To miss E?

[CroutonCrab]

Might be all the stress in the world at the moment but it’s made me think about what I’d give for a couple of doves and the clammy hands that come with them. Don’t think my heart could take it now

@Whatnext2018 - definitely think that time was the perfect storm and, tbh, I am blooming glad I was there to experience it.

And my head massages were well sought after! Should have had my business head on, probably could have earned a fortune!

So weird to think that it’s almost 30 years since my first foray. A lifetime ago, a different me, but I don’t regret it. And I hope that the “anti’s” can understand this - not every drug means a spiral into other drugs and a downward descent. Not all drugs are classed as equal.

I haven’t looked into this, but would be interested to know if there are any studies in relation to those takin E then progressing on to heroin etc? Only because that was something that none of us were ever ever tempted with.

I didn’t even like weed - tried a couple of times. Made me feel breathless and really blooming tired, never got the appeal of it.

Oh I loved that warm wrapped in cotton wool feeling you got when you were starting to come up on E, brilliant nights out everyone was so happy and friendly. Was by far my favourite illegal drug, coke makes people assholes, never really got into weed. Acid no thanks.

Alcohol worst drug of all just wander around a city centre at closing time or A&E on a Saturday night.

Alcohol worst drug of all just wander around a city centre at closing time or A&E on a Saturday night.

Spot on...
A friend works in a City Centre A&E and says it is a cause of so much aggro.

During lockdown the pavements in town were cleaner...no nasty Pavement Pizzas.

Now the pubs and bars are open again...More Pavement Pizzas appearing. Will get worse now the Fresher Spewdents are back.

I haven’t looked into this, but would be interested to know if there are any studies in relation to those takin E then progressing on to heroin etc? Only because that was something that none of us were ever ever tempted with
I'm not sure? For me I was never tempted to progress to heroin as I knew many older heroin addicts I had a fear I become one.
My theory is they never thought they'll become a heroin addict when they start smoking to relax after E.

Definitely didn’t see a connection between E and heroin, no one I knew did it or went down that route. It was acid and booze and smoking when really young, then weed and E’s and speed and then some people had coke later on, it never did anything for me.
I never took a huge amount each time, just enough speed for a buzz and an E, smoked weed for years too. The last time I even had a joint was around 6 years ago and wasn’t keen, seems so weird compared to my ‘Old self’ the last time I had anything heavier was more than 15 years ago. I haven’t even had a drink since April (toddler life 😂) a very different life now, but I look back fondly at that period of time as do all my friends involved, we all know we were involved in a very special moment in time.

we all know we were involved in a very special moment in time.

Yes to this. Life felt so free. The possibilities were endless.

Those were the days, there was no aggro, everyone was so loved up. I sat many a night chatting and dancing with random strangers about the world and everything. I never ever felt the need for anything like heroin it wasnt a natural progression from e at all. I hated weed funnily enough. For me there always felt like a sense of people looking out for each other ,if you lost your mates in a club it wasnt an issue. We all took care if each other

Yes, it was special- I was in McHr, London, BCN, Ibiza - there was something extraordinary going on - it is just that as someone who didn’t do do e, I found some people real idiots (who were ruining it for others when on drugs). They were having a great time and feeling the love but were actually really difficult but couldn’t see it.

But I don’t mean to rain on people’s memories as I do miss the music and clubs even though I was on the periphery. I think a lot is youth and that energy you have at that age plus the music was mesmerising.

Also, this thread is about memories not whether we should legislate and there is food for thought here. I just can’t separate one illegal drugs from another as I saw too many people start on e and whizz and then progress on to other stuff.

I’m with you.

Sometimes I think “oh, I’d love to do that right now”. But I don’t and I doubt I ever will again, for various reasons.

It was great at the time but I think, for me, the nostalgia is enough. I can’t see it being so great now.

I was thinking about this the other day, not just E but the whole recklessness, festivals etc and how it shaped my youth. The time we had was amazing

I thought of those around this age today, the restrictions they face. It must be horrendous. I valued the hedonism, the freedom and has no pressures really not to. Work in Tesco, easy money, get high, study...

It’s not just a bit of partying they miss, it’s a life stage most of us where shaped in.

we all know we were involved in a very special moment in time.
Yes, a perfect storm as the pp said. Even the wider world was a better place. The cold war was over and the war on terror not begun, at the end of the decade, the worlds biggest party! We could even afford to buy a flat!

Me and DH were really big ravers. It's all running and sea swimming for us now. An anti E poster up thread said we should educate our young about natural highs, exercise etc, well I do lots, and love it but the high from clubbing on an E is a million times better. A couple of old clubbing friends now do triathlons and marathons all over the world (gay men, no kids) we were talking a couple of years ago, saying people who talk about natural highs have obviously never done an E

Shiny happy people holding hands.

Loved up festivals with pills, acid and herb, very happy days. But they were atmosphere drugs, and now I'm grown up it wouldn't be the same. So much of it was the optimism of youth, now squashed by the responsibilities of being a grown up, a parent, a carer, an employee etc.

Shame really, but at least we have those memories.

This thread sometimes makes me a little bit said that our own children won't live the life we did.

God! Listen to us, we sound like a bunch of pensioners talking about the 'good old days,'.

@KenDodd - ha, yes, “when I was a youngster ...” 😂

I had the radio on the other day and it was something along the lines of “and now, here’s a club classic from 2005” and I’m like “that is SO not a club classic”!

@KenDodd

A couple of old clubbing friends now do triathlons and marathons all over the world (gay men, no kids) we were talking a couple of years ago, saying people who talk about natural highs have obviously never done an E grin

But that’s my point - it was doing those things, at that age, sea swimming, running, nature that was a great high - because of the energy we had as young people. If you didn’t do it so much then how can you say it didn’t compare to e?

