To ask posters who have done drugs

[WaterOffADucksCrack]

What they will tell/have told their children when they reach/reached the age when they're curious?

Mine aren't anywhere near that age yet but I'm curious because they will ask about it one day. My dad told me he'd done cannibas for around a year. He had fun tines but that it made him so lazy that he stopped as he was in college.

My story is different, I've tried all drugs. Ended up with a ketamine addiction. However with something like cannabis I'm more leaning towards telling the children of the good and the bad as I believe being ridiculously against is as bad as being ridiculously for it. Thanks.

OneSnailWait has already said that cannabis is legal where she lives and I'm sure her husband is not driving under the influence.

Do you have a glass of wine sometimes in the evening? It's no different in countries where marijuana is legal.

When its his week off he enjoys a joint of an evening yes

I'd be honest. I smoked cannabis a few times, the last time left me feeling quite sick. I don't think it's bad when not too strong, and has great medical value. The stink of it is disgusting though, utterly antisocial and so much worse than general ciggis in that regard.

As for other drugs, I've never tried them, but know many who have. In our late teens/early 20s, cocaine was most people's choice, but it just turned them into dicks from my POV. Whatever my sister was taking left her with the most horrendous come downs, so may have been fun with her mates, but a total arse at home. I'd also be honest that most moved on with their lives, but a couple did lose theirs to drugs. A couple of ODs and a couple of accidents when high. None of them saw 30, and it just seemed such a waste.

Can only be honest with my experience. I'm not 100% anti drugs but seeing it ruin one life is bad enough. Seeing two siblings from the same family pass away from drug related issues, too much. I'd ask my children to seriously consider if it's worth it, and hope they keep their choices as safe as possible.

I plan on telling my kids (when the time comes) that I smoked weed as a teenager and young adult and that I don't see an issue with it when handled responsibly (eg. Don't smoke and drive, etc). I'm from a country where it's legal though, so I would likely mention that in the UK, it is illegal regardless of age.

I like to think when they’re old enough for the conversation that I will be back on them again

In all seriousness, I’m always very open and honest about everything and do still occasionally toke at parties. It won’t be a weird or awkward conversation.

Depends on what age he is when he asks.

I think if older teen shall say yes I’ve tried but not share stories of the great times I had. I think being honest in that I tried on the odd occasion is enough

I dabbled a little in my early 20s - just a handful of times but it’s probably my biggest regret, not because it affected me badly but because of the human cost of the drugs trade. It’s that aspect of it that I’ll be emphasising to my DC as they get older and drug use starts to become a possibility, as I want them to think about the consequences of their actions on others if they get involved with drugs (as well as the obvious health risks). I like to think I’d answer any questions about my past honestly in an age appropriate way.

I work in forensic mental health all residents have pass issues with drugs apart from one and it’s all cannabis related (as is the vast majority of young people coming through mh services). I do not discuss my use with those I work with (residents, with staff yes)

I am not anti cannabis use but I am well aware of the dangers and the serious concerns it’s now raising attitudes are changing to the impact smoking cannabis has on mh

I know people who smoke it occasionally and those who smoke often (typical weed heavy smokers love conspiracy theories, un motivated, often paranoid and obsessed with cannabis)

No, I would definitely not tell them. I'd talk openly about it if they asked, or if I thought they could be in a sticky situation, but I'm definitely embarrassed and ashamed about drug taking, I would hate my children to know.

Not saying anyone else should be embarrassed or ashamed, just personally it's the one part of my past I'd like to forget (and can't remember most of it anyway so that's lucky )

I'll tell them the truth.

Alcohol
Tobacco
Caffeine
once you take into account the hypocrisy of most "anti drug" campaigners
and the damage that legal drugs - like the opiate epidemic in the USA cause

its easy to say
do what you like
but keep your head clear to pass Uni and hold your job.

Synthetics and pills are scary because the user cannot smell test
but the key point is to give kids reasons to want to enjoy most of their 24 hours a day without psychoatives

Hmmm. We've been honest with our 2. I have had a much more colourful past than DW and still take MDMA (tested) a couple of time a year. Personally I've had more issues with Alcohol and it took years to give up cigarettes.

