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.

2/3 doesn't = most. It equates to just over half of the population.

Ex Gate Crasher here!

I miss those festival days

When I'm 90 I'll tell my kids all about it. They might see they're old mum with new eyes LOL

*their

I have had to broach this with my teens...
We have always been open and talked to them about stuff. I like the fact that I can talk to them with a bit of experience. I was a raver for a few years and had a fantastic time - another family member took it too far and become an addict. Mainly they don't want to know the specifics but when my 14 year old DS asked about my personal drug taking I told him it's like asking about someone's sex life - for good friends only!

"when my 14 year old DS asked about my personal drug taking I told him it's like asking about someone's sex life - for good friends only!"

Perhaps not the wisest strategy. You do realize that you have thus forfeited any future possibility of asking him about his drug use?

weed is a gateway drug I'm laughing so hard at this crap 😂 😂

I'm sick of people claiming weed isn't harmful or a gateway drug. In my experience of several family members - it bloody was. Nice psychotic episodes induced by it, oh and for not being addictive - yeah sure, that's why they claim they can't function without it.

I do know some people who stuck to weed and occasional use and harp on about its creativity yawn but I personally have immediate family members who are fucking up their mental health and lives of others spectacularly with skunk, legal highs, LSD etc and weed was the "gateway"

So fuck your hippy festival idiocy vibes

It doesn't need to be heroin to rip a family apart

More haven't than have then.
So if you have and are talking to a friend it's more likely that they haven't than have.

So going back to the op, no you aren't the only one, but you are in a minority, as opposed to a majority.

"most people haven't experimented with illegal drugs then."

Probably true.

Millions have, though, I remember reading that 500,000 Es were sold in the UK every weekend and that's just one substance.

The hysteria surrounding recreational drug use is completely out of proportion with the risks which range from low to perhaps moderate at a stretch. Except for opioids like heroin which are indeed very addictive and dangerous, most party drugs are very difficult to overdose on and are not physically addictive.

In a world where alcohol and cigarettes (both of which cause physical addiction and are seriously dangerous) are legal, the stigma against these substances is quite inexplicable.

There are quite a few people who do get stuck on prescription meds and get addicted to those, even with medical supervision. So I think the whole talk of drugs starts quite early with children.
It is very natural for me to be discussing addiction with my DD - I don't distinguish illegal from legal either as its only a social construct.

CoteDAzur. - no I think the sex analogy still stands. I'm not talking about general drugs chat I'm talking about asking specifically what someone else has done. What he does in private is not my business as long as he is safe and sensible. Taking drugs at 14 or having casual sex would not be safe or sensible and is very much my business. Once he is 18 not so much.
My older daughter is 18 and we discuss drugs sometimes, she shares with me what she feels comfortable with and I do likewise.

It isn't hysteria if you know someone who has died from it though, it's just a tale of personal loss :( luckily it's rare though. I never personally took drugs as I'm allergic to loads of stuff (even the mirena coil ffs) so thought it was best I didn't but everyone was dropping e's when I was at college in the 90s too. Bizarrely when I went to uni in 00s drugs (apart from weed) were unusual. But maybe there are regional and socio economic difference too.

"Nice psychotic episodes induced by it, oh and for not being addictive - yeah sure, that's why they claim they can't function without it."

There is heaps of research that shows cannabis (weed) is not physically addictive. As opposed to nicotine which indisputably is (and cigarettes are legal).

In the case of your relative, it sounds like the mental health problems might be the reason for his weed habit rather than vice versa.

A guy I know who has Asperger's Sydrome uses quite a lot of weed because he says it "slows down" his thoughts and make them manageable.

Funny enough, the same guy had zero friends, no social interaction except on the internet, etc until one day a wise person gave him an E. The change was incredible. He started going out every weekend, met people, and soon had a girlfriend. He said it showed him that it was possible to interact with people and how to do it.

I'm 22 and drugs hasn't ever been apart of my social circle. Only one friend of mine smokes weed.

I don't really care what others got up to in their youth. I have huge respect for people who were addicted to drugs and overcame it.

I would judge a parent who was using drugs NOW, I'm not going to lie I would that doesn't make it right though and I wouldn't think I was above that person. I haven't been around people who use drugs so it's abnormal for me. Though At the same time, I wouldn't care. Also, I wouldn't want my DS growing up around drugs anyway. I have heard of some parents who use drugs when their kids are asleep -- but trust me the child will soon notice.

