Drug War Myth #726,001: Cocaine is Deadlier than Aspirin

I did this cartoon. Please be aware DoseNation usually posts my cartoons and then takes a snippet from the accompanying article or adds their own brief commentary. They then provide a link to the full article for those that find it interesting. I appreciate feedback, however before skewering me please go to the link for the full posting.

I am well aware of the flaws of the comparison and in the cartoon's accompanying article I write:

"Critics will point out that these are two different metrics that do not provide proper comparison (two months of usage vs. one administration). My response is that (1) these are the only metrics available and (2) my point is not to establish one is safer than the other but to show that – contrary to popular perception – their deadliness is similar."

I disagree with many of the points raised below but it is beyond the scope of this forum to debate the dangers of cocaine. If you truly want to debate the issue comment on the original post at the blog, Narco Polo, and I will respond.

Note that the accompanying article also provides the sources.

"Great artists suddenly start making the lamest music ever. Etc etc."

Totally know what you mean. Look at Metallica. They write "Master of Puppets" (a song that is *about* cocaine) during their own honeymoon phase(s) and it is their best and most successful work. Their next album was called "And Justice For All," and there was only "One" song ;) that didn't sound the same on it!

Umm, and yeah what about when users of NSAIDS compulsively take all of the aspirin in the house. After finishing off the sixty count bottle, maybe IF they are really FEELIN it, then maybe they will continue to search frantically under the coffee tables and inside of drawers for left over bits of any anti inflammation substances possible... Maybe start going down a list of people who might answer the phone for more.

Pretty much do not think that is happening.

Coke on the other hand...

I think duh is the word that comes to mind.

We don't have to fully repeat the 80's again.

Coke didn't really get big time popular again until after around 2000 some time. I never even heard of anyone actually doing it
during the rave days of the 90's.

Judging by current trajectories and the looks of some of the more long term blow hards at Seattle's Cha Cha, we will soon be hearing a bunch of rehab stories repleat with cheesy hollywood dramas a la Less Than Zero. Great artists suddenly start making the lamest music ever. Etc etc.

Just look at the numbers. There are some pretty negative statistics connected to the white donkey. Not existing any more! And maybe possibly even a direct connection to self induced Parkinsons!

No need to get too far into it...

Snortin cock is pretty much a not so bright idea all around.

I wanted to post the same thing as the first poster. I agree. Also:

"What dumb people!
They were obviously making the point that when people do a recreational drug the right way (in moderation & not on a regular basis) it is less deadly than a legal medication when taken in its prescribed dose"

That may be fine but they should know the comparison of those numbers and their emphasis suggests otherwise, being the cartoonist.

One thing I've always wondered: is sugar more dangerous to children than marijuana? Anyone have any ideas or definite evidence either way?

Wait... did the person who make this... actually read the studies? Do they understand all the variables and the likes? It doesn't appear to be so.

Who would want to do just one line? Do as many lines as you want, just don't do it seven days a week.

Even a responsible cocaine user won't do just the one line.

Fortunately though, cocaine is one of the most lethal drugs. Do a similar comparison with ecstasy and I don't think we'd be able to argue against it.

What dumb people!
They were obviously making the point that when people do a recreational drug the right way (in moderation & not on a regular basis) it is less deadly than a legal medication when taken in its prescribed dose

It is still immoral to kidnap and remove otherwise productive citizens from society because they ingested a certain "approved" substance

could bet you made the picture, then researched the story lol

Even if we take this ridiculous comparison at face value, the numbers simply do not add up.

If we take the NSAID users and assume that they only used NSAIDs for two months (which is a conservative time period because the text states that they used for at least two months), and we assume that they took NSAIDs twice a month, we get 120 doses. Take 0.08% and divide it by 120 and you get 0.00067%, lower than the cocaine! But since we don't know the sample number or the variation within each sample, we don't even know if this is statistically significant.

For those against drugs, this would provide excellent fodder to show that drug users are idiots.

Comparing intranasal cocaine administration during surgery and people taking NSAIDs for at least two months is just an absurd example of spinning the facts to make them say what the cartoonist has predetermined to be true.

Some errors in the comparison:

1. One administration vs. multiple administrations over a long time period.

2. Comparison of one drug (cocaine) vs. a group of drugs (NSAIDS).

3. Direct medical supervision of drug administration vs. patient self administration.

4. Different routes of administration, nasal vs. oral.

5. Many of arguments of the danger of cocaine depend on it's addictiveness, which is not addressed.

To compare cocaine to NSAIDs, I would use the following critera:

1. The ratio of drug dose to achieve desired effect to the LD50

2. How motivated the average drug user would be to use the drug above a safe dose.