Many, many people took recreational drugs in the 90s. Where are they now?

[perhapsiwill]

I'm not a drug addict and none of my friends were at the time, we just took Es at the weekend, sometimes other drugs. We all went to work or college, seemed like everyone else did this too. We had a great time, weekends were for dancing and hugging, I didn't get on with drunk people and one night stands and it suited me much better.
I moved away from where I grew up, nice area to another nice area.
When I mention partying in my youth to other mums where I live now, they look at me as if I'm an addict who needs help .
Are they all pretending? There were thousands of us doing this so where are they now? And why do people who never took drugs appear to feel so morally superior? One of the women where I live openly talks about cheating the system financially yet looks at me like I'm scum because I went out and had fun 20 years ago. (And probably once a year now!) I feel that because I mentioned this one evening in a pub I have alienated myself from the local mums.

Well, I can only answer for my husband.

He ended up with drug induced psychosis and is now disabled due to his awful MH. His psych fully believes that if he didn't take drugs ever when he was younger he would be a very different person today. He wasn't an addict, just used them recreationally.

Of course no one knows for sure he wouldn't have got ill anyway, but the doctors are pretty positive it's very much related. Either way, it didn't end well for him and he had to leave uni and his career.

I have only ever smoked pot because I was always too scared to take anything stronger and lose control. No judgment from me towards people who took drugs when they were younger and free though.

Yes, the recreational drug trade is very much linked to organised crime and all the misery that entails. You know what the answer to that is? Legalisation. Legalise it, tax it, regulate it

So until that Utopia arrives, it might be smart not to contribute your money to organised crime and BOAST about it.

I know several of my friends took recreational drugs.
I tried marijuana a couple of times but it tended to give me sick headaches rather than any high, so I didn't bother with it again.
I've recently had acute appendicitis - they had me on morphine (quite a lot, apparently!) and it didn't give me anything interesting, just took the pain away.
Gas and air during labour with DS2 didn't even achieve the pain relief! And certainly nothing interesting.

I've never been much into the idea of taking drugs because I was scared I would get addicted - I read the book H is for Heroin (also known as Christiane F) when I was a teen and it put me off for life! But the people I know who used drugs are all perfectly fine, decent people and most of them had no trouble with their usage, and no addiction issues. Only one had addiction issues (marijuana) and developed bipolar, but that's as much to do with his family history as the drug use (although there is a potential link there).

Of the friends who took drugs, most of them are now married/settled down, some have children, some don't - and some of them still use drugs occasionally when they're socialising or at a party or festival. So long as it doesn't affect me in any adverse way, it doesn't bother me at all.

I am here!

Raved my way through the late 90's and early 2000's. Dabbled a little bit up to about 2009/10. But then it just didn't interest me anymore.

I would be off my face friday and Saturday. In bed most of the day on sunday and back to work as a qualified financial adviser on a monday.

I lived Es and whizz. The odd line of coke. Spliff to chill out with.

Now I am a very boring almost 40 year old with 2 dcs. The most reckless thing I do is 3 gins on a Friday night.

I don't really know anyone who does it now. Dp regularly gets offered a line when he is out but declines due to a dodgy ticker.

My husband and I both believe any MH issues we've had in later life were exacerbated by our lifestyles in our youth. Also often people use drugs and alcohol to "help" with anxiety etc....I find it highly irritating that people who use recreational drugs while holding down jobs/careers/education see themselves as totally and distinctly separate from drug addicts. You're not. You can just function better. Any recreational drug use can spiral, that's fact. You are still supporting an illegal trade where millions around the world suffer. Drinking to excess is highly damaging (also damages cognitive function) but at the moment it's legal, regulated and taxed.

My son's birth mother is an alcoholic heroin addict. People glamorising drug use make me feel rather sick. Hence why I find some of the comments here galling.

I occasionally miss it, however I don't indulge and I certainly don't talk about how great it was with randoms.

Are you sure they are judging. I have no judgement about scuba diving, but if someone told me they did a lot of scuba diving in their youth, I wouldn't have much to contribute to the conversation. Their experience may be different to yours. I spent a part of my youth sleeping with unsuitable men, I don't mention it at the schoolgates because I don't think it would be very interesting for people. If people haven't shared your experience then it's probably just not that interesting.

Re now having teenagers, I speak quite openly about drugs with mine but would never admit to them my party loving past. I'm their Mum, I'm supposed to be a bit boring!

People who use recreational drugs without issue are seen as a distinct group from substance misusers by health care providers, Strongmummy.

I'm not sure why you're lumping them together. It's like saying anyone who ever skipped breakfast is part of the same group as people with an eating disorder.

Any recreational drug use can spiral, that's fact

Is it though? That's a genuine question not a challenge, just because RowNine's post suggests that it's not a fact. Unless I have misunderstood.

