How lethal is alcohol when compared to other drugs?

[Martin]

The most toxic recreational drugs, such as GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) and heroin, have a lethal dose less than 10 times their typical effective dose. The largest cluster of substances has a lethal dose that is 10 to 20 times the effective dose: These include cocaine, MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine, often called "ecstasy") and alcohol. A less toxic group of substances, requiring 20 to 80 times the effective dose to cause death, include Rohypnol (flunitrazepam or "roofies") and mescaline (peyote cactus). The least physiologically toxic substances, those requiring 100 to 1,000 times the effective dose to cause death, include psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana, when ingested. I've found no published cases in the English language that document deaths from smoked marijuana, so the actual lethal dose is a mystery. My surmise is that smoking marijuana is more risky than eating it but still safer than getting drunk.

Alcohol thus ranks at the dangerous end of the toxicity spectrum. So despite the fact that about 75 percent of all adults in the United States enjoy an occasional drink, it must be remembered that alcohol is quite toxic. Indeed, if alcohol were a newly formulated beverage, its high toxicity and addiction potential would surely prevent it from being marketed as a food or drug. This conclusion runs counter to the common view that one's own use of alcohol is harmless.

http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/50773?&print=yes

Thank god weed is illegal. :roll:

 

[NFS4]

Don't know, don't really care. I guess those D.A.R.E. programs worked for me in school, so I've never even had an inkling to try drugs or anything. My parents never drank or smoke, so I drink very little alcohol and have never smoked.

All of that stuff seems pretty stupid anyway to me (getting high and getting drunk).

 

[IGBT]

Text


Acetaldehyde may have varying effects on individuals but it doesn't play favorites; it's as toxic to social drinkers as it is binge drinkers or alcoholics. According to the American Liver Foundation, even moderate drinkers can contract alcoholic hepatitis. The fact is alcohol in any quantity is poison (where do you think the expression, 'Name your poison' came from?). Biologically, hangovers are the initial, painful symptoms of the body's struggle to process (metabolize) this poison and flush it out. Alcohol is initially absorbed in the stomach. Since it can't be stored it must be metabolized, or oxidized, by special enzymes in the liver before it can be expelled from the body.

Yet as the liver converts acetaldehyde into acetic acid it reaches a saturation point, and some of the acetaldehyde escapes into the bloodstream, inhibiting normal mitochondria function and reaction, causing membrane damage, stimulating the synthesis of collagen to form scar tissue, and causing nasty hangover symptoms such as increased heart rate, headache, and nausea.

The neurons of the brain are the most adversely effected by acetaldehyde poisoning, which impairs brain function by interfering with the activity of neurotransmitters within and between the neurons. Acetaldehyde impairs memory and has been shown to be responsible for the amnesiac effects that may follow alcohol intoxication.

 

[toolboxolio]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Don't know, don't really care. I guess those D.A.R.E. programs worked for me in school, so I've never even had an inkling to try drugs or anything. My parents never drank or smoke, so I drink very little alcohol and have never smoked.

All of that stuff seems pretty stupid anyway to me (getting high and getting drunk).

Wanna play scrabble and read the bible?

 

[imported_bum]

Yes, we all know alcohol is a dangerous drug but politics > common sense.

 

[BrownTown]

yeah, its true abotu alcohol that the point where most people feel they are at a good level is like a fourth what it would take to kill them. For some people they get alot closer to that on a regular basis. However, it should be pointed out that the percent of deaths from alcohol due to overdose is probably alot less than due to the effects of alcohol (drunk driving being #1 i'm sure). I mean look, we all know marijuana is less dangerous for you than many drugs which are illegal, that is common knowledge, why do we need new threads comming all the time telling us this?

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: toolboxolio

Originally posted by: NFS4
Don't know, don't really care. I guess those D.A.R.E. programs worked for me in school, so I've never even had an inkling to try drugs or anything. My parents never drank or smoke, so I drink very little alcohol and have never smoked.

All of that stuff seems pretty stupid anyway to me (getting high and getting drunk).

Wanna play scrabble and read the bible?

What does that have to do with anything?

