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DanArmak comments on [Link] Death with Dignity by Scott Adams - Less Wrong Discussion

3 Post author: Gunnar_Zarncke 12 May 2015 09:34PM

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Comment author: DanArmak 15 May 2015 06:41:25PM *  1 point [-]

Which is one reason most opiates, and most other drugs you can easily overdose on and die (as opposed to water), are not legal to buy without prescription.

Comment author: Lumifer 15 May 2015 07:42:03PM 0 points [-]

Actually, no, the reason why you can't buy opiates without a prescription is because they are addictive psychoactives.

You can very easily overdose on Tylenol (acetaminophen, paracetamol), but it will take you a while to die from liver failure. You can buy unlimited amount of Tylenol in every pharmacy.

Comment author: DanArmak 16 May 2015 12:47:15AM 0 points [-]

Actually, no, the reason why you can't buy opiates without a prescription is because they are addictive psychoactives.

Like I said, dangerous overdoses and side effects are one reason, not the only reason.

Which drugs are legal, and which don't require prescriptions, is in large part a matter of historical contingency, lobbying and politics. But there are other reasons too, and dangerous side effects or overdose effects are among the more important ones.