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Is alcohol a dangerous drug?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Which drug has been involved in cases of:
  • Car crashes
  • People forgetting to use contraception
  • People being kicked out of bed
  • Assault
  • Murder
  • Accidents (you could argue in all senses of the word here)

(Obviously it is a bit difficult to provide the stats for all of these!)

Cocaine? Heroin? Or is it LSD?

Nope. It's a drug which a majority of the British adult population use regularly. And sometimes it's not even recognised as a drug.

Alcohol.

A depressant drug, like marijuana (arguably less risky).

But do you think it's a dangerous drug?

If not, do you even regard it as a drug?
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the reality is its an absolute killer!

    imo alcohol does far far far more damage than the majority of drugs
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yes its dangerous when abused like most substances.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    z- wrote: »
    the reality is its an absolute killer!

    imo alcohol does far far far more damage than the majority of drugs


    Go on, just get pissed. You're weird if you're don't.

    Don't ever get into drugs though. Drugs will lead you down the dark path to oblivion. You'll wake up and not know where you are. You'll crash your car. You'll never remember what happened. All your money will disappear down the drain, and you'll end up homeless. That ghastly person who you had that horrid experience with many moons ago will ask you to care of their newborn. And then you'll piss yourself.

    Ok, as you can tell, I didn't really mean that!

    That said though, there is a difference between having a drink and binge drinking.

    What do you think about social drinking?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    WLH wrote: »
    Go on, just get pissed. You're weird if you're don't.

    Don't ever get into drugs though. Drugs will lead you down the dark path to oblivion. You'll wake up and not know where you are. You'll crash your car. You'll never remember what happened. All your money will disappear down the drain, and you'll end up homeless. That ghastly person who you had that horrid experience with many moons ago will ask you to care of their newborn. And then you'll piss yourself.

    Ok, as you can tell, I didn't really mean that!

    That said though, there is a difference between having a drink and binge drinking.

    What do you think about social drinking?

    Nothing wrong with drinking - but like everything, in moderation.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think alcohol by itself is relatively safe, it's more our drinking culture and acceptance of irresponsible drinking that is dangerous. Alcohol is seen as safe and completely normal - it's legal and our parents and friends do it, so what's the problem? Alcohol isn't an 'evil' hard drug like heroin, crack or even MDMA, so people don't see any problem with it. We're lulled into a false sense of security with alcohol.

    With any drug there will always be a range of users, including those who take it to the level where it's unhealthy or dangerous. It seems in many parts of society it's seen as quite acceptable to drink excessively, and unfortunately the consequences of this are often much higher than people realise or admit to themselves.
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    WLH wrote: »
    A depressant drug, like marijuana (arguably less risky).

    Marijuana is not a depressant.
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the alcohol is a "legal drug". alcohol industry is too profitable to prohibit alcohol.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    My dad drank everyday a bottle of bourbon and died with no cancer! IT'S MEDICINE, YOU HATERS!

    just kidding ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It is a powerful and I would suggest more dangerous drug than many which are illegal.

    Its sale and use need to be under tighter control and there should be a ban on advertising.

    But as others have pointed out it is more the social acceptance of abuse of alcohol which is the key issue. I think we are going to see a big spike in the number of alcoholics in the coming years, it is now a lot more acceptable to drink every day.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Depends on how it's used.

    Wine with a meal = Fine

    Mixing = A good night out ;)

    Drinking because your depressed or life sucks = bad
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm currently teaching kids about antisocial behaviour, and how it isn't always young people. In practically every lesson I've taught and I've asked what they percieve to be things that affect their neighbourhood, drunken intimidation, criminal damage and violence come out on top. The vast majority of which are caused by adults who have had too much to drink.

    Alcohol is a blight on hundreds of communities up and down the country. The "cafe culture" Blair envisioned hasn't happened. Instead you're getting pubs in traditionally quiet market towns spilling out at 2am, with not enough police resources to cope.
    Our busiest periods used to be between 7-9pm on a Friday night. It's now between 12 and 3 am on Saturday morning. Something a rural area police force isn't equipped for.

    The sooner they scrap the whole thing, and ban public drinking (with exceptions) the better.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    definitely seen as ok to go out and get completely snattered on a regular basis

    i dont really get 'social' drinking, i don't see the appeal in a pint or a glass of wine

    if im drinking im drinking to get fucked, not cuz i particularly enjoy the taste of beers/spirits

    in sayin that you cant beat a nice freezin cold pint in the summer .. hmmm

    i agree tho we're goin to see some real problems with the numbers of alcoholics in coming years .. it seems to be people younger and younger going and binge drinking, i started at 15/16 drinking heavily enough but i know of people 13/14 hammering drink into them .. defo cant be good in the long run!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Skive wrote: »
    Marijuana is not a depressant.

    I didn't know this. What would you classify it as?
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    WLH wrote: »
    I didn't know this. What would you classify it as?

    It's a weird one. It's more a hallucinogen.

