Drug Myth 2

A person is physically addicted to a drug when the body suffers withdrawal symptoms when denied the drug. Physical addiction to a recreational drug is not enjoyable because the body has adjusted to having it constantly and is now tolerant to the drug. That is, the drug is no longer providing the pleasing effect but merely allowing the user to feel normal. Withdrawal symptoms can be barely noticeable with some drugs, e.g. marijuana, to fatal with others, e.g. alcohol. Contrary to popular perception, becoming physically addicted to a drug is not easy. One must acclimate the body to always having it one’s system. Physical addiction to a drug cannot occur if the body is cleansed of it between usage.

Drug	%	Support	Hype
Tobacco	32	32% of tobacco users had experienced dependence.	With heroin, “everyone ... is a potential addict,” “addiction can start with the very first dose,” and “with continued use addiction is a certainty” “Crack is the most addictive drug known to man,” causing “almost instantaneous addiction”
Heroin	1–23	23% of heroin users had experienced dependence, but less than 1% of users of medically prescribed opiates developed any form of addiction.
Alcohol	15	15% of alcohol drinkers ever experience dependence.
Ice (Smoked Metham-phetamine)	< 7	Less than 7% of high school seniors who smoked it in the previous year reported using it on 20 or more days the previous month.
Crack	0-7	93% of young adults who had tried crack were no longer using it even once a month. No abuse was found in hundreds of users of medically prescribed crack.
Cocaine	3	About 3% of cocaine users develop any form of addiction.