# What Are "Hard Drugs" and "Soft Drugs"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 17, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-hard-drugs-and-soft-drugs/564523 "2010-12-17T16:51:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-hard-drugs-and-soft-drugs/564523/21 "2010-12-18T05:58:53Z")
It’s a soft drug if you buy it from a white guy. It’s a hard drug if you buy it from somebody who’s black or hispanic. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-hard-drugs-and-soft-drugs/564523/22 "2010-12-18T07:22:17Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Barbituate withdrawal can also kill you if not treated properly. along with benzodiazepines (aka benzos). It’s because they all work on the same receptors–the GABA[sub]A[/sub], which slow down brain activity, preventing seizures. These receptors, when addicted, become less sensitive, so when you remove the drug, the natural neurotransmitter (GABA) doesn’t work as well. And it can take a long time for your body to fix the problem–even after the risk of seizure itself has diminished, you can still have lots of perceptual and anxiety producing effects. It’s possibly the longest withdrawal. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-hard-drugs-and-soft-drugs/564523/23 "2010-12-18T07:39:22Z")
Soft drugs are the ones you tell people you use. Hard drugs are the ones you are actually using, and the ones you say only hopelessly addicted losers use. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-hard-drugs-and-soft-drugs/564523/24 "2010-12-18T07:39:52Z")
Hard drugs are the ones that are both illegal and addictive. Coke, heroin, meth, crack, those are hard drugs. E, shrooms, mescaline, weed? Soft. That’s not to say that some on that list aren’t potent drugs that you should respect, just that they aren’t something that you’ll jones for in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-hard-drugs-and-soft-drugs/564523/25 "2010-12-18T08:06:45Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Hard drugs: Viagra… soft drugs; laxatives ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-hard-drugs-and-soft-drugs/564523/26 "2010-12-18T13:21:42Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > It appears the heroine is talking about heroin. Oops…We interrupt this thread… From _the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show_ (radio) > [@](#): > > George) You were very brave > > Gracie) Oh it was nothing > > George) No, Gracie you’re a real heroine > > Gracie) I wasn’t that brave > > George) No, I meant 'cause heroin’s a dope …now back to your regularly scheduled thread [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-hard-drugs-and-soft-drugs/564523.md?page=1)