Sunday 9 June 2019

Top Five Addictive Substances

Any form of addiction is harmful but drugs are the most addictive and it seems bizarre that some of the most addictive are legal and earn the Government money despite the knowledge that if taken in large or long enough doses, they will prove fatal.
A panel of experts have made up a list of the five most addictive substances based on the harm it causes, the value of the drug, the extent to which the drug activates the brain’s dopamine system, how pleasurable people report the drug to be, the degree to which the drug causes withdrawal symptoms, and how easily a person trying the drug will become hooked.
Heroin was ranked as the most addictive drug which causes the level of dopamine in the brain’s reward system to increase by up to 200%. The dose that can cause death is only five times greater than the dose required for a high.
Cocaine is second as it turns the dopamine signal off, resulting in an abnormal activation of the brain’s pathways and approximately 21% of people who try cocaine will become dependent on it.
The third most addictive, and legal, is nicotine and approximately 66% of people who tried smoking reported becoming dependent on it.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate that diseases directly related to smoking kills more than 8m people annually.
Fourth, and another legal drug, is Barbiturates or downers which were used to treat anxiety and to induce sleep by interfering with the chemical signalling in the brain, effectively shutting down various brain regions and Barbiturate dependence was common when the drugs were easily available by prescription.
Fifth in the list is alcohol which increases dopamine levels by 40-360% – and the more alcohol which is consumed, the more dopamine levels increased.
Some 22% of people who drink will develop dependence on alcohol at some point during their life and the WHO has estimated that more than 3m people die annually due to damage to the body caused by drinking.

4 comments:

Liber - Latin for "The Free One" said...

not a coherent article... because it doesn't connect to reality...

1.) the government doesn't EARN anything. it takes money from people that EARN it. remember that thing called taxes?

2.) nicotine, while addictive is not all that harmful. people live very long lives addicted to nicotine. so, addictive, but not really germane to today's problems

3.) many drugs are legal but only when administered by professionals... sadly, many doctors are not much better at their job than journalists are at their jobs... In America, the medical community has most women (60% to 70% per the CDC), most people on welfare, and most people over 65 on some form of addictive drug prescription. You know what I mean, all those rich doctors that get a daily pass from the press (because most doctors support the left).

4.) alcohol, really, we tried that in America and it led to extreme violence - remember Al Capone and his ilk? Try to remember history (assumes you know some history), it is germane.

I can just imagine the reaction from leftists if we tried to control alcohol again... all their supporters: welfare denizens, artists, actors, professors would go bat crap crazy

Falling on a bruise said...

Addiction doesn't connect to reality and is germane although the post is about addictive substances?

Liber - Latin for "The Free One" said...

so, addition and addictive substances are not interdependent. interesting insight. confirms my view that you cannot see cause and effect...

Falling on a bruise said...

Confirms my suspicion that you don’t understand much of what you read or you just try to disagree despite how it makes you look.