Study: The ‘gateway drug’ is alcohol, not marijuana

[DreamSmoker]

A study in the August edition of The Journal of School Health finds that the generations old theory of a “gateway drug” effect is in fact accurate, but shifts the blame for escalating substance abuse away from marijuana and onto the most pervasive and socially accepted drug in American life: alcohol.

Using a nationally representative sample from the University of Michigan’s annual Monitoring the Future survey, the study blasts holes in drug war orthodoxy wide enough to drive a truck through, definitively proving that marijuana use is not the primary indicator of whether a person will move on to more dangerous substances.

“By delaying the onset of alcohol initiation, rates of both licit substance abuse like tobacco and illicit substance use like marijuana and other drugs will be positively affected, and they’ll hopefully go down,” study co-author Adam E. Barry, an assistant professor at the University of Florida’s Department of Health Education & Behavior, told Raw Story in an exclusive interview.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/05/study-the-gateway-drug-is-alcohol-not-marijuana/

[Turbineguy]

1. And the gateway drug to alcohol?

Ice cream, Mandrake, children's ice cream.

[HereSince1628]

13. I'd say sugar or corn syrup, ice cream is just a delivery system.

like KOOL-AID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[patrice]

2. I know a 30-year psych-social-worker in criminal justice in CA who says alcohol is also

the most consistent all-pervasive problem in her field.

[tridim]

8. Nice sig.

[patrice]

9. I dig pi.

Not much of a mathematician here, but the basic pi facts are a stimulating metaphor/model.

And this honest-to-god Leftie likes our honest-to-god centrist President, too, perhaps because I am by nature, and always have been, a process oriented person.

[Enrique]

3. I herad pot makes you eat people's faces off

[get the red out]

4. I've not heard of that

But I knew a couple of guys in college that devoured a very large jar of mayo one night when nothing else was left in the fridge.

[Enrique]

7. I don't want to know how that turned out

[bluedigger]

5. Sure, you get the urge once in a while.

But as long as there's some Funyuns around that almost never happens.

[ehrnst]

11. You're probably thinking about the "Bath Salts" amphetamine

and the stories that have actually not panned out.

No, there are no stories about pot smokers eating any people's faces off.

[Politicalboi]

6. No Shit

And they still get to advertise that shit on TV. I used to like those commercials that showed a young child with their parent enjoying time together. And then they would say how some drunk driver killed the kid not long after the video was made. The reality of drunk driving needs to be out there more than their fucking alcohol commercials.

[felix_numinous]

10. Alcohol inspires bravado

while pot mostly, from what I've experienced and witnessed, brings on more of a sense of caution. Many people just want to stay where they're at until they come down. You are more self aware. A delivery maybe, and eating what's in the fridge. I forget where I read recently--cops suspect people of being stoned when they're--extra careful driving, obeying the speed limit exactly, ect.

But alcohol makes people too careless, a feeling of being invincible and overestimating what is possible. Like being able to handle more substances. I agree with this assessment. And bravado is acceptable in our society--it is worked into it.

Alcohol mixed with prescription drugs is another study that needs to be done, but will not find too many sponsors these days.

There are way too many mixed messages when it comes to herbs and drugs. I think the entire educational system needs a major re-boot and start over from scratch.

Peace~~

[Dont call me Shirley]

12. And cigarettes

[DireStrike]

14. Study co-author mealy-mouthed and indecisive

“By delaying the onset of alcohol initiation, rates of both licit substance abuse like tobacco and illicit substance use like marijuana and other drugs will be positively affected, and they’ll hopefully go down"

That makes no sense. Either they WILL be affected as the first half of the sentence says, or they'll 'hopefully' be affected as the second half says. He actually has no idea what would happen if they delayed "alcohol onset initiation".

[WillyT]

15. K & R !!!