Gateway Drugs and Common Drug Abuse The oldest known written record of drug use is a clay tablet from the ancient Sumerian civilization of the Middle East. This tablet, made in the 2000s BC, lists a dozen drug prescriptions. An Egyptian scroll dating from around 1550 BC names over 800 prescriptions containing around 700 medicines. The ancient Chinese, Greeks and Romans also used many drugs. The Greeks and Romans used opium to relieve pain. The Egyptians used castor oil as a laxative. The Chinese ate liver to treat anemia. In the 1500s and 1600s, doctors and scientists made significant advances in pharmacology and other scientific fields. In the early 1500s, Swiss physician Philippus Paracelsus pioneered the use of minerals as medicines. It introduces many compounds of lead, mercury and other minerals into the treatment of other diseases. Gateway drugs are substances that people take that, in many cases, lead people to take more medications. Alcohol and pot are the most obvious gateway drugs. Studies show that if you smoke weed, you're more likely to try things like crystal meth, cocaine, or heroin. Many people consider alcohol and cannabis to be less dangerous and harmful than other drugs, but the truth is that they are just as dangerous as any other drug in more ways than one. Not only are alcohol and cannabis dangerous in their own right, they also impair your judgment, making you more likely to use other drugs. Gateway drugs work in two main ways. The first, gateway drugs, break down a psychological barrier that prevents us from using other drugs. Once you cross the line with a gateway drug, you're more likely to go with other drugs. Second, Gateway drugs impair your judgment. If you're too drunk, it's easier to say yes to cocaine or whatever else is out there. These medications break down your inhibitions, making you more susceptible to peer pressure and experimentation. They not only impair your judgment when you take them, they can change the way you feel about drugs in general. LDLSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the main drugs in the hallucinogen class. LSD was discovered in 1938 and is one of the most powerful Schreiber 2 mood-altering chemicals. It is manufactured commonly called “acid”. The effects of LSD are unpredictable..