I happened to just grow up in a family where my parents NEVER drank and never smoked. That probably played a big role in my decision to drink very little and not get into the habit of smoking. Parents can have a big effect on their child's life and me seeing that they didn't need those items to function, have fun rubbed off on me. Three of my uncles on the other hand have died due to alcohol.

1) Found dead in his basement. Died of alcohol poisoning
2) Same as above, only found dead in his bedroom.
3) Died of liver failure two years after he stopped drinking.

As for drugs, like I said the D.A.R.E. program pretty much took care of that for me.

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: BrownTown
I mean look, we all know marijuana is less dangerous for you than many drugs which are illegal

Alcohol will kill you before smoking weed will. Hell, cigarettes will kill you before weed will.

 

[toolboxolio]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: toolboxolio

Originally posted by: NFS4
Don't know, don't really care. I guess those D.A.R.E. programs worked for me in school, so I've never even had an inkling to try drugs or anything. My parents never drank or smoke, so I drink very little alcohol and have never smoked.

All of that stuff seems pretty stupid anyway to me (getting high and getting drunk).

Wanna play scrabble and read the bible?

What does that have to do with anything?

I happened to just grow up in a family where my parents NEVER drank and never smoked. That probably played a big role in my decision to drink very little and not get into the habit of smoking. Parents can have a big effect on their child's life and me seeing that they didn't need those items to function, have fun rubbed off on me. Three of my uncles on the other hand have died due to alcohol.

1) Found dead in his basement. Died of alcohol poisoning
2) Same as above, only found dead in his bedroom.
3) Died of liver failure two years after he stopped drinking.

As for drugs, like I said the D.A.R.E. program pretty much took care of that for me.

Sorry to hear about your uncles and alcohol.

Have you ever tried any alcohol? It's the cat's meow, man!

You don't have to go overboard on it... but it is a nice indulgence.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: toolboxolio

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: toolboxolio

Originally posted by: NFS4
Don't know, don't really care. I guess those D.A.R.E. programs worked for me in school, so I've never even had an inkling to try drugs or anything. My parents never drank or smoke, so I drink very little alcohol and have never smoked.

All of that stuff seems pretty stupid anyway to me (getting high and getting drunk).

Wanna play scrabble and read the bible?

What does that have to do with anything?

I happened to just grow up in a family where my parents NEVER drank and never smoked. That probably played a big role in my decision to drink very little and not get into the habit of smoking. Parents can have a big effect on their child's life and me seeing that they didn't need those items to function, have fun rubbed off on me. Three of my uncles on the other hand have died due to alcohol.

1) Found dead in his basement. Died of alcohol poisoning
2) Same as above, only found dead in his bedroom.
3) Died of liver failure two years after he stopped drinking.

As for drugs, like I said the D.A.R.E. program pretty much took care of that for me.

Sorry to hear about your uncles and alcohol.

Have you ever tried any alcohol? It's the cat's meow, man!

You don't have to go overboard on it... but it is a nice indulgence.

As I said in my OP, I drink on occasion, but very little. I mean, I might have wine with dinner when over at a friends house or a mixed drink every once in a while. I absolutely HATE beer. I'd say in the past 6 months, I've probably had maybe 3 glasses of wine. That's it.

 

[rikadik]

I think you'll find this article interesting:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6474053.stm

It's about the drug classification system in the UK, and how little sense some people believe it makes, with drugs like Ecstasy being Class A drugs and alcohol being legal. For a direct link to a chart of how harmful various recreational substances are according to a recent study:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4...000/gif/_42718419_drugs_graph2_416.gif

Personally, I agree that alcohol is a lot more dangerous than many highly illegal drugs. But it doesn't make them safe. It is wrong to think alcohol is legal and more dangerous, therefore it is fine to use other drugs - the risks are cumulative. But I do wish more people would understand some drugs arent quite as evil and dangerous as they think. Theres nothing worse than someone who lectures you for smoking weed then goes out and gets absolutely smashed every weekend.

 

[IGBT]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: toolboxolio

Originally posted by: NFS4
Don't know, don't really care. I guess those D.A.R.E. programs worked for me in school, so I've never even had an inkling to try drugs or anything. My parents never drank or smoke, so I drink very little alcohol and have never smoked.

