# What recreational drugs in your opinion should someone avoid taking at all costs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 16, 2019, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220 "2019-03-16T07:34:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/101 "2019-03-19T17:39:24Z")
Yeah, I’ve got to say that alcohol is responsible for more debilitating illness and death than opioids and stimulants combined are. But if opioids ever gained the level of social acceptability that alcohol has, then the opioid debility and death toll would be far greater than alcohol. Pot’s pretty safe, but it does convert a lot of youngsters into poorly motivated adults. Not all by any means, but a lot. ---
**Author:** ![kleptomaniac](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kleptomaniac/32/466_2.png) [@kleptomaniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kleptomaniac)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/102 "2019-03-19T20:06:12Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Yeah, I’ve got to say that alcohol is responsible for more debilitating illness and death than opioids and stimulants combined are. > > But if opioids ever gained the level of social acceptability that alcohol has, then the opioid debility and death toll would be far greater than alcohol. > > Pot’s pretty safe, but it does convert a lot of youngsters into poorly motivated adults. Not all by any means, but a lot. Well here in the UK they sell Nurofen Plus which contains codeine, albeit a weak opiate. It has effects but you have to take at least 200+mg to get euphoric effects. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/103 "2019-03-19T21:49:52Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I thought it was pronounced “fish.” 😃 I pronounce it “quagtop”. Hey, it’s as accurate an anything… ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/104 "2019-03-20T02:41:30Z")
> [@kleptomaniac](#): > > Well here in the UK they sell Nurofen Plus which contains codeine, albeit a weak opiate. It has effects but you have to take at least 200+mg to get euphoric effects. Along with ( at least until a few years ago ) cough suppress ts based on noscapine. Not that it was a double blind study or anything but when my FIL was dying of bile duct cancer he was on an ever increasing dosage of Vicodin and oxycontin. After some research I found suggested noscapine could stall cancer metastasizing I ordered quite a bit. Hard to say if it extended his life any though he did experience some months of stall, one thing it did do was cut the amount of pills he took. He got off the oxy and went down to just a couple Vicodin, as well as started getting up and going outside. It has been shown to amplify the pain killing effects of opiates ( not surprising really since it’s an opium component) and been reported to make those pills effects ( specifically sense of well being) closer to that of actual opium. I’m surprised it’s not in the arsenal for fighting opiate addiction, after seeing someone self ween to a large extent by adding that component back without that even being the goal. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/105 "2019-03-20T04:23:14Z")
> [@kleptomaniac](#): > > Well here in the UK they sell Nurofen Plus which contains codeine, albeit a weak opiate. It has effects but you have to take at least 200+mg to get euphoric effects. Is Tylenol #1, which contains 7.5mg of codeine, still available without a prescription in Canada? ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/106 "2019-03-20T05:13:37Z")
Not the hardest of drugs but Nitrous Oxide was one that surprised me when I was having tangible cravings weeks and months later. ---
**Author:** ![kleptomaniac](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kleptomaniac/32/466_2.png) [@kleptomaniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kleptomaniac)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/107 "2019-03-20T07:47:42Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > Not the hardest of drugs but Nitrous Oxide was one that surprised me when I was having tangible cravings weeks and months later. Well I have heard that inhalants like nitrous oxide along with diflouroethane (air duster) are pretty addictive, the latter of course starving the brain of oxygen to achieve its effects. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/108 "2019-04-04T01:02:23Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > > [@eschereal](#): > > > > Then you must be doing it wrong. A shot of whiskey to chase a comestible will really knock you sideways. No, the combination to avoid is cannabis and acid. IME, they do opposite things and end up cancelling each other out. > > Interesting, would that actually help come down from a bad trip? Or just make things worse in a different way? You know, thinking about this makes me angry. Whenever an ER was handling a person freaking out on acid, they would counter it with thorazine. That stuff is brutal, and may have fucked up a person or two due to the shock from the difference. They could have used cannabis to neutralize the freakout smoothly, without the shock, except, it was illegal, so they were not allowed to do that. ---
**Author:** ![LennieB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8dc957/32.png) [@LennieB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LennieB)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/109 "2019-04-04T01:04:36Z")
Tobacco. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/110 "2019-04-04T08:48:06Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > This probably isn’t in the spirit of the thread, but why do any? I guess I’m kind of puritanical about things like this, but I don’t see the point of any of it. I enjoy life and I don’t want to be anesthetized through any parts of it. My husband drinks sometimes from mostly boredom, and that isn’t really any fun for either of us. > > There are those substances that are supposed to enhance reality and open up your senses to new experiences and so on. Maybe. But I’m skeptical about those claims, and the possible consequences like psychological damage are too dire for me to consider doing them. I actually agree about many drugs; nog that I’ve had first hand experience. As for psychedelics, I think the dangers of taking them in the responsible settings I’ve described, are non-existant. LSD may be pictured in movies as being taken while high on other stuff, bought ftom an illegal and shady source and without a responsible sitter. Ayahuasca is totally different in that regard: the preparation demanded from the “ travellers” and the guidance is, as you migt describe, very Puritanical. 🙂 As for the why, I might ask a counter question: why do art? Why do religion? ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/111 "2019-04-04T14:59:34Z")
