The report notes that a couple of small studies appear to confirm the suspicion that cannabis use on a regular basis is dangerous for the lungs. It notes:
[a] study of 10 patients who were treated for chronic respiratory problems at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.All admitted intense cannabis use for at least a year. They had developed bullous lung disease, a condition where air becomes trapped in the lungs, at an average age of 41, compared to 65 for tobacco smoking patients.
While we are talking drugs, I note that the rumours of Heath Ledger being a significant drug user are appearing more and more likely to be true. I had forgotten how oddly he had acted in some interviews in recent years, but somewhere since he died I saw a snippet of the studio interview in Australia throughout which he peeled an orange. I have heard mention again, too, of how he turned up to some media things in the States dressed looking like he had been living rough on the streets.
All this supports my scepticism of the often repeated claim that many regular illicit drug users have a well hidden habit which would surprise their co-workers and friends.
It is, I reckon, more often the case their friends and family certainly notice strange behaviour, and do suspect drug use, but are too polite to bring it up.
Steve said:
ReplyDeleteAll this supports my scepticism of the often repeated claim that many regular illicit drug users have a well hidden habit which would surprise their co-workers and friends.
It is, I reckon, more often the case their friends and family certainly notice strange behaviour, and do suspect drug use, but are too polite to bring it up.
Yes, Steve you are right ... sort of. I am a heroin addict and people did notice some odd behaviour when I first started using. I would take long lunches nearly every day as I tried to score in the city. I would always be asking for pay advances and prepared to work crazy hours for extra money. I drank a lot less than usual which was noticed easily because I worked in advertising/design. My personal health and hygiene didn't suffer at all in the early days. The most obvious trait was lack of money ... forever borrowing and there was always some crisis that required cash.
The difference was that I was an addict. I had to use heroin every day no matter what. I knew may users of other drugs who had no dependancy at all. Speed & ecstasy use was common for many people I knew, especially single people. Grass was the other common drug. I knew plenty of professionals who smoked grass every second day on average for 10 years plus. The most common drug though was alcohol. Every 3rd-10th person I knew was technically an alcoholic ... binge drinking was the trend. At least once a week was a 10 hour lunch and 1-2 nights was blind drunk and then there was the weekends.
If you want to know more about a heroin addict (on methadone), go to my blog.
The Australian Heroin Diaries