"Stupid drug story of the week" http://www.slate.com/id/2277917/

This week, Shafer chose to go with a lighter but somewhat relevant story on the increased use of nutmeg as a hallucinogenic. He claims that the nutmeg frenzy is another result of media overexposure and that the substance produces such unpleasant physical effects that it would be unlikely nutmeg could be addictive.

However, he does make concessions to argument that nutmeg is harmless. "Can you reach an altered state of consciousness by eating, snorting, or smoking from a tin of nutmeg? You betcha. The medical literature ("Nutmeg Intoxication," New England Journal of Medicine, July 4, 1963; "Nutmeg as a Narcotic," Angewandte Chemie International Edition, June 1971) has long respected the psychoactive powers of this compound."      "...experienced headaches, nausea, euphoria, and hallucinations that lasted several days, which remain a good description of today's average nutmeg binge."

• "Aside from the drumroll of nutmeg press reports, I can find no evidence that its use is actually increasing."
• "Historically, the biggest brake on the use of nutmeg has been the overwhelming unpleasantness of the experience. As the July 1988 Journal of Accident & Emergency Medicine puts it, when nutmeg is taken in excess "a typical and unpleasant clinical syndrome ensues."
• "'This," the Journal authors conclude, "is why nutmeg abuse is virtually unheard of nowadays, with teenagers more likely to encounter it at the dinner table than on the street corner.'"

• In regards to the second topic sentence, the author gives his own anecdote to illustrate the unpleasant side effects of nutmeg use. "A drug-savvy friend of mine compares his one nutmeg high to being keelhauled by a freight train on a transcontinental run. He didn't like it, but the substance has its enthusiasts."
• " A 1966 New York Times piece(subscription required) named it along with morning glory seeds, diet aids, cleaning fluids, cough medicine, and other substances as alternative highs on college campuses." Obviously, few cases of lasting damage or death have resulted from the use of these substances."
• "Its current media bump probably has as much to do with the plethora of nutmeg testimonials now running on YouTube as anything. "

Personally, I must disagree with Shafer on this issue. Although the proven effects are not permanent and only two deaths have been reported from use, I see nutmeg as just another gateway drug. Sure, its potency may not be as strong as marijuana or the like, but the fact of the matter is that nutmeg will leave users wanting a more enjoyable, lasting high. This will undoubtedly lead to further abuse. Being a purist, I feel as though the population would be better off avoiding all initiators since many of us do not have the control to cut ourselves off.