10 Unbelievable Facts About Addiction You Will Never Forget
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Have you ever witnessed something so crazy that you actually sat down and thought - "what in the Sam H**L were they thinking"? Sadly, I have been the person that left myself wondering this quite a few times. If this is your first post, be sure to go back and read my introduction and be sure to introduce yourself! Writing this post, I literally tried to think of things I had witnessed or even been part of that could knock these out of the water…. No way! Impossible on my end so without further do- Here's the list that takes the cake with bizarre facts! Please, be sure to comment if you think you could make this list even MORE BIZARRE!
Alcohol will start us out smooth by being the most commonly used drug. This most destructive and also most addictive drug just so happens to be the LEGAL one. Australia ALONE has 15+ deaths each day from alcohol. Isn't that just crazy? I've always wondered how alcohol was ever legal. Of course, at a young age I knew exactly how destructive it could be and I'm positive that played a huge role in why I always had the thought.
Prescription drugs kill more people than illegal drugs do! In fact, in 2012 there were more than 16,000 deaths due to prescription drugs in just the US alone. They are extremely easy to get, and as a matter of fact even with a prescription they were still easier to get than heroin, who will land us at number 3.
Yep, heroin was legal AND marketed as a cough suppressant . In 1898, it was marketed as a NON-Addictive substance when in reality, it was the MOST ADDICTIVE! Heroin was a popular remedy back then. It was a very desperate time the world was faced with pneumonia and tuberculosis which claimed a whole lot of lives. Heroin took care of these illnesses and was quite popular until people started getting addicted and then it quickly became outlawed everywhere.
4. Coca leaves are used as "herbal medicines". They contain alkaloids which serve medicinal purposes including, helping suppress hunger, thirst, pain, fatigue, and eases altitude sickness. Are you wondering why coca leaves sounds so familiar yet, you still have no idea what they are? It's because they were and still are used to make cocaine! Also, from 1885 all the way to around 1903, Coca Cola even used coca leaf extract as one of it's two main ingredients. The man who created Coca-Cola, John Pemberton was a confederate soldier. Pemberton also had a medical degree which allowed him to set out on his mission to find a substitute for the problematic drug, morphine that he was very much addicted to as well. His son, Charley Pemberton, an alcoholic and morphine addict died only six (6) short years after his father. Ten days before his demise, 40-year old Charley was found unconscious with a stick of opium by his side.
5. I imagine animals have a horrible time with the drug epidemic in their species too. Especially if there's any truth to a statement once made by a Tasmanian government official once reported. The details are a little sketchy but one can't help but question his credibility along with his mind state after reading, "Stoned Wallabies are eating the poppy heads and hopping around in circles in the fields". The statement was claimed to be the reason for the mysterious crop circles in the Tasmanian fields in 2009! Okay, let's be complete 100- here. I'm sure animals do get a good little head change more often than you would think. Especially the animals outside like that and eating in the wild. However, I am sorry I missed hopping around the field with the wallabies , "high as kites". Sounds like a nice padded room with a fashionably stylish hug-yourself-jacket just screaming to happen!
6. Well, if Crystal Meth wasn't bad enough on the skin, wait til you find out about this more dangerous flesh-eating drug. In the poorest areas in Russia, they enjoy injecting desomorphine. Street desomorphine, or "Krokodil", is prepared by users from codeine-containing pills, red phosphorus, and iodine. In the extremely poorest parts of Russia, another article stated they used a lethal mixture of pills, petrol (gas), cooking oil, and lighter fluid to make the drug easily right from their own homes. There's really no wonder that it causes the skin of its users to rot in record time! This being how it got it's name, "Krokodil", because of the flesh rotting, the skin becomes that of a crocodile. The drug made it's first day beau in Russia in 2004; that was the first confirmed report of use. There's an estimated 3 MILLION hooked on the flesh eating drug. By 2012, it had journeyed out beyond Russia into Western Europe and guess where else…. The UNITED STATES! And to think yawl actually THOUGHT The Walking Dead was just a little ole harmless show.
