3 ms·

Review: Should ethanol be scheduled as a drug of high risk to public health?

2 points by 9wzYQbTYsAIc 4y ago

9wzYQbTYsAIc 4y ago
> GHB was subsequently classified as a Class B1 drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, that is, as a prohibited drug of high risk to public health. The dangerousness level of ethanol was found to be at least similar to that of GHB in this analysis.
PaulHoule 4y ago
We tried that in the 1920s and got Al Capone and bathtub gin.
- 9wzYQbTYsAIc 4y ago
  Scheduling is a bit different from a prohibition. Scheduling means that you’d need to ask a doctor for a prescription for a case of beer, for example. Just like certain kinds of cough syrup require a prescription.
  - nradov 4y ago
    During Prohibition, ethanol was also available by prescription for "medicinal" purposes. That was a great racket for doctors who could charge anyone who wanted a legal drink. We already have a shortage of doctors. Doing something like this that would further increase their workload is flat out idiotic.
    - PaulHoule 4y ago
      Also I think it would be crazy to write a prescription for alcohol where benzodiazepines have largely the same effect with less toxicity.
      - nradov 4y ago
        Yikes. You can't be serious?
        PaulHoule 4y ago
        I am. I have a friend who was an alcoholic (w/ anxiety to go with it) who got a stiff Rx for klonopin, he used to take them every day but he gradually reduced his dose and I think now he only takes them occasionally. He has been sober ever since. My doc would say it is OK to substitute Valium for alcohol occasionally if you have social anxiety, I think a going to a party with a Valium enhances your fun much the way alcohol does. Used occasionally it is not any more dangerous than alcohol although it is potentially deadly to mix them with alcohol. Long-term they do inhibit learning and memory and also cause falls but so does alcohol and alcohol is bad for your liver, heart and other organs.
        nradov 4y ago
        This is nuts. You don't understand what you're talking about from a medical perspective.
        9wzYQbTYsAIc 4y ago
        Care to explain from a psychiatric perspective why you characterize that as nuts?
superchroma 4y ago
I'd sooner ban alcohol than marijuana, that's for sure.
- 9wzYQbTYsAIc 4y ago
  Yeah, I’d be plenty happy seeing both alcohol and marijuana as scheduled iv or v drugs that you can just get a quick prescription for to alleviate stress, malaise, or what have you.
Ekaros 4y ago
Yes obviously. As society we have found out that prohibition currently works perfectly. As clearly we would be insane to continue doing it with other drugs. And we can't be that stupid as society right?
stevenalowe 4y ago
“This highlights a major discrepancy in public policy…” Let me edit that for clarity - ‘This highlights the ludicrous invasive hypocrisy of current public policy.’

2 points by 9wzYQbTYsAIc 4y ago

> GHB was subsequently classified as a Class B1 drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, that is, as a prohibited drug of high risk to public health. The dangerousness level of ethanol was found to be at least similar to that of GHB in this analysis.

PaulHoule 4y ago

We tried that in the 1920s and got Al Capone and bathtub gin.

9wzYQbTYsAIc 4y ago
Scheduling is a bit different from a prohibition. Scheduling means that you’d need to ask a doctor for a prescription for a case of beer, for example. Just like certain kinds of cough syrup require a prescription.
- nradov 4y ago
  During Prohibition, ethanol was also available by prescription for "medicinal" purposes. That was a great racket for doctors who could charge anyone who wanted a legal drink. We already have a shortage of doctors. Doing something like this that would further increase their workload is flat out idiotic.
  - PaulHoule 4y ago
    Also I think it would be crazy to write a prescription for alcohol where benzodiazepines have largely the same effect with less toxicity.
    - nradov 4y ago
      Yikes. You can't be serious?
      - PaulHoule 4y ago
        I am. I have a friend who was an alcoholic (w/ anxiety to go with it) who got a stiff Rx for klonopin, he used to take them every day but he gradually reduced his dose and I think now he only takes them occasionally. He has been sober ever since. My doc would say it is OK to substitute Valium for alcohol occasionally if you have social anxiety, I think a going to a party with a Valium enhances your fun much the way alcohol does. Used occasionally it is not any more dangerous than alcohol although it is potentially deadly to mix them with alcohol. Long-term they do inhibit learning and memory and also cause falls but so does alcohol and alcohol is bad for your liver, heart and other organs.
        nradov 4y ago
        This is nuts. You don't understand what you're talking about from a medical perspective.
        9wzYQbTYsAIc 4y ago
        Care to explain from a psychiatric perspective why you characterize that as nuts?

superchroma 4y ago

I'd sooner ban alcohol than marijuana, that's for sure.

9wzYQbTYsAIc 4y ago
Yeah, I’d be plenty happy seeing both alcohol and marijuana as scheduled iv or v drugs that you can just get a quick prescription for to alleviate stress, malaise, or what have you.

Ekaros 4y ago

Yes obviously. As society we have found out that prohibition currently works perfectly. As clearly we would be insane to continue doing it with other drugs. And we can't be that stupid as society right?

stevenalowe 4y ago

“This highlights a major discrepancy in public policy…” Let me edit that for clarity - ‘This highlights the ludicrous invasive hypocrisy of current public policy.’