Myths mix with facts when it comes to illegal drugs. In the 1980s, cocaine was a huge drug trafficking issue. As that decade was winding down, raves were becoming popular venues for drugs such as Ecstasy. Now, synthetic designer drugs are behind some extreme antisocial and violent behaviors due to their ability to radically alter perception. However, no matter the drug, it is important to understand some fundamental truths about them.
Myth 1: Illegal Drugs Are Not Really Harmful
Fact: Illegal drugs are either pharmaceutical grade and taken above established dosing parameters, or they are grown, made, mixed or combined by amateurs. Street drugs have been found to contain fillers and mixing agents from caustic lye to rat poison and even other drugs. Colchicine is a gout medicine once advertised as a growth product for marijuana. Colchicine can cause kidney failure. It is not detectable while smoking marijuana.
Myth 2: Hallucinogenics Have No Lasting Effects
Fact: Hallucinogens are proven to allow flashbacks to occur. Flashbacks are experiencing the effects of the drug months or even years after taking it. Some suspect that accumulations of the active components of the drug get stored in fat being released at a later time. Regardless of the mechanism, flashbacks are real.
Myth 3: Taking Pharmaceutical Made Drugs is a Safer High
Fact: To get high on drugs manufactured by pharmaceutical labs requires taking more of a drug than is recommended or concentrating it. Oxycontin is a standard opiate painkiller in a time-release pill. It normally releases a therapeutic level of the drug over several hours. Drug abusers crush the pills to get the full effect immediately.
Myth 4: Alcohol and Caffeine are Safe Legal Alternatives
Fact: Alcohol and caffeine are probably the most abused next to nicotine. High doses of caffeine are being consumed by teens and young adults as energy drinks. Doctors warn about caffeine damaging developing hearts. Alcohol is a popular drug among youths, and it is illegal for them to consume. Alcohol and caffeine combination drinks have been linked to deaths.
Myth 5: Marijuana is Safer than Cigarettes
Fact: Nicotine is highly addictive. It is believed to be more addictive than crack cocaine. However, it does not alter consciousness to the degree marijuana does. Inhaling the smoke of any burning plant material is inhaling carcinogens that are directly linked with causing lung cancer.
Myth 6: It is Okay to Experiment with Illegal Drugs
Fact: An addictive personality can be hooked instantly. Crystal meth users regularly report being addicted on the very first inhalation of the drug. In their own words, they profoundly refute the myth that it is okay to experiment with drugs.
Illegal and legal drugs have a greatly varying effect from person to person when it comes to addiction. Some people cannot quit using tobacco. Some become alcoholics. Some cannot function without coffee in the morning. Some fall into a pit of addiction with drugs that lead to their deaths. Abstinence is the only guaranteed way of preventing addiction.
Author Bio
Melisa Cammack has been freelance writing for several years and loves writing parenting and travel articles. She is currently promoting Delray Recovery Center in Delray Beach, Florida. For more information on drug and alcohol abuse, please visit http://www.delrayrecoverycenter.com/
