News You're all a bunch of Pot and Coke-heads

**DaKCMan AP** · 07-15-2008, 10:07 AM

An American Pastime: Smoking Pot

By SARAH N. LYNCHTue Jul 15, 12:35 AM ET

The Netherlands, with its permissive marijuana laws, may be known as the cannabis capital of the world. But a survey published this month in PLoS Medicine, a journal of the Public Library of Science, suggests that the Dutch don't actually experiment with pot as much as one would expect.

Despite tougher drug policies in this country, Americans were twice as likely to have tried marijuana than the Dutch, according to the survey. In fact, Americans were more likely to have tried marijuana or cocaine than people in any of the 16 other countries, including France, Spain, South Africa, Mexico and Colombia, that the survey covered.

Researchers found that 42% of people surveyed in the United States had tried marijuana at least once, and 16% had tried cocaine. About 20% of residents surveyed in the Netherlands, by contrast, reported having tried pot; in Asian countries, such as Japan and China, marijuana use was virtually "non-existent," the study found. New Zealand was the only other country to claim roughly the same percentage of pot smokers as the U.S., but no other nation came close to the proportion of Americans who reported trying cocaine.

Why the high numbers? Jim Anthony, the chair of the department of epidemiology at Michigan State University and an author of the study, says U.S. drug habits have to do, in part, with the country's affluence - many Americans can afford to spend income on recreational drugs.

Another factor may be an increasing awareness that marijuana may be less toxic than other drugs, such as tobacco or alcohol. (However, the study also found that the United States is among the leading countries in the percentage of respondents who tried tobacco and alcohol).

As for the popularity of cocaine, the reason may simply be the close proximity of South America, the world's only coca plant producer. And, finally, Anthony notes, it's a matter of culture: the U.S. is home to a huge baby boomer population that came of age when experimenting with drugs was a part of the social fabric.

"It became a more mass population phenomenon during a period when there were a large number of young people who were in the process of creating a culture of their own," Anthony says.

The survey also found that more Americans not only experimented with drugs, but also tended to try pot and cocaine for the first time at a younger age compared with people in other countries. Just over 20% of Americans reported trying pot by age 15 and nearly 3% had tried cocaine by the same age. Those percentages jumped to 54% and 16%,
respectively, by age 21.

That finding isn't surprising, says Dr. Richard Schottenfeld, a professor of psychiatry and a drug expert at the Yale University School of Medicine, since peer influence has a significant impact on the prevalence of drug use. In the Netherlands, for example, there is a large, vocal and homogeneous conservative population that is staunchly opposed to marijuana, says Schottenfeld. And anti-drug activists have made recent attempts to tighten the country's cannabis policies.

Yet experts say the findings of the new survey don't fairly reflect the success or failure of any particular drug policy. The survey asked only whether people had ever tried drugs in their lifetime - it did not ask about habitual use. "For drug policy, what you look at is regular use," says Tom Riley, a spokesman for the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy.

"Somebody having tried pot in 1968 in college doesn't really have much to do with what the current drug use picture in the United States is."

Though current findings may not provide enough context to judge existing drug policy, Anthony says they do highlight some valid issues, especially since stringent laws don't appear to impact whether kids experiment with drugs. "One of the questions raised by research of this type is whether Americans will want to continue supporting the incarceration of young people who use small amounts of marijuana," Anthony says.

The ongoing study, which surveyed more than 85,000 people in 17 countries, is part of a larger project through the World Health Organization's World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Anthony says further research about the frequency of worldwide drug use, and new data from additional countries will be released in the future. View this article on Time.com

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/2008071...rhZenpWrms0NUE

NewChief · 07-15-2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

[B]
As for the popularity of cocaine, the reason may simply be the close proximity of South America, the world's only coca plant producer. And, finally, Anthony notes, it's a matter of culture: the U.S. is home to a huge baby boomer population that came of age when experimenting with drugs was a part of the social fabric.
[/URL]

He forgot that the CIA floods our country with cheap blow.

Demonpenz · 07-15-2008, 10:17 AM

I would like to see how much vacation and hours a week Dutch people work. If they have long vacation times and "working" season they probably don't need a smoke or two to relax on their time away from the grill at ground round

**Rausch** · 07-15-2008, 10:20 AM

I bet I haven't smoked pot 5 times in my life and I've never tried the powder.

**chasedude** · 07-15-2008, 10:33 AM

I think many Americans do it because it is illegal. They enjoy the rush of doing something taboo. What a rush it was to be under 21 and still get served at a bar, or from a store.

tooge · 07-15-2008, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewPhin

He forgot that the CIA floods our country with cheap blow.

In order to keep the brothas down.

chagrin · 07-15-2008, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tooge

In order to keep the brothas down.

I thought that was AIDS

Drunk · 07-15-2008, 02:23 PM

Has anyone seen AMERICAN DRUG WAR? Pretty interesting documentary.

Educate yourself. Cuz dog knows our schools wont.

Fishpicker · 07-15-2008, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drunk

Has anyone seen AMERICAN DRUG WAR? Pretty interesting documentary.

Educate yourself. Cuz dog knows our schools wont.

that's a great movie. its still played occasionally on showtime. this portion of it is related to the thread topic.

American Drug War - The Last White Hope pt 7/8

they got some great interviews with the drug czar, dea agents, and tommy chong.

Hammock Parties · 07-15-2008, 03:23 PM

If I ever did Coke I'd probably get addicted. I'm into losing sleep.

HC_Chief · 07-15-2008, 03:46 PM

Just means we're more honest in the US. And, not only are the Chinese red-bellied communists, but fucking LIARS as well!

