With the college party culture still raging strong coming out of spring break, thousands of college students were probably presented with the opportunity to drink alcohol or smoke marijuana over the last few weeks. While both of these substances can be dangerous if used irresponsibly, the effects of each of these drugs are very different and can yield various results user to user. Now, both drinking and smoking are BOTH illegal to anyone under the age of 21 in the state of California, so doing either underage puts you at risk of encountering legal trouble and can get you arrested or fined. Aside from legalities, both of these substances have their drawbacks and the debate pertaining to which is worse is still very much alive. So, let’s compare, shall we?
In terms of short-term health consequences, drinking excess alcohol can kill a person quickly while the use of weed appears to be a bit more subtle. Livescience.com reports that “you can die binge-drinking five minutes after you’ve been exposed to alcohol” if you drink too much, and the same type of immediate danger “isn’t going to happen with marijuana.” In fact, a total of 88,000 people die from alcohol related causes yearly according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, while a shocking zero have died from any sort of marijuana use. Livescience.com also states that alcohol is also “more likely than marijuana to interact with other drugs,” so if you are on any sort of medications or take any drugs, the amount of alcohol you consume can directly impact how your body releases the active drugs into your body.*photo courtesy of Photopin.com
If we speak in long-term usage, “drinking can lead to alcoholic liver disease, which can progress to fibrosis of the liver, which in turn can lead to liver cancer” while “the effects of chronic marijuana use are not as well established” again stated on livescience.com. While some claim that marijuana can lead to certain types of lung cancer, recent studies have debunked that association. Ruben Baler of the National Institute of Drug Abuse claims “it is unclear why marijuana smoke does not have the same results of tobacco smoke” and that marijuana may contain “beneficial compounds” to help cancel out negative effects of the smoke. As tobacco and weed are very different and yield very different effects, smoking a joint proves to be a much different experience healthwise than smoking a cigarette.*photo courtesy of Photopin.com
Between both the long term and short term health effects, smoking weed seems to be the healthier option if you compare the two based off of current numbers, and alcohol seems to continue to lead to destructive behavior. However, both substances will impair coordination and balance, and impact how one behaves and reacts in certain situations. Therefore it is dangerous to drive or operate any sort of machinery in either, and driving under the influence is against the law. If you decide to use either, you must realize your judgment is going to be impaired, and it’s ALWAYS important to have a DD to watch after you and take you home at the end of the night.
Although “Mary J” did win the debate according to health statistics, remember to always put your safety and the safety of others first! Happy spring and stay safe out there!
*Thumbnail courtesy of Photopin.com
*All views expressed are not reflective of the views of Her Campus at California Lutheran University.