Fun with Research

[asphaltcowgrrl]

You're going to get bored with this really quickly, I think.  But eh, that's the beauty of this format - you don't have to read it if you don't want to, either.  :D

I watch a lot of police dramas on television and also read a lot of police procedural novels, so I've heard a lot about schedule such-and-such drugs, but really only had a vague notion about what each schedule meant.  So, that's what I've been reading about this morning.

For reference, this is the official definition: Drugs and other substances that carry a risk of abuse are divided among five specific categories: Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V.

Okay, so that makes sense.  Now, to get into the specifics.

Schedule I: includes drugs such as PCP and ecstasy that have an extremely high potential for abuse and addiction by their users. Drugs in this category aren't recognized in the medical community as having any value; therefore, they're considered to be dangerous or harmful to the human body.

In other words, these are Very Bad Drugs.  Got it.

Schedule II: includes drugs such as heroin and cocaine that also have a very high potential for abuse, but these drugs are recognized as valid medications for medical treatments. The dispensing of these medications is closely supervised and monitored. As with the drugs in Schedule I, Schedule II drugs are highly addictive.

Okay, so again, these are more Very Bad Drugs.  But wait.. things like herion and cocaine are used as medical treatments?  I know that Freud supposedly gave cocaine to his patients, but in what other applications are these drugs used?  Not that I'm doubting it might be true, but still... anyone help me out here?

Schedule III: includes drugs such as anabolic steroids and codeine that are further down in the schedule yet still have the potential for abuse. The drugs in this category are most often prescribed by doctors and are generally not as addictive or habit-forming as the drugs in the higher categories.

Schedule IV: includes drugs such as diazepam (Valium) and phenobarbital that have similar characteristics to Schedule III drugs but have a lower potential for abuse. There's a limited potential for dependence on the drugs in this schedule,although psychological dependence is a possibility

Schedule V: includes all other drugs, such as cough syrup, that aren't listed in any of the upper four categories. The drugs in this category have a very low potential for abuse and addiction.

So, I've had an educational morning so far.  And really, I'm loving this book that I'm using for reference. Howdunit Book of Police Procedure and Investigation: A Guide for Writers by Lee Lofland.

And yeah, I know... no one cares.  But if I put it here, I can find it again later.  Between this post and my Kindle Notes, I should be good.

Source:

*Lofland, Lee (2007-07-25). Howdunit Book of Police Procedure and Investigation: A Guide for Writers (Kindle Location 3505-3517). F+W Media. Kindle Edition.

Comments

[thtwzjustadream.livejournal.com]

I used to hear those terms a lot more often way the heck back when - my mom ran the city court in our hometown, and I was in there and out of there a lot. Watched quite a few court sessions.

The first career I thought I might want to pursue was to be a lawyer - but in retrospect, very glad I didn't go in that direction! The people you have to deal with, i.e. your clients........ nope.

[asphaltcowgrrl.livejournal.com]

That's actually really fascinating!

Ugh - no kidding. I had an uncle who started as a police officer in San Diego and then went on to become a very successful lawyer who represented a lot of law enforcement officers. But for the most part? Yeah, your clientele wouldn't exactly be the best most days.