Drugs

[[TNT] Sonic Goo]

It seems like we haven't had a discussion on this particular (always) hot topic yet. So I thought I'd start one by posting this study in The Lancet, which was published today, ranking drugs by their harmfulness. (You might need to register to see it, or you can get a login here.) It's remarkable since its ranking tends to be a bit different from those of most governments (and a lot of people as well, probably). Here's an excerpt:

 

Our findings raise questions about the validity of the current Misuse of Drugs Act classification, despite the fact that it is nominally based on an assessment of risk to users and society. The discrepancies between our findings and current classifications are especially striking in relation to psychedelic-type drugs. Our results also emphasise that the exclusion of alcohol and tobacco from the Misuse of Drugs Act is, from a scientific perspective, arbitrary. We saw no clear distinction between socially acceptable and illicit substances. The fact that the two most widely used legal drugs lie in the upper half of the ranking of harm is surely important information that should be taken into account in public debate on illegal drug use. Discussions based on a formal assessment of harm rather than on prejudice and assumptions might help society to engage in a more rational debate about the relative risks and harms of drugs.

Bring on the rational debate!

Edited March 28, 2007 by [TNT] Sonic Goo

[{U}Sgt.PEPPER]

drugs are for companies, to sell to make money...and money means more to them than you...

 

heres a bit of good info,