4 ms·

> I have never understood how some drugs are absolutely illegal, but alcohol gets a pass. Because the overwhelming majority of alcohol drinkers are able to lim

by pif 5y ago

> I have never understood how some drugs are absolutely illegal, but alcohol gets a pass. Because the overwhelming majority of alcohol drinkers are able to limit themselves to an acceptable use?

x86_64Ubuntu 5y ago
Same point could be made for marijuana and some psychedelics. And that's before we get into the actual social cost difference between the drugs. I've never almost gotten in a fist fight when the other party was on MJ or shrooms.
- deleted 5y ago
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mettamage 5y ago
No, not really. There are many recreational drug users as well, they can limit their drug use, yet it's still illegal. The issue with both our statements is that it's anecdata. Here's some data [1, 2]. Alcohol tops the list in terms of harm. More anecdata about alcohol: I personally know 2 Dutch people who died from it. One slowly died through his drinking habit, the other one was in a bar in Thailand and OD'ed on it. While he wasn't at a happy place in his live, it was clear that he did not intentionally commit suicide (though his unhappy thoughts definitely contributed to drinking a lot). I've yet to hear someone who OD'ed on cocaine or similar things. I know it happens, but I have yet to see them in my peripheral networks. Unfortunately, it's still anecdata, but it does prove that alcohol isn't harmless by any stretch of the imagination. Non-deadly anecdata about alcohol: If we include non-death casualties, then I also know a few people who abused other people because of alcohol. I know quite a few weed smokers, I've yet to see them abuse anyone. I know one person who drinks and smokes and he's only abusive when he drinks. Again it's all anecdata, but please read up on the dangers of alcohol. The sources I cited seem to give some insight. Alcohol is a drug. People should treat it as such. It's a legal drug, but that doesn't change how dangerous it potentially is. All drugs have wild dangers to them, alcohol included. I drink alcohol often enough myself, but man, it's something to be careful with. Any drug is something to be careful with, even mushrooms (I don't want to explain, I feel I've showcased enough horrible stories as it is, I know horrible stories about any popular drug). All I can say is, if you're gonna use (any) drugs, treat it with caution and respect, which means to read up on it and have strong boundaries on when and how to use it and what to do when shit hits the fan. [1] https://www.vox.com/2015/2/24/8094759/alcohol-marijuana https://www.vox.com/2015/2/24/8094759/alcohol-marijuana [2] https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/25/what-is-the-most-dangerous-drug https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/25/what-is-...
KennyBlanken 5y ago
> Because the overwhelming majority of alcohol drinkers are able to limit themselves to an acceptable use? Weird description for ten thousand traffic deaths a year (many of them innocent, not the alcoholic), being the single largest factor in domestic violence incidents (some of the most dangerous calls police go to), and generally making anyone who lives within blocks of a major bar district absolutely miserable. The only reason the alcohol industry exists is because they have successfully fought literally any attempt to hold them responsible for the damage they cause to society.
opportune 5y ago
Many recreational drug users are able to do that. Ask almost anybody who’s actually tried most things and even made habits of them, what they think of alcohol. Alcohol is probably tied with benzos in terms of addictiveness and harm to the user (not as easy to accidentally take too much since our bodies are better at “rejecting” it, but more widely available, and more euphoric and thus more addictive), after heroin and meth. It’s purely cultural that we give alcohol a pass while making many less harmful drugs illegal

by pif 5y ago

> I have never understood how some drugs are absolutely illegal, but alcohol gets a pass. Because the overwhelming majority of alcohol drinkers are able to limit themselves to an acceptable use?

x86_64Ubuntu 5y ago

Same point could be made for marijuana and some psychedelics. And that's before we get into the actual social cost difference between the drugs. I've never almost gotten in a fist fight when the other party was on MJ or shrooms.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

mettamage 5y ago

No, not really. There are many recreational drug users as well, they can limit their drug use, yet it's still illegal. The issue with both our statements is that it's anecdata. Here's some data [1, 2]. Alcohol tops the list in terms of harm. More anecdata about alcohol: I personally know 2 Dutch people who died from it. One slowly died through his drinking habit, the other one was in a bar in Thailand and OD'ed on it. While he wasn't at a happy place in his live, it was clear that he did not intentionally commit suicide (though his unhappy thoughts definitely contributed to drinking a lot). I've yet to hear someone who OD'ed on cocaine or similar things. I know it happens, but I have yet to see them in my peripheral networks. Unfortunately, it's still anecdata, but it does prove that alcohol isn't harmless by any stretch of the imagination. Non-deadly anecdata about alcohol: If we include non-death casualties, then I also know a few people who abused other people because of alcohol. I know quite a few weed smokers, I've yet to see them abuse anyone. I know one person who drinks and smokes and he's only abusive when he drinks. Again it's all anecdata, but please read up on the dangers of alcohol. The sources I cited seem to give some insight. Alcohol is a drug. People should treat it as such. It's a legal drug, but that doesn't change how dangerous it potentially is. All drugs have wild dangers to them, alcohol included. I drink alcohol often enough myself, but man, it's something to be careful with. Any drug is something to be careful with, even mushrooms (I don't want to explain, I feel I've showcased enough horrible stories as it is, I know horrible stories about any popular drug). All I can say is, if you're gonna use (any) drugs, treat it with caution and respect, which means to read up on it and have strong boundaries on when and how to use it and what to do when shit hits the fan. [1] https://www.vox.com/2015/2/24/8094759/alcohol-marijuana https://www.vox.com/2015/2/24/8094759/alcohol-marijuana [2] https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/25/what-is-the-most-dangerous-drug https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/25/what-is-...

KennyBlanken 5y ago

> Because the overwhelming majority of alcohol drinkers are able to limit themselves to an acceptable use? Weird description for ten thousand traffic deaths a year (many of them innocent, not the alcoholic), being the single largest factor in domestic violence incidents (some of the most dangerous calls police go to), and generally making anyone who lives within blocks of a major bar district absolutely miserable. The only reason the alcohol industry exists is because they have successfully fought literally any attempt to hold them responsible for the damage they cause to society.

opportune 5y ago

Many recreational drug users are able to do that. Ask almost anybody who’s actually tried most things and even made habits of them, what they think of alcohol. Alcohol is probably tied with benzos in terms of addictiveness and harm to the user (not as easy to accidentally take too much since our bodies are better at “rejecting” it, but more widely available, and more euphoric and thus more addictive), after heroin and meth. It’s purely cultural that we give alcohol a pass while making many less harmful drugs illegal