Alcohol the True Gateway Drug – DEA Schedule?

I don’t drink and have never done any illegal substances, however, people should have the right to abuse themselves with whatever substance they wish.

I have yet to meet anyone that said.
"You know that marijuana..."
"Lost my job"
"Lost my family"
"Lost my life to that plant"

But go to the bar for 10 minutes and you'll hear it 5 times.

However I also believe the true gateway drug is cigarettes. I like most people I talk to tried cigarettes before alcohol. The percentage of smokers at AA meetings is astounding.

At what point do we stop blaming the substances and look to ourselves?

I hear this sort of thing so often. Sugar is addictive. Alcohol is addictive. So on and so forth ...

Fine. I've eaten sugar for years. I've had the occasional drink here and there for years. I even took opiates like candy for a period of years.

I've never wound up addicted.

Why not? Why do other people end up addicted? Why can I tell myself no where other people apparently can't?

Answer that one and we have a better idea what's going on.

My thoughts on drinking:

originally posted by: Metallicus
I don’t drink and have never done any illegal substances, however, people should have the right to abuse themselves with whatever substance they wish.

I agree, however as long as it doesn't affect anyone else physically, mentally, or financially, but that's not the case, and the facts, and statistics prove otherwise.

Many addicts cannot provide financial restitution for the chaos they cause, so who gets to foot the bill?

originally posted by: Realtruth

originally posted by: Metallicus
I don’t drink and have never done any illegal substances, however, people should have the right to abuse themselves with whatever substance they wish.

I agree, however as long as it doesn't affect anyone else physically, mentally, or financially, but that's not the case, and the facts, and statistics prove otherwise.

Many addicts cannot provide financial restitution for the chaos they cause, so who gets to foot the bill?

So we are going to go down that path?

The problem is the idea that society is responsible for health costs and other social problems. People should be free to face their own demons without the interference of Big Brother.

Society isn’t responsible for bailing out people from making their own bad decisions. That is why Government shouldn’t be in the healthcare business in the first place.

originally posted by: Metallicus

So we are going to go down that path?

The problem is the idea that society is responsible for health costs and other social problems. People should be free to face their own demons without the interference of Big Brother.

Society isn’t responsible for bailing out people from making their own bad decisions. That is why Government shouldn’t be in the healthcare business in the first place.

Exactly! That's the conundrum, if people are legally free to do as they wish, then they should have to foot the bill, however that is not the case.

When someone gets into a bad state physically, mentally, and emotional do to drug addictions, then many times they really don't give a crap about anything to do with work, or the means to provide for themselves financially. There are those rare cases that they have unlimited money to fund their additions, however not for the average Joe.

I had a friend die of alcoholism 8 years ago, but not before state assisted recovery programs, and medical care that actually provided him with a liver transplant, and another chance, at the age of 30. I know the costs were more than 250k, over the duration, but ultimately he was destined to destroy himself, until all of his organs shut down.

I also had a friend that was a top Ford executive making 250k a year, that ended up on crack, destroying his life, marriage, and children's life, only to end up broke, and shot by a hooker he wasn't able to pay one night.

As for the title, it appears the gateway is bigger than we think.

a reply to: Metallicus

On this, I agree. If you get yourself into trouble, then that should be on you. When we as a society confuse enabling with compassion, we're part of the problem and not part of the solution.

Does it hurt ... a lot ... to see someone clearly suffering on the street? Oh lord yes! It kills me, but when they're there because of addiction, the only way for them to not be there anymore is to want to help themselves as much as for anyone else to help them.

For us as a society to take them off the streets, clean them up, give them all the things they need, and not recognize that they have no intention of stopping their addiction, is to simply enable them to continue in their ways. They will never be self-supporting because their addiction is what put them on the street to begin with. To take them off without demands they help shake that life condition, is to recognize that we've surrendered and we're not interested in really helping them become productive, self-supporting, and healthy. All we're after is to not have to suffer our own inner anguish at their condition.

Come on, folks!

This thread isn't in the Chit Chat forum.


You are responsible for your own posts.....those who ignore that responsibility will face mod actions.


and, as always:

Do NOT reply to this post!!

the govt can make any substance illegal at a whim

but it takes everyone voting and many many years to legalize one

... does anyone else think the odds are not in our favor

I mean even minor drugs are controlled substances why the hell is grandmas heart pills a controlled substance why are drugs like this even scedualed

there is literally nothing about our current system that makes sense... unless the system was rigged to make you powerless to take your health into your own hands

oh alcohol does have a medical use if you drink some methonal they give you ethonal it's one of the few ways to slow down methonal breaking down into formic acid

a reply to: Realtruth

I absolutely applaud your post.

