One in six Irish are junkies - with the state's blessing

[Icemancometh]

Don't want to go into too much detail, but I was on anti-depressants for about 6months, for reasons I won't divulge. Personally, they were a God-send, and I'm not sure where I would be without them. That said, from day one, I was looking forward to coming off them. I hate taking pills anyway, but the one side effect I noticed was, ahem, lowered libido.

Anyway, I think this whole class of drugs is tremendously useful, and can provide great relief for patients. The problem probably stems from GPs with little or no mental health training throwing drugs are at difficult patients.

[JCSkinner]

Surely that is 1 in 11? I'd worry more about the standard of Maths...

One in 11 for anti-Ds. One in six for sedatives and tranqs.

[patslatt]

On a point of fact, cannabis is NOT causative of psychosis.
It is potentially linked in a catalytic fashion to the development of schizophrenia among young adolescents already predisposed genetically to the condition, and even that link remains currently unproven.
Alcohol does indeed cause much more individual and social harm than sedatives and tranqs. It must be remembered that whereas both alcohol and sedatives and tranquillisers cause numerous deaths annually, cannabis has NEVER caused a single death.

The percentage of people genetically disposed to schizophrenia is quite high,especially in Ireland. Even if the figure was 1%,that a lot of people at risk from cannabis,about 44,000. Just think of the health care costs.

[Easy Tiger]

AKA Zyban. It works, but it's fairly frightening.
I used it to quit tobacco, and found myself sleeping two hours a night, permanently edgy and with occasional mild panic attacks.
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Try willpower instead.

This drug is a neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitor, dopamine. These drugs prolong the effect of neurotransmitters on the brain. Your best bet with any drug like this is to read as much opinion as you can find from people who've taken it. Experience range widely from those who say they are a nightmare to those who say they are a godsend. It's very subjective.

Incidentally, I did a bit of reading about Wellbutrinn, and it was being trialled by Wellcome (I think), as a cure for ED (erectile dysfunction), before viagra ever came on the scene. (Just a little bonus there for anyone using it to quit smoking).

[JCSkinner]

The percentage of people genetically disposed to schizophrenia is quite high,especially in Ireland. Even if the figure was 1%,that a lot of people at risk from cannabis,about 44,000. Just think of the health care costs.

The issue is that there is no causative link and even the suggested catalytic link requires further research and remains currently unproven.
However, a simple proviso to ensure that cannabis is not in any way exacerbating the rate of schizophrenia would be to legalise it, tax it, and licence it for sale to over 21s only in regulated premises.
That way kids with a genetic predisposition would be much less likely to be able to buy it in the schoolyard.
And we could use the tax returns to fund the health service.

[iartaoiseach]

The percentage of people genetically disposed to schizophrenia is quite high,especially in Ireland. Even if the figure was 1%,that a lot of people at risk from cannabis,about 44,000. Just think of the health care costs.

what is the percentage of people predisposed to alcoholism? that also costs the health system and the justice system a few quid I reckon. No sign of an alcohol ban though.

[marmurr1916]

Surely that is 1 in 11? I'd worry more about the standard of Maths...

Those headline figures refere to Lifetime Prevalence, i.e. anyone who's ever taken these drugs even once.

To claim that anyone who's ever used a tranquiliser or an anti-depressant is an addict is utter nonsense.

That's like claiming that anyone who's ever had a drink is an alcoholic or that anyone who's ever smoked a joint is a junkie.

[iartaoiseach]

[quote=marmurr1916;1520532]Those headline figures refere to Lifetime Prevalence, i.e. anyone who's ever taken these drugs even once.

To claim that anyone who's ever used a tranquiliser or an anti-depressant is an addict is utter nonsense.

That's like claiming that anyone who's ever had a drink is an alcoholic or that anyone who's ever smoked a joint is a junkie

Funny enough that is the argument trotted out when 'research' is done on the scale of the drug problem here.

[constitutionus]

I wonder how many people are truly free? By the time you eliminate the drinkers, smokers, pill-poppers, careerists, materialists and believers in God have you anybody left at all?

you could probably chuck "chocolate lovers" into that mix too.

isnt it meant to simulate a neural peptide thats released in the brain when you fall in love?

on the OP i seem to remember a fairly frightening report on a similar issue pretaining to perscription drug use by GPs.

apparently self medication of that profession from the stresses they endure in the job is quite high. plus something like 80% of the country goes to the pub once a month as well. i dont know if that means theyre all imbibing alcohol but its still a staggering figure when you think about it.

[seanciaran]

Ireland's problem is miniscule comparted to the US, where it's easy to obtain amphetamines (for adhd), sedatives and opiate pain killers from yer run o' the mill doctor. Many addicts use amphetamines during day to fend off depression and increase energy. At night they opt for the valium type sedative. Some are frequently prescribed one of a variety of opiate based pain killers for any reported minor pain.