**OnTheWarpath15** · 07-15-2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claythan

If I ever did Coke I'd probably get addicted. I'm into losing sleep.

You'd also lose weight quicker.

Hammock Parties · 07-15-2008, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

You'd also lose weight quicker.

See...I'd be snorting my brains out and making reservations at Dorsia within a month.

**QuikSsurfer** · 07-15-2008, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claythan

See...I'd be snorting my brains out and making reservations at Dorsia within a month.

No one goes there anymore..

Fish · 07-15-2008, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claythan

If I ever did Coke I'd probably get addicted. I'm into losing sleep.

Strippers reaaaaally dig coke..... you'd get skinny and have a crazy woman...

Don't do coke.

07-15-2008, 10:07 AM
DaKCMan AP Beloved & Awesome CP Celebrity Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Florida Casino cash: $6724952	You're all a bunch of Pot and Coke-heads An American Pastime: Smoking Pot By SARAH N. LYNCHTue Jul 15, 12:35 AM ET The Netherlands, with its permissive marijuana laws, may be known as the cannabis capital of the world. But a survey published this month in PLoS Medicine, a journal of the Public Library of Science, suggests that the Dutch don't actually experiment with pot as much as one would expect. Despite tougher drug policies in this country, Americans were twice as likely to have tried marijuana than the Dutch, according to the survey. In fact, Americans were more likely to have tried marijuana or cocaine than people in any of the 16 other countries, including France, Spain, South Africa, Mexico and Colombia, that the survey covered. Researchers found that 42% of people surveyed in the United States had tried marijuana at least once, and 16% had tried cocaine. About 20% of residents surveyed in the Netherlands, by contrast, reported having tried pot; in Asian countries, such as Japan and China, marijuana use was virtually "non-existent," the study found. New Zealand was the only other country to claim roughly the same percentage of pot smokers as the U.S., but no other nation came close to the proportion of Americans who reported trying cocaine. Why the high numbers? Jim Anthony, the chair of the department of epidemiology at Michigan State University and an author of the study, says U.S. drug habits have to do, in part, with the country's affluence - many Americans can afford to spend income on recreational drugs. Another factor may be an increasing awareness that marijuana may be less toxic than other drugs, such as tobacco or alcohol. (However, the study also found that the United States is among the leading countries in the percentage of respondents who tried tobacco and alcohol). As for the popularity of cocaine, the reason may simply be the close proximity of South America, the world's only coca plant producer. And, finally, Anthony notes, it's a matter of culture: the U.S. is home to a huge baby boomer population that came of age when experimenting with drugs was a part of the social fabric. "It became a more mass population phenomenon during a period when there were a large number of young people who were in the process of creating a culture of their own," Anthony says. The survey also found that more Americans not only experimented with drugs, but also tended to try pot and cocaine for the first time at a younger age compared with people in other countries. Just over 20% of Americans reported trying pot by age 15 and nearly 3% had tried cocaine by the same age. Those percentages jumped to 54% and 16%, respectively, by age 21. That finding isn't surprising, says Dr. Richard Schottenfeld, a professor of psychiatry and a drug expert at the Yale University School of Medicine, since peer influence has a significant impact on the prevalence of drug use. In the Netherlands, for example, there is a large, vocal and homogeneous conservative population that is staunchly opposed to marijuana, says Schottenfeld. And anti-drug activists have made recent attempts to tighten the country's cannabis policies. Yet experts say the findings of the new survey don't fairly reflect the success or failure of any particular drug policy. The survey asked only whether people had ever tried drugs in their lifetime - it did not ask about habitual use. "For drug policy, what you look at is regular use," says Tom Riley, a spokesman for the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy. "Somebody having tried pot in 1968 in college doesn't really have much to do with what the current drug use picture in the United States is." Though current findings may not provide enough context to judge existing drug policy, Anthony says they do highlight some valid issues, especially since stringent laws don't appear to impact whether kids experiment with drugs. "One of the questions raised by research of this type is whether Americans will want to continue supporting the incarceration of young people who use small amounts of marijuana," Anthony says. The ongoing study, which surveyed more than 85,000 people in 17 countries, is part of a larger project through the World Health Organization's World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Anthony says further research about the frequency of worldwide drug use, and new data from additional countries will be released in the future. View this article on Time.com http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/2008071...rhZenpWrms0NUE
Posts: 35,695

07-15-2008, 10:17 AM	#3
Demonpenz I got Rice cookin in the micro Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Apartment "G UNIT!" Casino cash: $3082136	I would like to see how much vacation and hours a week Dutch people work. If they have long vacation times and "working" season they probably don't need a smoke or two to relax on their time away from the grill at ground round __________________
Posts: 54,279

07-15-2008, 10:33 AM	#5
chasedude Supporter Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: St. Joe Casino cash: $10004900	I think many Americans do it because it is illegal. They enjoy the rush of doing something taboo. What a rush it was to be under 21 and still get served at a bar, or from a store.
Posts: 36,287

07-15-2008, 02:23 PM	#8
Drunk SixOneNineSicko Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Southern California Casino cash: $10004925	Has anyone seen AMERICAN DRUG WAR? Pretty interesting documentary. Educate yourself. Cuz dog knows our schools wont.
Posts: 164

07-15-2008, 03:23 PM	#10
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4630478	If I ever did Coke I'd probably get addicted. I'm into losing sleep. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 278,155

07-15-2008, 03:46 PM	#11
HC_Chief That's just f***in' stupid Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: suburbia Casino cash: $3687107	Just means we're more honest in the US. And, not only are the Chinese red-bellied communists, but fucking LIARS as well! __________________ "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room!"
Posts: 12,355