The War on Drugs - Good /Bad?

[astonion2]

This month Saudi Arabia executed two Eygptians for drug offences. They did'nt tell them that when they had their evening meal the night before that it would be their last.
This has sparked fear with over 50 other inmates awaiting their fate, not knowing if they will be next.
I read the full article in a paper called Al-Monitor but it is reported elsewhere.

 

[BodyButter]

This month Saudi Arabia executed two Eygptians for drug offences. They did'nt tell them that when they had their evening meal the night before that it would be their last.
This has sparked fear with over 50 other inmates awaiting their fate, not knowing if they will be next.
I read the full article in a paper called Al-Monitor but it is reported elsewhere.

They have the death penalty here for drug smuggling. I'm pretty sure I could get you any drugs you wanted within an hour and it would only take that long because I have never tried to buy drugs before in Malaysia.

They seem to have stopped or slowed down on hanging people here on humanitarian grounds. I'm not sure that keeping people in the rancid conditions of the prisons here is any mercy.

 

[astonion2]

They have the death penalty here for drug smuggling. I'm pretty sure I could get you any drugs you wanted within an hour and it would only take that long because I have never tried to buy drugs before in Malaysia.

They seem to have stopped or slowed down on hanging people here on humanitarian grounds. I'm not sure that keeping people in the rancid conditions of the prisons here is any mercy.

I have no sympathy whatsoever for the people who are involved in any kind of drug dealing. They know the consequences in the countries they are in so can have no complaints when they get caught.

 

[CDX_EIRE]

I totally get those who want a high and go for 'party drugs' etc (not debating if they are good or bad,) and why... but as you say, some are total misery.

Seems like even that has gotten out of control, especially if you lump cocaine into the party drugs category.

Robin Williams getting diagnosed with dementia and taking his life is brutal. And it seems like he attributes a lot of that to basically doing cocaine everyday in the 80s. Then he stopped and said it completely stole all the joy from his life. He just couldn't get excited or be happy about normal life anymore.

I have friends who treated cocaine like it was vodka. I'm no angel myself but I knew the lads were basically drinking and doing coke every time they had a night out. Went on a stag in Vegas walked into their room and there is a small hill of coke on the side table.

It's a weird drug, almost becoming socially acceptable now but I think its far more dangerous than young kids realize.

 

[Stephen Jay Hawkings]

Seems like even that has gotten out of control, especially if you lump cocaine into the party drugs category.

Robin Williams getting diagnosed with dementia and taking his life is brutal. And it seems like he attributes a lot of that to basically doing cocaine everyday in the 80s. Then he stopped and said it completely stole all the joy from his life. He just couldn't get excited or be happy about normal life anymore.

I have friends who treated cocaine like it was vodka. I'm no angel myself but I knew the lads were basically drinking and doing coke every time they had a night out. Went on a stag in Vegas walked into their room and there is a small hill of coke on the side table.

It's a weird drug, almost becoming socially acceptable now but I think its far more dangerous than young kids realize.

I've never got the appeal of coke, tried it a few times and thought it was shit. If I'm going to get fucked up give me E or some MDMA instead. Also hearing how the withdrawals causes awful anxiety really turned me off.

It is true how it's become so socially acceptable, certainly a lot more than when I was younger. I know a few lads who do it on nights out and I just avoid them because they're fucking annoying.

Give me weed and booze any day.

 

[CDX_EIRE]

I've never got the appeal of coke, tried it a few times and thought it was shit. If I'm going to get fucked up give me E or some MDMA instead. Also hearing how the withdrawals causes awful anxiety really turned me off.

It is true how it's become so socially acceptable, certainly a lot more than when I was younger. I know a few lads who do it on nights out and I just avoid them because they're fucking annoying.

Give me weed and booze any day.

You reminded me too of the attitude in Ireland to weed.

The lads I know are pure farmer types who really villainized weed in comparison to the drink. I remember them getting into debates with people when we were drinking. OFten said they wouldn't support legalizing weed and thought it was such a terrible drug.

Of course now they're hardcore coke heads on the weekends. Just so interesting how certain drugs are seen as well. Funnily enough these lads can be utter gobshites at times, type of lads who are just at you all the time with slagging. I had enough of them, grand when you're 1:1 with them but as soon as they have an audience they're just at you all night.

 

[Deleted member 506]

You've only gotta go to an away game or a test match to see the popularity of Cocaine, or any boozer on a Saturday afternoon for that matter. I think for a huge amount of blokes aged 40+ nowadays, any prolonged drinking means cocaine as well.
No excuse for the youngsters though. They should be able to go on all day session without the need for a boost.

I'm sure we've all got mates that use cocaine in this way. It links to the 'growing old' thread, or maybe it's more 'growing wise.' Kids, responsibilities, using your money for better things etc... is part of growing up. A lot of men don't though.

 

[Stephen Jay Hawkings]

You reminded me too of the attitude in Ireland to weed.

The lads I know are pure farmer types who really villainized weed in comparison to the drink. I remember them getting into debates with people when we were drinking. OFten said they wouldn't support legalizing weed and thought it was such a terrible drug.

Of course now they're hardcore coke heads on the weekends. Just so interesting how certain drugs are seen as well. Funnily enough these lads can be utter gobshites at times, type of lads who are just at you all the time with slagging. I had enough of them, grand when you're 1:1 with them but as soon as they have an audience they're just at you all night.

I know the types, small town losers. Still back home drinking in the same pubs every weekend, but like you said, now cokeheads. Probably helps when they have to go beat the shit of the lads from the next town over.

I think it's about time weed was made legal here, I just don't see why not anymore. Unless of course there's other reasons, it's a multi-billion dollar market, I'm sure there's some corruption going on at the top of government in that area.

