In thinking that cocaine use in London appears to be commonplace these days?!

[Fifilikes]

I’m a 30 year old professional working in finance and moved to the city for a new opportunity a couple of years ago. During that time, I’ve lived in two different professional house shares where I’ve been fortunate enough to be introduced to friends of friends through my housemates and I’ve also met and socialised with lots of people I’ve met through my now husband and also through my work for a large financial services company.

I’ve met a huge range of people, aged between mid 20’s through to mid 40’s, all of whom are relatively successful and well educated. The common denominator is that all of them is that they use cocaine recreationally, whether it be on nights out or nights in over drinks after a long week at work etc. DH and I are very sociable and normally drink alcohol frequently on such occasions but nothing more. Yet pretty much everyone else I’ve met thinks cocaine use is as casual as buying a bottle of wine on a Friday and will talk about it or offer it around without any thought, which still after two years I find quite shocking.

It has me wondering whether cocaine use amongst professionals in the city really is commonplace and widely socially acceptable now, or is it simply that somehow DH and I have both been introduced to the wrong social groups and what we’re seeing to be the ‘norm’ simply isn’t?!

'Wanker powder'

Didn't Michael Gove admit to using it once last year? (Tells me all I need to know about that particular illegal drug. )

I'm a London professional, but don't use cocaine, and none of my colleagues do, that I know.

I see crack cocaine use in the local parks, but I think it's unlikely that the users are in employment

Not in my current social circle and I'm not aware of any of my colleagues using it either but we do work in health care. Some of the people I used to hang out with in my early adult years (18-20ish) didn't mind a bit of drug taking and wouldn't be surprised if they took cochineal now but I dont see them anymore. I live in a city but not london

Use it a few times in your twenties and feel a bit silly about it? fair enough- those still using it past that point are walking jokes.

Yeah I've said it before on here, the social difference between crack and powder cocaine users is fascinating to me.

Is crack more potent ? Less expensive?

It was like that back in the 80s imo, and not unusual in the 70s. I worked at one local authority where entire sections of the town hall would have ground to a halt without it.

It's pretty commonplace in my small, historic, rural town too. Brighton is awash with it. It crosses all social classes and I've encountered users in some surprising occupations and professions, including a detective inspector in the police, an orthopaedic surgeon, a senior lecturer and a primary headteacher!

The only real change is that the quality is piss poor compared to what it was in the 80s.

Cracks a lot stronger and probably works out quite a bit cheaper. Turns you into a babbling, shitting, crazy mess.

It is sad that professional people seem to like taking it as you would think they would know better. The city slicker banker types I do ' get' as it's part of the territory etc but others you would think would just know it's wrong and steer clear of it.
(I know I sound old fashioned and I've never taken it. )

Common in the Midlands.
I know people who work very high profile jobs (teachers, people who work in healthcare sectors, management etc)
Cocaine very acceptable, in fact I know more people who do it, then don't do it.

Yeah crack is cheaper and gives a more intense high so it's easier to get hold of if you're on a low income. I think the conflation of low income and BAME drove a lot of the crack panic in the US, even though most crack users are white and also despite crack users being a much smaller part of the population than powder users. It was that perceived combination of drugs+ ghettos thing that drove the policymakers wild.

I just can't imagine our Head taking it as his such a straight laced person but maybe it's those types that do the powder at least.
No idea. (Some of the teachers seem a bit wild so maybe they might be into it! )

Perhaps interestingly I have observed that at the same time as the crack panic in the US, there was a perception that heroin was fairly boho and edgy, whereas in the UK it was seen as kind of skanky and low rent.

I don't know anyone who uses or has used cocaine. I asked 20 year old DD if she knows anyone who does, and she doesn't either. I think it really depends on your social circles.

I'm not convinced that mumsnet is representative of the entire population on this.

I work in a creative industry in London, I’m mid 40s now so not interested anymore and don’t socialise so much but it was everywhere. Bosses, clients, everyone was doing it. There was even a company dealer.

Funny thing though - a colleague I used to work with at one particular company told me he didn’t think anyone did coke. I told him about 80% of the staff were doing it. Every night out. Because he didn’t do it himself it had completely bypassed him!

Its commonplace in all areas from finance social services and builders. Drug use is massively on the increase

A company dealer! Heard it all now.

To also add, to those who "dont know anyone who does it"

Its very likely that you do - but if you've expressed a hate of drugs, or come across like you wouldn't be accepting of the fact someone does it, you'd be unlikely to know.

I have a few friendship circles that cross over occasionally. In the one circle is a heavy user with a professional job, in the second is someone who is anti-drugs and works a professional job.

If anti drugs found out that users was doing cocaine, they wouldn't be friends.
User is regularly on cociane in anti drugs company.

They have no idea.

Big give away are those friends/colleagues etc, who can stay up until the early hours and seemingly drink a shit ton of alcohol... and talk, alot.

I know more than one example of the above, who you would never guess was on it, unless you knew.

@The80sweregreat I mean they weren’t employed by the company - just everyone used the same person!

I had visions of someone on the payroll ! 😀not really but nothing surprises me anymore!

Honestly, my friends don't do drugs. They are shocked that I tried weed in my youth. I know no-on who can stay up all night. Before covid I worked in a building on a trading estate that meant we all drove to work, so no-one would have indulged at work either.

@brianpotter....it's the babbling and the eyes that give it away ...toilets are cleaned every 15mins so bleach and anti bac everywhere now 😁 it's the i dont care attitude that goes with it too .....I don't care if you do it ...just not in my pub!!! Xx...I just don't get the need ...xx

I'm in my late 30s now but when I was in my twenties and early thirties most of my social circle did coke regularly (I'm in Yorkshire not London). Not high flying finance types either, mainly teachers. Never really interested me.

@jellybaby1

Its commonplace in all areas from finance social services and builders. Drug use is massively on the increase

I wonder what that's about? I don't feel like it's a good thing really.

It’s absolutely rife in Liverpool too. The worst thing is that is just seems so accepted. It’s a horrible drug and turns people into paranoid, self obsessed idiots.

There are lots of taxi drivers that are dealers and the taxi is a convenient way of doing it and a fairly good cover up. I can spot a dealer a mile off usually.