> >
> > Also sprach 'Kirk McElhearn' :
> >
> > >Weed, hash etc. The Etc; could be very long, but I feel that
> soft drugs
> > >are those that have a very short life in the system.
> >
> > So like asprin and chocolate?
>
> Duh, and don't forget caffeine, Taylor. The point that Kirk is
> making is not physiological, but sociological. Pot, hash, LSD,
> etc. don't lead to "hard" drug use (coke, heroin, meth, etc.,
> IMO) because of some physiological need to graduate from a reefer
> high to a coke high, but because immersion in the "soft drug"
> culture is more likely to put you in contact with people who use
> and provide "hard drugs" thus increasing the opportunity and
> chance for hard drug use.
In addition to coffee, one should always remember tea. Though much less
used (especially abused), it does actually have the same effects (both
short and long term). I myself am a no-coffe person (don't like the
taste), so I have used tea when I have had to stay up. The results of
drinking lots of strong tea are reported to be the same as for coffee.
>
> Obviously, soft drugs that are legal--sugar, caffeine, nicotine,
> aspirin, Robotussin, et al--do not increase your likelihood of
> running into hard drug users/pushers. The exception to that might
Aspirin leading to hard drug usage? Don't know. I'm sure everything can
be abused but the acid will get you killed or in the hospital quite
quickly if you start to take it in high doses...
The only scenario I can think of as probabale on the moment is someone
using aspirin and then switching over to morphium to realive his/her
pains and then becoming addict. But perhaps I missed something
(or just am reluctant to see such a good medical in that list).
> be alcohol. Speaking as a former heavy drinker and barfly, it's a
> hell of a lot easier to score drugs (hard or soft) in a bar than
> in a coffee shop.
>
> All in all, it's a fairly good argument for legalization of drugs
> like marijuana and LSD. But, since I'm self-righteously clean and
> sober these days, I'm required to add that life is a hell of a
> lot better without ANY drugs and alcohol.
>
>
> --
> Greg Ritter
> gritter@felix.vcu.edu
> ritter@urvax.urich.edu
> http://www.urich.edu/~ritter
>
Sander