7. As you know, the legalization of cannabis has truly been a huge debate! By May 27, 2022, the number of states with NON-MEDICAL (adult use) regulated cannabis would be 19, along with the District of Columbia (DC does not regulate non- medical sales) and two territories, Guam and Puerto Rico. A total of 37 states, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands regulate cannabis for medical use by qualified individuals. Now, what would you think if I told you at one time but or a long time, it was legal enough to -- PAY YOUR TAXES!! From 1631 up to the early 1800's this was definitely one they didn't put in the history books. Farmers were even made to grow it because the English Navy were dependent on cannabis hemp fibers to make ropes and sails for its ships! Would you even believe that the great George Washington and our beloved Thomas Jefferson were among those who obeyed such a law? I'm starting to question what exactly honest George did cut down of his father's; an apple tree seems a little far- fetched now, don't ya think so?
8. Well for you mean, if you have ever been worried about what your wife is feeding you….. Listen up! Well all love our sweets during the holidays. My Maw Mil, (grandmother Mildred), she has taught me everything about cooking and let me tell you… she is a COOKER! Every year for Christmas, she makes my husband and I along with my brothers and my dad pumpkin rolls - one each, unless you're the baby and you happen to eat yours a little too fast, she will have ya an extra half of one put up :) However, how many of yawl feel funny after eating during the holidays? Everyone blames it on the turkey, which does cause drowsiness, BUT! Spices have been said to get people "high". Even innocent little old nutmeg is being accused of these heinous crimes. People have reported hallucinations from nutmeg even! Can you believe that? No? Well, I didn't either til I found out that substituting alcohol with nutmeg was a THING in the 1960-70's. Seems that it's been used even longer than that. Recreational use of nutmeg dates all the way back to the crusaders time. Ladies, you may wanna start doing some checking up on those spices in the future. I still don't know what to really make of this myself.
9. When I think of Japan, I just cannot picture it being somewhere drugs are floating around. Obviously they're everywhere, but to me, Japan seems like a nice place with it's s**t together. Ya know?? Would you believe crystal meth was invented in Japan? I guess that's not hard to believe cause everyone is a scientist or a doctor of some sort, etc. over there. It was first synthesized in 1893 by a chemist by the name of, Nagai Nagayoshi. It reached it's current form when pharmacologist, Akira Ogata reduced the ephedrine content and received a crystalized version. During World War II, both sides used the drug to keep troops awake. This led to a dramatic increase to meth usage even after it was outlawed by the U.S. in 1970. Methamphetamine was used early on as a medical treatment for narcolepsy, asthma, and even for weight loss. Even today, a form of the drug known as methamphetamine hydrochloride , Desoxyn for marketing terms, is an FDA controlled substance used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. The Japanese, U.S., British, and Germany military are reported to have used the stimulant to enhance endurance and ward off fatigue.
10. Even though it's been labeled a problem in youth, the numbers are growing in elderly users. It's said there is evidence to prove there is a rise in drug use among people in their 50's and even their 60's, in the U.S. that is at least. The National Institute on Drug Abuse lays blame to these numbers on being members of the "FLOWER POWER GENERATION". I thought I would literally laugh so hard I peed on myself when I read that. I had to read the words over and over to make sure I was reading it correctly. It didn't take me but a millisecond to know they were referring to the 70's. They even went on to say, "who were deep into drug use during the 1960's and 70's as part of the swelling counterculture movement." The nerve those people have speaking of our parents/grandparents in that way. Haha. I really loathe that that generation is frowned upon so heavily. They didn't bother anyone, in fact that was the very last thing they wanted to do! They were the most loving and in-tune with, I won't say spirit or the earth, because I feel it was a lot deeper than that even. They were well in-tune with themselves! I find that really admirable that they not only loved everything and everyone, but they still found time to love themselves. They got to know who they were as a person and I feel that's something we need to get back into because we don't take care of ourselves anymore. We also don't care for others the way they did back then either today.
I hope this post gave you some insight you didn't have before as it did me. Please by all means comment below and let me know what bizarre things you wouldn't think anyone else would be aware of about the drugs in the world. Humor Me more, PLEASE!
If this is your first time reading, please go read my introductory post "You, Me, & Recovery". Be sure to introduce yourself in the comments on that post so we can get to know one another! Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to stay update and get tons of freebies straight to your inbox by clicking that purple button below!! As always, stay awesome my lovelies , Until Next time!