Pubdate: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 Source: Northern Territory News (Australia) Copyright: 2013 Northern Territory News Contact: http://ntnews.news.com.au/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283 Author: Stephen John Brown TOXIC ALCOHOL'S THE REAL DRUG DANGER I TOTALLY disagree with that reformed addict who blames his addiction on cannabis use. He admitted to being addicted to alcohol, cannabis and meth. I'd say he had a predisposition to abuse any drug he consumed. Millions of people use drugs every day responsibly. When teenagers take that first step into getting "high", the legal pathway compels them to drink alcohol. Now that's a bad choice. Why? Just read the tabloids everyday - drunken violence - trails of victims and shattered lives. I saw the light 40 years ago. I rarely, if ever, drink alcohol these days. I prefer to have a joint in the evening, at home, doing no harm to anyone but myself, maybe. Yet I am persecuted for it. I am 70 years of age and have been smoking pot for 40 years. I scored 129 in the last national IQ test, solved the hardest Sudoku, don't need a calculator for maths and don't suffer any brain damage. I am convinced if I had been on the grog for 50 years I would not be so lucky today. Alcohol is a toxin and should be labelled as such. My tip: don't do any drugs (especially alcohol) until the brain is fully developed and don't abuse drugs. Stephen John Brown, McMinns Lagoon - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom