Inhaled ethanol, fentanyl death, soy sauce overdose: Weekly Web Review in Toxicology

Philosophy students on drugs:  A recent survey in The Tab — a student newspaper at Cambridge (U.K.) University — found that the “druggiest” university in the U.K. is Leeds, whose students prefer marijuana, ecstasy, ketamine, and nitrous oxide (laughing gas). The druggiest subject, according to their data, was philosophy, with 87% of students in this field admitting to use. At the bottom of the list of 22 subjects was medicine, with only 57% of respondents revealing prior use. (Of course, this type of survey is far from scientific, but never mind.) A blog post on the website for The Guardian (U.K.) newspaper asks the question: why do philosophy students to the most drugs? It notes that the philosopher William James expanded the variety of his religious experience by taking nitrous oxide, and that the Greek philosopher Epicurius recommended using a concoction called tetrapharmakos as way to peace of mind and the happy life. Since tetrapharmakos was made of wax, resin, pitch and tallow, one shouldn’t be surprised that it has gone out of fashion. Unfortunately, the post never quite answers the question about why philosophy majors are the most zonked. Fentanyl-related deaths: In just a 2-week stretch, the city of Lebanon PA (population 25, 477) has seen 6 overdoses — including one death — attributed to fentanyl. Authorities believe that at least some of these cases the victims had purchased what they believed was heroin and used their usual amounts ...
Source: The Poison Review - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Medical earth and fire erowid fentanyl inhaled ethanol soy sauce hypernatremia ToxTalk weekly web review in toxicology Source Type: news