Active/Lethal Dose Ratio and Dependence Potential of Drugs

One picture that is worth a thousand words. The vertical axis shows how addictive the drug is, the horizontal axis – how dangerous it is.

Data source: Gable, R. S. (2006). Acute toxicity of drugs versus regulatory status. In J. M. Fish (Ed.),Drugs and Society: U.S. Public Policy, pp.149-162, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Also published at Professor Gable’s page.… -->

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Alcohol is forbidden to women!

Why is it so hard to explain to women that they may not drink alcohol? They seem to not want to understand the simplest elementary things. Let me try one more time.

The blood is fully replaced in 150 days for any adult. When a man drinks, his blood is tainted but will be fully renewed without a trace in 5 months and his sperm, that completely renews in 1,5-2 months, will carry no trace of poison or damage from alcohol. Alcohol does not cause any permanent irreversible damage to the reproductive functions of men.

Women’s ovary contains a limited reserve of ova that do not refresh. The ovaries are formed at the fifth month of fetus development and will only deplete with age but not replenished. Consequently, every alcohol consumption is reflected in mutations of those reproductive cells that the woman carries permanently within her body. Alcohol causes irreversible and permanent damage to the female reproductive function.

Talking to a woman:
– Imagine you have a child, about one year old or so, will you give him whiskey? Or, perhaps, some beer?
– Are you nuts? Of course, not! How could you think I would give alcohol to a child!
– All right, let’s say he is younger, about three months old now, you are breast feeding. If you drink, the child gets alcohol with your milk…
– I am not going to drink while breast feeding!
– Imagine you are pregnant, the child would get alcohol from your blood, would you also not drink?
– I would not! You never drink while pregnant! I want a healthy child.
– Well, so you are not pregnant yet but all of your children are inside you now. You will poison all of them at once every time you drink.
– Huh?

So, does this mean that poisoning one child with alcohol is unacceptable but poisoning all of your children at once – quite okay? Women, you are simply not supposed to drink alcohol! Not at all. Please, stop poisoning your children now.… -->

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Where we get the odds wrong: marijuana

I came across an interesting article today that talks about various things that people get wrong when estimating the risks. Some of them I knew, some not, but what impressed me was this curious bit:

If the risks of smoking marijuana are coldly compared to those of playing high-school football, parents should be less concerned about pot smoking. Death by marijuana overdose has never been reported, while 13 teen players died of football-related injuries in 2006 alone. And marijuana impairs driving far less than the number one drug used by teens: alcohol. Alcohol and tobacco are also more likely to beget addiction, give rise to cancer, and lead to harder drug use.

Makes one wonder indeed…… -->

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A manly incentive

This is certanily an unorthodox way of providing incentives to the salesforce. BBC reports that Ergo, a large insurance company, held a party for salesmen where they were rewarded with the services of prostitutes. Most entertaining, I presume, but rather disastrous for the company image, don’t you reckon?… -->

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