Professional people on drugs.

[RedneckStumpy]

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?

Redneck - which side will you be fighting on?

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

There is a current epidemic building in the US with over the counter drugs, I'm not saying we are anything like the US but the human race has naturally sought mind altering substances since time dot, we always will.

For every severe addict there is a fair few more who manage to regulate their drug take across the income spectrum.

DH’s company is now considering worldwide weekly drug testing.

Someone I know had been smoking weed and had to do a urine drug test. Of course he asked someone else to do it as the company (stupidly) just ask them to bring in a sample. We suggested he ask pregnant neighbour...

I've had to provide a hair sample for a job as it retains "evidence" more permanently and is done on the spot by the employer. Naturally there was nothing untoward

I was going to contribute to this important debate, as I have alot of experience in the area - until I saw OP just using it as a cheap political platform to attack Brexit. She doesn't even live in this bloody country!

Anyone who thinks it’s fun to take cocaine needs to read up on the health risks and most alarmingly how much they are increasing their risk of having a stroke (the type caused by a haemorrhage/bleed on the brain, rather than a clot).

I can’t understand who in their right mind would expose themselves to that risk.

I mean, the democratic vote by the people of this country who actually live here, as opposed to pissing off.

There is a current epidemic building in the US with over the counter drugs

Which over the counter drugs are you referring to?

GingerBadBoy

Nope not attacking Brexit, I moved out the country so your right it doesn’t affect me. (Apart from ensuring theta my family survive ok)

All I am doing is answering questions posed to me.

Dapplegrey
I wouldn’t be on any side, I would be making sure my family in the UK kept their heads down and stayed safe.

I know a lot of people who used to regularly take drugs and most now have either stopped or use once a year now. All professionals holding down good jobs with no criminal record etc.

I think trying to scare people about drugs doesn’t work. We all saw the Leah Betts campaign but actually the poor girl partially died through misinformation. I think it’s worse telling people “you will die” and the better approach is to highlight risks and be honest.

I don't really recognise the pictures painted on this thread. I'm a professional person (lawyer) as is DH (finance) and we work in high pressure environments in a city environment. We're in our early 30's. I don't know of anyone who uses illegal drugs. Or at least anyone who is open about it. I've never been offered any either. As far as I know DH is the same, he would probably have told me as it would be so out of the ordinary.

I'm not saying these problems don't exist btw, just that I'm completely unfamiliar with them.

I do agree there's likely to be a lot of unrest due to brexit, compounded by reduced numbers of emergency personnel AND armed forces - it's all well and good saying 'bring in the army' not really effective when their numbers are so reduced!

I don't think at this point it really matters which side of brexit people are on because I think even brexiteers are seeing that the govts making a right bloody pigs ear of it!!

"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." Heard this argument SO many times...reality doesn't bear it out unfortunately. Govts worldwide are basically doing all they can to wean people off tobacco and avoid new addicts being created. I suspect if they thought they could get away with it they'd make it illegal. Caffeine it seems to me people, inc medics, still aren't recognising it's harmful effects. Alcohol is also extremely problematic and again govts worldwide are trying to get people to reduce their usage generally. I live in Scotland where we've had high taxation implemented as an attempt at getting people to reduce their consumption. Many people DO have problems with drinking too much but it takes a major issue usually for them to acknowledge this. Personally I think alcoholism is far more common than is currently recognised.

And honestly the people who say "it's no different to a few drinks at a party" I've found in real life experience have been users themselves, and often using more than they'll admit to and more often too.

"Further authoritarianism and a punitive approach is going to be just as useless as it has been for the past 50 years or so" which is basically what I was saying by saying just chucking addicts in and out of prison on a revolving bloody door won't solve anything! Not least because drugs are so prevalent in prison so it's not like it's even temporarily "drying them out".

"And life is much harder for those who are in poverty. They are far less likely to take illegal drugs." Unfortunately not necessarily true especially as drugs are getting (relative to living costs) cheaper.

"Also note that in the past there were plenty of people addicted to over the counter medicines and happy helpers from the GP." Still a big problem with codeine in this country which personally I think should not be available otc.

GinUnicorn - the video I saw was not 'you will die' it was - you could easily lose your looks, career, relationships, health, have flashbacks, be more vulnerable to being assaulted...

Still a big problem with codeine in this country which personally I think should not be available otc.

I agree, codeine way too habit forming to be OTC. I think the PP who said that we have an epidemic of OTC drug abuse in the US was assuming that's what's driving the opioid abuse crisis here. Codeine is not available OTC in the US. The crisis stems from over prescription of opioid pain medications.

Caffeine it seems to me people, inc medics, still aren't recognising it's harmful effects.

Surely the effects of coffee are nowhere near as dangerous as drugs or heavy drinking?
I hope not as my life wouldn't be worth living without coffee!