[Based on this metric](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pop_musicians_who_died_of_drug_overdose), heroin is the overall killer to avoid but fentanyl is trending recently. ---
**Author:** ![Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/section_maker_jupe/32/1424_2.png) [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Section_Maker_Jupe)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/112 "2019-04-04T15:30:17Z")
Avoid anything that you really really want some more of!!! I made it through the 70’s and 80’s mostly intact, following the " stick to plants and avoid avoid anything in a powder form". Alcohol alone, as others have mentioned, seems to be the most fraught with peril for folks with the bad genes. I have always disliked alcohol, so no problem but in the 90s I did fall down do to the bad stimulants. Stimulants to swept the west coast (homemade stuff)… which was weird, since I had railed against them for years. They are sneaky though, a little bit, gave me focus, endurance, creativity etc… You start to think thats the normal way to feel…not so. I cleaned up and went back to the plants, mostly weak weed, and coffee beans!! The psychedelic plant community also helped clean out some receptors I guess, or I got smart. Psychedelic plants and fungii do have their place, and under the right conditions, are finally starting to lose some of the bad stigma. As others have mentioned, avoid datura and any of the other similar plants. Heres a link to a Vice video of brugmansia, aka Angels trumpet, (or other plants) not quite sure if its entirely true, but the personal reports from [Erowid.com](http://Erowid.com) seem quite similar. Pretty weird stuff. Scopalomine is the drug involved, which is also used to combat seasickness. Worlds Scariest Drug [World's Scariest Drug (Documentary Exclusive) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToQ8PWYnu04) ---
**Author:** ![MN\_Maenad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@MN\_Maenad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MN_Maenad)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/113 "2019-04-04T17:12:32Z")
As to the question of “why”, I had that same question until a couple of years ago. I have anxiety, and during a bad spell decided to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes, watching a stupid movie and having an alcoholic drink, MST3K-ing through the whole thing. Usually I do this with others, this time I was alone. About halfway through the drink, I realized that my anxiety was gone. I wasn’t giddy or drunk, just calm and happy. That’s when I started crying, understanding how people with worse conditions than mine can self-medicate with drugs. It was such a relief to have the unhappiness gone, and I felt so much sympathy for people who do it. I’ve never had another drink while my anxiety is giving me trouble, but I’ll never again be judgmental towards people who feel the urge to. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/114 "2019-04-04T21:48:30Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > BTW, dilaudid is waaaay too euphoria-inducing. Heroin addicts will often choose dilaudid over heroin, as many feel it works better than heroin. I had it most recently about 10 years ago for broken ribs that hurt so much I could no longer breathe adequately, due to pain and spasm. I’d tried for 3 days to get by with tylenol, NSAIDs (even injectable toradol), rest, binding, etc. But I had to give in. Dilaudid made all the pain and the worries become completely irrelevant, as I got a great big hug from the Goddess herself, telling me I was good enough, smart enough, and dog gone it, people liked me! See, this is why I think I’m safe from opioid addiction. I had Dilaudid for the first time about a month ago. For the same thing – broken ribs, along with a broken collarbone. It was awful. First of all, it almost made me puke, the whole time on it. Second, while it is indeed an effective painkiller, it made me feel like my brain had stopped working, and like I was walking through Jello with every step I took. Never again. Unless I’m in truly excruciating pain. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/115 "2019-04-05T13:54:15Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Some folks don’t convert folic acid into N methyl folate very well due to enzyme problems. This causes a decreased dopamine release to stimulus, and hence not much gratification in their lives. This is my son and, presumably, me. He’s had a bipolar diagnosis (controversially I suppose) since he was 7. The more common drugs didn’t work for very long, and ultimately he was nearly stable on ridiculous amounts of Abilify, Lamictal and lithium. About the time he turned 18 we changed his braincare from his pediatric psychiatrist to a GP. First thing the GP did was a DNA test. It took an unusually long time for them to do it (2 months) probably from backlog but we liked to think it was because they weren’t sure just what creature provided the sample. The report explained what his physical problem was, and what meds would/wouldn’t affect it. IIRC what we thought was effective medication was simply medication with a side effect of something that looked like help. GP said to discontinue the meds and start up the vitamin B9. After having the guy on the drug train for so many years I was prepared for another disappointment, but it’s been just the ticket. Relating to the OP: he has tried alcohol and weed, says he doesn’t care for either. Sounds like he did well to stay away from the milk of the poppy. ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/116 "2019-04-06T16:14:32Z")
