if anything erowid.org makes me less likely to use drugs, as so many reports are written by people using multiple anti depressants. anyone agree?
no, not at all. erowid ISNT designed as a pro-drug website. its supposed to be an unbiased site offering as much and as accurate information as it can. it does a relatively good job of that. much better job than most other sites. it's primary function is as a network of documents with educational potential, the "trip reports" are just a tiny fraction of the information there, and the least important to be quite honest. the downside is many people find them the most interesting. nevertheless, the reports (to an extent) reflect the drug culture at large and can give you some idea of what to expect to run into among drug users. i'll agree most lifestyle drug users are losers. not wanting to do drugs because of the people you end up associating with is valid and acceptable. but also take into consideration the undeserved reputation as a pro-drug site that erowid has been given, and take into consideration the type of people likely to submit reports of their drug use. its not nearly as likely to be the banker or businessman who smokes pot after work to unwind, it's the internet drug geeks. some are sophisticated, some not. some responsible, some not. some are intelligent...some definitely not.
Not at all. In fact, I have yet to see a SINGLE report written by someone using anti-depressants, unless the report is *about* antidepressants. And I have read SO many reports that are deep and descriptive, very valuable reports to know. I've been far more prepared to do a drug after reading about it on Erowid, learning about the physiological effects, the psychological effects, the dosage, any hazards, etc. Hell, if I were Catholic, I'd nominate Fire and Earth Erowid for Sainthood. (They're the guys who started and run the site.)
the amount of reports including antidepressants are about the same as the amount of people taking them...
Id say my net drug use goes unchanged by the knowledge on erowid, but the diversity and intellegence behind my drug use decisions is hightened. It links you to good knowledge for reducing harm like LD50 doses and toxicology reference, and the sheer bulk and variety of the experience reports paints a great picture of the multiple sides of many drugs, though Im sure taking this to science would be inaccurate, like to say the ratio of good/bad experiences for a particular subtance has quantitative meaning might be a bit far, but certainly qualitative.
Its a bit off topic...but when someone mentions antidepressants and interactions with drugs i have to say it.. I advice anyone not to take amphetamines while on SSRI! Almost made me died! Close to full blown serotonin syndrome! Psychiatrist didnt even have it in her list of dangerous interactions! They said maoi are dangerous with stimulants...but ssri's as well!
I completly disagree. Erowid is one of the few reliable, legitimate resources out there to learn about a substance before you use it. It doesn't encourage or discourage my usage, it merly provides information which I can use to make educated decisions.
ok, did i actually say it was pro drugs? i just said (if anything it makes me less likely) and i agree it is reliable and legitamate.
I have found Erowid to be a very useful site, giving me necessary information to take precautions before taking a drug. It would not suprise me if Erowid has saved many lives by providing excellent safety tips. I have also read exceptional reports from very excellent writers who truly amazed me with their description and metaphor.
There are some drugs that thanks to Erowid I now have no interest in ever trying, but that's why it's a great site, it basis itself on just the truth.
I´ve had the pleasure to meet Fire and Earth Erowid on the Basel symposium - they´re really great people, but much more grounded than I´d have supposed. I only miss one thing in their trip report collection: the possibility to search by dose (and this can be a real problem, if you want to find out sth. about a substance, of which dozens of trip reports have been submitted...) Photo: Fire & Earth Erowid at the Basel symposium
