The Gateway Drug to Opiates: Not Always MarijuanaElizabeth Renter So Alcohol is the Gateway Drug According to the study, any previous substance abuse (including tobacco) was associated with an increased risk of opiate abuse later in life. Of the 12 percent of the survey population that used prescription opiates, 57 percent had previously used alcohol, 56 percent had used tobacco, and only 34 percent had used marijuana. While more girls than boys turned to opiates after only engaging in marijuana use, the numbers were much higher when looking at the risk of a young man moving from alcohol use to that of opiates. So, what does this mean? Should we ban another substanceperhaps start another war on alcohol and tobacco? Whether on the for or against side of this notion, it wont happen: there is too much big money tied into the alcohol and tobacco industries. And even if the method of mass incarceration were effective (which it certainly isnt), you have the whole free will/civil liberties thing to worry about. A similar study published in the Journal of School Health found similar resultsthat alcohol was far more likely to lead to other drugs than marijuana. That study found the real gateway was the legal drugs; and that someone who tried alcohol, for instance, would be more likely to try marijuana and other drugs and controlled substances leading them up the chain of illegal drugs. Research indicates prescription drug abusers are more likely to turn to heroin (cheaper and still an opiate) when their addiction reaches a tipping point. Must be odd for the pharmaceutical industry to see their prized possession be such a large gateway drug. Instead, however, those in power would rather send armed and shielded cops into dispensaries and gardens, holding on to their drug war with white knuckles, and backed with flawed rhetoric, against the voters wishes. Explore More: This article first appeared at Natural Society, an excellent resource for health news and vaccine information. 