How dangerous are drugs really? – 05/23/2023 – Balance and Health

Not all dangerous drugs are prohibited, and not all prohibited drugs are more dangerous than legal ones. Learn more about licit and illicit drugs and their effects on the body. Which drugs should be banned and what can be achieved by legalizing some of them? This is a debate that is being fervently waged by policymakers in many countries.

In this dispute, the cultural component has a special influence. DW used facts to survey the most popular drugs, their potential for addiction, the risks they offer and their acceptance or rejection in society.

Amphetamine and Methamphetamine

Until the 1970s, amphetamine was used in medicine as an antidepressant, appetite suppressant and asthma therapy. The drug was once used as a stimulant by soldiers, and is now popular in the techno scene. It inhibits tiredness, but can cause insomnia, tremors and palpitations, leading, in the most serious cases, to a heart attack or stroke.

Because amphetamine is mostly inhaled, the nasal septum can dissolve. Its dependence potential is intermediate (1.67 on a scale that goes up to 3.0). Paranoid delusions, depression and psychosis are also possible effects of the drug.

Methamphetamine or “crystal meth” is more dangerous than amphetamine. It leads much faster to psychological dependence. Your addiction potential is between 2.39 and 3.0, and addicts need higher and higher doses. Methamphetamine addicts lose weight quickly, the mucous membranes in the mouth and nose dissolve, and teeth fall out.

OPIO AND HEROIN

Heroin is made from morphine, the main component of raw opium, that is, it is taken from the poppy flower. Morphine is legalized as a pain reliever. The substance should only be used in case of very severe pain, as in the case of palliative medicine or also for the relief of acute pain after a heart attack.

Unlike morphine, heroin (addiction potential 3.0) acts not only as an analgesic, but also causes euphoria and disturbs sleep.

In case of overdose, the consumption of both drugs can lead to a respiratory arrest. This danger is particularly high among addicts who use heroin in combination with alcohol or sleeping pills.

COCAINE AND CRACK

Cocaine (addiction potential: 2.39) is a substance extracted from the coca plant. Mixed with yeast, crack is obtained. Cocaine causes euphoria, inhibits hunger and fatigue. For a long time, it was the drug of choice for those who wanted to combine parties with a professional career.

However, those who snort cocaine pay a high price: rapid pulse, constriction of blood vessels, increased blood pressure and risk of heart attack. Prolonged use can lead from hallucinations to irreversible psychosis. Who smokes cocaine destroys the oral mucosa; who smells it, the nasal septum.

Particularly in the case of crack, the lethal dose is almost incalculable, because the drug acts much stronger than cocaine. Furthermore, the addictive potential of crack (above 3.0) surpasses that of heroin, nicotine and alcohol.

LSD

Lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD is a synthetic drug that leads to heightened awareness of one’s surroundings. In the 1960s and 1970s, LSD was seen as a drug used by hippies to expand consciousness.

In people with a special predisposition, LSD can lead to an irreversible state of psychosis. The danger of lethal poisoning, however, is less than in the case of alcohol or nicotine. In addition, your addiction potential is at the bottom of the scale (1.23).

But the danger of accidents after taking LSD is significant, as the user completely misjudges his surroundings, acting irrationally due to hallucinations and psychotic delusions. Under the effect of LSD, a person can jump out of a window, believing he can fly.

ALCOHOL AND NICOTINE

Among drugs with “moderate addictive potential,” alcohol is ahead (1.93) of marijuana, LSD, many sleep aids, amphetamine, and even another synthetic party drug: ecstasy. Over time, alcohol dependence destroys internal organs, such as the liver and pancreas, in addition to damaging muscles and metabolism.

And cigarettes have an even greater potential for addiction (2.21), surpassed only by crack, cocaine and heroin. Every year, between 100,000 and 120,000 people die from smoking-related causes. Thus, tobacco and alcohol are among the most dangerous drugs.

MARIHUANA

In more and more countries, legislators are discussing the legalization of marijuana for medical treatment, as a pain reliever or appetite stimulant in cases of HIV infection or in the treatment of cancer. The substance THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), found in marijuana, is relaxing and analgesic. Its dependence potential (1.51) is considered “average”.

The consumption of THC leads, in principle, to a more intense perception of the surroundings, mainly of music, taste and the notion of time. Among the typical side effects is acute hunger – the famous “munchies”.

In the long term, however, marijuana consumption can lead to reduced learning and reasoning ability, possibly by altering blood flow in the brain.