All of that stuff seems pretty stupid anyway to me (getting high and getting drunk).

Wanna play scrabble and read the bible?

What does that have to do with anything?

I happened to just grow up in a family where my parents NEVER drank and never smoked. That probably played a big role in my decision to drink very little and not get into the habit of smoking. Parents can have a big effect on their child's life and me seeing that they didn't need those items to function, have fun rubbed off on me. Three of my uncles on the other hand have died due to alcohol.

1) Found dead in his basement. Died of alcohol poisoning
2) Same as above, only found dead in his bedroom.
3) Died of liver failure two years after he stopped drinking.

As for drugs, like I said the D.A.R.E. program pretty much took care of that for me.

..similar experiences with family and booze. The enemy is the desire to indulge in recreational intoxication. That sets the hook and the substance reels them in. Nothing worse then watching a family member destroy them selves under the guise of social drinking or recreational dope.

 

[3NF]

I'd sooner get in a car with someone who is high versus someone who has been drinking. When you're high, you only drive at the dead speed - about 5 to 10 mph

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: toolboxolio

Originally posted by: NFS4
Don't know, don't really care. I guess those D.A.R.E. programs worked for me in school, so I've never even had an inkling to try drugs or anything. My parents never drank or smoke, so I drink very little alcohol and have never smoked.

All of that stuff seems pretty stupid anyway to me (getting high and getting drunk).

Wanna play scrabble and read the bible?

Scrabble is way more fun with a few drinks in you.

 

[Auryg]

Originally posted by: rikadik
I think you'll find this article interesting:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6474053.stm

It's about the drug classification system in the UK, and how little sense some people believe it makes, with drugs like Ecstasy being Class A drugs and alcohol being legal. For a direct link to a chart of how harmful various recreational substances are according to a recent study:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4...000/gif/_42718419_drugs_graph2_416.gif

Personally, I agree that alcohol is a lot more dangerous than many highly illegal drugs. But it doesn't make them safe. It is wrong to think alcohol is legal and more dangerous, therefore it is fine to use other drugs - the risks are cumulative. But I do wish more people would understand some drugs arent quite as evil and dangerous as they think. Theres nothing worse than someone who lectures you for smoking weed then goes out and gets absolutely smashed every weekend.

What about someone who lectures you for smoking weed, but doesn't do anything (drink, smoke) himself?

 

[Martin]

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: rikadik
I think you'll find this article interesting:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6474053.stm

It's about the drug classification system in the UK, and how little sense some people believe it makes, with drugs like Ecstasy being Class A drugs and alcohol being legal. For a direct link to a chart of how harmful various recreational substances are according to a recent study:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4...000/gif/_42718419_drugs_graph2_416.gif

Personally, I agree that alcohol is a lot more dangerous than many highly illegal drugs. But it doesn't make them safe. It is wrong to think alcohol is legal and more dangerous, therefore it is fine to use other drugs - the risks are cumulative. But I do wish more people would understand some drugs arent quite as evil and dangerous as they think. Theres nothing worse than someone who lectures you for smoking weed then goes out and gets absolutely smashed every weekend.

What about someone who lectures you for smoking weed, but doesn't do anything (drink, smoke) himself?

I would still think they're wrong and would still argue with them, but I'd respect them more for not being hypocrites...

 

[Quasmo]

I think one of the reasons Pot is illegal and alcohol is not is our bodies ability to metabolize alcohol alot faster than pot. When you get drunk you can have 2-3 drinks and still be ok to drive, because your body can metabolize about a beer an hour (3 beers in an hour = .08 bac on average). But when you get high you can take a few hits and be gone for 3-4 hours.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: Quasmo
I think one of the reasons Pot is illegal and alcohol is not is our bodies ability to metabolize alcohol alot faster than pot. When you get drunk you can have 2-3 drinks and still be ok to drive, because your body can metabolize about a beer an hour (3 beers in an hour = .08 bac on average). But when you get high you can take a few hits and be gone for 3-4 hours.

