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.

Ecstasy, acid, mushrooms, cocaine, speed, ketamine, and marijuana. This was at a certain time in my life and I have to say I have absolutely no regrets. I'd had an unhappy childhood and was very withdrawn and suffered from social phobia. During this time I learnt how to actually have fun, talk to people, and feel happiness. It did unlock something for me.

I wouldn't do any of it again and had to move away to get on with the next phase of my life. But I needed to do it then. The come-downs were bloody awful mind!

I admitted to taking drugs to some friends from work when drunk. You'd have thought I'd admitted to clubbing baby seals to death. Lesson learnt there. Not as widespread as I'd thought - in my circle everyone had done something and it was no big deal, just part of growing up.

Weed and ecstasy when I was a younger teen. The first night I tried speed, I landed up in hospital the next day and seriously thought I was about to die. I was vomiting dark green stuff and my heartbeat was 170. It scared me enough to never touch drugs again.

My brother took drugs and was heavy on the cannabis. He began having mental health issues and developed social paranoia. He commuted suicide at 24 and I believe drug use was part of the problem. Another reason I now abhor them.

Hving read some of this thread I dont think its hard to get drugs at all and you will definitely be around people who have taken them. I dont look like the type at all, if you went up to most people in my old jobs and told them they would be surprised. drugs are cheap so people often do them instead of spending loadsof money out.

There are two strands to the issue of decriminalising I think. Yes I can see that at the top of the tree the big criminal element may be thwarted somewhat. But what would this be replaced with, profit making big business just as keen to get you hooked as the illegal dealer? It was ever so with fags and booze and are we not moving away from making these less available, less socially acceptable?

That's what I fear I think from legalisation - that because it's legal it's socially acceptable and personally I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want my prone to MH issues, addictive personality teenage son being able to purchase weed at the local Coop. I'd be happy if too if it was less easy to get his hands on a bottle of vodka also but there you go.

but yet weed being illegal, makes me a criminal, when all i want to do is get to sleep at night

Tried cannabis, speed and ecstasy. Cannibas did nothing for me, speed totally freaked me out (and not in a good way) and I only took ecstasy a couple of times.

I am watching Season 2 of Breaking Bad and it fascinates me as to why anyone would take crystal meth or herion knowing how addictive they are. Recently watched Louis Theroux documentary on meth, really shocking.

Never taken any drugs or smoked.

"Having read some of this thread I dont think its hard to get drugs at all and you will definitely be around people who have taken them."

I wouldn't know where to start. OH and I were discussing this thread yesterday and he said exactly the same. We both have no idea where we would buy them from. I don't know anyone in my life who has taken anything stronger than cannabis.

I agree with Gnome and saggar that legalising drugs would create a whole host of new problems.

Same here Bunbaker,never been offered so much as a cigarette and wouldn't know where to start with sourcing drugs.None of my friends have ever mentioned taking drugs either.

What a brilliant question eh Op?

I have been out a few times recently. Once on a dinner then bars type night out and once to a drum n bass club where everyone was absolutely off their tits. Take a guess where I saw horrible fighty blokes, crying girls with their pants on show and make up all down their faces and felt a generally threatening seedy vibe walking to get a taxi home?

Weed, cocaine, MDMA, magic mushrooms, speed and LSD. I did weed, magic mushrooms and cocaine fairly often in my teens and early twenties. LSD only once.

I too went out recently to a club where everybody seemed to be on drugs. Men fighting, girls fighting, men with their dicks out, girls with their pants around their ankles just flashing their vagina...it was horrible. Not at all like it was when I was going drugs.

I'm not sure where I am on the legalising drugs issue. I think that weed should be legalised but not sure on the other drugs. The police should definitely focus on other crimes before drugs, though.

I think you either know lots of people who could easily get drugs for you or you know nobody. It depends who your friends are.

I bloody well wish I knew anyone who would even get me a bag of nuts these days

and that is not some reference to a new drug just nuts salted or dry roasted would do thanks ..
Its interesting to read how many people have positive drugs stories though....

Nope, no drugs for me, and I used to be a non-drinker too... I found that hearing in-depth descriptions of my parents past druggy experiences was enough to put me off! Will have to get DH to tell DS about his rather wider knowledge of illicit substances, see if that'll put DS off...

I'm not sure where I am on the legalising drugs issue. I think that weed should be legalised but not sure on the other drugs. The police should definitely focus on other crimes before drugs, though.

The vast majority of 'other crimes' are caused by drugs, so IMO, that's a pointless comment twomums.

And what evidence do you have for that rather bold statement?

Yes a few things, not many.
Some hash. Speed once, did nothing for me. I liked coke. Occassionally. Could always take-or-leave, anything.
Never did E or Acid. Kind of wish I had really, just once, just to experience it.

I am always saddened when I see peole post threads about finding out that their ds/dd has been taking drugs. That in itself is not the problem/issue to me. If they have an addictive personality/obsessive / depressive personality, then that could indeed be worrying. But that personality trait would also be worrying, once you dealt with the drugs issue, becasue that personality will presumably create others problems. You need to deal with the core issue. The drugs itself is just the icing.
Not everyone who has ever taken drugs has a lifelong awful effect on them you know. I like to think that you would never know that dh and i had taken a few drugs in our time.
I think alot of the time people overact, because they are frightened of drugs. When they need not necesarily be.

Have never taken any form of illegal drug, dont really drink very much (glass of wine with my christmas dinner, or the odd glass of Baileys with ice - and by odd i mean once every three months if that).

But i do smoke. Started when i was 20 and a student nruse (oh the irony). Stopped for a year when i was pregnant with DD, but started again when she was about 4 months old). Have stopped periodically over the years.

But never touched anything else, not even a joint.

Evidence? hmmmmm...my job I guess.

Nope- tried smoking ciggys but couldn't get away with them.
I am not sure about legalising all drugs and think that there are arguments on both sides.
I do think that there is a lot to be said from removing the middle man and having some control over quality and strength etc but tbh I wouldn't want all drugs legalised maybe weed especially for medicinal purposes.

My niece is a qualified counsellor who deals with drug addicts, who are in custody, every day. I asked her what she thought about legalising drugs. She replied that normalising drug taking would be disastrous, and the police and NHS have enough to deal with already. It was a vehement "no way" from her.