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AIBU?

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Original poster

Professional people on drugs.

101 replies

RedneckStumpy · 12/09/2018 13:33

Over the last month DH has been clearing up incidents at work. All of which have been having to sack people who have caused an incident at work due to drugs.

Druggy 1: Rolled a company vehicle, he was injecting heroin while driving and passed out.

Druggy 2: Sold company phone, laptop then used company credit card to hawk fuel to feed he coke habit.

Guy 3: While being security checked by the nuclear power station, was told to leave and was escorted to the plants property boundary buy armed police.

DH gets drug tested regularly, everyone who works at the company is security cleared. How do these people slip through the net?

Is drug taking becoming more mainstream?

OP posts:
Justanotherlurker · 12/09/2018 16:23

I also think we need scare tactics to put kids off trying drugs in the first place!

Governments across the world have been trying this for decades and it has proven not to work, the new approach should be to accept that some people want to use them, then governments can regulate the strength and purity, tax tax would massively rise as is seen in some us states and it would pull the rug from under many criminal gangs

Rudgie47 · 12/09/2018 16:23

DrugsAintCool -I don't know where you live but I live in the north and its really easy here to get treatment for all sorts of drugs problems. The thing is people have to want to change and have had enough of the lifestyle etc.
Also a lot of recreational users don't see it as a problem so will never end up in treatment services.
Also scare tactics don't work at all and that's recognized now, in fact they can make drugs more appealing to young people especially.

Directorofmishaps · 12/09/2018 16:25

My Mum was a surgical nurse and had to take all the details from patients first.
She was shocked at how many professionals admitted to drugs.

I worked for a furniture shop years ago and one of the doctors my Mum worked with came into the shop office to buy drugs off my colleague not realising I now worked there. I was Shock

RomanyRoots · 12/09/2018 16:28

What profession are these people.
I know of Doctors and Lawyers, who take drugs, this has always been the case btw.
In the 80's I was reading an article in cosmo of professionals taking drugs. They held parties at the weekend and palmed their dc off to baby sitters, nannies etc.

WinnieFosterTether · 12/09/2018 16:29

I don't think it's that life is too hard.
Most of the people I know taking cocaine are in the media. Their lives aren't hard. They have too much money and there's a social expectation they'll take coke. Likewise all the senior kids at private schools, taking coke at the weekend.
The adults I know who smoke hash, also have decent jobs, own their own homes and cars. A few of them are depressed but they've been smoking for so long that it's impossible for them to tell if the depression is caused by their smoking.

Rudgie47 · 12/09/2018 16:30

Directorofmishaps- My friend used to go out with a DR who worked in a hospital and he was sacked or made to resign for stealing drugs. Loads of the Drs were using drugs.
Every year the NHS has millions of pounds worth of drugs stolen from it and its not the lower grade staff that have the access.Its the Drs and the nurses.

Dapplegrey · 12/09/2018 16:31

If the drug epidemic in any way threatened the wealth and lifestyle of the 1%, it'd have been dealt with."

The drug epidemic may not have affected the wealth of the 1% but there are plenty of very rich people who've had children with drug problems some of whom have died as a result.
Do you honestly think that individuals, businesses and government don't care about the terrible problems caused by drugs?
You say it would've "been dealt with".
What's your brilliant suggestion for dealing with it?

Basecamp65 · 12/09/2018 16:34

My ex- son in law is currently serving an 11 year prison sentence for dealing cocaine.

His biggest customer was the head teacher of an outstanding in all areas primary school. She is recognised as an exceptional leader and heads a multi school academy.

She used to ask him to deliver to the school and he refused. Understand that - the head teacher was asking him to deliver her cocaine whilst the children were in their classes. It was the "low life scum bag" dealer that refused to take drugs into a school.

When he was arrested he recognised 2 of the arresting police officers as clients, 3 of the barristers in court and 11 prison officers. He also refused to deliver to nurses and Drs whilst on duty. He now readily admits he supplied a number of prison officers with drugs that he knew they were selling in prison and this was their operation nothing to do with the prisoners or outside dealers running it - just them making a quick buck.

Before arrest he was followed 24/7 for 6 months by police and they must have seen these people in fact some of the evidence in court showed him delivering to these very people - all remain in their well paid jobs and he is in prison.

One day someone is going to have the courage to tell the truth about the drug trade - the main beneficiaries are the well paid people in the criminal justice system - not the dealers.

DrugsAinyCool · 12/09/2018 16:37

I'm still in touch with all the people that saw the video I did - none of them have touched drugs and when the subject comes up we often refer to that video and how it put us off!

I honestly think the harsh realities of drug harm are not publicised enough.

Instead we're getting too much "cannabis is no worse than a few gins", "alcohol causes more problems" - and? Why does that mean drugs aren't harmful? "Everyone does it" not true, celebrities who've had drug issues are still visible and mostly looking glamorous, so it LOOKS like it's fine. It's all being glossed over!