You are comparing e then (with young energy) with exercise now (as an older person).

And the other thing which is coming across on this thread is that everyone talks about it being about the music but it is not inclusive if you leave some people out of the shared experience ( which happened in clubs).

The difference between the reality and the experience was stark to witness - the moods from other people, the unpredictability and general focus just on the weekend - I am not anti experience/ anti drugs/anti experimentation as such it just wasn’t quite as depicted to those of us on drugs.

And I know a lot of the clubs mentioned.

To those of us NOT on drugs!

What happened to E? Is it still available?

As mentioned upthread, I never took it as was too scared to, but I remember those days well and how you could turn up to a club or rave in your pyjamas and no-one would care. No judgement in the endless Summers Of Love.

Chuff chuff.

What happened to E? Is it still available?
Yes very much my 16 y.o nephew bought 3 for €10.00 a few months ago he panicked on it and called Dsis he is still grounded.

@Emeraldshamrock

What happened to E? Is it still available? Yes very much my 16 y.o nephew bought 3 for €10.00 a few months ago he panicked on it and called Dsis he is still grounded.

Sadly these days it is more likely to be something else like PMA

This is why pill testing kits are a good idea. {I no longer take anything, just putting info out for 'Harm minimisation'

PMA takes a very long time to take effect.

I'm pretty sure a friend and I had it once....and the friend was ''very experienced'' and it freaked him out, too.

I started with 1/4 of a tab... waited half an hour, felt nothing.
Repeated ...felt nothing.
then took the remainder, and went to club.

We said ''those pills were no good, I feel nothing at all. {1.5 hrs in}

Anyway... All of a sudden there was a great ''woosh like being hit by an express train {the only analogy} and I was panicked...the music instead of lifting me up on wings was ''attacking''....
I just had to get out of the club.

Gathered up my jacket and saw mate...He said ''Where are you going?''
I said ''HOME''...

He physically blocked my path {the club was in an old Georgian building with narrow doorways} and said ''You are not going home''....He said ''Come with me to the chill out room''

He saw some people he knew and said ''This is {my name} we have taken a {name of pill} and could you look after her?''

They said ''sure'' and were lovely calm lads who calmed me like a groom might calm a fretting racehorse.

people kept coming into the chill out room on panicked states.

Mate a few hours later said ''I was freaking out big time , so had to leave you with my mates..that came on a bit strong, eh''......

It was most likely PMA.

www.talktofrank.com/drug/pma#duration

PMA info {from ''RELEASE''}

""January 2015 saw the devastating news of the deaths of four men over Christmas and New Year – all believed to have taken the same pink Superman pills containing the drug para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA).

This drug, which has a similar composition to PMMA, has been around since the 1970s but due to its lack of positive effects was soon rejected by many. It is therefore assumed that most people were consuming what they thought was (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) MDMA.

Effects and Psychopharmacology

PM(M)A is significantly more dangerous than MDMA for a number of reasons. PM(M)A is not a pharmacological equivalent of MDMA.

Professor Nutt explains this by expressing how the major problem is that “they block the actions of the brain enzymes that offset the desired effects of serotonin and dopamine release that PMA/PMMA produce.

This then massively accentuates their toxicity as the brain can’t compensate for the increase in serotonin so users can develop serotonin syndrome. This is a toxic reaction that elevates body temperature to a dangerous, and in some cases lethal, level.”

The other great difference between PM(M)A and other amphetamine-type substances is its toxicity. PM(M)A can be up to 20 times more potent when acting on certain enzymes in the brain, meaning that a user who is taking a relatively low dose of 80mg of MDMA is suddenly taking the equivalent of a seriously dangerous amount of PM(M)A.

Finally, the time PM(M)A and MDMA take to work on the body are different. Effects of PM(M)A are far slower than MDMA, meaning that users may be fooled into thinking that they have taken a ‘weak’ measure and subsequently re-dose to make up for it.

Punitive UK Drugs Policy and the Rise of PM(M)A

Due to the non-euphoric and potentially fatal effects of PM(M)A many questions have been raised surrounding the drugs’ prevalence in the market. It is for this reason that some believe that the re-emergence of the drug is due to prohibitionist controls on the production and supply of established illicit drugs.''

You cannot tell by look or taste. My experienced friend was fooled, as were many others that night.

Pill testing is essential.

It’s interesting that people talk about the quality of pills deteriorating and that being the reason usage tailed off. With cannabis it seems like the potency is ever increasing these days and yet it is becoming a far more socially acceptable pastime. I think the psychological effects of frequent use of potent cannabis are likely to be much greater than ecstasy/MDMA usage

A family member of mine is a huge weed smoker. He is basically now a paranoid schizophrenic with no life and no friends, who alienates nearly everyone he meets and has no grip on reality. It’s a dreadful drug. I have no doubt that it can be used in treating pain extremely successfully (or components of it) but honestly think it’s one of the worst things out there. I know lots of folk who think it’s a lovely mellow ‘safe’ drug but it’s not.

Tadpolesandfroglets the cannabis that many young people (probably the majority) are using is very damaging

The numbers we are are dealing with in mh is truly shocking. It’s always cannabis related now it’s so rare for it to be another drug or even alcohol and for many the long term effects will most likely impact them for the rest of their lives. It’s very very sad

I went out with someone who I later found out had taken a lot at college. The man was an absolute neurotic mess of insecurities but what struck me most is that it was so easy to see why he was insecure. His drug use had completed obscured his perspective.

Years later, I moved into a house share with a seemingly nice guy and others. He later told us he had been a weed smoker for 15 years.

The stress these two guys put me through was so much that I wish I had never met either of them. They are completed deluded about life and are causing chaos all around them that others have to sort out.