Big differences here. That's the case where something resembles identical to
another thing -- but they are
really not identical.
The social situation (1), target people (2),
range of age of target people (3)
individual genetics and personality (4),
molecular action in the brain (5) and
post effects plus side effects (6) of those
2 drugs are **entirely different**.
Sorry.
Back to the ice tea.
Ricardo.
----- Original Message -----
From: Tim Shearon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Bill/Hank/et al <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2000 1:58 PM
Subject: Re: Speed abusers and Ritalin users
> Stephen Black said:
>
> > If methamphetamine is bad for the brain, as the research reported
> >below suggests, wouldn't its cousin, methylphenidate be bad also?
>
> I'd say maybe/maybe-not. Different molecules. Different patterns of use
and
> dosing, etc. (Also, controlled production with known risks (sic/HA) vs God
> knows what solvents used for meth! See the Case of the Frozen Addicts, for
> example!) That methylphenidate may be bad seems likely, depending on
> longevity and other factors in methylphenidate use/prescription, and a lot
> of pharmacology types are concerned about the potential for such damage.
> But Stephen seems to be correct. Look who is paying for much of the
> research. Primairly the same govn't that has a declared war on "drugs" and
> the companies that manufacture methylphenidate?!
>
> >Shouldn't someone be scanning the brains of hyperactive kids on
> >long-term Ritalin for the same kinds of effect?
>
> Sure. But do they REALLY have data on modified chemistry or on its
> artifacts? And do they really know that the brains weren't different
before
> these people started using meth? Nope. But I do bet that someone is doing
> the scanning studies. But some of the same methodology problems exist and
> who is going to propose randomly assigning methylphenidate use among 8 -
10
> year olds?
>
>
> >Or is meth a bad drug (that is, illegal) and Ritalin a good drug (that
> >is, prescribable and recommended), so there's less concern? I do have
> >a certain deja vu about this question, so if we've been through it
> >before, just let me know where.
>
> I think we can all guess the answer to the first part (good vs bad drugs).
> This is the country that had a problem with thousands and thousands (dare
> we say millions?) of people dying from smoking related illness and
> cirrosis/Korsakoff diseases running out the wassu. So we banned artificial
> sweetners and put warning labels on the known killers? Stephen, you
weren't
> expecting rational behavior on drug related issues were you? :) Back to my
> coffee.
> Tim
>
> _______________________________________________________
> Timothy O. Shearon, PhD
> Albertson College of Idaho
> Department of Psychology
> 2112 Cleveland Blvd
> Caldwell, Idaho
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 208-459-5840
>
>
