The substances most likely to matter after a collapse are alcohol, prescription sedatives, opioids, stimulants, cannabis, tobacco and improvised preparations, and they differ in the danger of stopping, the danger of overdose and the danger of poisoning. Alcohol and sedative withdrawal can be fatal, opioids kill mainly by overdose, and homemade spirits and wild psychoactive plants can poison, so a community should know which is which.
Substances of concern are those most likely to cause dependence, withdrawal emergencies, overdose or poisoning in a post-collapse community.
A Comparison By Hazard
| Substance | Why it is likely | Danger of stopping | Other main danger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Made from almost any sugar or starch | Can be fatal in heavy daily users | Poisoning if distilled badly; accidents; violence |
| Benzodiazepines and other sedatives | Found in medical supplies | Can be fatal | Overdose, especially with alcohol or opioids |
| Opioids | Pharmacy stock, poppies | Rarely fatal in itself | Overdose, especially after a break |
| Stimulants (amphetamine, cocaine, strong plants) | Found stock | Not directly; crash and despair | Heart strain, agitation, psychosis |
| Cannabis | Grows readily in many climates | Usually mild | Impaired work; harm for some, especially the young or those prone to psychosis |
| Tobacco / nicotine | Grown locally | Unpleasant, not dangerous | Long-term harm |
| Homebrew and improvised preparations | Local plants and stills | Unknown | Poisoning |
Alcohol
The most likely problem substance because it can be produced locally. Heavy daily use leads to dependence, and sudden stopping can kill; see Alcohol Withdrawal (Dangerous). Fermented drinks are the simplest to make; see Alcohol Fermentation. Distilled spirits concentrate the risk; see below.
Prescription Sedatives
Benzodiazepines (anxiety and sleep medicines) and similar drugs are not in the parent guide’s list of substances, but they are among the most dangerous to lose suddenly, and a person taking them regularly for months can be physically dependent without realising it. Sudden cessation can cause seizures and delirium, like alcohol. Combining them with alcohol or opioids can suppress breathing. Find out who has been taking them and treat any supply as a controlled stock.
Opioids
Pharmacy painkillers, and poppy preparations if poppies are grown. Withdrawal is miserable but rarely fatal; overdose is the killer, especially after tolerance falls; see Opioid Withdrawal (Miserable but Survivable).
Stimulants
Stored stimulant drugs are unlikely to last. The crash and its risk of despair are in Nicotine & Stimulant Withdrawal.
Cannabis
Grows readily in many climates. Withdrawal is generally mild. Daily heavy use can impair work and memory, and it can worsen mental illness in some people; young people are more vulnerable. It is less likely to cause an emergency, but a community’s work and safety rules should cover it.
Tobacco
Grown locally. The main harms are long term; withdrawal is uncomfortable but not dangerous.
Improvised Preparations
Home distillation. Distilled spirits are strong, and concentrated methanol can blind and kill. The corpus’s article on methanol states that discarding the early fraction is a flavour step and no home rule makes a spirit safe to drink; see Methanol Hazards. A community that distils fuel alcohol should keep it clearly separate from drink; see Distillation.
Wild psychoactive plants. Plants sold or described as hallucinogenic or sedating can be poisonous, with outcomes that range from delirium to death. Some, such as the thornapples (datura) of the nightshade family, cause severe confusion and are a known cause of poisonings (stated from general knowledge; not checked for this guide). The dose in a plant varies unpredictably. See Poisonous Plants.
Found drugs. Unknown tablets and powders may contain something other than what the label says, and their strength is unknown.
What To Do With This Table
- Identify who depends on what before supplies end.
- Treat sedative and alcohol stocks as medical stock that may be needed to manage withdrawal.
- Ban nothing overnight. See Community Substance Policies.
- Warn plainly about homebrew and wild plants.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting sedatives.
- Treating cannabis and tobacco as the real problems while alcohol goes unaddressed.
- Assuming “natural” means safe.
- Assuming a label on a found tablet is accurate.
Poisoning
Improvised spirits and wild psychoactive plants can poison. No test available to a community reliably shows that a distilled spirit or an unknown plant is safe to swallow.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Withdrawal Management — the hazards by substance
- Combine with: Behavioral Addictions — compulsions with no substance