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Original poster

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

999 replies

perhapsiwill · 02/02/2017 07:47

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 Confused.
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.

OP posts:
Mittensonastring · 02/02/2017 09:25

Close friendship circle in London in 90's.Two of us didn't do drugs but the other two did a lot.

I remember parties in Primrose Hill and young wanker bankers snorting a lot of coke. My brother is a lot older than me and a pharmacist and scared the hell out if me as a kid so I was too scared to ever try anything. My friends dropped E's like smarties. We all ended up successful in our careers.

exWifebeginsat40 · 02/02/2017 09:25

oi oi!!

i was a crusty in the 90s. white girl dreads, lived in a lorry, dog on a string. cider and the Levellers were my weapons of choice!

i didn't do anything but booze by the mid 90s after a bad time on acid. joke was on me as it turns out i'm a raging alcoholic.

i'm old and sober now. but my goodness, the 90s were ace.

StorminaBcup · 02/02/2017 09:27

Sunday afternoon raving with their toddler

That's true - take your brood off to a Big Fish Little Fish event OP. Plenty of old ravers lurking there!

StumblyMonkey · 02/02/2017 09:27

Out of interest...for those that were 90s ravers, what would you say if you found out your 18 year old DC was taking the latest 'in' drug every weekend?

(Not judging, genuinely curious)

Difficultyear2015 · 02/02/2017 09:28

to add, the people who I know who talk about it fondly are still doing it now.

I don't care what other people do in their spare time, but the invites to join in when im in my 30's and not having touched it for years is getting tiring.

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 02/02/2017 09:29

I don't think only boring square people don't take drugs. I don't suppose many of us on this thread do now.

I understand your point but it's a little like stating that alcohol kills and shouldn't be fun when someone is reminiscing about a drunken night in their youth.

Sorry if I annoyed you, you do have a valid argument and I have regrets from my youth.

wettunwindee · 02/02/2017 09:30

In the late 80s / early 90s there was plenty of coke, weed and pills.

I'm now a headmistress Smile

It just be 20 years since I last 'dabbled' and at least a decade since even a cigarette.

hoddtastic · 02/02/2017 09:33

waves
80's/90's/00's vintage here, I usually say that I did XYZ job/lived with XYZ person and that leads people to putting 2 and 2 together and then the nod and the wink.

I don't care what people think of what I did 20 years ago- it's well documented , my children/partner know (it was well documented- no point in denying it) I had a brilliant time and am not ashamed of it- I would only be bothered if pearl clutcher's decided to exclude my children on the basis of my doings when I was young equating one E with a life of debauchery.

mygorgeousmilo · 02/02/2017 09:33

Hi Grin I'm one of them. I now turn my nose up at paracetamol, am fairly 'clean' living, it's all very farrow and ball. I didn't turn into something from trainspotting.... other mums in my posh area wouldn't get it I don't think, a few maybe, but not the general group from my children's school. I have no shame or regrets, I was so lucky to have the wild and free 80s childhood, topped off by raving through the 90s and travelling the world in the 00s. You can't put a price on that kind of crazy experience!

Original poster
perhapsiwill · 02/02/2017 09:34

Stumblymonkey I have thought about this and I really think it depends who their friends are ** I would rather they were taking drugs in a field with some nice mates than drunk on a street corner with some people they weren't comfortable with.

OP posts:
Thirtyrock39 · 02/02/2017 09:34

Early 90s I had some good and done totally terrible times with drugs. Had a horrendous bad trip and some horrible speed come downs and if I'm honest I do blame this for me messing up my a levels and basically putting my future on a track that has led to me not fulfilling my potential career wise. Shockingly 5 of the people I went clubbing with have since died - 3 suicides but 1 definitely drug related and 2 overdoses (they went on to harder drugs) and I will definitely discourage my kids from experimenting as they were fun at times but caused a lot of crap

Mittensonastring · 02/02/2017 09:35

I also went to a lot of all nighters in abandoned places, raving in my hot pants or fake fur mini skirt. There were a lot of protests as well and I went to a few, the anti criminal justice act ended up in a riot and the coach I was in got petrol bombed.

exwife saveloy!!

Notting Hill carnival was ace then I went four years in a row raving to sancho panza and guys rapping out the back of their trucks.

I'm glad I partied a lot, I do drink but I don't even drink that much, no regrets.

liz70 · 02/02/2017 09:35

The only substances I've used are ciggies (4 or 5 a day, stopped over 20 years ago), alcohol (half a bottle of wine two or three times a week), and amyl nitrite of a weekend (see ciggies). I nearly got thrown off my course when a fellow student dobbed me in about the rush. Grin

wettunwindee · 02/02/2017 09:35

@StumblyMonkey

I'd be disgusted and worried. Weed and speed are gateway drugs. Pills can kill instantly and cocaine has ruined the life of someone I know*. Mushrooms (now illegal) caused many sleepless nights and I've had a few bad LSD trips.

Most recreational drug users come out the other side the way they went in. A few don't.

Isn't it a parent's prerogative to be hypocritical?

*almost a film. Earnt a fortune in the City straight after leaving Cambridge. Spent most on drugs. Is now an assistant manager at Lidl.

Tollygunge · 02/02/2017 09:35

I think a large portion of them are living near me! Very successful women but loads of them are ex caners. Just the other day at baby sensory, under the parachute, another mum said 'Reminds me a bit of Whirlygig' Knew what she meant!

TheCakes · 02/02/2017 09:36

How good is it though when you meet another mum and it turns out she's a secret ex-raver? Instant bond.

StumblyMonkey · 02/02/2017 09:36

OP...that's interesting. Based on my friends here I assumed the Home Counties were full of head gi wannabes Grin

I'm Northern considered the bad girl of the group since I've taken poppers, MCat and weed

Coke was really the thing when I was in Manchester in the early 2000's but I made a conscious decision not to dabble as between alcohol, shopping and men I figured I had enough vices.

It turned out I didn't need to anyway as I have bipolar disorder and apparently the 'high' of hypomania very closely mimics the high of Coke. Even on brain scans...

Original poster
perhapsiwill · 02/02/2017 09:37

Oh I was on the march against the criminal justice bill too! And a load of anti nazi league ones.

OP posts:
Foldedtshirt · 02/02/2017 09:37

perhapsiwill I don't mean to make you feel bad about talking about the pastBlush, but unless a group all grew up together or it's a common experience though (do you remember seeing Boy George's first totp, type convo) it is a bit boring Wink

OohhItsNotHoxton · 02/02/2017 09:38

waves and sucks a neon dummy Grin

Original poster
perhapsiwill · 02/02/2017 09:38

Oh Whirlygig! And magatripalis anyone?

OP posts:
mygorgeousmilo · 02/02/2017 09:40

thecakes Yes! That one sentence that gives them away! The look. The realisation. My people!

Tollygunge · 02/02/2017 09:40

I have one Polaroid picture of me at Hardcore Heaven, wearing Adidas and a jesters hat. It is the only evidence of my former life.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 02/02/2017 09:40

We are about Grin

Some friends are judgemental others not some sympathise smugly as they feel only people who are missing something take drugs

Had a great time and still would if I it was legal and there were no side effects

NC1nightstand · 02/02/2017 09:42

I wouldn't swap any of it for anything! It was a wonderful time and not just the drugs, the music, the atmosphere, spending ages chatting in the toilets with people you just met. Hang on, that was the drugs!
Mostly everyone I knew from that time have gone on to be productive members of society and I think we experienced a very important time in history. Everybody went out raving together, there was a real feeling of unity.

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