What is the appeal of drugs? Can't you just read a book or have a chat or listen to some music? Play monopoly .

I mean why bother?

I'm still here too. Spent the early 90's In the Ministry, Orange at the Rocket on fridays, with the odd foray into Bagleys and Turnmills if we fancied a change.

By the late 90's I had spent a year in Oz and had moved onto Glasto, and RTTS.

Now I'm a fat forty something whose biggest vice is a few vodka's in the local pub.

I do sometimes fantasise about getting a few grams of whiz to help me shed some pounds but wouldn't actually do it now I have dd

So until that Utopia arrives, it might be smart not to contribute your money to organised crime and BOAST about it.

Not everyone who buys drugs is contributing to organised crime. The darknet allows people to circumvent that. Get off your high horse.

Hands in the air over here, how do you think I got my user name!

having had to clear up after dealers, I'm not the world's greatest fan of those who can't have fun without chemical help. And that includes the Saturday night swill and pukers.

Quite a few dead following those cute little 'E's'. Might be an idea not to do it any more.

*Any recreational drug use can spiral, that's fact

Is it though? That's a genuine question not a challenge, just because RowNine's post suggests that it's not a fact. Unless I have misunderstood.*

I would say it was very very unusual for a someone taking mdma regularly at a night to then move to something harder. And if they did would likely to be for a different reason entirely.

Sadly real addictions more often come as a result of other social factors such as abuse, poor life chances etc.

Quite a few dead following those cute little 'E's'. Might be an idea not to do it any more.

Again another argument for regulation. MDMA is very very unlikely to kill you. It's PMA that is the main culprit in these deaths.

Fortunately harm reduction sites like Bluelight and Pill Reports exist to flag any dodgy pills in circulation and I would use my own testing kit as well.

I spent a part of my youth sleeping with unsuitable men. I don't mention it at the schoolgates because I don't think it would be very interesting for people

Good comparison Birds - it smacks of a certain level of self-absorption to even assume anyone would be remotely interested in one's partying drug-taking days! It doesn't make you special... You don't belong to a secret cult Nobody cares!

And really - the ones at school / college / uni who did this were the ones who thought a great deal of themselves

It's not just a raver thing though, is it? All the different musical 'tribes' ad their drug of choice - or of course, none by choice.

And it's certainly not a city or big town thing - what do you think there is to do in the country apart from get off your face? I grew up in the properly rural Highlands, and went to London for uni, and I was shocked then at how late everyone else started!

And YY I am v sensible now and no one would know. But the only time I judge is when people are banging on about fair trade food, but then take coke.

Rownine, trust me I know about real addicts (as I said my son's birth mother is one).

My point is that you can think you have recreational drug use under control, but it can spiral. I remember not wanting to go out UNLESS I had had something. It's the attitude that you are somehow morally better than a drug addict that I find depressing. You're still supporting illegal activity.

Of course health care professionals treat addicts and recreational users separately! That's obvious. However, if you go to a Gp and talk about MH problems they will ask you about alcohol and drug use.

Not everyone who buys drugs is contributing to organised crime. The darknet allows people to circumvent that.

Do you honestly believe using the darknet means you've stepped around organised crime?

DC are at Uni and it's still the same in some of their peer groups.

Lots of my friends took drugs and my Dad was a convicted drug dealer but despite loving the whole club scene I never took them. I often found my friends who took them got really boring when they took drugs and, even back then, I dissaproved of the drug trade in all it's forms. It was never an issue not taking drugs and I don't think I missed out on anything. I still partied and had fun.

I wasn't much if a drinker either.

I have mental health problems and I've not been asked about drug use.

Sadly real addictions more often come as a result of other social factors such as abuse, poor life chances etc.

That's what my anecdotal experience suggests. Not everybody who picks up a spliff or blows a line is going to end up in NA. There is a recipe for addiction, other ingredients go into the pot, it's not just the physical act of taking a mind altering substance that gets you there.

Thanks RowNine what an interesting career you have. Good to see an evidence based contribution to a thread like this.

I don't consider myself morally better than recreational drug users, substance misusers, alcoholics, binge drinkers, overweight people, anorexic people, gamblers or any similar group.

People who've taken drugs on this thread aren't claiming moral superiority at all.

My point is that you can think you have recreational drug use under control, but it can spiral. I remember not wanting to go out UNLESS I had had something. It's the attitude that you are somehow morally better than a drug addict that I find depressing. You're still supporting illegal activity.

Just to be clear, I don't think I am morally better than a drug addict. Quite the opposite. But I do think I am very much in control of what I am doing. My substance of use depends on the activity. I enjoy going out for dinner with friends, I enjoy going to the pub. But in certain circumstances something else is more appropriate.

No I don't think I entirely avoid organised crime by going through the darknet but buying from europe where it is manufactured is certainly different from dealer networks.