To ask: if you are an occasional cocaine user, are you aware how you appear to others?

I make my feelings on it very clear. Don't come bitching about "county lines" and then do a line at the weekend. I don't care how often someone might take it, they're directly contributing to a "business" that represents the absolute worst of human nature. And they're showing themselves to be no better than all of those involved in the trade.

When I was younger I was a complete party animal and a bit of a nightmare. Probably like one of the people you’re talking about. But everyone in our circle was doing it. Usually at house parties after clubs. But after a while I woke up and moved away from the lifestyle. I could never imagine hanging out with people doing drugs if I wasn’t in the zone with them. I don’t mean that judgementally—I was THE party girl! But for your situation they aren’t your tribe. Although I am middle aged now and only go out once every 6 months! So appreciate it could be easier said than done. I’d avoid partying with them and if they only want to hang out to “party “ then maybe slowly meet a new crowd.

I don't have any coke users in my circle (I don't think) but IMO you're underplaying how annoying most drunk people are.

Are you sure it's coke they're taking? Just that 'boring, selfish, cold' aren't traits you'd commonly associate with coke, which people usually take to appear more chatty, confident, fun-loving.

Everyone I knew in my late 20’s-40’s who did coke, did coke because they couldn’t handle a lot of alcohol. And I agree, it generally turns people into arseholes.

@GarlicSound Try Amsterdam, or look into getting the legal private prescription weed that some of my friends have - you can choose much more readily there.

But yes, strangely enough super strength skunk isn't terribly enjoyable.
Maybe, in the same way as "mid strength" alcohol (aka the strength it all used to be before industry decided stronger was better), there'll be a resurgence in older, milder and IMO better strains.

@Snowmaidenly, I wish original weed were still available! The only varieties on sale now are bred for effect, and I don't like 'em. They do trigger mental illness. People smoking them are just as weird and boring as users of other drugs (sorry, everyone). Production is largely run by criminals using slave labour.

I never expected to be nostalgic for the Himalayan flowers of my long-ago youth, smuggled by hippies in clapped-out vans. If there's even any of it left up there, you'd have to drive your van through several active war zones to get it!

No, I didn't and I'm sorry to hear it. My old friends had comfortable lives and would've been able to access any support they needed, I guess. They're unlikely to have gone into debt over it.

Addictions are harder to shift, I suspect, when users find it very difficult to cope with life. For many, substance-assisted 'escape' can feel more like a need than a want, a promise of joy in an objectively harsh reality. Unfortunately, those are the very same people most vulnerable to debts, crime and abuse stemming from their substance addiction.

I've been through recovery and, in the main, rock bottom for the well-off addicts was a lot higher than for the poor - the very act of pursuing their addiction pushes them even further down. Someone with a lovely lifestyle can be prompted to seek treatment by the prospect of losing their nice house, great job or adorable family. Without those things to lose, a user might just keep chasing the high until they break.

I'm still an addict, mind you. There is no rehab for smoking! And it doesn't even bring joy 😳

AnonSugar

it’s a massive problem - people start at the weekend - then Thursday eve - then in the day - then in the day at work - then before work - and then tell themselves they aren’t addicted becuase they are still working

I remember in the day in a circle I knew - couple selling it to get money to do their bathroom - she was a social worker and he was a teacher ffs

it’s destructive and re ally bad for your health - look at Westbrook’s nose!

Pearls of wisdom

not!

In my 40s here and I have never seen coke and don't have any friends who would touch it. Get new friends.

I agree @AnonSugar. The fact that there is a Cocaine Anonymous (CA) itself suggests that it is very addictive and hard to give up.

I think cocaine helped cause the beginning of the end of the UK rave scene. It brought in a much darker, angsty vibe, along with politics and attracting gangsters to raves and free parties.

I recognise your description in some people but not all. I think it depends on their sober personalty. Same with alcohol actually.

I have noticed some friends on it more while on nights out and I was shocked at how casual they were about it. I have been offered it twice, refused both times. (Been called a boring bitch once for refusing it and decided to give a lecture because I didn't appreciate the name calling). At a friends wedding was shocked to discover 95% of the wedding party was on coke (and many of the guests!) Certainly opened my eyes that evening, ended up going home early as I didn't like my kids being around it and was furious my teenage DD was offered some by an older uncle of the groom. The excuse from the groom was "it was to help them all get through a long day and his uncle thought my 14 year old was older".

Never touched it myself but everyone I know who does (work, work nights out, events, social scene) suddenly become extremely outgoing when they are not normally. Some are more annoying than others in that it’s really noticeable ie tripping over themselves to share a massive insight that is definitely not a massive insight 😂

“It's not too hard to give up when you have to, according to my previously snow-nosed friends, so doesn't feel like too much of a risk.”

@GarlicSound did you know that drug services are seeing masses of debt riddled cocaine addicts that have lost jobs, homes, families? So much so, that it has made heroin use minimal in comparison.

if only it was that easy to give up.

I’m too old/poor/sensible for all that stuff these days. I used to be a raver and be into all sorts but I think now as a mid 40’s woman it’s not cool. Also the friends I have now barely drink.

Oh I’d forgotten Leah Betts. Poor girl. And her family

@tobee I'll get slated for it, but honestly, I don't believe that my 1-3g per year is propping up the business any more than my 1-2 commercial flights per year are causing climate change. It's just not a meaningful contribution on the global scale.

The problems of the drug trade are systematic problems, largely caused by prohibition which puts it in the hands of criminals.
For drugs, we're still in the same mindset as Prohibition era America was on booze. That didn't work either, and had exactly the same effect. Humans have been taking mind altering substances as long as there have been humans.

Increasing global legalisation of weed has shown there are other ways of looking at controlling drug use and the harms that result from it. Increasing research is finding many ways that LSD, Ecstacy, psilocybin etc can be used to help mental health problems in appropriate settings. Ketamine, cocaine and heroin are used medically for anaesthesia and pain relief. Prescription opioid addiction is the fastest growing drug addiction. From what I recall of the research I've read, addiction rates are around 10% for the most addictive drugs like crystal meth and heroin. Google tells me that it's a similar percentage for socially acceptable alcohol.

Legalising and reverting to traditional, lower strength ways of consuming things such as coca leaf, opium and weed would take the strengths down and diminish the social harms, whilst allowing people to relax in ways they do choose anyway. It would also mean that it could be quality controlled, and there would be more open and well informed discussions about the actual risks, rather than the hyperbolic approach that's often seen currently in the debate.

Things I'm more concerned about currently: Ukraine, Gaza, Venezuela, energy and water use and pollution caused by AI and data centre growth, the as yet not fully known impacts of forever chemicals, UPF and environmental pollution on the endocrine systems, physical and mental health of humans, the systematic dopamine addiction being created by tech companies in all app users. And that's my top of head list.

I would say this is the only answer. The unfortunate truth is that they won’t care if you are there or not if they are on the gear.

I think most people who do coke know what people who do coke are like but they don’t care that much because they are having fun and (as you say) their night is quite focused on the drugs and other people doing the drugs.

I think it’s lazy entertainment if used all the time

people on it think everything they are saying is a pearl of wisdom 🥱

I read about this seemingly common cocaine use on here and wonder if I live in a weird virtuous bubble as nobody I know would so much as touch the stuff! I've never seen or heard of it being taken, and my friends and family all like a good night and happily have a few drinks etc. But none would even consider drug use!

Can someone please tell a certain president that coke makes you look a bit of a twat?