Drugs: As Bad As They Are Portrayed To Be?

Drugs, a chemical substance that cause subjective effects that a human finds enjoyable or beneficial. I, as well as almost everyone in the world, have always been taught by teachers and adults that drugs are bad. Simple enough, right? We are taught by health teachers through out our lives that they have no benefit. Something that may not necessarily be true.

One of the most widely known drugs is marijuana. It has a wide variety of names, which we could go over, but it all leads us back to the same thing. Every health class I've ever been in has portrayed this drug as a terrible thing, that if you do once, your life will come spiraling downwards, and you will die in a black hole of doom. We are not taught, however, that marijuana, is in fact, a non toxic herb, that can easily be medically beneficial.

Sure, drugs, like many other things, are dangerous, if looked at from a certain perspective. But so are forks, pens, toasters and the computer you're sitting at right now. Education and moderation is the real key, as with most else. Yet, sadly, we are simply taught to abstain, as the popular slogan, "Just Say No." states.

If we look at drugs from the side that is not commonly taught to us, we see them as very different things. Nicotine has been found to enhance mental performance. Another thing many of us have heard of is medical weed. Since marijuana is relatively harmless in the first place, denying the terminally ill from using it as relief just doesn't make much sense. A lesser known drug, opium, is in fact the single best cure for pain known to man, and is in many medicines.

Many people forget that alcohol, is indeed, a drug, and is actually more dangerous than marijuana. It causes addiction. Contrary to popular belief, marijuana doesn't. There have been numerous reported alcohol related deaths, whether it be drunk driving, or liver failure. Yet, there has never been one marijuana related reported death.

Substance related deaths in a typical year:
Tobacco 340,000 - 395,000
Alcohol (excluding crime/accidents) > 125,000
Drug Overdose (prescription) 24,000 - 27,000
Drug Overdose (illegal) 3,800 - 5,200
Marijuana 0

In fact, if you pay attention, there are more prescription drug overdoses in a typical year than illegal drugs.

Most health issues coming from marijuana come from the ingestion of smoke, not the drug itself. Yet, there are many other ways to get high from the herb. It can be used in many different foods such as cookies and butter. Which is less harmful, and just as effective.

Another bunch of commonly used substances are inhalants. Things such as sharpies, nail polish and spray paint. Common house hold items that can pose quite a risk to kids wishing to get high. These items are just as (or more) dangerous than drugs, yet are used with the same goal, to become high. The difference is, these can be found anywhere, do not show up on drug tests and cannot possibly get you arrested, (unless you are a highly creative mass murderer). These are still legal, and widely popular, and yet pose more of a risk than marijuana.

So, next time your health teacher is ranting on about this widely discussed subject, feel encouraged to raise your hand and give them something to think about.