to think that most on here have tried class B or A drugs at some point in their lives?

[apologies]

I'm increasingly struggling with the wisdom of prohibiting drugs and this is increased by a suspicion that far more people have taken or take drugs than are ever willing to admit it. I am thus curious as to MNetters experiences.

I've never tried drugs (not including caffeine, paracetamol et al) or smoked anything. With health issues in my family I was afraid of doing anything to possibly trigger badness in my body!

Now though, I'm a respectable mother and although I have no interest now, there's a little part of me that wishes I'd just had a go to see what it's like, how the world can look and feel so different.

Apologies for not having waded through thread so I can't say if YABU or not. I've never taken any class A or B drugs. Never been offered any. Heck, I've never been offered a cigarette.

spliffs if others had one, poppers once (vile) speed twice (one good, one bad)
And a pill that made me dance all night about twenty years ago.
Never tried coke, though there was plenty around at one time.
No drugs now, they always left me feeling worse than if I hadn't taken any. That includes alcohol and tobacco.

Here, Grimma, have a fag. I think I've got some Valium knocking around somewhere, if you don't mind them being out of date ... and I have some cocoa powder, you could try snorting it

Actually that's not true. Am on prescribed Tramadol but it only functions as a painkiller. I've heard some people hallucinate on it. Weird as I am usually oversensitive with drugs.

vickity you are really not missing much IMO

I never have and never will.

YY to coke + media, Susan. There was a running joke that our MD had to be kept away from football pitches, as he tried to snort all the white lines ...

God - I miss drugs - if someone put a huge pile of coke in front of my face now I would snort it up a la Ray Liotta in Goodfellas & then call for some fucking hallucinogens.

& I still might.

Quietly wonders if the police could request contact details from Mnet.

Not sure marriedinwhite. I know that when I reported a post because I was seriously concerned for the safety of a child, MNet said they couldn't do anything about it. I don't remember giving my address when i registered, did you?

Ha ha, marriedinwhite! It's not like we are all drug dealers! Even politicians aren't too bothered about admitting smoking the odd joint at university. I think the police have better things to do.

I really can't see it married :) I think we are safe :)

I smoked a lot of dope when a sixth former and at university. I also took speed, cocaine, poppers, and (my favourite) mushrooms. But only a couple of times each. I couldn't have afforded a serious drug habit at any point in my life. I had a nervous breakdown in my early twenties and my psychiatrist recommended I stay away, particularly from acid and ecstasy. E was very popular in my circle in the nineties, but I never touched it, even before this as my friends were so dull on it. After the breakdown I cut back massively on cannabis and stopped altogether when I was about 25. I can't say if it was really a factor, because it was mainly stress, but I'm sure it didn't help.
A very close friend married an addict and ended up on crack cocaine. The conversations I had with her and her fuckwit of a husband during that time put me right off.(Fortunately she left him and is GREAT now. )

Never tried them. Too much experience of seeing other people destroy themselves through addiction.

In addition, if I ever had felt tempted to buy into the idea that "I'm different, I'm not like them", I'm the kind of person who buys fair-trade coffee.

Buying illegal drugs, whose harvesters would have been vulnerable to exploitation? No way.

IMO legalisation would open up a huge can of worms. We wouldnt simply be making what exists now legal, we would be creating a whole new world of drug taking and associated problems.

Even if legalisation took place there would be restrictions placed upon supply - licencing as we see with the drink and tobacco trade. As with the existing licencing there would be those who breach their licences. I know my local corner shop sells cigarettes and alcohol to underage children. Without a doubt he would do the same with legalised drugs. At the moment he doesnt sell drugs, legalise and he would and to under age children.

To get round licencing rules we would see grey imports - many of these would be counterfeit (we see this already with people illegally importing prescription drugs like viagra, not all those little blue tablets are for real).

Manufacturers would look at new and innovative ways of delivering drugs. Aerosols like the nicotine sprays would be common place. Manufacturers would look to target new markets (for example see how the alcopops were deliberately targeted at a young market). Drug taking would be a normal part of party going for all. For example see how drinking is normal for almost all mid-teens at house parties now.

Legalise and we would look back and see what we have now as a cottage industry.

I don't know why people are so convinced legalisation would be terrible, especially given what a total failure prohibition (aka the 'war on drugs') has been. In my area the top public health doctors, police and a number of very senior legal figures have all come out and said that the effect of the illegal drug market has been hugely damaging to our society and are actively campaigning for a move to a legal regulated cannabis market for adults. They are very publicly stating this opinion, which is backed by a significant amount of evidence.
stoptheviolencebc.org/2012/02/07/former-attorneys-general-endorse-stop-the-violence-bc/

'Slavery by Another Name' by Douglas Blackmon is a history of what was essentially the criminilisation of being black in the US in the aftermath of Reconstruction. Prohibition of narcotics and the so-called 'war on drugs' in the aftermath of Civil Rights has resulted in the hugely disproportionate incarceration of young black men in the US, which has served to destroy black communities and alienate many young people from mainstream society and its values.

yes some of the greatest memories ever and I think drugs are most places tbh even amongst professionals and places with compulsory drugs test

Don't touch anything these days but dabbled in everything apart from heroin and crack in my youth, with a pretty heavy weed habit for a few years. Pre-children, naturally, hem hem.

oh and crystal meths, never tried that.

have taken probably too many. Had a nasty IV speed habit for several years in my darker days. Apart from that, just dabbled coke, mdma, acid, mushrooms. Tried crack and methadone once. Ive enjoyed everything except crack, which makes me wonder if it wasnt really that, because its supposed to be good.
I dont really do anything now. Maybe once or twice a year i'll have a little bit of coke or mdma at a party, but generally regret it the next day. Cant handle the comedowns like i used to,.
I smoke weed to get me to sleep at nights and drink wine, but thats as far as ill go these days

i think most people in my circle have at least tried stuff, but i know theres a huge amount of people who havent.
I dont like the looking down the nose at people who occasionally take a pill, or smoke a bit of weed, by people who would think nothing of having a few drinks.

Nope, nothing, de nada! A lovely crisp bottle of dry white does me!

I do fear for my DC though.