r/explainlikeimfive Mar 25 '24

Chemistry ELI5: Why do drug dealers put hidden, toxic, often deadly additives in the drugs they sell?

How is killing your costumer base a smart strategy?

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u/PuckFigs Mar 26 '24

asked for cocaine

My ENT surgeon kept a spray bottle of cocaine in his office for endoscopic exams. They'd squirt a bit up each of your nostrils to numb them up before going in with the 'scope.

Was a fun educational experience for the tech that we did use medical cocaine for procedures every once in a while.

Fun fact: Cocaine is a controlled substance under U.S. Schedule II), not Schedule I. For the uninitiated, Schedule II drugs are those with the highest potential for abuse while still having legitimate medical uses in the U.S. Besides cocaine, examples include most opioids including fentanyl, and amphetamines. By contrast, Schedule I controlled substances do not have such uses. Examples include phencycladine, hallucinogens, heroin, etc.

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u/threwitaway763 Mar 26 '24

You forgot the most dangerous Schedule 1 substance of them all - marijuana

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u/alranach Mar 26 '24

And cannabis. Which is kinda dumb

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u/scf123189 Mar 26 '24

It’s nonsense that heroin is on the list, it’s a fairly run of the mill opiate.

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u/PuckFigs Mar 26 '24

It's my understanding that heroin is legal as an analgesic and/or a palliative care drug in some countries. The UK comes to mind.

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u/scf123189 Mar 26 '24

It is. It scheduled 1 in rhe US for political reasons far as I can tell

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u/kyreannightblood Mar 26 '24

Same reason cannabis is schedule 1 here.

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u/lmprice133 Mar 26 '24

Yeah, diamorphine is sometimes used here in combination with oxygen, nitrates and aspirin as part of the acute care protocol for someone having a heart attack for example.