Harder Drugs and Higher Doses

One of the many arguments against dangerous drug use is the fact that, for many users, they will develop a tolerance to the drug(s) they are using over time. The type of drug they use or the amount will eventually be insufficient to reach the mental and physical state they are seeking (the “high”). To overcome this “problem,” some drug users will then experiment with harder drugs* or use greater amounts of their current drug(s). While this may be common knowledge to some, the goal of this article is to compile a few sources for the reader that demonstrate this fact.

Sources

Tolerance and higher doses: “The brain remembers this surge and associates it with the addictive substance. However, with chronic use of the substance, over time the brain’s circuits adapt and become less sensitive to dopamine. Achieving that pleasurable sensation becomes increasingly important, but at the same time, you build tolerance and need more and more of that substance to generate the level of high you crave.”

Tolerance and higher doses: “Drug occurs when someone’s body or brain no longer responds to a prescription or recreational drug in the same way it once did.”

“In cases of substance misuse, someone may need to take increasingly higher doses of the drug to achieve the ‘high’ they are seeking.“

Alcohol: “The National Institute of Health reports that young people between the ages of 18 and 24 are more likely to have a co-occurring alcohol use disorder and other drug use disorder than older people.”

Tobacco: “A number of studies have indicated that individuals who begin using tobacco products earlier in life will often develop other issues with substance use and abuse, including to substances like alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc.”

The importance of preventing drug usage among youth: “Evidence shows early use of legal drugs increase risks of illicit drug progression.”

Summary

Oftentimes, people may hold certain beliefs but not have sources for them. The purpose of this article was to provide links to a variety of sources that demonstrate the dangers of harmful drug use. Drug use and abuse may lead to even greater harm later, and to state as much is not “fear-mongering” but backed by many studies.

*Although it is a fact that many “lighter” drug users will eventually use “harder” drugs, there may be various reasons to explain this (from the Gateway Drug Theory to the Common Liabilities Model). The goal here is not to argue that a marijuana user has to become a heroine user, or anything of that nature. It is not being implied that correlation equals causation. Social, psychological, and biological variables must be considered. However, it is perfectly appropriate to state the correlation itself, whatever the cause of that correlation may be. Some people who use marijuana and alcohol will move on to other more dangerous drugs.