'Pleasure drugs' boom on way, says think-tank

[emad]

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 14/07/2005)

Mind-altering drugs could be as common as coffee within a couple of decades to boost performance at school and at work, to "unlearn" addiction and to erase memories of distressing events such as a terrorist attack, according to a government think-tank.

Society may end up realising Aldous Huxley's vision of a Brave New World in which people take a supposedly perfect pleasure-drug, Soma - though the report shies away from discussing whether future governments will be tempted to encourage the use of "happy pills" for social control.

The Foresight think-tank points out that psychoactive substances have been part of society for thousands of years. It heralds the development of new recreational drugs, some of which might be less harmful than those already costing society around £13 billion annually, mostly due to crime.

"We have not reached a ceiling for recreational drug use," it said. "Psychoactive drug use may spread more across the life course and may become more common than is currently evident in middle-aged or even older age groups."

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[skiddlybop]

1. Umm, hello?

They've already arrived and been snarfed up FIERCE at OXYRUSH's house...stupid researchers. Why didn't they just call OXY RUSH for all the hot details?

[HuckleB]

2. Was this posted in another forum originally?

This is the third thread with this story to be dumped here.

[gate of the sun]

3. I think they are finally going to try and cash in

those companies you know that make money off of drugs legitimately you know I doubt they will be mind expanding more likely bliss enabling in a culture of consumerism which doesn't lead to ahem......happiness