[lbo-talk] opium deaths?

[Michael Dawson]

> > > such a benign
> > > substance.
> > >
> > > John Thornton
> 
> > Huh?  Opium?  WTF?
> 
> It is a completely non-toxic substance that harms none of the bodies
> organs.
> Aspirin if very toxic and yet we consider it relatively benign. Since he
> was
> referring to deaths from opium, not any of its alkaloids in a concentrated
> form
> such as morphine, I inquired how they died. Opium is far safer than almost
> any modern pharmaceutical for toxicity. Opium is safer than pot and is in
> all
> probability the least toxic mind altering substance we know of.
> Pharmacologically you would have a difficult time finding a substance less
> harmful than opium.
> 
> John Thornton

So you don't consider severe chemical dependency to be a form of brain
damage?  And how about opium's indirect health effects?  What's the average
life expectancy for junkies?