They're going to come across drugs whatever, all we can do is equip them with as much foresight as possible.

I took a lot of drugs as a youth. I had a horrific childhood.

I have 2 older teens who I have been completely honest with, and I will be honest with the rest of my dc when age appropriate as well.

I want them to be able to come to me, and they do, we have always had a, possibly too, honest relationship, and I'd feel like hypocrite lying to them about a major part of my life.

I've done a bit, nothing heavy, it was great. Told my kids as well, difficult to explain to a 3 year old though

All the people openly saying they have done drugs what is your line of work?

I'm a chartered accountant

I will I think. I think I’ll tell them that I took them to try and fit in and be happy, but really they made me was sad, and angry.

For the PP who asked - I am a teacher. Although I haven’t taken drugs since becoming a teacher. The last time I did any form of drug other than a glass of wine was before my first son was born and about 12 months before I began my teacher training.

I’m a scientist.

I took a lot of drugs between the age of 18 - 25 and will not be telling my kids if I can help it.

I do think the my eldest may end up trying them more than my youngest as he's into that kind of music rather than the stuff his friends like. He tells us everythung atvthe moment but we've said that when he stops joing about sex and drugs, we'll know that could be the time to worry! 😉

I work in a University and TBH, if my kids weren't going to find out, I'd bloody gomout and do it all again. Ah, the raving days... 😏

This is a hard one for me, I dabbled a lot in my early twenties, mainly MDMA and speed, had terrible come downs, but I can’t lie, the highs were incredible. Tried cocaine over a weekend at a festival and hated it, not at the time, as I felt confident and very sociable, but I was in a terrible mood for about two weeks and had strong urges to do more for about 1 month, so never did that again, just not worth it and I knew it was super addictive to me.

Smoked weed and ate edibles quite a few times, had one bad experience when I smoked too much and it ramped up anxiety, but other than that very good experiences. So my issue is, if I tell them I did drugs and they ask what they were like I’m going to have lie and say they were bad and don’t ever do them. My partner is very very anti drugs, so it wouldn’t be acceptable to her for me take any other stance than this. So I’m probably going to lie and say I’ve smoked weed and that’s it because I will be a hypocrite to tell our kids not to do them when I took them and had a great time on the whole, and I don’t feel comfortable making up terrible fake stories to scare them.

I’m a clinical scientist.

I have no idea, luckily she's only 3 so I've got a while... Hated weed but was very partial to cocaine when younger, never had a problem, was only nights out and festivals, so probably 2-3 occasions per year, and it was fab! So likely to underplay that part
And I'm a doctor for whoever asked profession

I have never done drugs in my life. I educated both of my children about the risks involved. Child one never dabbled. Child two a daughter of 23 is currently in hospital with serious brain damage following being found just about conscious. She will never be back to how she was and we do not know how much recovery she will make.

I'll just leave this here for you all to think over.

Mine are 16 & 18, and I've been mostly honest. I was a recreational drug user pre dc, I experimented with most of the usual types and then some prescription drugs for variety. But I have adhd, so quite often drug's didn't have the same result on me as my friends. Cannabis really wasn't my thing, but I could sink huge quantities of dance drugs without any problems. I have however been open and honest about the fact drug use was more open at the clubs/ gigs/ festivals/ illegal gatherings we frequented, which gave a degree of safety that doesn't exist now. Plus the negative experiences, and consequences.

@Healthyandhappy my teenage years were spent between private school and pony club. It just meant we had more money for recreational drugs. And the latter meant most of my friends and I had access to a whole range of pharmaceuticals to potentially abuse. We didn't magically evolve into unemployed homeless chavs.

I'm going to be honest in principle ie I may not admit quite how much time I spent stoned at uni, and may err towards the year I've done it once or twice' angle.

My DC are not ready for that though. They asked me if I'd ever been drunk a year ago! Recently they asked if I'd ever tried trigs so I said yes cannabis and it made me feel really weird.

All my mum ever said to me was “drugs are bad” with no information on why they were bad and I had issues with drugs for years.

Be truthful and don’t just say they’re bad, my stepdad said if my little brother ever smoked cannabis then he would be thrown out the house! idiots that he and my mum are in all honesty.