Stupid is as Stupid does!

[akdonn]

Government Report: Millions of Youth Use Cough Syrup to Get High
Thursday , January 10, 2008

About 3.1 million people between the ages of 12-25 have used cough and cold medicine to get high, the government reported this week.

The number of young people who abused over-the-counter cold medicines is comparable to use of LSD and much greater than that for methamphetamine among the age group, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The agency's 2006 survey on drug abuse and health found that more than 5 percent of teenagers and young adults had misused cough and cold medicines and indicated that these people also had experimented frequently with illicit drugs.

Nearly 82 percent also had used marijuana. Slightly less than half also used inhalants or hallucinogens, such as LSD or Ecstasy, the agency said.

The cough suppressant DXM is found in more than 140 cough and cold medications available without a prescription. When taken in large amounts, DXM can cause disorientation, blurred vision, slurred speech and vomiting.

Among all persons aged 12 to 25, the rate of past year misuse among whites was 2.1 percent, which was three times higher than the level for blacks, 0.6 percent, and also significantly higher than the level for Hispanics, 1.4 percent.

"While increasing attention has been paid to the public health risk of prescription drug abuse, we also need to be aware of the growing dangers of misuse of over-the-counter cough and cold medications, especially among young people," said Terry Cline, the agency's administrator.

[liq3]

Does cough medicine even help fight the disease or does just it mask the cough while the immune system fights it? If the second is true, it should even exist.

Also, of course something like that is going to happen. I remember someone got high of some very strange tea ( can't remember what was in it). They need to teach kids drugs are bad, which they are failing horribly at. If they want kids to stop, they should first remove the things that cause kids to use them in the first place, like school.

[youvebeenthunderstruck]

Since when are drugs bad? They need to make drugs legal and not say drugs are bad (because they're not) so people won't get high on cough syrup.

[liq3]

youvebeenthunderstruck Wrote:Since when are drugs bad? They need to make drugs legal and not say drugs are bad (because they're not) so people won't get high on cough syrup.

I hate drugs, all drugs, including medicine. It's a personal thing. I think that if you need drugs, for what ever reason it need be, you are failing at life in some way or another,

[youvebeenthunderstruck]

Not necessarily 'need', if you need drugs then you're addicted... it's possible to take drugs voluntarily. Anyway, I know how you feel, I used to hate all drugs, then I realized I was exaggerating.

[Eidolon]

I'm gonna have to go with Heroin Bob on this one.

Quote:Chemicals, man, they'll fuck you up.

[youvebeenthunderstruck]

Not invariably.

[liq3]

youvebeenthunderstruck Wrote:Not necessarily 'need', if you need drugs then you're addicted... it's possible to take drugs voluntarily. Anyway, I know how you feel, I used to hate all drugs, then I realized I was exaggerating.

Hehe...Well you see my stance towards all drugs come from the fact that I believe everything that happens to us is our fault and responsibility, EVERYTHING. Called the Law of Attraction that is. Anyway the only use for drugs is to increase your 'happiness' or 'health', both of which you destroyed in the first place due to said Law of Attraction. Like...I've gotten sick like once in the past 20+ months, and when I did it was a 100/101 F fever, (for all you americans) and I took ONE tablet the whole time I had it. I took the tablet because i had run out of tissues(I'd used 2+boxes already), and it helps with the running nose. Seriously, I was walking around the house with a 100F fever and It went away within 3 days.

[youvebeenthunderstruck]

It isn't only there as a thrill ride, not that that's a bad thing, if I want to have fun I don't see why that's a problem. Drugs can also be used to expand your mind.

[liq3]

youvebeenthunderstruck Wrote:It isn't only there as a thrill ride, not that that's a bad thing, if I want to have fun I don't see why that's a problem.

If you need drugs to have fun, you should picking on emos and start hanging out with then.

Quote: Drugs can also be used to expand your mind.

So can meditation or trancing, both of which do not require foreign substances to enter the body.

[youvebeenthunderstruck]

That's true, but these substances are not bad.

[SoulRiser]

Some drugs can apparently expand your mind. Very few people use them for that purpose though. Most people just want to get wasted. But hey, it's their choice...

[another brick in the wall]

i also find this post stupid as Wolf said drugs aren't in themselves bad but the ppl who used them are i ve done weed and i have by accident done cough medicine , its an amazing high you feel like your in a dream i had to constantly pinch myself , at one point i thought our truck was flying, later on in the day i jumped in a freezing pool and it felt great

You could never grasp how many unexpected successful ppl do drugs , just last week i was near the Brooklyn bridge just sitting and a lawyer type guy suit and all comes up to the bench next to me and lights up a j i would have never expected it in my life

[Happy Camper]

liq3 Wrote:

youvebeenthunderstruck Wrote:Not necessarily 'need', if you need drugs then you're addicted... it's possible to take drugs voluntarily. Anyway, I know how you feel, I used to hate all drugs, then I realized I was exaggerating.

Hehe...Well you see my stance towards all drugs come from the fact that I believe everything that happens to us is our fault and responsibility, EVERYTHING. Called the Law of Attraction that is. Anyway the only use for drugs is to increase your 'happiness' or 'health', both of which you destroyed in the first place due to said Law of Attraction. Like...I've gotten sick like once in the past 20+ months, and when I did it was a 100/101 F fever, (for all you americans) and I took ONE tablet the whole time I had it. I took the tablet because i had run out of tissues(I'd used 2+boxes already), and it helps with the running nose. Seriously, I was walking around the house with a 100F fever and It went away within 3 days.

I'm only assuming you're including pharmacuitical drugs in this mindset, from your happiness and health examples. In which case I'm compelled to call you an asshole.

And if this belief stems from Scientology, then I'm compelled to inform you that you're an idiot.

The Law of Attraction. It has it's application and place, I'm not saying it's completely unfounded. But there's this other common little concept called "Shit Happens". Now we might not call it a law but we're all prone to agree with it. Now you're using small scale examples like the common cold. What about genetic disorders? Is it my brother and friend's fault that they're autistic? No. Now they don't take medication for that but they are prone to depression because they're autistic. So is that their fault? No. I'm a natural epileptic, but that's not my fault. I have some rheumatoid problems and while people could make a great argument about how that is my fault, there's some studies out there that show some people to be genetically more likely to have problems with it. What you're saying is from a very limited perspective. Humanistic maybe, existential whatever. You can't completely throw biology and medicine and genetics out the window.

And yes, I know the argument you're trying to make. I've been on terrible medications that did me more harm than good. But I'm finally on something that's right for my body and you know what? If I miss 20 mg of it (one dose), I turn into this anxious neurotic depressive freak. You have a certain amount of control over depression but not in the way you suggest you do. You're dealt a certain amount and it's what you do about it that makes the decision. And your decisions can make it worse or better. And as far as recreational drugs which the topic was originally about...yeah, some of them are bad for you and I'd never touch most of them. But at the same time I don't mind some drugs so much. I don't think alcohol is a "drug" and depending on who you ask marijuana might not be considered one either. But those are both relatively fine in small doses with good decision making.

Just try not to be so narrow in your points. Ya gotta give some room so impatient stressed out people like me don't flame you.