| From: | Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Family matters |
| Date: | Mon, 3 Aug 1998 02:49:02 +0100 |
<jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ> writes
>>It may well turn out that it is the damage is
>>relatively benign, but, in my opinion, there is no such thing as
>>benign damage to the brain.
>Good point.
I thought so. :) From what I remember of the program that covered the
research it's not actually the brain in it's physical sense as in the
material that the brain is constructed of that is damaged, but the
chemicals and nerves that link areas together. Several different areas
are affected and it's rather shocking the amount of inhibited traffic
there is after even one joint, let alone several.
I have no idea what they used to "photograph" the brain's activity, some
series of sensors stuck in a skull cap type affair, but it monitors the
brain activity. The entire frontal section to about half way across the
brain turned a pale blue colour as opposed to the orange and yellows of
the active areas. It took several days before the affected areas
returned to normal after two joints. Imagine those who smoke several a
day...
There was one particular part, and not really having any knowledge of
biology I can't pronounce or spell it. :) That was severely affected,
and the research team where of the opinion that over several years, this
section would effectively become useless.
>>In it's pure form yes, I agree. However, it is extremely rare to find
>>people smoking "grass" without a medium such as tobacco to cut it.
>
>That's not my experience at all... I've never met anyone who would cut
>their pot with anything. What the hell would the point be?
It happens here, again I can only speak from personal experience, but
from what I know the people who are mixing grass (as opposed to resin,
which is usually crumbled into tobacco.) with tobacco are either
stretching it so they have a greater supply, or are looking for a milder
hit.
>>As regards your comments about BTL replacing hard drugs in Shadowrun,
>>that's another argument altogether but from my own point of view, I
>>would disagree most strongly. There is a large percentage of the
>>population that simply can't afford the cyber implant, player and chip
>>habit that BTLs and Simsense incur.
>
>Simsense and BTLs both can be run through a trode rig, and the price of
>them isn't much more than a trid or whatever.
True, but when you don't have enough money to feed your family, and your
life is fucked, then how can you afford a trode or proper rig let alone
something to plug it into? Somehow, even today people still manage to
find the money for drugs, though their living accommodations may be well
below basic and they don't own a TV or much of anything else. In this
situation I would expect street gangs to be the heaviest users of drugs,
followed by those in society who have little else in their lives to
alleviate their circumstance.
For social reasons, I would think that executives would also be drug
users, in very much the way that so many are today. It's easier to
snort something and get high at one of the "power parties" than it is to
jack in and disassociate yourself from reality and the people around
you. Chip abuse is not a social event, drug abuse usually is. Also,
it's easier during a particularly stressful day to relieve the tension
and pressure with a substance, than to expose yourself to the problems
associated with the disconnection of chip use.
>>Harder, more expensive drugs would be the chemically
>>created artificial drugs. Specialist drugs created for specific
>>effects.
>
>And minimal side effects too, so as not to discourage the customers.
I'm not sure about /minimal/ side effects, certainly greatly reduced as
they would target specific areas of the body/brain for a desired effect,
so, in that sense, there would be less physical harm from say a
hallucinogenic drug, and less mental harm from a muscle stimulant, but
there would certainly be some damage over long term abuse, possibly even
ruinous damage, depending on the level and frequency of abuse. One
thing that I understand about drug abuse is that the addict isn't just
addicted to the substance, but the "good feeling" - though they know
they are in deep trouble, they just love the high. They *like* to feel
good, and the drug makes them feel good. After a while the body starts
to build a resistance to the drug, the high isn't as good, it doesn't
last as long, and the down is harder, so the frequency of use increases
to compensate and in many circumstances the quantity increases with the
frequency.
I do tend to agree with you though, if the drug is less damaging, the
addict lives longer, and pays the dealer more. The drug is recommended
to friends and associates "hey look at me, I'm fine and I get high every
night." Creating more addicts and income for the pusher and his
supplier. Ultimately though as with *any* drug abuse, only ruin and
ill-health can result.
--
Avenger
http://www.shalako.demon.co.uk/index.htm
(Newbies Survival Guide to Stk & SR stuff)
http://freespace.virgin.net/p.siems/index.htm
(UK Survival Guide, SR Guide to the Oceans.)