While there are some jobs where turning up for work in an altered state would be dangerous, I don't like the idea of employers just being able to order mandatory drug tests for all staff.
Employees are not property. If they want to get shitfaced at the weekend, but are no longer affected by whatever they consumed when it's time to go back to work, that is none of an employer's business. (Oh, by the way, just for the really stupid, traces of substances showing up in your hair two weeks later doesn't mean that you are still too intoxicated to do your job properly...)
Taking drugs of some kind to alter your mood and enjoy yourself is not only something that's been going on since human beings first developed the rudiments of a culture, it's not even exclusive to human beings. Animals, basically, do drugs as well.
Quite a lot of the bellowing and pants-pooing about how eeevil drug use is has nothing to do with public health; it's about social control: the masses shouldn't be allowed to enjoy themselves too much in case it makes them disobedient.

He was injecting heroin while he was driving?? That's insane. What about all the other drivers, selfish bastard.

Surely the effects of coffee are nowhere near as dangerous as drugs or heavy drinking?
I hope not as my life wouldn't be worth living without coffee! - hmm irony? Joking aside there's been evidence for many years that caffeine has serious effects for sufferers of certain conditions, also increases risk of developing certain conditions and (I'll get flamed for this but again good amount of evidence) is particularly risky in pregnancy especially early pregnancy.

Reanimated - that rather looks to me like the ire of the defensive. There's a lot of jobs where being under the influence is dangerous, plus many people are driving to work or to go about their personal business. Most of the drugs we're discussing are illegal! NOBODY in this country should be taking them. Perfectly possible to enjoy yourself without them. 'Social control' theory is conspiracy theory territory. Particularly when people on the same side of the debate as you reckon weed just chills you out! If that were true the govt would be encouraging it! And calling those who don't imbibe and who would have no problem with employer testing stupid smacks of 'doth protest too much'!

Drug abuse costs the country BILLIONS!! In healthcare, crime and punishment, supporting families of addicts etc it is FAR from harmless.

Just to also paint a counter picture. I’ve been in high flying roles as has my husband. I’ve not been aware of any of my friends or extended circle doing coke. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen but I don’t think it helps to paint a picture where life is so bleak that everyone has to be on something to manage. I suspect in some circles it is very common and in others not at all and people see their circle as the norm.

A revolution? Good idea. Then what?

The hypocrisy of people who do drugs and then deplore the gang crime and murders associated with drugs is astounding.

Hair sampling is used to determine historical drug use and is often used in custody and probation cases to monitor people who are meant to be drug free.

I've posted about this before but at least 5 of my neighbours are Coke heads. We live in a small Close where everyone knows each other's business ( I hate it ) and they do not hide this at all.

There are 2 women who are horrifically addicted to the point of owing dealers,having health scares, relationship breakdowns and getting to the point where it's normal to have it on a Wednesday night.

Cars pulling up at all hours, up all night and sleeping all day after dropping kids at school and pretending they're fine.
The come downs are terrible. They look awful.

It's completely normal to them. And it scares me that they can't have a drink without it.

Be careful
As you have shared a lot of details
and the industry

You could get husband into slot
Of trouble if someone recognised this

"I don't really recognise the pictures painted on this thread"

Neither do I Pawnee
I'm pretty boring and straight laced and so are my friends. I don't know anyone who indulges in coke or who has ever tried heroin.

I know a few weed smokers and suspect that one of the girls I work with probably takes coke, but other than that I must live in a bubble. We do have drugs problems in the area of course, but I don't know anyone personally who indulges.

Meh, I know people who got / get black out drunk, vomit, wet the bed from alcohol. People who have wanted to give up smoking for years and can’t or keep going back to it.

Professor Nutt has showed extensively and pretty comprehensively that heroin, tobacco and alcohol are the most addictive and social destructive. His study has shown that mdma and coke are very much less severe than alcohol, tobacco and heroin. Indeed, I know people who use coke recreationally at far less of a personal health impact than those who drink recreationally, not least because a social coke user tends to use it once/twice a week while a drinker tends to drink most days. Problem drinkers and problem drug users are basically the same in their health/social/personal damage.

By comparison, a regulated and taxed drug market would reap huge revenue for the govt. Sherlock Holmes was continually on cocaine (ok, I know he’s a fictional character) because it used to be a legal substance. Coca Cola used to contain it.

Furthermore, because of the black market, cocaine production is hugely damaging to the environment and to the lives of those on the frontline of producing and smuggling it. Again, managed legalisation would resolve this.

I worked in the city of London for years and never knew anyone doing drugs. Including in the head office of a major telecoms company - if it's the same one where another poster claimed 90% of people were taking drugs I just don't recognise it at all. I'm only aware of one person in my social circle who takes coke but I accept there may be others. I just don't recognise the scenarios being mentioned here - it's very shocking.