Professional people and drug use

[Beebee6]

I work in banking and moved to London a year ago for a career opportunity. I’m in my early 30s and have never thought of myself as particularly naive but I’m genuinely shocked by how many of my colleagues regularly use drugs. By drugs, I'm mostly referring to cocaine. They all talk about this very openly as if it’s a perfectly normal and acceptable thing to do at the weekend, after work or when they have spare time without the kids. On the rare occasions when I have been along to social events after work, it’s always offered around and I appear to be the only one not partaking. None of these people are particularly ‘young’ either (most 30s-40s) and are all very successful professional people, who in my (perhaps judgemental) opinion, aren’t the typical drug using types. Some are single but many have families. I mentioned this to a friend of mine who seemed to think that this is now commonplace amongst many working professionals, particularly in the city. I’m curious as to whether this sort of thing really has become more normal and accepted now?

From reading the answers on this thread cocaine use seems to be more prevalent in the City and among professionals. Maybe that's why I don't know anyone who has done or does cocaine because I just don't move in those circles
This is so odd. I do move in these circles and I am not aware of any drug use at work. Am I blind or is it actually very rare at my workplace?

I do know a professional person socially who does, and we (me and our mutual friends) are really not impressed.

It sounds like anyone who wants to use them already uses them

I doubt that. I work in an environment where we are subject to random drug and alcohol testing, I'm quite sure if drugs were legal some of my colleagues would take them.

I do move in these circles and I am not aware of any drug use at work. Am I blind or is it actually very rare at my workplace?

I don’t think people use it at work but a lot after work instead

Makes you wonder then. Why do lower classes have to be drug tested before starting their shift, but high flying 'professionals' can be off their heads and they don't have to be tested?

I work in an environment where we are subject to random drug and alcohol testing, I'm quite sure if drugs were legal some of my colleagues would take them.

Hi tentative,

Employers would not necessarily need to change their policies. Your own post says your employer conducts alcohol testing, which is of course currently a legal drug.

I discovered in my early 20s when I moved to London that there is no such thing as a druggy type.

The only difference I found was the very obvious one's which most middle England think all people that take drugs are, are so far gone and have nothing to lose.

But the drug takers with good jobs and other responsibilities tend to be more discreet and therefore harder to spot.

I'm not surprised. Personally, I think all 'drugs' should be legalised, regulated and taxed the way drugs such as alcohol and tobacco are. Criminalising something doesn't stop or deter people from using.

Employers would not necessarily need to change their policies. Your own post says your employer conducts alcohol testing, which is of course currently a legal drug.

@FiddlesticksAkimbo I wasn't discussing my employer's potential response to the legalisation of drugs. The post I responded to said anyone who wants to take them is already taking them. I replied that I didn't think that was true and gave my reasoning. This was on the back of a suggestion that legalisation wouldn't lead to an increase in people using drugs.

I never used to agree with the idea that legalising drugs may increase usage but trying to score drugs from sometimes very dangerous criminals tends to put people off.

Why do lower classes have to be drug tested before starting their shift, but high flying 'professionals' can be off their heads and they don't have to be tested?

Who says they don’t have to be tested? I know in every contract I have ever had that right is reserved. I have only ever seen it enacted when someone has a problem and is obviously affected in the workplace but in over 30 years that’s been exceedingly rare.

It’s pretty obvious, you shouldn’t drive while you are affected by substances (of any kind) or alcohol. You shouldn’t operate machinery if you are affected by substances or alcohol and you shouldn’t be at work if you are affected by substances or alcohol. It doesn’t matter what sort of job you have.

@troppibambini do you mean the yummy mummies are doing it??

It's the norm. Gordon Ramsay did a tv show about it and cocaine was found in his restaurant toilets and you have to have few non to eat there. These "professionals" are maintaining the drug culture on the big cities they are enablers and have lots of blood on their hands, from the origins of where this drug is made to the streets of London and all the stabbings/ murders taking place.

