Comment on Why not just let people use opioids? It's cheap. People like it. Arguably healthier than weed, alcohol or tobacco. Addiction isn't an issue if you can stay supplied.

• adespoton@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Death by opioids happens because you need an ever increasing dose to achieve the same effect. Eventually the dose required is higher than what’s needed to kill you.

  People turn to black market opioids because they’re often cheaper than prescription, and while the dose just keeps going up, so does the price, unless you can find a cheaper supplier.

  Cheaper suppliers are usually cheaper because they don’t have the same quality control, which again leads to accidental overdose or poisoning.

  source

  • ShunkW@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Because alcohol isn’t directly addictive

    This is absolute nonsense. Alcohol is one of only two addictive substance types that can directly kill you in withdrawal. It is DIRECTLY and EXTREMELY addictive.

    If your addiction is severe enough, going cold turkey from alcohol or benzodiazepines can directly kill you. You can have a stroke or seizures.

    source
  • sun_is_ra@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    am not a doctor myself but from what i know, the reason you increase the dose in first place is that your body build tolerance. if a normal person were to take same dosage as a long time drug addict they would die in minutes

    reasons for death of overdose:

    • someone went to rehab and lost their tolerance then went back to drugs with same dosage they used to take
    • someone missed a dosage and went through horrible withdrawal symptomps so when they finally got the pill they took too much
    • buying certain drug without knowing it is laced with a more powerfull one

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    • Moobythegoldensock@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      You missed one: Chasing a bigger high.

      When people start dying of opioid overdoses, addicts tend to seek those suppliers out.

      source