I’ve been on Modafinil 200mg for a while now, and I can say that on the days I miss a dose, I can’t focus, have zero motivation to do anything, and basically want to sleep all day. There is definitely an element of psychological addiction associated with long-term use of Modafinil. Besides, I cannot now feel the strong concentration and focus I could when starting my treatment. Tolerance? I have no intention to up my dose beyond the daily 200mg to find out what happens. But I have heard reports of people getting high off Modafinil at scary high doses - 600-800 mg+ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![kleptomaniac](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kleptomaniac/32/466_2.png) [@kleptomaniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kleptomaniac)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/117 "2019-04-07T15:43:41Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > I’ve been on Modafinil 200mg for a while now, and I can say that on the days I miss a dose, I can’t focus, have zero motivation to do anything, and basically want to sleep all day. There is definitely an element of psychological addiction associated with long-term use of Modafinil. Besides, I cannot now feel the strong concentration and focus I could when starting my treatment. Tolerance? I have no intention to up my dose beyond the daily 200mg to find out what happens. But I have heard reports of people getting high off Modafinil at scary high doses - 600-800 mg+ :eek: I swear to God, you Americans are lucky 😃 Here in Europe, doctors are scared of giving you any opiods painkillers, benzos for anxiety or stimulants for ADD/ADHD. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/118 "2019-04-07T16:59:50Z")
> [@kleptomaniac](#): > > I swear to God, you Americans are lucky 😃 Here in Europe, doctors are scared of giving you any opiods painkillers, benzos for anxiety or stimulants for ADD/ADHD. That is happening here too. Esp a clampdown on opiates and benzos. Hopefully we get safer alternatives to these drugs someday. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/119 "2019-04-07T17:01:51Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > [Based on this metric](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pop_musicians_who_died_of_drug_overdose), heroin is the overall killer to avoid but fentanyl is trending recently. Starting earlier this decade, deaths for heroin and synthetic opiates skyrocketed. Especially synthetic opiates. [![](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/images/databriefs/251-300/db294_fig4.png) ](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/images/databriefs/251-300/db294_fig4.png) as for heroin deaths, I don’t know if those deaths are due to pure heroin, or if they are due to heroin cut with synthetics like fentanyl. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/codinghorror/32/4242_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2020, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/120 "2020-09-13T18:28:14Z")
As far as the topic goes, bear in mind that [the graph](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220/13) posted upstream is from some Norwegian site of unknown providence. It’s not a terrible list but having THC so high is definitely wrong. [![](https://dynamic.decorrespondent.nl/media/904/59144b53679eb0254961807.png) ](https://dynamic.decorrespondent.nl/media/904/59144b53679eb0254961807.png) (google translate says the title is “Which drugs do the most harm”, and the purple is “damage to user”, the light blue is “harm to others”) In my opinion, I think topping the list for recreational drug use danger should be, in this order: 1. Opiates (of all kinds) 2. Meth (speed) 3. Benzos (Xanax, Valium, etc) 4. Alcohol Alcohol is so underrated for damage caused. THC is a fluffy kitten by comparison! I tend to agree with the many comments in the topic saying that, if you feel compelled to keep doing (substance), that’s a really bad sign and you should pay attention to that. Here’s an example. One of the ironies of benzos in particular is that they _work too well_ for some people. Feeling anxious? Take the magic pill that makes the anxiety go poof. But the more often you take it, the less effective it gets due to tolerance,so maybe you take more to compensate, then eventually you’re stuck with all the original anxiety _plus_ rebound anxiety from the benzos – because you haven’t dealt with the source of your anxiety, just constantly and repeatedly pressed the magic make-it-go-away button. Withdrawal from benzos can be really rough. A safe (recreational?) drug shouldn’t work too well, and you shouldn’t take it too often. Oh, the irony. > [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > There are those substances that are supposed to enhance reality and open up your senses to new experiences and so on. Maybe. But I’m skeptical about those claims, and the possible consequences like psychological damage are too dire for me to consider doing them. It is true that most recreational drugs don’t have therapeutic benefit, but there are exceptions. Psilocybin (aka shrooms), if used in the right way, _seems_ to: > **[The Trip Treatment](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/09/trip-treatment)** > > Research into psychedelics may hold a key to coping with anxiety, addiction, and existential dread. Michael Pollan on psilocybin. Also MDMA (aka ecstasy, molly) is being used to treat PTSD and is on the verge of approval for that: > **[MDMA, Or Ecstasy, Shows Promise As A PTSD Treatment](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/08/14/746614170/mdma-aka-ecstasy-shows-promise-as-a-ptsd-treatment)** > > Drugs like molly and ecstasy may be best known for giving partyers euphoric feelings. But MDMA, the drugs' psychoactive ingredient, is proving effective at treating severe trauma when used in therapy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-recreational-drugs-in-your-opinion-should-someone-avoid-taking-at-all-costs/831220.md?page=5)