America loves its drugs. Maybe that’s why we are silent to the epidemic of addiction. 25 million Americans abuse something. From prescription drugs, liquor, caffeine, heroin,..to a growing trend of free highs, Americans are experts at self medicating and now our teens buy legal club drugs and herbs practically anywhere, including online. Salvia is just that; a legal and available drug luring our youth into a culture of drug use. Salvia, in fact, has very negative implications even suicide. A friend asked me recently, reflecting on Jared Loughner’s use of drugs if that could have contributed to his shooting rampage in Tucson. I responded by saying the underlying cause was probably already there, i.e., some kind of mental issue, but who knows and is it worth the risk. ABC News published a video in January of 2011 investigating the drug salvia. Obviously, some pharmaceuticals may extract useful medicine from herbal drug sources, but the use of these drugs is just another road to addiction. Individual’s Addiction starts somewhere and habituating something one views as innocuous, is a beginning. This website is about lighting a fire under positive action away from an addictive society and the counter productive policies that keep Americans hooked. Topic provided by Mary
DadOnFire
On fire about the impact of addiction and need for solutions
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March 26, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Barbara
I didn’t realize until reading this how dangerous Salvia is.
Do you know anything about Kratom?
March 27, 2011 at 12:49 am
Todd
It’s really too bad that people will actually believe the absurd claims made about Salvia in this remarkably poorly researched article.
To the best of my knowledge, there are no credible studies showing Salvia to be a “gateway drug”. To the contrary, most people I’ve spoken to whom have attempted to use it as a recreational drug have no desire to try it again.
Have a little integrity and intelligence and tell us ALL the known facts about Salvia Divinorum. In the US, despite Salvia being used by millions, there has never been a single death attributed to using Salvia – it is not even physically toxic, though it is a very powerful and short-term psychotropic.
People who lie about Salvia, and who have made zero effort to educate themselves ABOUT Salvia should have no say whatsoever on drug policy related to Salvia. And people who omit all the facts about Salvia should simply not be trusted – they are lying to you.
March 27, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Bill Ford
I think you summed it up: it is a very powerful and short-term psychotropic. The problem is that no matter what you are playing with, some people come pre-wired to be an addict and the issue is really the people, not salvia. I agree, many who use salvia will not become addicted to something else, but their chances are just as likely as someone smoking catnip to find themselves in that pool of drug users who can take it further. Most users smoke or ingest salvia, to get high. I would estimate that salvia users also smoke dope, drink, and use other things as well…because that it who they are.
Granted, the majority of regular users can remain functionally intact as chronic or regular users of different things. This is only an opinion, but I would bet that anyone who engages in any kind of regular use is exponentially more likely to become a statistical “addict” than the average American. Users fall somewhere in the population of the 25 million American’s who are getting stoned or drunk. Some of them will take their use over the edge. The reader can go online and find much positive to be said about salvia, but I wouldn’t condone it’s use. I think some on my links are also not entirely negative.
The statements I made are experiential, in that I have known drug users. I have seen what they do. Once you are in that category of being a user, statistically your chances of abuse, skyrocket. It really doesn’t matter what you start with. Some argue that pot is innocuous, pot users fall into the same statistical soup; much like regular drinkers.
I am glad that you can use something as a tool and stay functionally free from addictive behavior. One could argue that for some that is still, a slippery road. What I say here is not a put down. I wish you well. In the bigger picture, I would like to see drug use decriminalized, as my focus is supporting the road to recovery for American citizens that are stuck in that cycle of addiction.