5 ms·

I just want to point out that GHB isn’t so dangerous as you point out, relative to the other major drugs (not least of them alcohol). See https://upload.wikimed

by ttul 8y ago

I just want to point out that GHB isn’t so dangerous as you point out, relative to the other major drugs (not least of them alcohol). See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Rational_harm_assessment_of_drugs_radar_plot.svg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Rational... for a nice graphical summary. You can go to a liquor store today and purchase a lethal amount of alcohol for about $20. And it’s lawful to advertise the stuff. GHB is less harmful, but it’s illegal.

Swizec 8y ago
Depends on where. In a lot of Europe (and afaik also Canada) alcohol purchasing times are heavily regulated to combat binge, especially youth, drinking. For example no alcohol sales past 9pm, no sales before 10am etc. And you can’t advertise drinking. You can promote brands, but not drinking directly. Which is weird and I don’t know how the line is defined, but it exists in at least some countries I’ve been to.
- omnimus 8y ago
  Well "a lot of Europe" really means Scandinavia. To be precise it is only Norway, Finland and Sweden where alcohol is sold only by one brand of state owned shops. As far as i know you can drink whatever you want, when you want after you are 18. Notable exception is Germany where from 16 you can drink undistilled drinks like beer and wine. Oh we had lot of fun when i was 16 on our school trip to Germany. Good times. About advertising i think it applies again to Scandinavia. Overall i think people have pretty positive drinking habits in europe. Most people try it early and drink quite regulary meaning they can manage it without much problems.
  - Pete_D 8y ago
    Ontario, Canada is similar: state-run shops have a monopoly on the sale of alcohol (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquor_Control_Board_of_Ontario https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquor_Control_Board_of_Ontari...). They're about to do the same with weed ("in September 2017 the Government of Ontario announced that the LCBO would be the sole vendor of recreational marijuana to the public in that province").
  - Maarten88 8y ago
    17% of young people (16-20) classify as "heavy drinkers here (Netherlands). I thought our youth were some of the most problematic drinkers in the world, but when looking it up, we actually aren't. It actually improved recently. Still I think that kids should start drinking later and parents are a bit too lax about it.
    - omnimus 8y ago
      It is difficult question. For many people it is unfortunately one of the prominent ways how to relax and socialize (even more so in the internet age - most of dates = alcohol). My experience (not scientific one) is that most of the people i know who have serious problems with alcohol nowdays are almost exclusively those who had very strict parents. Alcohol and drugs were heavily stigmatized in their families and once they are 18 (or out of parents homes) they just go nuts and can't handle it. People who gradually try alcohol tend to have much healthier approach to it. I don't think prohibition works. Education does.
  - V-2 8y ago
    > About advertising i think it applies again to Scandinavia. Poland, too, with the exception of beer (and this is still subject to many restrictions).
elhudy 8y ago
I'm having a hard time understanding the scale of that graph. Benzos are a 1.75 but cannabis is a 1.5 in regards to dependence? Amphetamines (Adderall) are 1.75 in regards to physical harm, but anabolic steroids are only 1.5?
toomanybeersies 8y ago
It's pretty hard to drink a lethal amount of liquor though, it's a lot easier to consume a lethal amount of GHB, probably easier than any other recreational drug (or club drug at least). I also think one of the big concerns with GHB is people spiking drinks. It's incredibly easy to slip into a drink. At one of the nightclubs I go to, they have fairly prominent signs warning about GHB, and telling you that you will get a lifetime ban if you're caught with it. Most other drugs will just get confiscated (and often consumed by the bouncers), or at worst kicked out for the night.

by ttul 8y ago

Swizec 8y ago

Depends on where. In a lot of Europe (and afaik also Canada) alcohol purchasing times are heavily regulated to combat binge, especially youth, drinking. For example no alcohol sales past 9pm, no sales before 10am etc. And you can’t advertise drinking. You can promote brands, but not drinking directly. Which is weird and I don’t know how the line is defined, but it exists in at least some countries I’ve been to.

omnimus 8y ago
Well "a lot of Europe" really means Scandinavia. To be precise it is only Norway, Finland and Sweden where alcohol is sold only by one brand of state owned shops. As far as i know you can drink whatever you want, when you want after you are 18. Notable exception is Germany where from 16 you can drink undistilled drinks like beer and wine. Oh we had lot of fun when i was 16 on our school trip to Germany. Good times. About advertising i think it applies again to Scandinavia. Overall i think people have pretty positive drinking habits in europe. Most people try it early and drink quite regulary meaning they can manage it without much problems.
- Pete_D 8y ago
  Ontario, Canada is similar: state-run shops have a monopoly on the sale of alcohol (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquor_Control_Board_of_Ontario https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquor_Control_Board_of_Ontari...). They're about to do the same with weed ("in September 2017 the Government of Ontario announced that the LCBO would be the sole vendor of recreational marijuana to the public in that province").
- Maarten88 8y ago
  17% of young people (16-20) classify as "heavy drinkers here (Netherlands). I thought our youth were some of the most problematic drinkers in the world, but when looking it up, we actually aren't. It actually improved recently. Still I think that kids should start drinking later and parents are a bit too lax about it.
  - omnimus 8y ago
    It is difficult question. For many people it is unfortunately one of the prominent ways how to relax and socialize (even more so in the internet age - most of dates = alcohol). My experience (not scientific one) is that most of the people i know who have serious problems with alcohol nowdays are almost exclusively those who had very strict parents. Alcohol and drugs were heavily stigmatized in their families and once they are 18 (or out of parents homes) they just go nuts and can't handle it. People who gradually try alcohol tend to have much healthier approach to it. I don't think prohibition works. Education does.
- V-2 8y ago
  > About advertising i think it applies again to Scandinavia. Poland, too, with the exception of beer (and this is still subject to many restrictions).

elhudy 8y ago

I'm having a hard time understanding the scale of that graph. Benzos are a 1.75 but cannabis is a 1.5 in regards to dependence? Amphetamines (Adderall) are 1.75 in regards to physical harm, but anabolic steroids are only 1.5?

toomanybeersies 8y ago

It's pretty hard to drink a lethal amount of liquor though, it's a lot easier to consume a lethal amount of GHB, probably easier than any other recreational drug (or club drug at least). I also think one of the big concerns with GHB is people spiking drinks. It's incredibly easy to slip into a drink. At one of the nightclubs I go to, they have fairly prominent signs warning about GHB, and telling you that you will get a lifetime ban if you're caught with it. Most other drugs will just get confiscated (and often consumed by the bouncers), or at worst kicked out for the night.