    From wiki

    Depressant is a chemical agent that diminishes the function or activity of a specific part of the body

    I suppose it does have some depressant like qualities.
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's technically a hallucinogenic but it rarely makes people trip out. Definitely not a depressent or stimulant either.

    Is alcohol a dangeorus drug? Yes is the answer, I know first hand how it can destroy a persons life and it's done quite some damage to me, I've drank 80+ units a night which is over 3 times the weekly recommended dose. It's a cunt and very damaging to your health and people around you. If it was a newly discovered drug it would be illegal imo. Still, most drugs are reasonably safe in moderation.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    WLH wrote: »
    I didn't know this. What would you classify it as?

    It depends entirely on what part you are talking about, THC is an hallucinogen, and it has very little effect on the CNS. CBD on the other hand has some sedating properties, although they are more experienced by the user than actually reflected in the vital stats if that makes sense.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yerascrote wrote: »
    If it was a newly discovered drug it would be illegal imo.

    100% there
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    z- wrote: »
    definitely seen as ok to go out and get completely snattered on a regular basis

    i dont really get 'social' drinking, i don't see the appeal in a pint or a glass of wine

    if im drinking im drinking to get fucked, not cuz i particularly enjoy the taste of beers/spirits

    in sayin that you cant beat a nice freezin cold pint in the summer .. hmmm

    i agree tho we're goin to see some real problems with the numbers of alcoholics in coming years .. it seems to be people younger and younger going and binge drinking, i started at 15/16 drinking heavily enough but i know of people 13/14 hammering drink into them .. defo cant be good in the long run!

    Much worse at that age because your brain is still developing.

    The irony is that getting drunk socially actually makes people incoherent and impossible to socialise with. And sometimes I do think it's an excuse to get drunk.

    Generally I can understand why people want to get drunk, just don't get why they have to do this socially and why they think there's anything 'respectable' about it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    budda wrote: »
    It depends entirely on what part you are talking about, THC is an hallucinogen, and it has very little effect on the CNS. CBD on the other hand has some sedating properties, although they are more experienced by the user than actually reflected in the vital stats if that makes sense.

    Now I can understand why people turn to cannabis! Though has anyone ever actually hallucinated while on it?

    IMO hallucinogens are more dangerous than alcohol which is probably not a popular opinion but not an irrational one.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    WLH wrote: »
    Now I can understand why people turn to cannabis! Though has anyone ever actually hallucinated while on it?

    IMO hallucinogens are more dangerous than alcohol which is probably not a popular opinion but not an irrational one.


    millions of people die from a direct result of alchohol there is NO recorded deaths from the use of cannabis. the only thing that cmes close is a couple of people chjoked on there own vomit a while back. im pretty sure this has happened hundreds if not thoudands of times from alchohol.

    also i have never seen anyone get violent from a spliff. i have seen many many people get violent from two much drink.

    people say cannabis make you lazy. it in fact motivates alot of people, me included. i become very artistic and forward thinking after a couple of hits off of my pipe.

    people claim that there is a large amount of harmful chemicals in cannabis. there is somewhere around 300-400. there is over 700 in most tobacco.

    cannabis is also not a gateway drug. im sure everyone who tries weed has aklso tried tobacco and alchohol. why are these not deemed gateway drugs! oh yes because of how much money the goverment makes out of them.

    despit popular belief there is little or no evidence (i think there is none but will say little in case) that cannabis causes mental health problems. it can bring them to the surface or make existing ones worse but cannot cause them. i have depression and if i have a spliff then a feel a lot better during and for a long time after getting high.

    i think rolly left a post with a long list of medicinal benefits of cannabis so im not going to repeat any of them.

    dont get me wrong i like a drink now and then but i still deem it much more dangerous than the cannabis i smoke

    i got busted last night by two cops and lost £20's worth and my new pipe so im not in a very good mood lol
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    despit popular belief there is little or no evidence (i think there is none but will say little in case) that cannabis causes mental health problems. it can bring them to the surface or make existing ones worse but cannot cause them. i have depression and if i have a spliff then a feel a lot better during and for a long time after getting high.

    Cannbis can induce psychosis, which means that it can cause agression. The evidence for this seems to be getting stronger all the time. http://priory.com/psych/cannabis.htm

    It definately effected me in a negative way. Infact I've suffered more negative effects from cannabis use than any other drug I've used. I had to knock it on the head, and I can't smoke it now. After a couple of years of moderate use it began to make me lethargic and paranoid. Soon as I stopped I felt better.

