The Seedier Side of Life

Drugs are a curious thing. As a society we have set the limits on some, but allow others to freely invade our lives. We ban and suspend athletes who go too far, but we look the other way when something much closer to home hits us nearly everywhere we go.

What is a drug? It's something that effects your body's normal physiology. In most cases, as a society, we are worried about the drugs that affect our minds so that we no longer think clearly, though in some cases we are concerned about the effects that some drugs have on our bodies. And we're always worried about the addictive qualities and long term deleterious effects that some of these drugs may possess.

More clearly defined, drugs change blood pressure, they elevate (or slow down) metabolism and heart rate. Many drugs make you sweat as a result of the quick metabolic changes. And you crave them. Life without them becomes boring. You can't believe how bland things are without them. You need them in ways that you never noticed before you started using them. They become so common that you can't go back to living without them.

Worse, people who may be casual users, are often tempted by their friends, to try even larger and larger amounts of the these drugs to see who "can handle their effects better," as if its somehow manly to almost pass out by using them.

I have friends like that. And they don't even realize how dangerous what they are doing may be.

More worrisome? These entry-level drugs are a slippery slope to more powerful drugs. The more they use one, the more they start to need others. Before you know it it's an endless cycle of abuse.

The worse part is the drugs I'm talking about aren't even looked at as drugs in our society and their use is often encouraged among children and teens. Consuming them in massive quantities isn't even considered illegal.

The drug? Spice. Our society has some how become addicted to the fact that "spicier" is better, that "hotter" is more desirable. I've seen grown adults nearly cry like babies as they eat spoonful after spoonful of chile that's so hot it'll make your eyes water if you are in the same room with it. I've seen friends turn bright red and sweat like they are in a sauna just by sampling the latest hot pepper that one of them has recently discovered. And then they'll eat another one and another one. It's a sickness born of misplaced machoism and pride. And like most drug users, in the beginning they'll do it because it's expected of them as some form of peer pressure. But after a while, they'll start to crave it, and then over time, they'll want it in and on everything.

And every single time it will effect their metabolism and their heart rate, and their blood pressure. Eating it will always make them sweat profusely. They'll learn to tolerate the side-effects because they'll begin to enjoy them and the false sense of accomplishment that goes along with their use. And they will seek out hotter and hotter spices that lead to even greater and greater metabolic changes.

Depending on where they eat the food that contains them, they'll start seeking out alcoholic beverages to lessen the effects of the spice. And depending on the hotness factor, they'll need more and more of the alcohol to numb their tongues and quench the great thirst that results from that spice. As I said, it's a gateway drug.

Why am I writing this? As a warning.

Also I'd like to go to a fast food place once in a while and be able to get a chicken sandwich that isn't spicy.