Liverpool23 · 12/09/2018 16:38

About 3 years ago I met a seemingly lovely man on a Christian dating website. We got on so well.
Around date 4 or 5 - you know, when you are just starting to think, hey we may have a real connection here - he admitted to using Cocaine!
I was absolutely in shock. He was in senior management for a major tv company, I WISH I could name which one but I don't think I can
Anyway, it wasn't just the fact he was using cocaine but his attitude towards my (horrified) reaction. ''Oh come one, everyone does it.'' ''It's not THAT often, I'm not addicted'' and ''I only take it when I'm with my brother'' - this told me a couple of things.

He had completely normalised his behaviour to the point he thought that everyone did it but also he did it with his own brother - I could never ask him to stop spending time with his bro could I! (I think sometimes when it is with friends, a person can...''outgrow'' their friends but a brother is a brother for life.

Let's not even go there with meeting him on a Christian site shall we, ugh

We were having what was meant to be a relaxed coffee in Costa at the time - I have never drank a cup of coffee so fast in my life, walked out and blocked his number - haven't seen him since

Original poster
RedneckStumpy · 12/09/2018 16:40

Britain needs a revolution
I think Brexit will be the Catalyst for this. 50% chance a revolution will kick off next year.

I agree with the long working hours in the UK. The main reason for our move to the USA was a better work life balance.

OP posts:
Bronxer · 12/09/2018 16:40

Do employers have the right to search someone before a drugs test to make sure they don’t swap out the sample? I don’t see how it would work otherwise everyone could cheat it. I feel that drugs are way more easily accessible than 20 years ago, mostly down to phones and social media. In fact I’m pretty sure there’s an app where people can find dealers if I remember correctly

VauxhallVectra · 12/09/2018 16:43

@Basecamp65 Someone I know used to deal cocaine. His list of clients read like a who's who of top brass in various well-respected professions/sectors. He had lots and lots of celebrity clients too.

Dapplegrey · 12/09/2018 16:46

Redneck - I asked another poster but they haven't answered.
What form will this revolution - which may or may not happen next year - take?

Original poster
RedneckStumpy · 12/09/2018 16:49

Bronxer

DH outlined the process. You go to a specific toilet to pee in a cup. The toilet has a dye in to that Changes colour when you pee in it. The temperature of the sample is also recorded to make sure it’s body temperature.

OP posts:
PlatypusPie · 12/09/2018 16:53

Coke was definitely a big thing in the City of London in the 80s and 90s when I worked there - my DD is working there now and says it is not the case: long hours but very much more policed. Too many checks and balances now - it’s not the wild trading days of yore. When she was working in the charity sector, however, it was another matter - half the staff rolling in late, having been buzzed up half the night.

Original poster
RedneckStumpy · 12/09/2018 16:53

Dapplegrey
I am expecting it to start of as protesting and civil unrest in the weeks following Brexit. Due to limited resources the police won’t be able to stop the riots, the army will then come in. Then perhaps there will be a shooting which will escalate the situation.

OP posts:
Dapplegrey · 12/09/2018 16:59

Redneck - will it be remainers fighting brexiteers or rich people being attacked, having their houses burned etc.?

ReanimatedSGB · 12/09/2018 16:59

Plenty of people use drugs recreationally and never develop a problem - exactly like people who have a few drinks at a party and never develop a problem. It would be better for everyone (drug takers and abstainers alike) if all recreational drugs were legalised and taxed in the same way as alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.

But, yes, 'problem' substance use is getting worse because of what PP said: raging economic inequality, shit jobs for many people, a lack of hope for the future etc. Further authoritarianism and a punitive approach is going to be just as useless as it has been for the past 50 years or so.

Original poster
RedneckStumpy · 12/09/2018 17:01

Dapplegrey

Probably a bit of both depending on the geographic area.

OP posts:
Bronxer · 12/09/2018 17:04

Thank you for enlightening me OP! That’s quite advanced I’m glad they have that in place as it could be easily cheated if not. I’m thinking maybe it would be a good idea if the government made it mandatory for every workplace to get their employees to take a drugs test once or twice a year. Maybe more often in professions like surgeons, doctors, solictors etc. IYSWIM. I think it should also be mandatory to have a test at the beginning of employment so that it can be nipped in the bud before they even start working. It would be useful to weed out (sorry for the punGrin) those who take drugs and if they’re criminals it might make the whole ‘war on drugs’ a lot easier!

abacucat · 12/09/2018 17:09

Bloody hell I don't know anyone who takes drugs, except a few that take weed once in a blue moon.
And life is much harder for those who are in poverty. They are far less likely to take illegal drugs.
Also note that in the past there were plenty of people addicted to over the counter medicines and happy helpers from the GP.

abacucat · 12/09/2018 17:11

I think the lack of hope that things will get better is a big issue. You can cope with a lot of you think things will get better.

kateandme · 12/09/2018 17:14

i think people think they can cope with it.just to ease things a little.but the vunerabilties then grow and grow hugely with drugs going through you so any problems in life aren't eased in the long run by drugs,on the come down they are heightened and even worse to deal with.so you do it again.and a bit more.or cant stop.and it spirals.

Dapplegrey · 12/09/2018 17:16

Also note that in the past there were plenty of people addicted to over the counter medicines and happy helpers from the GP.

There still are plenty of people addicted to over the counter medicines - for example painkillers containing codeine.