 

[Pangloss]

I've never got the appeal of coke, tried it a few times and thought it was shit. If I'm going to get fucked up give me E or some MDMA instead. Also hearing how the withdrawals causes awful anxiety really turned me off.

It is true how it's become so socially acceptable, certainly a lot more than when I was younger. I know a few lads who do it on nights out and I just avoid them because they're fucking annoying.

Give me weed and booze any day.

It's a pretty amazing high, my experience is that it is extremely addictive in the moment, you can go for hours doing it, some people literally go for days, but then I could not take it for months after that. I haven't touched it for a few years now.

It significantly increases dopamine, this is apart of the high, but I'd imagine if you abuse it very frequently normal life will seem very dull, it doesn't give you the same dopamine hit as a few grams of gear.

The worst thing about cocaine isn't the cocaine but the shit that they mix it with. This I think has worse health implications. It's mixed with household products and increasingly with other drugs.

I completely agree with the various posts about it's social acceptability. It's shocking how many people do and even when they do it. I see people at Villa Park who are clearly going off for a bump.

 

[BodyButter]

You've only gotta go to an away game or a test match to see the popularity of Cocaine, or any boozer on a Saturday afternoon for that matter. I think for a huge amount of blokes aged 40+ nowadays, any prolonged drinking means cocaine as well.
No excuse for the youngsters though. They should be able to go on all day session without the need for a boost.

I'm sure we've all got mates that use cocaine in this way. It links to the 'growing old' thread, or maybe it's more 'growing wise.' Kids, responsibilities, using your money for better things etc... is part of growing up. A lot of men don't though.

My understanding is that the kids aren't as into getting wasted as we were/are.

I don't know what they are into though. Playing computer games with each other online?

 

[mike_field]

Why do people take bad drugs like heroin, fentanyl and meth? Serious question.

If you are the kind of person who is going to take those drugs then you are highly likely to have seen the consequences of those drugs in the people around you. So you know where that road goes and you are still happy to walk down it.

I get why people smoke week or do party drugs. That it's a bad idea but everyone wants to have a good time. There is no party with fentanyl.

I had an adopted cousin. He was a wrong 'un from the start. Even as a little kid, he was always doing stupid things and nobody wanted to hang around with him. He became a heroin addict and died a few years ago. I suspect that he had low IQ. He couldn't seem to weigh up risk and reward or predict the likely consequences of his actions, even as a little kid (if you throw stones at the neighbours windows, someone is going to give you a clip round the ear, at very least).

So is the drug crisis a crisis of people who are cognitively impaired or is there something else behind it?

Fentanyl is on the opioid market in the States largely, with how quick they are to hand them out, even low doses lead to plenty ending up hooked.

Totally with you on the others and I never got anything from my dabbling in my youth on the far lighter stuff. But last graph I saw, there are those idiots who dabble with Fentanyl for the buzz, but they are a major minority. The majority were hooked on prescription and moved to street when they couldn't get it refilled (or had the money to refill).

The after care is atrocious, but it's why the UK is better (albeit not perfect) we don't hock prescriptions based on salespeople and financial kick backs, but we have our own issues with addictive prescriptions and the appropriate after care when a GP fucks up.

Your point is why a catch all solution could never be feasible or work, and clearly hasn't over decades. There are too many 'sections' of users, and what works for one group doesn't for others and so on.

No idea how someone gets hooked on the heavy stuff though, my idea of fun isn't ending up comatose.

 

[mike_field]

It's a pretty amazing high, my experience is that it is extremely addictive in the moment, you can go for hours doing it, some people literally go for days, but then I could not take it for months after that. I haven't touched it for a few years now.

It significantly increases dopamine, this is apart of the high, but I'd imagine if you abuse it very frequently normal life will seem very dull, it doesn't give you the same dopamine hit as a few grams of gear.

The worst thing about cocaine isn't the cocaine but the shit that they mix it with. This I think has worse health implications. It's mixed with household products and increasingly with other drugs.

I completely agree with the various posts about it's social acceptability. It's shocking how many people do and even when they do it. I see people at Villa Park who are clearly going off for a bump.

Remember reading years back pure was almost harmless and carried no addictive substances outside of an individuals own addictive nature. Never new whether to believe that 100%, but whatever I read focused heavily in on all the stuff it's cut with for the truly damaging properties.

It's still seen as the yuppie drug of choice in many ways, hence the acceptability, and it's certainly not demonised as much as others.

 

[astonion2]

Yep lets ban the smoking of tobacco but legalise the smoking of Cannabis. Really.

 

[Pangloss]

Remember reading years back pure was almost harmless and carried no addictive substances outside of an individuals own addictive nature. Never new whether to believe that 100%, but whatever I read focused heavily in on all the stuff it's cut with for the truly damaging properties.

It's still seen as the yuppie drug of choice in many ways, hence the acceptability, and it's certainly not demonised as much as others.

Unfortunately it's not. Pure cocaine is still very much cardiotoxic and neurotoxic. Whilst you will not be consuming other dangerous and corrosive materials which the drug is typically mixed with, you will nevertheless have a pure substance which will be easier to overdose from.

 

[Platypus]

An ideal drugs policy would be one of legalisation/decriminalisation and treating it as a public health issue like we do with alcohol and tobacco. Unfortunately knowing how we actually don't bother to fund our public services in this country I'm not sure these days that this appalling situation we have currently isn't actually better than how we would do legalisation in reality.

 

[Deleted member 506]

Maybe taxes gained through drugs (recreational, tobacco, alcohol, sugar, caffeine etc...) should go into funding the NHS.