

FDA says meth OK for ADHD, weight loss


The absurdities of Drug War politics

That means that Adderall, Desoxyn and other prescription amphetamines likely carry the same risks as meth. According to Hart and colleagues, one of the main risks of long-term amphetamine use is toxicity to the brain cells that produce dopamine and other monoamine neurotransmitters. This appears to occur because large doses of amphetamine abnormally boost dopamine levels in the brain, leading to the production of cell- and DNA-destroying free radicals.
“This, in turn, could lead to persistent deficits in the functioning of dopamine-containing cells,” the researchers wrote.
They note that recreational drug users may be somewhat insulated from this effect, because they tend to start with small doses and increase their usage over time. The worst effects in animal studies were seen in drug-naive animals given a large dose repeatedly.
The authors do not mention if this could happen to children abruptly given high doses of ADHD drugs.
Other known risks of long-term amphetamine use include stroke and “paranoia mimicking full-blown psychosis.”
Hart and colleagues note that the artificial division between meth and drugs such as Adderall is typical of the politics-driven “War on Drugs.” In 1986, for example, Congress passed a law making the penalties for crack possession 50 times more severe than the penalties for cocaine. But these are chemically the same drug and produce identical effects. The only major difference is that crack is typically smoked rather than snorted, leading to higher blood concentrations of the active ingredient.
“To punish crack users more harshly than powder users is analogous to punishing those who are caught smoking marijuana more harshly than those caught eating marijuana-laced brownies,” the researchers wrote.

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Written by David Gutierrez

Natural News

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