Some People who did go on about drugs did try to emulate the "oh I'm so cool" look.

I would unintentionally group drug addicts and people who use drugs occasionally in the same group. I would think "oh they are apart of that scene". The fact that this person is addictive or not would not spring into mind and I think that is what's happening when you tell these mum friends that you use drugs. Also, they could just be bored (I know I would).

I do find that SOME posters on this board are trying to glamorise using drugs.

Weed is not addictive ok....

"It isn't hysteria if you know someone who has died from it though"

We all know people who have problems with alcohol. I know someone who has died because of it and another one who looks like he is on the way out.

I'm still not in hysterics about how evil alcohol is, how people who use it have poor judgement, it should be illegal, etc.

Millions use it in moderation and enjoy it. A few poor sods can't manage to are in a very small minority and that doesn't mean the substance itself should be illegal and its recreational users judged for a bit of fun when they are out to enjoy themselves.

I don't think it's wise either to think of heroin / morphine as dangerous but party drugs not.

Most substances can be dangerous, or have their risks.

A lot of the risks of illegal drug use is the context in which they are taken. Unsure of the purity etc. Professor Nutt wrote an excellent book about minimising harm, which I think is well worth a read.

"Weed is not addictive ok..."

Yes, science is weird like that - it tends to challenge prejudices. You should read up on it.

"I don't think it's wise either to think of heroin / morphine as dangerous but party drugs not."

Water is dangerous if consumed too much. People have died from drinking too much water. No out is saying party drugs can't have a bad effect.

What I am saying is that most are very difficult to overdose on & not physically addictive. If you read Nutt's book, you must know this already.

Buddy not once did I say it wasn't addictive, not sure where you got hat from? However I don't believe it is a gateway drug, in fact a lot of people move onto weed from the harder stuff when they don't take the harder stuff as much. Yes it can cause issues (that can reverse themselves after using has stopped) however a lot of users can and do smoke everyday with no ill affects, a lot more drinkers can get ill affects and honestly I believe alcohol is the biggest gateway drug there is. I'm hardly a hippy, I'm 23 and have only ever smoked weed. In fact I still do, everyday. Why? Because it helps me relax in my otherwise extremely stressful life. Funny enough my child has a lot of involvement from outside adults such as social workers (not so much anymore) nurses, doctors, experts etc and guess what, none of them know I smoke and I am constantly being told what a great job I am doing😂 Weed, according to you, should be making me crazy when In fact it's doing the opposite 😂😂

I'm not disputing alcohol is addictive. I don't think it is fair to call people hysterical if they have been affected adversely either themselves or those close to them because of drugs, including weed. Anyway, recognition of that falls under empathy.

There does seem to be a horrified reaction from some that someone has used drugs recreationally in their past and enjoyed the experience. For most people, occasional drug use does not lead to addiction.

That said, it does need to be recognised that a drug can be psychologically addictive if not physically. A psychological addiction can be devastating, as in the case of cannabis. It shouldn't be viewed as completely harmless.

coteDazur that is lovely to hear, I know I don't know him but I'm so happy that he has found a way to manage and to get out there and meet people. Good luck to him in the future. 😊

It is hard to have empathy with an opinion that comes from a place of ignorance.

You would be wrong if you said alcohol is incredibly dangerous and addictive, it should be banned, people using it are fools with bad judgement etc because you know one alcoholic who died from it. It would be clear that you never had a glass of wine in your life and had no idea that millions of people use it moderately and suffer no negative effects. Such an opinion coming from a place of ignorance would be hard to sympathize with and could arguably be called hysterical.

No doubt you see where I'm going with this.

The reason I don't think it's wise to say one drug is ok, the other not, is that I think it stops the discussion surrounding alcohol and smoking.
Opening it up to say all drugs can be harmful, allows greater freedom to discuss all drugs.

A parent sitting there drinking wine whilst lecturing a child on those bad drugs (don't take her heroin, but wine us legal so ok? ) I don't think sends the right message .

There is one gateway drug and it's called alcohol.

The major problem with drugs are the drug laws which inflate prices and keep drugs secret and unregulated.

I've taken a shit load of drugs in my time as have my friends who are all doctors, lawyers, teachers, social workers and the like.