"It's the norm."

Not absolutely everywhere, no it isn't, not in my circles.

Urgh2019
...one of the nurses was telling him cocaine use is rife. She said Sundays are a nightmare as it’s full of people thinking they are having a heart attack.

That's very interesting as a few months ago my BIL ended up in A&E (on a Sunday morning) with chest pains thinking he was having a heart attack. Me and DH were a little confused as to why SIL was seemingly unconcerned about it. She hadn't travelled with him there, nor was she inclined to break off her weekend plans to wait with him. He was discharged later that day and apparently it was all fine and there was nothing wrong with him. A few weeks later he announced he was seeking treatment for alcohol addiction after SIL kicked him out but I now wonder if the "chest pains" were caused by something else and it isn't just alcohol he has a problem with. He's very much the type described by PPs - professional occupation, socialises with bankers, surgeons(!) and high ranking hospitality industry types... That's really got me thinking. He seems to be doing well with his rehab (which is great) and SIL has taken him back. I hope he can stay clean.

I am very naive when it comes to drugs, one of my colleagues got kicked out of a pub we were in on a night out. I thought it was because he'd peed on the floor (he's a wheelchair user and had form for this if a venues disabled loos were not fit for purpose). He dropped a bag of powder right in front of the bouncer just before he got barred which I saw happening but never realised what it was! I let him take my pre booked taxi home and it took me 3 hours to get another one. I was so annoyed when I discovered the real reason he'd been thrown out!!

Tapasfortwo Maybe it's not in your circles but reading right through this thread the majority of people have posted about professional people they know who do this drug on a regular basis. Drugs have infiltrated from big cities into tiny villages courtesy of county lines. Lives are being destroyed and teenagers are being killed for this filth. NOTHING good ever comes from drugs.

@Nothininmenoggin I agree with you totally. It doesn’t matter how in control people think they are, while under the influence of ANY drug they’re not themselves (me included- I’m not being all virtuous about this) and make choices and decisions they probably wouldn’t otherwise make. Long term it messes your brain up. Coke, weed, booze...it just does. I’m so glad I learnt this young enough to stop it affecting the family and relationships I now have. Yuck.

Has anybody discovered that their long term partner is a user but you had no idea? That would be curtains for me.

Mrs Dx That's great to hear. My own son has taken drugs and it was a nightmare it changed his whole personality. He is now a changed young man, much more engaged in life and family. Drugs just strip all that's good about your life away till you are left with a life of misery till your next "high" It's a false life it's a non-life.

Also agree with Nothininmenoggin and Sarcelle

"Drugs have infiltrated from big cities into tiny villages courtesy of county lines. Lives are being destroyed and teenagers are being killed for this filth. NOTHING good ever comes from drugs."

I am very aware of county lines. We have a problem in our local market town, but the main issue is skunk/weed rather than cocaine. Again, I know that none of my friends don't partake.

@nothininmenoggin that’s not the case for everyone. Many many thousands of people in the UK take drugs recreationally and never have a problem with addiction. I know hundreds of people that have regularly taken drugs for fun. I know one that has an addiction.

I'd agree with this Shiver. And I'd disagree with the idea that nothing good ever comes from drugs. Some of them are bloody good fun! If we want to have a rational and effective drugs policy it has to be based on an honest and truthful assessment of drug use. Moral panic doesn't lead to good policy making, and to a certain extent has got us where we are today Denying that drugs can have benefits is as unhelpful as denying that they can cause significant individual and social harm.

We should legalize and regulate, I'm not saying that drugs can't be problematic but prohibition causes more problems than it solves

I don't even drink alcohol or coffee for that matter, neve rmind smoking or drugs and I worked in the City and know lots of professional doing that work who don't take drugs. However there will be some everywhere in all groups and classes of society and drugs.

There is currently research into the therapeutic benefits of such things as ketamine psilocybin MDMA, these are very powerful substances which can be used for good