PhiloPsycho Freedom

The Gateway Drug Theory (GDT) is always paraded about in high schools all over the world. It is a rather annoying comment on the society at hand - especially if you look at the drug they choose to demonize. The GDT has a few different version, but this is what I understand of it, picking the attributes that made the most sense to me: the GS is linked to trying harder substances, the environment in which the GS is sold allows for greater accessibility of harder drugs, and the GS causes increased chances of chemical dependence of related substances.

In North America, they generally place all the blame on marijuana as the gateway drug. It's evil! It'll fuck up your life! Try it and you'll be addicted for life! Granted, it does have some adverse effects, it's difficult to get the facts straight due to all the misinformation in the drug culture (e.g. it has never been legal to carry any amount in Canada (or so I was told by an RCMP officer (It was a question! I wasn't charged with anything!))). To me, this seems to be jumping too readily to the side of something they want to demonize and choosing to ignore something they don't want to demonize: Alcohol or Nicotine.

It's funny how often people overlook alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine as drugs just because they're legal, as if only illegal drugs are truly drugs. Anyway, how many kids immediately go for pot before they try something a little more available? Do their parents have pot sitting around instead of booze? No, generally speaking, they don't. Booze is sitting right in the cupboards, normally not under lock and key, so 'kids' can help themselves to it. Studies have shown that alcohol and tobacco are normally used prior to using pot. Though, this doesn't refute the Reverse Gateway Drug Theory, saying that people start with harder substances and move to the softer ones (which just seems implausible to me, except in very few cases).

There are legal drugs that are better candidates for the Gateway drug of the year; I'm looking at you, alcohol. I pick it over caffeine or nicotine because it actually alters one's perception in an obvious, and often fun, way. I can't see someone drinking a coffee/smoking a cigarette and being like "Holy Shit! This is Great!! If this stuff is this good, heroine will be even better!" or "Man, I'm bored with this previously fun substance, let's try something harder." Whereas, with alcohol, this seems like a much more plausible reaction due to it's perception altering properties and association with recreation.

Sure, alcohol fails the environmental side that marijuana passes (no other drugs available in the liquor store, unlike your local drug dealers), but that seems like somewhat of a cop-out to me. I think it's more of a personality feature that leads to harder drug use; people may get bored of alcohol, they may enjoy it so much that they decide to try something harder, they search it out, or have it suggested to them by friends and/or relatives who are already into that scene. Sure, the odd person may try something because it's right there, but I think the social side and curiosity combine to make more of an influence. Alright, this does weaken my argument for alcohol, but I think that trying alcohol will ease someone's perceptions of trying drugs, making them more likely to someone else suggesting it. Furthermore, It only takes buying pot once to get them 'exposed' to the other drugs.

As for whether the GS leads to higher chance of dependence on related drugs... well, there aren't any that are related (and recreational), so there's no real risk there.

Well, Here's my two cents. Take 'em or leave 'em.