Dr. Carl Hart Debunks Drug Myths | WIRED

Scientist Dr. Carl Hart, author of the forthcoming book "Drug Use for Grown-ups," helps debunk (and confirm!) some common myths about drugs.. Dr. Hart has spent his career researching the effects of drugs on the body and is here to help us understand some common misunderstandings. Is marijuana really a gateway drug? Is the opioid crisis getting worse? Are drugs more addictive than alcohol?



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Dr. Carl Hart Debunks Drug Myths | WIRED

[joesigl]

I would like to congratulate Drugs on winning the war on drugs!

[shizeine]

Came here for the learning, got a free gun show.

[notastrangeperson]

I remember my health teacher saying you should *never* do weed, even recreationally, as u can become addicted. Then she said casual and social drinking are perfectly fine... 🙃

[dawnliddle]

As a multiple sclerosis patient I can say that it does help with pain. I've tried the eatables and just one very tiny bite controlled all my pain in my legs and back.
It needs to be legalized. marijuana works on sever pain of Multiple sclerosis.

[Irigoyen]

A reputable psychiatrist and addiction specialist once told me that cigarettes are more of a gateway drug than marijuana...makes sense IMO.

[sphagbard]

Quick note: Benzos can also cause death upon withdrawal.

[gvon]

Bad friends and influences are the gateway drug.

[marcusizayah]

I read a Dr. Carl Hart book when
I was in rehab when I was 15. That would go on to shape my understanding of drugs for the rest of my life…
Today, I am a functioning member of society. No more heroin. No more coke. But I do use cannabis occasionally. And alcohol, occasionally.. I have a great respect for Dr. Hart.

[sanpedroez]

He shoupd have explained physical versus mental addiction when speaking on alcohol the way he explained deaths versus use in regards to the opioid crisis.

[stephenc]

Rather telling that Dr. Hart needs to explain the difference between causation and correlation on a mainstream media outlet's social media channel--that's a fundamental concept in statistics and the social and physical sciences.

[venomenace]

I've tried explaining this to other people: basically, anything can be a "drug" if it's being used in a such a way to suppress either a negative mental or physical malady.

For example: Food. People can get addicted to food for trying to suppress anxiety or depression.

I saw a sarcastic comment here about iced coffee.. well, yes caffeine is a drug in the sense that it has the ability to alter your mental and physical reaction to fatigue. Even if you drink decaf, you're getting a placebo effect of "coffee helps me stay awake".

Obviously, certain drugs have a higher rate of dependency than others and their side effects have more of an effect mentally and physically.

I don't think somebody will die as a result of an overdose of caffeine, this isn't the argument I'm trying to convey. I'm simply stating that anything used outside of it's intended purpose, or in excess, can be detrimental.

[HomoErectusIsAFunnyName]

Imo it's important to emphasise that while he is right about heroin withdrawal in itself is usually not as deadly as alcohol can be, it still can have really strong symptoms and even in mild cases it can cause severe depression and lethargy (which can be deadly) so cutting off heroin without help is NOT a good idea.

[ObservingStuff]

Isn't this the dude that rightfully made Bill O Reilly look stupid 😂

[mufasaiam]

This dude looks like the ambassador of marijuana

[MrDjdecks]

Marijuana isn't necessarily bad but it's still better not to use it, same with nicotine, alcohol or caffeine.

[bobbycratchet]

7:24 Myth: You're looking at marijuana.

[leoschweitzer]

Sure marijuana is not a gateway drug in the way of causation. But isn't it possible that people that smoke marijuana get into certain circles of friends that are a bad influence and MIGHT lead to other drugs? That may be not as effective as causation but might be the reason why many people consider it a gateway drug. Especially parents.

[absentmindedprof]

Ah! The cool, refreshing breeze of common sense. TYVM! 🥂

[IAmMaxwellHearMeRoar]

You can feel the tired irritation wafting off this man.

[giddegidonius]

I think most people do use drugs. Just look at the caffeine stats.