Do we really need recreational drugs?

We are discussing Dr Shahid's Six Principles of health (also known as "Preventive Holistic Lifestyle", PHL) that guarantees us a long and healthy life (as long as 100 - 125 years and even longer) without ever having to see any health care provider in our long and "healthy " journey of life.

We have already discussed the First two principles in detail (1. Balanced Diet and 2. Exercise).

We have also discussed the 'Third Principle of Health' (Rest, Sleep and Entertainment, RSE).

Laughter is part and parcel of entertainment. Why laughter is so important? We have disscussed it already in the previous blog.

We are now discussing another important part of entertainment, 'the recreational drugs'.



Drugs popularly used for recreation:



The drugs most popular for recreational use worldwide are:

1.Alcohol (ethanol - Legal in most parts of the world.

2. Caffeine - Most widely used legal psychoactive substance.

3.Theobromine - Caffeine-related substance found in chocolate.

4. Cannabis (Cannabinoids) - Most widely used illegal psychoactive.

5. Tobacco (nicotine) - Legal in most parts of the world.


Here is a list of some other recreational drugs commonly in use.

Other Psychoactive (resreational) Drugs:

1. Barbiturates, including amobarbital (Sodium Amytal) aprobarbital (Alurate) (Fiorinal, Fioricet) methylphenobarbital (Mebaral) sodium thiopental (Sodium Pentothal), truth serum pentobarbital (Nembutal) phenobarbital (Luminal) secobarbital (Seconal)

2. Benzodiazepines, including alprazolam (Xanax), xanis, bars bromazepam (Lexotanil)
chlordiazepoxide (Librium) clonazepam (Rivotril, Klonopin) diazepam (Valium) lorazepam (Temesta, Ativan) flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), roofies midazolam (Dormicum)
nimetazepam (Erimin) nitrazepam(Mogadon) oxazepam (Seresta) temazepam (Normison, Restoril)

3. Nonbenzodiazepines, including zaleplon (Sonata) zolpidem (Ambien) zopiclone (Imovane) eszopiclone (Lunesta)

4. Deliriants, including atropine (Tropane alkaloid) diphenhydramine (Benadryl, Sominex) dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) Muscimol and Ibotenic acid, the psychoactive constituents of Amanita Muscaria mushrooms, toadstools' nutmeg (in large doses) scopolamine (Tropane alkaloid)

5. Dissociative anaesthetics, including nitrous oxide, laughing gas dextromethorphan (DXM), dex, dextro, skittles, robo Triple Cs, CCC refers to a mixture of this and Chlorpheniramine maleate ketamine (Ketaset, Ketanest, Ketalar), K, Special K phencyclidine (PCP), angel dust

6. Opium (Papaver somniferum) and opioids, including buprenorphine (Temgesic, Transtec, Subutex), Temies, Subbies codeine purple drank refers to a mixture of this and Promethazine dextropropoxyphene (Depronal, Darvocet) diacetylmorphine (Heroin), smack, junk dihydrocodeine (DHC), (DF 118) fentanyl (Durogesic, Sublimaze, Actiq - 3-Methylfentanyl hydrocodone (Vicodin), (Lortab) hydromorphone (Dilaudid), (Palladon) meperidine, or Pethidine (Demerol) methadone (Symoron, Methadose) morphine(MS Contin, Oramorph, Kapanol) nicomorphine (Morzet) oxycodone(OxyContin, OxyNorm, Roxicodone), oxies, roxies oxymorphone (Opana) pentazocine (Fortral) tramadol (Ultram, Tramal, Tramagetic)

6. Phenethylamines, including, but not limited to2C-B, nexus, bees 2C-E 2C-I, substance sometimes sold as mescaline 2C-T-2 2C-T-7 DOB DOM DOC, substance sometimes sold on blotter paper as LSD ephedrine (ephedra) MDMA, ecstasy, beans MDEA MDA mescaline (found in peyote, peruvian torch, san pedro and other cacti).

7. Stimulants, including BZP and other piperazine-based drugs (mCPP, TFMPP) cocaine, coke crack refers to a freebase, cut form of the substance made for smoking dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, Adderall), speed, addys methamphetamine (Desoxyn), meth, ice methcathinone ("cat", chemically related to, but not to be confused with qat/khat/cathinone) methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) ephedrine (yellow jackets, mini-thins)

8. Indole alkaloids, including, but not limited toTryptamines, including, but not limited to:
imethyltryptamine (DMT, found in numerous plants), spice psilocybin and psilocin (found in psychedelic mushrooms), shrooms diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT) LSA (Lysergic acid amide/ergine, found in Morning Glory seeds) LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) (Delysid), acid, doses Ibogaine (found in the Tabernanthe iboga plant)

9. Inhalants, including alkyl nitrites (poppers) chloroethane chloroform diethyl ether
gasoline glue toluene.

10. Unclassified gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) kava kratom MAO inhibitors, to potentiate certain other drugs salvinorin A, found in Salvia divinorum Carisoprodol (Soma) Yohimbine, found in dietary supplements and used primarily as an aphrodisiac

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Recreational Drug use in USA:

Drug use in USA has increased in all categories since prohibition. Since 1937, 20% to 37% of the youth in the United States have used marijuana. One in four high school seniors have used the drug in the past month; one in ten 8th graders have done so.[ Between 1972 and 1988, the use of cocaine increased more than fivefold. The usage patterns of the current two most prevalent drugs, methamphetamine and ecstasy, have shown similar gains.

The most frequently asked question is:

Do we really need recreational drugs:

This question has haunted humans for thousands of years. But why do we take them? Do we really need them to deal with living?

Here are some of the reasons given.

1. The list of life's pressures is long: working life, recession and homelessness, joblessness, dissatisfaction with life in general are just a few.

2. For others, it is a question of fashion. Research shows that many people smoke, drink and take drugs to fit in to a social scene.

3. But while some people take drugs to enjoy life, children as young as 14 take them to escape it.

4. It has been even suggested that the urge to alter one's consciousness is as primary as the drive to satiate thirst, hunger or sexual desire. Some psychologists even label it as the fourth drive (hunger, thirst and the sex being the first three).

The truth is that as of today we do not have a real answer to this question. This is because we don't have much scientific research on most of the recreational drugs. Ironically the drugs we do have scientific research on as dangerous are still legal.

The most commonly used recreational drug internationally is TOBACCO. All the scientific researches have conclusively declared that smoking cigarettes is deadly, Yet no government in the world has made it illegal yet. On the other hand, for some strange reason, most of the recreational drugs are made illegal (almost in every country), without any scientifically valid research to prove these drugs harmful.

Nevertheless, it goes without saying that until we know more about these recreational drugs through scientific studies, it is better to stay away from them.

For comment and question please write to:

syedshahidmd@yahoo.com.au

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