Comparing Addictive Qualities of Popular Drugs

[klaatu]

How does this table compare with your experience?

(Higher score indicates greater effect)

Substance ... Withdrawal .. Reinforcemt .. Tolerance . Dependnce . Intoxictn
----------- .... ---------- ..... ----------- ...... --------- ... --------- ...... ---------
Nicotine ...........6................ 4 ................. 5 ............ 3 ............... 2
Heroin .............5 ............... 5 ................. 6 ............ 5 ............... 5
Cocaine ...........4................ 3.................. 3............. 6................ 4
Alcohol ............3................ 6.................. 4............. 4................ 6
Caffeine ..........2................. 2.................. 2............. 1................ 1
Marijuana ........1................. 1.................. 1............. 2................ 3

Withdrawal: Presence and severity of characteristic withdrawal
symptoms.

Reinforcement: A measure of the substance's ability, in human and animal
tests, to get users to take it again and again, and in preference to other
substances.

Tolerance: How much of the substance is needed to satisfy increasing
cravings for it, and the level of stable need that is eventually reached.

Dependence: How difficult it is for the user to quit, the relapse rate,
the percentage of people who eventually become dependent, the rating users give
their own need for the substance and the degree to which the substance will be
used in the face of evidence that it causes harm.

Intoxication: Though not usually counted as a measure of addiction in
itself, the level of intoxication is associated with addiction and increases
the personal and social damage a substance may do.

Source: Dr. Jack E. Henningfield, Ph.D. for NIDA. Reported by: Philip J.
Hilts, New York Times, Aug. 2, 1994 "Is Nicotine Addictive? It Depends
on Whose Criteria You Use."

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Klaatu

[Solidly-here]

Klaatu, since this is your Thread, why don't you tell us how it compares to your experience, first?

[deji]

I dont agree with most of it.

Saying that nicotine withdrawal is higher than heroin is crazy. Nicotine withdrawal is a joke compared to heroin withdrawal.

[sands of time]

I agree with deji. Heroin withdrawals are much more physical than nicotine withdrawals. You really can't sum this kinda stuff up with numbers. The only thing that makes nicotine dependence harder to break is the fact that it's sold in every gas station, local store, ect.

[klaatu]

Originally Posted by Solidly-here

Klaatu, since this is your Thread, why don't you tell us how it compares to your experience, first?

I can only speak for Swim of course and his experience is somewhat limited in this regard, SH. At this point in time Swim has no experience of nicotine (never smoked) heroin (never used) nor Marijuana and he drinks decaff coffee most of the time (unless he's getting tired when driving long distances)

As Swim lives in northern European alcohol is a common a part of everyday life so reinforcement and social dependance factors are high. Swim's own tolerance is quite high to as he's got well over 20 years drinking experience behind him ) Withdrawal would be hard (for social reasons) and he would seriously miss giving up fine wine completely!!!

As for cocaine - reinforcement is high but that's as much for the company of the people Swim uses it with than the actual buzz from the drug. Withdrawal wouldn't be hard as he only use it about once every 3 or 4 weeks anyway.

I posted the table (sorry about the formating - I can't figure out how to do that properly on here yet) because I found the numbers quite odd. I agree with sands-of-time that you can't sum up this kind of stuff with numbers. But someone has atempted to do so.

I think it's significant if you add up the totals which shows that Heroin is the 'worst' at 26 out of 30. And Marijuana is 'best' at a mere 8 out of 30. But then I don't think that's a surprise to anyone.

Klaatu

[Solidly-here]

I think the whole concept of "rating" the addictive qualities of various drugs is silly.

Drug usage is a very personal issue. It is different for each person, but IF (and only if) it is handled well, it may have some real value. This one (however) was NOT handled well (including his definitions), and comes out looking like un-educated guessing.

Just because some PhD pulled out his dart-board, and assigned numbers to some categories, I am NOT impressed. Some of the numbers appear to be assigned at random. Each column contains each number ONLY once. This is stupid (and inaccurate).

Then off to his "Definitions": "Withdrawal: Presence and severity of characteristic withdrawal symptoms." The "normal" withdrawal symptoms are ONLY found in truly addictive drugs (which clearly leaves-out Pot and coffee), and Alcohol and Coke have widely differing symptoms.

And his Tolerance definition is totally wrong. Tolerance is needing more-and-more of the drug to achieve a similar result. He rates tobacco next to the Highest. This is NOT true. Cig smokers usually smoke the same amount of cigs each day, year after year. In the Middle is Coke. This is NOT true. When a person is doing a long session of Coke, tolerance builds quickly (a person may need 4 times as much to keep churning).

I could go on-and-on. Suffice it to say that I sure wouldn't have Posted this crap, because it's too simplistic, and does not make clear sense. Some people think that anything is Better than nothing. I do not agree. To me, "nothing" is better than something lousy.