Ron,
I just wanted to say that I appreciated the thoughtfulness of your post on
"the CNS-effects similarities between alcohol and illicit drugs". It
treated this subject with the kind of balanced and logical approach needed
today. As you so eloquently pointed out, making a comparison between
alcohol and drugs like heroine is a path fraught with peril. There is a
moral difficulty when individuals measure the deleterious effects of
alcohol against that of heroin and other drugs which are abused. The damage
that alcohol and drug abuse cause to individuals, families and friends as
well as the burden this places on society takes place long before the
physical damage is done to the abuser. Therefore simply measuring somatic
injury as a comparison seems hollow.
 
I have not pursued this but there would seem to be abundant statistical
evidence to demonstrate that the percent of alcohol users vs. alcohol
abusers is small (10% or less?) compared to heroin users vs. abusers,
(95+%?)! From that standpoint, comparing the deleterious effects of the use
of alcohol with the abuse of drugs (legal and illegal) can not be logically
made any more than can the legal medical use of drugs be compared with the
abuse of alcohol. These are separate categories and they should be treated
as such. In the case of alcohol, abuse is what causes the damage whereas
appropriate moderate use produces no ill effects beyond those who have a
physical or medical predisposition to such problems. I have never heard of
anyone regretting that they had a glass of wine with dinner however I have
heard many who have regretted having a bottle.
 
John