Um, no. The reason pot is illegal is because the cotton industry lobbied to make it illegal back in the day because they were afraid of competition from hemp. The reason it remains illegal is entirely political (no politician wants to be percieved as "soft on drugs and crime"). Its legal status has nothing whatsoever to do with safety.

 

[3NF]

A somewhat related article?

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/16959147.htm

 

[DrMik3y2]

The problem with that article is that, while alcohol and tobacco are harmful' it is simply a way to classify all substances that way. I would rather see more drugs become legal than to see them all become illegal. Besides what ever happened to survival of the fittest?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33

Originally posted by: Quasmo
I think one of the reasons Pot is illegal and alcohol is not is our bodies ability to metabolize alcohol alot faster than pot. When you get drunk you can have 2-3 drinks and still be ok to drive, because your body can metabolize about a beer an hour (3 beers in an hour = .08 bac on average). But when you get high you can take a few hits and be gone for 3-4 hours.

Um, no. The reason pot is illegal is because the cotton industry lobbied to make it illegal back in the day because they were afraid of competition from hemp. The reason it remains illegal is entirely political (no politician wants to be percieved as "soft on drugs and crime"). Its legal status has nothing whatsoever to do with safety.

besides, id *much* sooner get in the car with my stoner brother, than drive myself if i have had 3 drinks in the last couple of hours.

i dont drink alot, myself, however. some wine now and again, or a little rum or whisky. i dont care for getting drunk.

/bit of a lightweight

 

[ForumMaster]

irrelevant for me. i remember D.A.R.E. from fifth grade (in fact i still have the shirt) and i have never had any desire to get anywhere near tobacco or alcohol.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: Astaroth33

Originally posted by: Quasmo
I think one of the reasons Pot is illegal and alcohol is not is our bodies ability to metabolize alcohol alot faster than pot. When you get drunk you can have 2-3 drinks and still be ok to drive, because your body can metabolize about a beer an hour (3 beers in an hour = .08 bac on average). But when you get high you can take a few hits and be gone for 3-4 hours.

Um, no. The reason pot is illegal is because the cotton industry lobbied to make it illegal back in the day because they were afraid of competition from hemp. The reason it remains illegal is entirely political (no politician wants to be percieved as "soft on drugs and crime"). Its legal status has nothing whatsoever to do with safety.

besides, id *much* sooner get in the car with my stoner brother, than drive myself if i have had 3 drinks in the last couple of hours.

i dont drink alot, myself, however. some wine now and again, or a little rum or whisky. i dont care for getting drunk.

/bit of a lightweight

How about not getting in a car with either one of them? Driving is enough of a risk as it is without being impaired.

No since it putting yourself in danger in either situation.

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: Martin

The most toxic recreational drugs, such as GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) and heroin, have a lethal dose less than 10 times their typical effective dose. The largest cluster of substances has a lethal dose that is 10 to 20 times the effective dose: These include cocaine, MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine, often called "ecstasy") and alcohol. A less toxic group of substances, requiring 20 to 80 times the effective dose to cause death, include Rohypnol (flunitrazepam or "roofies") and mescaline (peyote cactus). The least physiologically toxic substances, those requiring 100 to 1,000 times the effective dose to cause death, include psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana, when ingested. I've found no published cases in the English language that document deaths from smoked marijuana, so the actual lethal dose is a mystery. My surmise is that smoking marijuana is more risky than eating it but still safer than getting drunk.

Alcohol thus ranks at the dangerous end of the toxicity spectrum. So despite the fact that about 75 percent of all adults in the United States enjoy an occasional drink, it must be remembered that alcohol is quite toxic. Indeed, if alcohol were a newly formulated beverage, its high toxicity and addiction potential would surely prevent it from being marketed as a food or drug. This conclusion runs counter to the common view that one's own use of alcohol is harmless.

http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/50773?&print=yes

Thank god weed is illegal. :roll:

Does your life suck so bad that you cant be happy unless you are under the intoxicating effect of some particular chemical?

I applaud people who have no desire to drink, smoke, or do drugs. I detest those who believe that intoxication is a desired state that should be permitted.

 

[clamum]

Can't be too bad considering I'm alive after last night... ooooohhhh boy.