THE DRUG SCENE

All drugs can be used to excess, with harmful consequences. The major drugs of our society are alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine, and each has its well-known problems. But there are two other categories of drugs whose consequences are more easily ignored: the illegal or “street” drugs, and the various “happiness pills” obtained with a doctor’s prescription.

Marijuana is a rather mild drug with a soothing effect. However, experiments indicate that large amounts of marijuana administered over a long period of time may cause genetic damage in animals. Heavy use is associated with loss of motivation in many individuals. Marijuana has been used extensively by young people and has adversely affected their early life decisions regarding further schooling and choice of occupation. Its medical consequences are presently not well known. Marijuana users are fond of saying that their drug is not as hazardous as alcohol or cigarette smoking; this statement will probably prove to be false, but even if it were true, it is a very naive kind of argument. Armed robbery is not as bad as murder, but this is a rather weak justification for armed robbery.

Amphetamines and “speed” stimulate the body, creating an illusion of extra energy, but they almost certainly increase some forms of heart disease by constricting the small blood vessels. It is now generally agreed that they have almost no medical use, their prescription is much more tightly controlled than it was five years ago, and tragedies such as that which occurred to Elvis Presley have increased public awareness of the problems posed by these agents.

The “hard” drugs and narcotics (such as heroin, cocaine, morphine, Demerol, and methadone) have potential for fatal overdose, and addiction invariably leads to social degeneration of the user. A large fraction of crimes, both violent and nonviolent, are related to these drugs; not because the user is directly crazed by the drug but because money must be obtained to buy more. Recently, there has been some “fashionable” use of cocaine in social circles noted more for their high income and personal idiosyncrasies than for their good sense. Cocaine is a highly dangerous drug, and do not let anyone tell you differently. Stay away from it!

Legal drugs are no less hazardous than illegal drugs, but because they are “respectable,” we forget their hazards. The number of prescriptions for these drugs is going down, and we hope that Take care of yourself has had something to do with the decline in their sales. These drugs hinder your taking care of yourself. During the period of peak use, more than one out of every of every six people in the United States were regularly using a prescribed mood-changing drug. Even now, such drugs are in first and second place of all drugs prescribed and hold eight positions in the top twenty prescription drugs used – a truly shocking indictment.

Tranquilizers, in the language of the street, are “downers.” These have been the most popular mood-changing drugs and include Valium, Librium, Equanil, Miltown, and others. They used to be prescribed when a patient reported “nervousness” or “anxiety,” or as a quick and satisfactory method of getting the patient out of the office. That is, they were given for symptoms reflecting difficulty in coping; but “downers,” like alcohol, further impair one’s ability to cope with the immediate environment. One standard tablet of the stronger of these medications (such as Librium or Valium) is roughly equivalent, as a sedative, to one alcoholic drink. Most would agree that taking one or two drinks three times a day is not the best way to solve life’s problems.

Sedatives may also be given to “help” patients sleep. Insomnia, while a troublesome complaint, is not often helped by sleeping pills. The body’s instinct for sleep is extremely powerful; sleep is demanded by the body when it is needed. Many adults require only six hours of sleep, and this amount appears to decrease with age. A feeling of poor sleep one night often leads to an early bad time the next night; this leads to a restless night with periods of wakefulness, causing the patient to think sleep has been inadequate, and a vicious cycle begins. True insomnia requiring medical care is unusual. Sedatives, which do not simulate natural sleep vary closely, are seldom needed.

If you do use sedatives, you or your child may die of an overdose of them. They affect enzymes in the liver, and can lead to complications when other drugs are used at the same time. They may carry over into a morning hangover, and they increase the chance that your children won’t listen to you when you tell them about the evils of their drugs.

“Uppers,” usually amphetamines, used to be prescribed in a misguided attempt to help patients lose weight. They do not assist in weight reduction, except very temporarily, and many studies have demonstrated the futility of weight reduction programs based on the use of these agents. They cause severe mood changes, tightening of the small arteries, and impose an extra strain on the heart. Amphetamines were once used in the athletic arena by trainers and players because they create the illusion of physical prowess. However, careful studies in track- and field events, where direct measurement of performance is possible, indicate that amphetamines neither help nor hinder performance at events such as the hundred-yard dash or the mile run but have a tendency to impair performance in such events as the hurdles or pole vault which require close coordination.

Drugs are Chemicals. The drugs you swallow react in the bloodstream, with other drugs or with various chemicals already made by your body. If several drugs are taken together, the complexity of their interactions is such that no physician or scientist can adequately analyze the situation. Almost any medical symptom can represent a side effect of a drug or a combination of drugs. Between 10 to 20 percent of all hospital admissions are now felt to represent complications of prescription drugs. The great majority of the drugs that have caused these reactions were medically optional and were not required to maintain the health of the patient. Medications sometimes help to eliminate disease, but they do not make you healthy; do not look for health in a pill bottle.