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.

I took looooads. E mostly. Im now a very dull housewife, a member of my WI, i help out at church and am in my pj's (which i warm specially) for 8:30. Lindy Layton meets Cath Kidston.

I'm here as is my DH but tend not to discuss much with others as lots of people disapprove. Only have one friend (45) who still does this regularly. He is single but holds down a very-high powered job. The rest of is are too knackered/old now but fond memories.

Quite a lot of people feel uncomfortable about admitting to their debauched youth, I think.
I don't. I fucking loved it :)

Alltouchedout

Unlimited that is hilarious! Make sure they are on the same buzz!

For some people it really passed them by, it turns out that growing up there were loads of my peers off their faces and going to Madchester and Liverpool raving it up, I was genuinely oblivious, I was unaware that our shitty small town had a "scene". However I made for lost time in my early 30's.

So maybe your local Mum friends did just miss it?

I wonder if I might have gone raving if I had gone to University, maybe got it out off my system then.

If someone attempts to engage me in a conversation about past drug taking I avoid the subject because this is going to mean a really really boring conversation or they'll be a nutter.

I grew up in a very large city, and went to university in another, and I think if you live somewhere where there is a big club culture then it's pretty much a rite of passage, even if you don't end up more immersed in it. I always assume that most people my age at least tried a few different substances, even though we all look old straight laced now.

but i smiled when I saw the biggest party-girl from my university on telly the other day, all suited and booted in her high powered and exceptionally law-abiding job.

What I do love is when a certain song comes on and half the room get a funny look on their face and start doing a little dance. It's so obvious then which of us had a drug fuelled youth and which didn't :)

Never took any recreational drugs in the 90s - never offered any. BF and I considered taking 'magic mushrooms' when we were in Thailand but the opportunity never actually arose.

Actually I had a boyfriend once (who did take them) and he said I was 'high' enough without them which I always considered to be a positive thing although with hindsight it sounds like a backhanded compliment if every I heard one

Yep. When someone knows all the words to 'Searchin' for my Rizla', it does kind of give them away

Maybe because I've seen the damage drugs can do to families I find it distasteful for people to brag or glamorise about all the fun they had taking drugs, or that boring 'square' people judge others just having fun

This.

I work with drug users who have very serious problems and whose lives are shit basically. Guys and women who have gangerene and leg ulcers and amputations and are sleeping rough because they've kicked out of their accommodation or they have a warrant out on them. Who are in and out of prison and are victims and perpetrators of violence. Who have lost all their kids and destroyed their families.

So I'm glad it's all worked out so great for you. But please spare me the self congratulatory bullshit " oh we are so cool and great and middle class and professional " .

Just spare have a thought for those who were not as lucky as you.

And the people whose lives are wrecked because of the drug trade which you fuelled. The women who are trafficked or who are prostituted to feed their and their partners habit. The kids who end up having shit lives in care.

I believe the phrase is " collateral damage "

You want to move to the Upper Calder Valley OP (aka Happy Valley). If you don't drop an eccy in the Trades Club on the weekends they'll drum you out of the Mother & Baby groups

Pretty much everyone in my social circle was doing it. Now we're all Drs/biologists/nurses/psychologists.

And I would dare to say they are better at their job for it when they come into contact with people who are doing them because they can relate and I think it makes them more sympathetic.

Better than those who look down on them outright.

I believe in the "There but for the grace of God go I".

So I'm glad it's all worked out so great for you. But please spare me the self congratulatory bullshit " oh we are so cool and great and middle class and professional "
I agree tbh. Most of the other people/ex-ravers I knew who liked to party ended up on hard drugs and their lives are destroyed. Not everyone but a fair few. They were always looking for the next, bigger buzz.

It's one of the reasons I'm not a fan of Trainspotting (the film, not the hobby). It's far too close to home for me.

And there's no way I'd be talking about my past drug use to other mums. It's way too try hard.

Never a serious raver but definitely loved the odd disco biscuit in my youth as did most of my friends. I am a sensible 40something mother of three with a 9-5 job who hardly even drinks so it clearly didn't do me any harm. I'd be wary of mentioning it though, people can be a bit funny.

I didn't do either and I don't know anyone who did (or who openly admited to it). I used to go out to dance, have a good time with friends and meet men I was always more into health and fitness.

I Hate feeling drunk and don't like the idea of doing drugs but wouldn't judge others for doing so. I just don;t like being out of control.

I know some of my friends have stopped speaking to friends and colleagues who openly do drugs though. for some it's just a no no.

Just spare have a thought for those who were not as lucky as you

I hope you do the same when you're having a glass of wine to wind down at the weekend. These conditions partly exist due the criminalisation of certain industries (drugs / sex trade). Alcohol accounts more deaths, social costs and victim impacts than most drugs.

A fair few are in psychiatric hospitals or struggling with harder drug addiction. I certainly will be educating my children on the dangers of them and may even get them to meet some of the people whose lives have been destroyed by them who I see everyday I work.

And yes alcohol is bad too, it's doesn't make drugs any better.

The majority of people can use alcohol and drugs and not suffer any resulting problems. When people abuse drugs and alcohol it is usually symptom of deeper existential problems that lead people to self-medicate and spiral into addiction. In my experience of life it's alcohol that has had the most pernicious and devastating impacts and that's completely legal and heavily promoted drug of choice.

For all you people who are making out drug taking is marvellous, there are another twenty or so people that either died, have long lasting mental health issues or who have struggled with addiction most of their lives, and wrecked family lies. Please don't make it out to be marvellous....It isn't. If you got away with it with no long lasting health effects, you were incredibly lucky.

I avoid mums who tell me about their recreational drug taking. I'm happily friends with a few mums with serious problems with alcohol and drugs. I feel really sorry for people who are the collateral damage and refuse to shun them because having faced my own MH issues while being a mum I get that if you end up having a serious problem with drugs/alcohol especially as a parent you're not usually there after having lived life as a member of the Waltons family.

If however you have a "naice" comfortable respectable life and want to dabble with the odd line of Coke etc or get paralytic every now and then to let your hair down - hell yeah I will judge you. Because it takes just that one time for you to die of alcohol poisoning or get a bad hit and fuck up your kids life forever - and you gamble that for FUN

On the other hand people who battle addictions - I have a lot of respect for their efforts

Sherlock Holmes was a cocaine addict and the was in the 1800s