Illicit drug use

I abhor the misuse of drugs and alcohol...whether legal or illegal. But use of illegal drugs is not necessarily "misuse" of the drug. It is recreational use...and illegal use...but not necessarily misuse.

A complex mixture of genetic and environmental factors influences the risk of the development of alcoholism. Genes that influence the metabolism of alcohol also influence the risk of alcoholism, and may be indicated by a family history of alcoholism. One paper has found that alcohol use at an early age may influence the expression of genes which increase the risk of alcohol dependence. Individuals who have a genetic disposition to alcoholism are also more likely to begin drinking at an earlier age than average.

Also, a younger age of onset of drinking is associated with an increased risk of the development of alcoholism, and about 40 percent of alcoholics will drink excessively by their late adolescence. It is not entirely clear whether this association is causal, and some researchers have been known to disagree with this view. A high testosterone concentration during pregnancy may be a risk factor for later development of alcohol dependence.

Severe childhood trauma is also associated with a general increase in the risk of drug dependency. Lack of peer and family support is associated with an increased risk of alcoholism developing. Genetics and adolescence are associated with an increased sensitivity to the neurotoxic effects of chronic alcohol abuse. Cortical degeneration due to the neurotoxic effects increases impulsive behaviour, which may contribute to the development, persistence and severity of alcohol use disorders. There is evidence that with abstinence, there is a reversal of at least some of the alcohol induced central nervous system damage.

Genetic variation

Genetic differences exist between different racial groups which affect the risk of developing alcohol dependence. For example, there are differences between African, East Asian and Indo-racial groups in how they metabolize alcohol. These genetic factors are believed to, in part, explain the differing rates of alcohol dependence among racial groups. The alcohol dehydrogenase allele ADH1 B*3 causes a more rapid metabolism of alcohol. The allele ADH1 B*3 is only found in those of African descent and certain Native American tribes. African Americans and Native Americans with this allele have a reduced risk of developing alcoholism. Native Americans however, have a significantly higher rate of alcoholism than average; it is unclear why this is the case. Other risk factors such as cultural environmental effects e.g. trauma have been proposed to explain the higher rates of alcoholism among Native Americans compared to alcoholism levels in caucasians.

Re: Frank Apisa (Post 5223436)
Frank Apisa wrote:

I abhor the misuse of drugs and alcohol...whether legal or illegal. But use of illegal drugs is not necessarily "misuse" of the drug. It is recreational use...and illegal use...but not necessarily misuse.


Agreed, my concern is with certain prescription medications that seem to be advertised to and pushed
into the hands of masses of people that don't really need them. Doesn't this also constitute abuse?

Re: Lustig Andrei (Post 5223444)
Absolutely wrong Andrew, there has never been clear evidence of addiction being “individual-based” or of addictive personalities, while there are some very general characteristics that are weak indicators that is about it. In fact a huge study done by Dr. Lee Robert in 1974 comparing rates of addiction, rates of recovery, and rates of relapse were startling. Although the purity of heroin in Nam almost always exceeded 90% vs. domestic purity rarely above 10% the number of participants who relapsed that were Nam war vets was 7%, that of domestic addicts was 67%! No strong “individual” indicators were noted.

The conclusion was environment and behaviors were leading indicators of addiction and relapse. Those participants who were taken out of the situation that stimulated drug use and taken away from continued behaviors and their triggers (people, places, activities, incidents) were strongly correlated to minimal addiction issues. This happened across all characteristics that were traditional thought of as clear markers for addictive personalities.

We are going to find ourselves in one of those rare moments of agreement on this,H2O.