Do you or do you know others who take cocaine?

[clairemcnam]

I have been surprised reading here about people talking about taking cocaine. I don't know anyone who does and I never have. I have never been offered coke either. I know two people who used to take cocaine, but both of them say they used to take everything going. But apart from them, no one.
What about you?

So what are the signs that someone has taken it?

I don't, but I know people who do. One of my cousins life was almost destroyed by it. She's admits herself that she's bloody lucky to be alive.

It's nothing like weed either, weed doesn't make people act like twats. Which IMO Coke does.

I took cocaine and other drugs recreationally in my late teens-mid 20s, but haven’t done any drugs since I was about 26/27 (now early 40s). It stopped holding any interest for me once I grew out of the clubbing and party lifestyle

I have a lot of friends who continued taking coke recreationally into their 30s, but almost all of them stopped when they had families and increased responsibilities in life. One good friend continued getting hammered into her 40s but is now doing NA and clean.

I have a young colleague who says virtually all her friends (nice, middle class professionals in their 20s) take it every weekend. It seems to be acceptable to buy it for a night at the pub or round friends houses, which in my day wasn’t so common.

Yes DH and some of his City mates very occasionally do. We (DH and I) would maybe do a little bit while on holiday/big night out pre-kids. Haven't done any since having DDs.

It's a no from me. I've never seen it and I don't know anyone who's ever said they've taken.

I probably would be a bit shocked if I did.

Girls I knew in 6th form did it when I was younger- I have never and know no one now but heard rumours about a previous colleague of mine

There was actually a programme about this on Channel Five the other night. The people on it seemed a little bit pathetic to be honest. One young lad really did think he was so much cooler/better than other people at the local pub who were just boring drunks. He had no idea how much of a twat he came across as.

Also half the time you don't even know what your snorting, because unless it's the really pure stuff (obviously much more expensive) it's mixed with all sorts to bulk it out. Salt, washing powder, talc, cement and God knows what else. How can anyone willingly inhale that?!

Signs that someome has taken it?

Wide eyes, massive pupils, animated, non stop talking, often over others because they just have to get their gibberish out whilst they still have their train of thought, much more open with their thoughts and words due to a false confidence it instills, unable to sleep, no appetite.

Have taken it in the past pre kids, frankly not worth the money or the 5 hours of lying in bed listening to your heart pounding with a horrible blocked nose.

Quite common where I live, it's basically the new bottle of wine on a Friday night. None of my close friends take it however I know some family members do.

I don't take it but know many friends and colleagues who do. They are very easy to spot once you know. A lot of the people I know who take it are very gregarious, productive, high energy, work hard party-hard people and often it's the coke that's fuelling that. Runny noses and sniffing is a big one.

It doesn't always go hand in hand, but a few I know seem to be teetering on the edge of burnout or have big personal issues developing on the side- credit card debt being a big one, but also insomnia, anxiety, strange emotional blowouts, tumultuous relationships.

Not that I know of.
If I knew I'd avoid contact, even if their behaviour was fine,
a) because of the organized crime connection
b) because of the desasterous effect cocaine production has on the environment and the (often children) who have to produce it. There was a MN once who shared her knowledge on that point.

I have (but didn't like it)
I know people who have
I don't take drugs or mix with drug takers anymore. Boring Mum life and all.
I have accidentally outed myself on two occassions though:
Once by absentmindedly cutting up dried playdough dust into "lines"
Once by asking the kids if they were "coming up on their icecream" when they were acting up in McDonalds

Yes I know people. I don't think it's that unusual.

It's expensive so may be more prevalent in some locations.

i’ve taken it in the past, in my early 20s when i was out clubbing in london a lot. never did much for me tbh as i’m naturally already pretty confident and a motormouth once i’m drunk with friends

in my friend group there’s been a very strong and obvious split as we headed into 30s. a lot of my friends still party every weekend and take a LOT of drugs (more than i ever did) whereas the others are settled, married, kids, buying a house etc

I’m a hospitality worker and it’s totally normal. It’s the work hard/play hard mentality.

I haven’t touched it since I had dc.

As I said on the other thread none of my friends or family take it and if they did they would no longer be my friends, and I’d end my marriage over it if my husband took it. (Now I mean, not just if I found out they’d dabbled years ago).

I’ve known of a few people who have taken it, invariably they are arseholes.

I find it pathetic and drug takers are not the kind of people I want to associate with.

As far as I know non of my family or friends have. My DH is regularly drug tested for his job in the forces.

A few years back I took a job in a hotel and all the staff were using coke, and I must admit I was shocked. I think that's the first time I have ever really come across it

I’ve never tried any drugs and am not interested. I’m 55 though so prob too old!

I have known of some friends who have done.

I hate the whole drug culture. People think they are so cool doing coke but have zero thought to the hideous industry behind it.

I had a friend who was super health conscious and very into environment issues etc who did coke. Ridiculous.

So called ‘recreational’ drug use is fuelling a horrible industry. And in Dublin it’s fuelling a big gang issue in certain areas.

Yes. Where I used to live. All school mums. Every Friday night. Another close friend at parties. She ended up in hospital with side effects. I distanced myself from them as drugs aren't my thing. Did keep them skinny though.

Yes, once you see the signs you'll know it. People on Coke are usually quite manic, hyper, have massively dilated pupils, sniff and touch their nose a lot, talk very fast and basically act like a twat. It's not the same as being drunk. I wouldn't socialise with anyone who used coke.

I work with a lot of doctors who use it on nights out

I judge the fuck out of cocaine users. The commissioner of the Met Police said it for me:
Cressida Dick, the UK’s most senior police chief, said: “There is this challenge that there are a whole group of middle-class – or whatever you want to call them – people who will sit round … happily think about global warming and fair trade, and environmental protection and all sorts of things, organic food, but think there is no harm in taking a bit of cocaine. Well, there is; there’s misery throughout the supply chain.”

If you take coke you have blood on your hands.

Its absolutely everywhere you'd be surprised....I run a pub and it's not just the youngsters trust me ....how to stop it ...who knows x

No. I never had any desire to take a drug that would hype/speed me up. Sounds awful. I used to grow and smoke weed a lot (not skunk), use magic mushrooms and LSD, though.

Never, which is just as well as I have a pretty addictive personality.

I had friends, in my youth, who did coke recreationally.

I was never offered it. I would be curious to try it, but curiously can be dangerous.