Alcohol is, without doubt, the worst drug in terms of total numbers of those that it has killed or maimed.

Not to mention its carcinogenic properties and interactions with other carcinogens which were hardly mentioned in your article. Alcohol and Cancer Risk - NIH National Cancer Institute

The question remains as to how the many risks exposed by alcohol can be mitigated. Prohibition in the US only served to lead to excess, enormous expense and crime.

It is clear that all drugs are not an issue of law enforcement, but are primarily medical ones. Until we treat the issues with rationality and commonsense, we will fail to minimize the damage and deal with the actual medical problems that are the consequences.

We don't lock up people with Measles, it would be stupid. Similarly, making another medical issue/disease illegal is just as nonsensical.

We need to also deal with the economy that supports the drug, too. By making the production and distribution uneconomical, those things will cease naturally.

a reply to: chr0naut

We need to also deal with the economy that supports the drug, too. By making the production and distribution uneconomical, those things will cease naturally.

In other words, you favor prohibition. In the end, it will achieve the same ends. By making it economically punitive to produce alcohol so that no one can legally make it, you create exactly the same kind of black market economy that existed under prohibition.

We see it now with the punitively high cigarette taxes in some areas. There is actually a thriving black market in single cigarette sales.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: chr0naut

We need to also deal with the economy that supports the drug, too. By making the production and distribution uneconomical, those things will cease naturally.

In other words, you favor prohibition. In the end, it will achieve the same ends. By making it economically punitive to produce alcohol so that no one can legally make it, you create exactly the same kind of black market economy that existed under prohibition.

We see it now with the punitively high cigarette taxes in some areas. There is actually a thriving black market in single cigarette sales.

No, I did not mean prohibition.

Consider that if highly alcoholic beverages were made so cheaply available (say under a medical prescription and heavily subsidized by government) that no one could afford to sell it as cheaply, then addicts could get their fix - medically supervised, fewer people would start drinking (because you'd have to get the prescription from the doctor) and the trade and distribution of alcohol would be severely affected from an economic standpoint. You'd also de-criminalise addiction.

But to do that, you'd have to change your mindset about blame.

Completely agree with OP. I’ve had my battles and they are a brutal ones. I could see the argument “well I just have an occasional drink, why punish me?” Well I’ve also seen occasional coc aine, crack, meth and opioid users. They don’t have a problem punishing those in pain to the point of suicide. I don’t think anyone is going to off themselves because they can’t have their Shirley Temples. Look at what has happened to even some of the members here. Liver transplants, etc. How is this not a crisis WORSE than the opioid crisis? If anything, you’ll be in a lot LESS pain and anguish without the alcohol, not to mention your health since it is poison, after all.

The true gateway drug? Swings. Regular playground swings, tire swings, rope swings, etc. Kids start swinging and get a slight sense of euphoria when they hit the freefall point, and from then on they're hooked. From then on, it's slides and merry-go-rounds, and it isn't long before they're looking for their next thrill. Heavy and sugar and caffeine in "soft" drinks, amusement park rides, stunts on bicycles. Then speedballing with heroin and meth.

originally posted by: JAY1980
I have yet to meet anyone that said.
"You know that marijuana..."
"Lost my job"
"Lost my family"
"Lost my life to that plant"

But go to the bar for 10 minutes and you'll hear it 5 times.

However I also believe the true gateway drug is cigarettes. I like most people I talk to tried cigarettes before alcohol. The percentage of smokers at AA meetings is astounding.

You know, LOTS of people lose their jobs, completely unjustly, to marijuana due to employers zero tolerance(zero empathy) policies and grossly inaccurate testing methods. I get your point, it’s not the plant. But start with “job” and who knows what could follow. I’m not disagreeing with you. There would be a LOT less people consuming alcohol if laws and attitudes towards marijuana were changed. I suppose the liquor lobby has a HUGE vested interest in keeping the status quo.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: Realtruth

"Maybe they should just legalize everything?"

Exactly, you see that would introduce quality control, remove the criminal element that surrounds the sale of illegal products, and also allow appropriate taxation to be applied.

Then you use the proceeds of said taxation to fund proper programs for those that experience any detrimental effects.

Simple really, but the halfwit do-gooders, and control freaks, hell-bent on telling us what to do or how to feel will never be able to see the forest for the trees.

I’ll drink to that!