Why are steroids illegal but cigarettes legal?

[yukichigai]

Gimme links man, links. I've heard lots of similar things before -- reduces risk of heart attack, helps improve skin health -- but they all turned out to be from tobacco-funded studies. It's not that I don't believe that tobacco companies won't fund studies that don't give them the outcomes they want... no wait, that's exactly it.

 

[DrNoobie]

http://www.applesforhealth.com/HealthySenior/expnicheab5.html
http://www.jrussellshealth.com/smokbens.html
or ask a Neuroscientist.

Note: They don't advocate smoking.

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: DrNoobie
http://www.applesforhealth.com/HealthySenior/expnicheab5.html
http://www.jrussellshealth.com/smokbens.html
or ask a Neuroscientist.

Note: They don't advocate smoking.

The first article only mentions another article in another magazine. When I searched for the article on the magazine's website (New Scientist magazine) I found nothing. You would think searching for Nicotine or cotinine, the two substances mentioned in the study, would bring something up.

The second article is rife with refferences, which is a good thing. Except I can't check them out because they're almost all older than the archive range of the sites/sources it mentions. A few of them you can tell are legit though. (American Cancer Society) So there's some basis for the claims.

I'd really like to see the actual studies though, to see who funded them.

 

[BaboonGuy]

Tobacco companies are HUGE!

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: yukichigai

Originally posted by: DrNoobie
http://www.applesforhealth.com/HealthySenior/expnicheab5.html
http://www.jrussellshealth.com/smokbens.html
or ask a Neuroscientist.

Note: They don't advocate smoking.

The first article only mentions another article in another magazine. When I searched for the article on the magazine's website (New Scientist magazine) I found nothing. You would think searching for Nicotine or cotinine, the two substances mentioned in the study, would bring something up.

The second article is rife with refferences, which is a good thing. Except I can't check them out because they're almost all older than the archive range of the sites/sources it mentions. A few of them you can tell are legit though. (American Cancer Society) So there's some basis for the claims.

I'd really like to see the actual studies though, to see who funded them.

Well I don't think the tobacco companies are funding them if that is what you are implying. I doubt Emory has their hands dirty with tobacco money, especially since the doctor was adamant about not smoking. Most illegetimate substancs can have medical usage(Cocaine does but to a lessor extent now). Many useful substances are analogues of a substance that we wouldn't think of touching for fun. Nicotine having benefits for Alzheimer's has been talked about for a long time. I believe as early as 1995 I saw an article about it in USAToday, because at the time both of my grandparents had Alzheimer's. Most of the good journals are going to require a subscription, so don't expect a flood of sources from a google search. That being said, it is a stimulant, and of course it is going to have an effect on memory.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: BillGates
Both cause possible long term health effects.... However, steroids can increase the size and strength of a person's muscles, whereas smoking has no real positive benefit. In addition, steroids don't adversely affect the lives of others as smoking has sometimes been proven to do.

Kinda weird.

Are all steriods illegal or controlled?

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Dr Smooth

Originally posted by: BillGates
Both cause possible long term health effects.... However, steroids can increase the size and strength of a person's muscles, whereas smoking has no real positive benefit. In addition, steroids don't adversely affect the lives of others as smoking has sometimes been proven to do.

Kinda weird.

Are all steriods illegal or controlled?

Controlled, but there are lots that aren't legal in the US period, whereas they are legal for human consumption in other countries. Depends on the steroid, but for our purposes in this thread they are controlled. Typically scheduled at Level III as far as the feds are concerned.

 

[Kelemvor]

Because tobacco companies give millions of dollars to politicians so there's no way they will make them illegal. The steroid people don't.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Saulbadguy
Cause the government can make money off cigarettes/alchohol, they cannot off other drugs.