Alcohol, Cigarettes Popular Drugs

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31982, 8 May 1969, Page 16

Alcohol, Cigarettes Popular Drugs

Cigarette smoking and alcohol dependence should be avoided if a person wished to live a long and effective life, said Dr C. G. Riley, a Christchurch neurologist, in a lecture at Christchurch College last evening.

The lecture, “Popular Addictions—Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco,” was the last in a series of five for clergy and laity of all denominations on social problems. “Society must learn to enjoy and to endure, without constant resort to artificial means of promoting euphoria, of alleviating sadness, of relieving anxiety and rendering ourselves less adaptive, less responsive to the varying challenges of the complex life that is our lot on this earth.”

There were three main drug types—stimulants, depressants and the hallucinogens, he said. Stimulant drugs, an example of which was nicotine and amphetamines, produced an intense stimulation of the •nerve centres of the brain leading to a variety of subjective feelings. They could also lead to a prolonged state of restless over-activity. The depressants included alcohol and barbiturates, hypnotic drugs, volatile chemicals such as dry cleaner, ether, paint remover and glue, and narcotics including opium and its derivatives. The third group, the hallucinogens, produced visions and were the so-called mindexpanding or psychedelic drugs. They included marijuana and L.S.D. '

Dr Riley said that today there was evidence that increasing numbers of young people under the age of 20 experimented with drugs. "There is so much talk today about drugs that the young naturally want to know what this is about,” he said. “The young are trained not to accept anything at its face value, but to seek knowledge for themselves. Therefore, if drugs are available the young will experiment.” Dr Riley said that it was true that a well-adjusted person might take drugs and yet develop no dependence

upon them. The difficult problem, however, was for the experimenter to know whether he was running the risk of becoming dependent upon the drug. Unfortunately an individual was seldom capable of assessing his own emotional make-up. Dr Riley said drug addiction could be cured. i “Treatment takes time and effort and is costly, but some addicts can be successfully weaned from their drugs.” Dr Riley said that alcohol had for centuries been taken in small doses by Europeans for the relief of fatigue. It was a tranquilliser and its effect on the mood depended partly on the release of underlying thoughts and partly on a less inhibited reaction to environment. Repeated doses of alcohol led to organ damage involv tag the brain, the liver, the stomach, and the heart in proportion to the amount

taken and the period of time during which it was taken, it produced both psychological and physical dependence and continued taking in a significant dosage led to social disaster, chronic ill health and death.

“AH I can say to the young is that if they experiment with alcohol in quantity, they should choose the time and place for their ‘binge’ and also their friends so that they will be looked after when they are no longer able to look after themselves.” Dr Riley said that the association of cigarette smoking with lung cancer was now accepted. Nicotine also damaged arteries and was a significant factor in the development of coronary artery disease and of defective limb circulation.

The greatest danger, however, was from bronchitis.

“11l effects from smoking cigarettes are long delayed and therefore it is difficult to persuade people of the dangers," said Dr Riley. “As the decision to smoke is most often made ta youth, youth must know the risks, and not allow Itself to be lulled into a false sense of security because the danger seems so remote.”