail space freed as well as the penal system budget space freed by not jailing people for possession of drugs, the added jobs that the new industries would add, the money that said industries would pump back into the economy in the form of advertising at whatnot... Drugs are bad, but keeping (many of) them illegal is far worse.

But... but then how would we keep the darkies locked up and away from the white wimmins?

Truant · Post by **Truant** » March 6, 2007, 7:10 pm

PCP is Phencyclidine. and is related somewhat to Ketamine.

I'm going to add common names or classifications for the drugs on the list. Just to help familarize, etc.

Drugs assessed in order of danger

1 Heroin
2 Cocaine (I'm pretty sure we know what these first two are)
3 Barbiturates (Downers, make you feel drunk, literally. High risk of death in OD. Very widely abused from the 20's-70's roughly)
4 Street methadone (Synthetic opiate used to rehab opiate abusers. I'd guess the risk of the Street variety has to do with purity)
5 Alcohol
6 Ketamine (Special K. Was used as an anaesthetic, but has hallucinogenic properties. Was called a date rape drug, but isn't really)
7 Benzodiazepine (Downers, replaced barbiturates medically because of the death risk)
8 Amphetamines (Speed. Uppers. Used for ADHD, weight loss, and to dance for 12 hours straight)
9 Tobacco
10 Buprenorphine (Opiate used to rehab opiate abusers)
11 Cannabis
12 Solvents (Huff huff)
13 4-MTA (Very similar to Ecstasy with less eupohoric effects, and higher risk of negative effects)
14 LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide. Acid)
15 Methylphenidate (Upper used to treat ADHD. We know it as Ritalin. Used as a substitute for amphetamines when mixing)
16 Anabolic steroids (See Barry Bonds)
17 GHB (gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid. Also a date rape drug, but again a less common one. Euphoria, sexual arousal, and intoxication at small doses. The doseage curve is very steep though, and negative effects up this curve are far ranging and serious. Very easy to OD on, and it reacts poorly to other downers including alcohol)
18 Ecstasy (MDMA. we've discussed this drug several times)
19 Alkyl nitrates (Poppers. The 'gay' drug of the 60's. Causes a relaxation of the anal sphincter for ease of anal sex. Also causes major drop in blood pressure, and a major increase in bloodflow. Often used during sex to heighten orgasm)
20 Khat (Marijuana of the middle east! Mild Euphoria, generally considered non addictive)

A lot of this is from Wiki, some from my Chemistry book (seriously), and some from random knowledge I've picked up over the years.

I had known what Poppers were, and the blood flow effect (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), but didn't know about the widespread use during the 60's and it's relation to gay men.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » March 6, 2007, 7:13 pm

The list just seems odd to me. I'm sure there're good arguments to be made for the way it's put together, but...

How is cocaine drastically more dangerous than amphetamines? That one I just don't get.

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » March 6, 2007, 7:20 pm

Sueven wrote:The list just seems odd to me. I'm sure there're good arguments to be made for the way it's put together, but...

How is cocaine drastically more dangerous than amphetamines? That one I just don't get.

I am guessing it includes other "versions" of cocaine lumped into one rating.

Also, here's the article it's from (link is in original post):

The government is to be urged to consider a controversial plan to reclassify drugs according to the harm they do. The new ranking system would see alcohol placed high on the scale because of its links to violence and car accidents. Tobacco, estimated to cause 40 per cent of all hospital illnesses, would also come before the class-A drug ecstasy.

However, there is no suggestion that alcohol and tobacco should be banned. The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce's commission on illegal drugs, communities and public policy has been examining what it believes is a 'serious misfit between the law relating to drugs and the way in which drugs are actually used by members of society'.

The commission, which includes John Yates, the Metropolitan Police's assistant commissioner, has heard evidence from experts and charities in a bid to find ways of making the UK's drugs laws more effective.

It has highlighted a study carried out by a team led by Colin Blakemore, chief executive of the Medical Research Council, that suggests classification should not be linked to penalties for drug possession but rather the relative risks involved in taking them.

The study of 20 drugs - both legal and illegal - weighed up their physical harm, their relative addictiveness and the impact they have on wider society, to produce a new 'rational' league table.

Blakemore suggests current drugs laws are outdated. 'The system has evolved in an unsystematic way from somewhat arbitrary foundations with seemingly little scientific basis. We suggest a new system for evaluating the risks of individual drugs that is based as far as possible on facts and scientific knowledge. It could form the basis of a new classification scheme for the Misuse of Drugs Act.'

Nick · Post by **Nick** » March 6, 2007, 7:56 pm

The only thing on the list that surprises me is Ecstasy. It's so low on teh list :O

I loved a good bout of pills now and again when I was younger but they definately muck your head up if you do too many (not many) for too long (not long).

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 6, 2007, 8:13 pm

I think this list is a bad idea. Some kids are going to think sniffing glue or gasoline is better for you than drinking alcohol.

For society it might be better as the huffer is so out of it that they can't drive or cause trouble and as long as they die quickly and don't go into a coma for years, it won't cost a lot medically, but no way it's best for the person. Most likely they'll go into a coma end up being a burden.

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » March 6, 2007, 8:35 pm

Winnow wrote:Most likely they'll go into a coma end up being a burden.

This was actually taken into consideration in making the list. The article notes that this type of thing is why Tobacco ranked that high.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » March 6, 2007, 10:39 pm

Sueven wrote:The list just seems odd to me. I'm sure there're good arguments to be made for the way it's put together, but...

How is cocaine drastically more dangerous than amphetamines? That one I just don't get.

Maybe it takes into account societal impact?

Xyun · Post by **Xyun** » March 6, 2007, 11:09 pm

Physically, cocaine is much more dangerous. Heavy amounts of cocaine will destroy mucus building membranes in your nose and erode the skin inside. Basically, my nose was completely dry. The boogers would dry up and stick to the lining of my nose and when I tried to peel them, I took some skin and blood along with em. My nose still has not fully recovered from my cocaine exploits. I also knew a guy that could put a handkerchief in one nostril and pull out the other.

It also destroys the lining of your gums if smoked or directly applied. The gums start receding and if done enough your teeth will fall out. When I was heavily into cocaine a few years back I had to make a trip to the dentist for some antibiotics, and of course I stopped doing it.

It also causes complications with your lungs.

The shit is extremely dangerous and I highly recommend only doing it occasionally!