Re: Meth users and abusers Originally Posted by jlsRN 
And yes, some illicit drugs are more destructive than others...
I guess it'd depend what you mean when you say "destructive"--on an individual basis? on a societal basis? It really is way too complicated of an issue to simplify by saying drug X is more/less dangerous than drug Y
for example, although nicotine isn't likely to cause you to lose your family or rob, steal, and kill for a "fix", and doesn't alter one's reality, studies find it's the most addictive and we know about the harms of nicotine
heroin, alcohol, and benzos, on the other hand are more difficult to stop using because of their physical dependence, which for EtOH and benzo withdrawal can result in death if not done under close medical supervision, so that's pretty destructive to an individual
meth is primarily a psych depenedence drug; few die from meth abuse, per se, but becuase of the strong psych dependence (as seen with cocaine as well), they do long term damage to their body (which happens with most other illicit drugs as well)
studies show that cocaine users who undergo MRIs while actively using and a year after abstaining show similar brain function when shown words or pictures associated with their use; I'd be curious to know the results of similar studies done with meth, opiates and other illicit drugs (if they exist)
if you want to talk about destructive in terms of a society, SAMSHA still shows that meth use is quite a bit lower than other drugs such as MJ, cocaine, opiates, tobacco, and alcohol.
wait until PCP makes a comeback (which will hopefully never happen); ask a police officer who they'd rather arrest and none of them will pick someone who's on PCP because it acts as a stimulant, hallucinogen and pain killer--horrible combo when you try to subdue them by force
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