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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:
Emboo19 · 02/02/2017 11:07

My parents and their friends did still do occasionally . They reminisce amongst the group, but doubt they'd talk about it to anyone else. They work in a variety of fields, teaching, social care, banking, retail a few musicians and a tattoo artist!

It's still very prevalent in the clubbing scene and with festival goers. In fact amongst my peer group, I'd say far more have/do recreational drugs than don't!
Not sure how many will be happy to talk about in 20 years though!

Strongmummy · 02/02/2017 11:09

Both my husband and I have agreed we will be very hypocritical when it comes to drugs and say "don't do it". My son doesn't need to know about our pasts and despite thinking I was cool at the time I was just boring.

brasty · 02/02/2017 11:14

I don't buy the comparison between alcohol and hard drugs. Most adults in the UK drink alcohol. Most adults do not take hard drugs.

I have always found that those who take drugs tend to have a social circle with others who take drugs. So they have a false idea about how common it is. I didn't have any friends who took drugs when I was young, except for an occasional smoke of weed. I was aware of a group of acquaintances who were all taking lots of drugs. Truthfully I found them all a bit boring. Am friends with a few now they no longer are part of that.

Ohyesiam · 02/02/2017 11:15

Here! Pretty much all my close friends have a druggy past, all very clean living and pushing 50 now. Tolerant and aware too, with an interest in making the world a better place, and jobs that mirror that. So often still alternative.
School mums can be a different thing, and I only out myself to similarly tolerant often educated ( though not always a guarantee of open mindedness) mums.
Still love dancing.......

Oblomov17 · 02/02/2017 11:15

Maybe the only mistake the Op made was a misjudgement, of telling the wrong pearl clutchers!! Grin

I have chosen carefully who I share this info with. Never had a bad /judgemental re-action.

The majority/many of people I know did.
Some have taken nothing, ever, that's also totally fine. I don't think I'm THAT judgemental about this kind of thing.

I disagree about the generalisation of people being badly affected by it - now anxious / got MH issues/ still looking for the next high.

Yes, may be SOME are.. But the majority? Hmm
I appreciate that SOME people are damaged by it, but I suspect the majority are not. Are they being dealt with Kr1stina because their personality is that way inclined that they ended up taking drugs so badly that they needed therapy and help and support?
Nature or nurture?
What if you were a non anxious person, grounded, from a loving family, with no real MH issues, took some and then continued in a career and family, and happily still grounded with good self esteem and no MH issues?

What is the %?
of people who develop problems and those that don't? yes there will be deaths, MH issues, and all sorts of problems. But there will also be people to whom minimal damage as been done.

ChippyDucks · 02/02/2017 11:15

It was the 2000s for me too. I don't see anything wrong with it, but neither would I want to discuss it with random mums at the school gate.
If I'm perfectly honest though, I'd much prefer an E to a nights drinking now. However due to having dc who depend on me I just wouldn't be able to bring myself to Sad

MrDacresEUSubsidy · 02/02/2017 11:16

Ohbuddyhell this is about what people did in their youth - 20+ years ago, not what they are doing now.

CoteDAzur · 02/02/2017 11:17

"he said I was 'high' enough without them which I always considered to be a positive thing"

Really? I think he was calling you slightly unhinged in your natural state Grin

CoteDAzur · 02/02/2017 11:19

"I'd much prefer an E to a nights drinking now"

Wouldn't anyone who has ever had a night on both? The only reason it isn't happening in our age group is that parents don't have the luxury to sleep all the next day.

brasty · 02/02/2017 11:19

*According to the governments own figure 1/3 of the population have used illegal drugs and 1/5 are currently using them regularly - at least once a month.

Of this 1/5 group only 5% go onto to have any long term affects on their health, relationships etc etc. Less than 4% of drug users have ever committed a crime to fund their habit. Less than 3% of convicted drug dealers also have convictions for firearms, violence, prostitution etc etc. This means 95% of the entire drugs trade is unproblematic causing no problems to the individual, families, communities or societies. This 5% figure is similar to the number of people who develop long term problems with alcohol, debt, eating, and just about everything else.*

IME smoking weed is very common.I know people who do this fairly regularly, but would never touch any drugs. Nearly everyone I know has smoked weed once. This does not mean that most have taken Es or other drugs.

fliptopbin · 02/02/2017 11:19

Another 90's ex stoner here, but Dh and I gave up smoking together years ago. I still have some friends who have the occasional spliff but they know not to offer it to me.

Oblomov17 · 02/02/2017 11:21

"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."

1 in 20 ? Really?

