Alpha Phi dies of alcohol poisioning at SDSU

[macallan25]

I couldn't tell you........I don't know everyone.

But just based on personal experience at my school and many, many others throughout the South........casually blowing a little chach every now and then isn't something that is out of the ordinary at all. Definitely an '80s type revival going on right now.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by jon1856

I really am not sure what "part" of the posting you think is wrong/incorrect.
Just FYI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/cocaine.html

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/cocaine/cocaine.shtml

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/cocaine.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cocaine.html

I'm going to make it simple and just go with the wiki one. Look at the sections under Usage and Addiction. Plenty of people use it but aren't addicts. It's the hip new party drug. It's a study-aid using the stimulant effects like Ritalin. I'm not minimizing it, but there are lot of abusers who aren't addicts.

Originally Posted by macallan25

I think Tom may have this girl confused with a girl from SMU who died recently from ODing on coke. Her drug dealer left her body in a port-a-potty in Waco and tried to cover up her death as a kidnapping.

I'm not really going to assume he actually knew what he was talking about. He doesn't get that kind of credit.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

I'm going to make it simple and just go with the wiki one. Look at the sections under Usage and Addiction. Plenty of people use it but aren't addicts. It's the hip new party drug. It's a study-aid using the stimulant effects like Ritalin. I'm not minimizing it, but there are lot of abusers who aren't addicts.


I'm not really going to assume he actually knew what he was talking about. He doesn't get that kind of credit.

KISS can be good; however you may wish to take the time to read the other links.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by jon1856

KISS can be good; however you may wish to take the time to read the other links.

Yeah or I could go based on my class on substance abuse last semeseter.

But to humor you
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/cocaine.html
States that it's extremely addictive, and dangerous no matter how frequent a user you are, but nothing suggesting there are no casual users.

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/cocaine/cocaine.shtml
Is just a list of links that may be useful, but not in this particular situation.

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/cocaine.html
Same as the first one, it's addictive *shocking* and dangerous

And finally
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cocaine.html
Addictive and dangerous

There's other information there, but not relating to this discussion, I don't need a link dump on cocaine to know that there are casual cocaine users. Next time you'd like to debate something don't just link dump please and thank you.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Yeah or I could go based on my class on substance abuse last semeseter.

But to humor you
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/cocaine.html
States that it's extremely addictive, and dangerous no matter how frequent a user you are, but nothing suggesting there are no casual users.

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/cocaine/cocaine.shtml
Is just a list of links that may be useful, but not in this particular situation.

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/cocaine.html
Same as the first one, it's addictive *shocking* and dangerous

And finally
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cocaine.html
Addictive and dangerous

There's other information there, but not relating to this discussion, I don't need a link dump on cocaine to know that there are casual cocaine users. Next time you'd like to debate something don't just link dump please and thank you.

Your prior posting seemed to be rather close to minimizing usage.
And I could also go by my mothers life time job experience.

As for casual vs "hard-core"-does it in truth matter? The young lady is dead.
Others die as well.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by jon1856

Your prior posting seemed to be rather close to minimizing usage.
And I could also go by my mothers life time job experience.

As for casual vs "hard-core"-does it in truth matter? The young lady is dead.
Others die as well.

The statement was that there were no casual users of cocaine. This is false. Minimizing its use would be more like suggesting that hardly anyone is addicted, that it's no big deal, and here have some coke on me.

What's the benefit to pretending that everyone who uses coke is a complete addict? It doesn't raise awareness. If anything it makes people less likely to listen to what they consider alarmism.

I'm not stupid, cocaine is a serious drug. It's dangerous even for your first time, even in small doses, and particularly when mixed with alcohol. (This is of course what allof your links said as well) This is a discussion, saying "what does it matter" is pointless. If you think it doesn't matter, you're free not to participate.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

The statement was that there were no casual users of cocaine. This is false. Minimizing its use would be more like suggesting that hardly anyone is addicted, that it's no big deal, and here have some coke on me.

What's the benefit to pretending that everyone who uses coke is a complete addict? It doesn't raise awareness. If anything it makes people less likely to listen to what they consider alarmist.

I'm not stupid, cocaine is a serious drug. It's dangerous even for your first time, even in small doses, and particularly when mixed with alcohol. (This is of course what all of your links said as well) This is a discussion, saying "what does it matter" is pointless. If you think it doesn't matter, you're free not to participate.

I am heartened to see that we, for the most part agree.
However "Regardless of how cocaine is used or how frequently, a user can experience acute cardiovascular or cerebrovascular emergencies, such as a heart attack or stroke, which could result in sudden death. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizure followed by respiratory arrest." sort of prevents much of a difference between casual and "hard-core" users. And I do not see the point here or any where else on GC to start conversation on just what is a casual user of a drug and where, when and how one becomes an addict.

And in the case of this young lady, in the end does it really matter?

And I for one do not see much use for this as a "study aid". That, in truth, sound like an excuse an addict would use. Any kind of addict.

And since you did not ask, my mother is a clinical psychiatric Social Worker who started and ran a suicide prevention/crisis intervention service. You do not want to hear the life stories I have heard. I am sure it is much more in depth than your class. This is just MHO and I could be wrong.

[OtterXO]

Originally Posted by jon1856

As for casual vs "hard-core"-does it in truth matter? The young lady is dead.
Others die as well.

Actually I think it does matter. Casual cocaine use is what I was referring to (pages back in this thread) when I said that it was very common in the San Diego party scene. Most people aren't doing coke on a day to day basis, nor are they what you would classify as addicts. They do it on the weekends with their friends after parties or after going to the bars. The problem with making everyone seem like an addict is that if Sally does coke of the weekends, it's really easy for her to distinguish herself from an addict. The dangers of casual use aren't publicized as well, certainly not in the universities. The only thing people say is "you shouldn't do that, you could become addicted!"....which isn't a really good argument for the casual user who uses is recreationally. There needs to be more information regarding the dangers of casual use.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by OtterXO

Actually I think it does matter. Casual cocaine use is what I was referring to (pages back in this thread) when I said that it was very common in the San Diego party scene. Most people aren't doing coke on a day to day basis, nor are they what you would classify as addicts. They do it on the weekends with their friends after parties or after going to the bars. The problem with making everyone seem like an addict is that if Sally does coke of the weekends, it's really easy for her to distinguish herself from an addict. The dangers of casual use aren't publicized as well, certainly not in the universities. The only thing people say is "you shouldn't do that, you could become addicted!"....which isn't a really good argument for the casual user who uses is recreationally. There needs to be more information regarding the dangers of casual use.

Exactly. If you throw out the ADDICTION scare tactice all the time you don't reach the people who know they aren't addicted. Catching them when they're casual users with the potential to quit instead of waiting until some of them become addicts (because some will) is better for everyone involved.