    Problem is that people use far too much and start far too young. And when people use it to self medicate their depression and other mental illnesses it's especially dodgy, . The way people use it makes it a dangerous drug, no doubt about it.
    It certainly isn't something that should be considered safe. It does fuck people up.
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    WLH wrote: »
    The irony is that getting drunk socially actually makes people incoherent and impossible to socialise with.

    not really, would make plenty of people more confident and friendly/approachable
    Now I can understand why people turn to cannabis! Though has anyone ever actually hallucinated while on it?

    closed eye visuals yes, especially when eating it (livers meant to convert the thc into a slightly different chemical with more hallucengenic effects) .. it also makes my hppd far worse

    people say cannabis make you lazy. it in fact motivates alot of people, me included. i become very artistic and forward thinking after a couple of hits off of my pipe.

    i think on the whole it makes you lazy. yes it can motivate you and make you more creative and i have benefited from those effects in the past but over all it makes you very lethargic over time, not to mention forgetful etc
    cannabis is also not a gateway drug. im sure everyone who tries weed has aklso tried tobacco and alchohol. why are these not deemed gateway drugs! oh yes because of how much money the goverment makes out of them.

    its a hard one to say but i think i disagree. more or less everyone drinks at some point or another, whereas smoking cannabis is different. and ive noticed a lot of people who smoke cannabis also take other drugs .. i know for a fact i wouldnt have been introduced to a lot of drugs as so quickly if i wasnt associated with some people through buying smoke/smoking with them. hearing their experience/seeing people on them etc does make you curious (not alway tho lol not like seein someone lying in the corner with their jaw wrapped round their head is appealing)


    And i agree with skive, it has plenty of negative effects on me. after a few joint id rather just sit inside and walking to the shop etc could seem too much effort, it can induce a lot of anxiety and paranoia. the main thing with this is that i smoked it heavily for a long time before i got any negative effects, by which point i was far too hooked, the buzz i get it off now is so different than it was years back.


    its hard to compare the two, the fact that alcohol is legal makes a huge difference, im sure there'd be a lot more problems appearing regarding cannabis usage if it was legal!

    although id rather sit in a room with a load of people who are stoned rather than sit in a room with people who are drunk, thats for sure.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    z- wrote: »
    not really, would make plenty of people more confident and friendly/approachable

    This may well be true after a certain amount of alcohol, but really I meant drunk rather than tipsy.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i dont know what degree of drunkness you're talkin about .. i can still be up and about talkin away to people when im steamin ... unless you're talkin about drinking to the point where you're lying in a heap, which the majority of people tend not to do
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    sorry i wasnt saying cannabis is safe at all, far from it. i was just saying things from another point of veiw from all of the negative things that society says about this lovely plant. guess im quite bias as i much prefer the effects of cannabis to alchohol. i still, however, deem alchohol worse.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    this argument comes up pretty often.

    Yeah alcohol can be dangerous as with any drug, with my drug experience being a little limited I can't give that much of an enlightened debate, however it seems that the effect of alcohol gives a relatively level plane so it feels a little safer, also its more widely used to we have more knowledge about it.

    My small experience with coke has been that its a lot more addictive, but in itself, effects-wise, I would say less dangerous than alcohol. Hallucinogens and weed can have really varied effects on different people in the same doses, I don't just mean stronger versions of the same thing depending on tolerance like alcohol.

    Maybe its just me but I have found alcohol fucks with your head a lot less than other drugs, maybe its just the chilled view towards it who knows.

    The occasions people disrespect alcohol tend to be the ones where worse incidents happen, much like any other drug, though the fact other drugs are illegal seem to give people a much more healthy respect towards taking them safely and carefully (obviously this is a generalisation, but its just my opinion!!).

    Maybe alcohol is just more dangerous due to its acceptance in society?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my aunt's assistance to rehabilitation. any dependent of alcohol, drugs are the same disrepairs. I think alcohol and drugs destroy lives in the same measure.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    strjms72 wrote: »
    my aunt's assistance to rehabilitation. any dependent of alcohol, drugs are the same disrepairs. I think alcohol and drugs destroy lives in the same measure.

    I'm sorry but that really is nonsense. First of all what do you mean 'drugs'? Setting aside the obvious point that alcohol is a drug, do you mean caffiene or crack, or anything inbetween.

    Each drug has potential side effects, and these vary for each person who uses them. Some are obviously more dangerous than others, but there are many which have different but similar over all risk levels.

    Also it depends on what you mean by side effects, are you talking about harm to the user? Or to society? Cannabis certainly can harm the individual, but rarely causes the social harm that alcohol does.

    And anyway, as always with debates like this we are ignoring the elephant in the room, whether drugs are safer or more dangerous than each other is a somewhat stupid debate. They should be looked at individually and decided whether or not they are safer when legally controlled and sold/prescribed (which in the main they would be).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    z- wrote: »
    i dont know what degree of drunkness you're talkin about .. i can still be up and about talkin away to people when im steamin ... unless you're talkin about drinking to the point where you're lying in a heap, which the majority of people tend not to do

    http://www.infoscotland.com/alcohol/displaypage.jsp?pContentID=117&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&

    I would say that in terms of this webpage, I mean stage 3 and so forth. This is when I think the incoherence starts to happen.

    I don't think alcohol should be illegal by the way - just that it is worth recognising it as a drug which I don't think it is in mainstream circles, hence the 'go-on-get-pissed-but-drugs-are-bad!' attitude.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    lol the levels in that are shite!
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