Nutt (2009) in a recent review noted an alarming addiction current in Britain which has led to a significant number of deaths. He illustrated the seriousness of the problem by presenting data showing that the incidence of acute harm with equasy is approximately 30 times greater than for ecstasy (MDMA), a recreational drug popular among young Brits.
Ecstasy is a class A drug in Britain, which means it is considered among the most harmful, and the penalty for possession is a 7-year sentence. Yet equasy, far more dangerous, is entirely unregulated. Does this make sense? Nutt, D. (2009). Equasy--an overlooked addiction with implications for the current debate on drug harms. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 23, 3-5. [available on-line at http://jop.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/23/1/3 See also an editorial on this urgent issue in _Nature (November 5, 2009) at www.nature.com/nature/journal/v462/n7269/full/462011b.html or http://tinyurl.com/y9ho7j7 and a commentary on it in New Scientist (November 4, 2009): http://tinyurl.com/ycgpbsn (and if you missed it in my previous attempt to raise this issue, you might want to also check out this excellent review: http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/estimatingdrugharms.html Stephen ----------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Bishop's University e-mail: [email protected] 2600 College St. Sherbrooke QC J1M 1Z7 Canada ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