Died?
MH issues? - Maybe they were unstable/unbalanced/MH issues before. Maybe they should have had counselling due to a childhood incident? Maybe nothing traumatic in childhood, just a natural anxiousness, inherent in them? Some people are just naturally more anxious than others.
So why is the drug to blame?
If you've got an addictive personality. Then drugs isn't to blame for that, is it?

Emboo19 · 02/02/2017 11:23

My parents took a very different approach to you Strongmummy they always went with the who are we to judge mantra, and if I wanted to try anything, I could be open and speak to them about it. As my dad once put it 'if you want stuff, I know a guy who doesn't mix it with shit'
I've never touched drugs and have no interest in doing so though. I obviously don't know if I'd have felt different if they did the whole don't do it thing or not!

LuckyBitches · 02/02/2017 11:23

I had a great mis-spent youth on 90s type drugs, I don't think it's particularly obvious to others now. I had lots of fun and it worked for me at the time, although I can't say I'd blindly take a pill now!

Yes there are lots of people who really suffer because of certain drugs, but a quick down my high street illustrates the appalling damage that alcohol can do, too.

YokoUhOh · 02/02/2017 11:24

We're still here Grin but teetotal-ish and no longer leading a party lifestyle

Kr1stina · 02/02/2017 11:25

Even if that were true, the 95% who feel that their drug use is "unproblematic " are still funding the drug industry. Such a cool and clever thing to do.

And I find some people's attempts to " other " those with problems a bit distasteful .

"oh it's just those lower class people with their existential issues and their defective personalities " .

YokoUhOh · 02/02/2017 11:25

Ji mentioned to a couple of mums that I used to smoke and got a 'REALLYYY?' so I don't mention any of the other stuff!

Ohbuddyhell · 02/02/2017 11:25

MrDacres

It's totally about what people are doing now. It's the attitude towards it. The comparison is being frequently made in this thread with people's attitude to alcohol

Oblomov17 · 02/02/2017 11:26

"This means 95% of the entire drugs trade is unproblematic causing no problems to the individual, families, communities or societies. "

And this is coming from the Governments figures? Of people who have admitted it? I dot think I, or nayone else I have ever known, have ever admitted it to the Government.

I wonder what the true % is?
Of the UK population who has ever taken anything/occasional/none?

tartansnowman · 02/02/2017 11:26

I used to work in a substance misuse role. I've never met a client who ended up misusing drugs as a consequence of taking E.

There's usually a huge taboo amongst recreational drug users about crack and heroin, and it's a very different group of people who take those drugs and develop a substance misuse problem.

I do wonder though if there is a link between taking E in the last and SSRI prescriptions now, if there's been research into that?

As for discussing whether or not you took drugs twenty years ago with friends now, I just don't think it comes up in conversation or is interesting to most people.

hoddtastic · 02/02/2017 11:29

of every happy drug taker there's 20 who are hard drug addicts- such.bullshit.

For me and my age group and my generation and my social circle then and now, taking drugs were/are as normal as getting drunk for a very long time. Decades. A couple have died, a few have been to prison, some are hopeless addicts- same as almost every year group at school and university.

It doesn't make you cool to have experienced this, I don't look down on people who didn't take drugs- it's not a big deal. We are all very grown up and responsible, pillars of society, stalwarts of the NCT/PTA. It's not a big deal.

SasBel · 02/02/2017 11:30

Another one who thoroughly enjoyed the 90's but now avoids all drugs, thank you pregnancy, breastfeeding and non sleeping kids saying that, I was a mature student at uni, and the yoof seemed rather straight laced. Maybe the younger generation has more of a work ethic? Grin

KnitFastDieWarm · 02/02/2017 11:30

i was still taking recreation drugs until about four years ago Blush
nothing heavy just weed and the odd MDMA. i still like a drink when i'm off parent duty - and to be honest as others have said above i think excessive alcohol is far more damaging than many drugs.

my heavy partying days are behind me but i don't regret them, i was always sensible and in control and i made some great memories. there are days when i'd kill to be 22, on a hot summer night, with a lovely big joint and a can of red stripe at a festival again Wink

brasty · 02/02/2017 11:31

Normal as getting drunk.
That is where we differ, I was never into getting drunk either.

hoddtastic · 02/02/2017 11:31

oh yeah and it's really dull talking about being off your tits- doesn't make you cool or anything, it just is a thing you did when you were younger, like nobody wants regaling about nights you had when you were drunk and a teenager unless something 'big' happened, taking a pill and going to a club is the same thing although Joy was superb

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