EVERYONE is a drug dealer

[CommonOrNot]

Bear with me…

I have name changed for this for seemingly obvious reasons. Yesterday, I was at the hairdressers getting my usual weekly services chatting as usual to my hairdresser - who every single week I’m there is dating a new drug dealer. She is very much a “glam” type. Neither of these things are uncommon in my city.

She then turns to the woman next to me and starts chatting about said woman’s partner and when he’s going to be on day release from prison and how he’s getting XYZ done cosmetically but it’s ok because the prison thinks he has a business so the money won’t be from dealing. (In other words, he’s still very much running an enterprise from behind bars). Again not uncommon in my area.

it got me thinking, in my city almost everyone has some sort of connection to dealing drugs. at all levels. I’m not exaggerating, I can’t think of a single person that doesn’t either deal themselves or is close friends with someone who does. All the women are dressed head to toe in designer, surgery, etc. the males have big cars, watches, designer clothes. It’s quite rare to see anyone under 30 without this aesthetic.

the 35+ generation maybe not so much but I would say all people I know in this age bracket absolutely have ties to someone who is a dealer.

before anyone comments that people may have the money for this aesthetic through legitimate reasons, I myself have a “flash” car, designer clothes, cosmetic procedures etc. but through running businesses and my partner being a well payed professional. I’m talking specifically about people that I know are dealers, and when I was thinking about it last night I was actually baffled how there seems to be so many.

PS I know there are people that work to have what they have, I’m talking about my city specifically being particularly dense with criminal activity and I’m wondering if it’s a regional thing or not. Where you are, is this the case?

I know drug dealers because I grew up in an inner city area and lots of kids from my school went down the dealing route. I went to a red brick uni and met the odd people from my city who would know the same dealers etc. I think you’re right OP! And I’m 41.

I believe this lifestyle exists for some, but not many.

Drugs are a pyramid scheme. A lot of people who use at the bottom sell on but they aren't 'dealers' with flash cars, that's a bit further up the chain. Think about it- everyone can't be a dealer, but lots of people can be in a social network exchanging drugs. Most people do deal with people they know, or friends of friends.

I don't know any of these people personally, but I'm not interested in obtaining drugs. If I was, then in my social circle I would know who would be able to, even though these days it's mainly the more hippy types and their magic mushrooms and the odd person who vapes cannabis- not many are still smoking.

We are early-fifties. I don't go to any events now where people are taking drugs, but that's because we mainly go out to lunch and the cinema!

My neighbours are drug dealers, very nice drug dealers though and take the bins out when we're on holiday.

I live in the North West. Not Liverpool but a leafy suburb of Merseyside.

Most of the hairdressers are money laundering for their partners drug business.
Most of them also do aesthetics.
I have a drug dealer living in my road, he is discrete but we all know what he does.

Most people in a certain circle do coke at the weekends.

This is by no means the majority of people in my area, but a notable subset.

I don't know any of them personally but hear about this through acquaintances and its really quite common.

Other hairdressers are available.

There are LOADS who don’t spend the whole time talking about their dodgy boyfriends and will happily provide you will all the blow dry services you like.

Just read that you're near Liverpool, so other guesses are, Runcorn, widnes, St Helens, Newton or Warrington.. as you can see I'm from round here too, I don't know of many drug dealers personally but I see them around and you can always tell.

I work in a job where drugs comes up on a daily basis. Most of the complaints I get about drug dealers, are from our properties in the North/North East area. Lots in Manchester, and crewe.

But actually, its drug users that's more prolific. Everyone and their dog smokes cannabis these days so I expect there has to be a lot of dealers to keep these scummy dope heads in weed.

I don't live in a city and don't know anyone like you describe. I know drug dealers but their not living the high life

What about covid made this clear @OfcourseitsaNC ? That’s interesting.

I really feel hairdressers are being horribly misrepresented on this thread.

I do not believe that most hairdressers are money laundering fronts for their dodgy boyfriends’ drug empires.

There are lots of hairdressers out there who run entirely legitimate businesses.

I don't personally know any dealers enough to go up to them for a chat.
But I do know who ARE the dealers.

I know a few, rough part of London, don’t hang out with them.. and I’ve had a few friends that have dated some.

I know a drug dealer.

He doesn’t know I know he’s a dealer. He runs a relatively large construction company and works in a very affluent area. He uses the company to launder his drugs money which is the lucrative part of his business.

Off topic but I wish I had time to go to the hairdressers twice a week. I don't recognise the drug dealer thing at all.

Indeed and my hairdressers is one of the respectable types.

However an ex employee of hers met a drug dealer, started a dog breeding clinic and a new salon in a rougher area. She now wears a role, drives a beamer and has become heavily tattooed and filled. Yes, we do discuss her when I go in for my highlights. Not because she's a rarity but because it's a bit of a shame.

Is there not a significant sweep of clear blue water between knowing someone who uses drugs recreationally and knowing who sells them?

I know of someone whose dh went to prison for dealing drugs but I do not know them. The family was what would be described as "a right lot".

A minority of university students deal drugs. I am sure my DC knew who they were but those people were not part of their friendship circles. Similarly the DC have had one or two friends go off the rails for using drugs but they were not dealers. In fact it shaped the DC's formative views of drugs when they saw the damage that could be caused.

I lived in London from 1981 to 2014 where wealth and poverty exist cheek by jowl. My hairdresser's salon has £2.5m houses to the right, gang ridden estates to the left. Her clientele comes from the right and they would swerve the salon if they thought my hairdresser or any of her clientele were dealing or the close friends/rellies of drug dealers.

Having said that, the people who run the drug operations with dealers casting their net for the vulnerable to supply small scale and who have been responsible for much gang crime over the last 20/25 years are most often respectable, white, middle aged men, often "in property" or similar "occupations" with nice houses and wives and children at private school. Outwardly all the trappings of the old gin and jag belt. They are rarely caught, their "men" are and it is they who serve the prison terms. It's how the drug economy in prisons operates. Just another income stream on a business based on human collateral.

This country perhaps needs to focus on who is abusing the black (largely in London) and the vulnerable in 2023 not on what happened in the 1700's and 1800's. History can't be changed, the present and future can and people need to open their eyes.

I grew up just outside Liverpool and immediately thought of that area when I read the OP.

I haven’t lived there for nearly 20 years but still in touch with some people, none of whom deal or take drugs. I guess it depends on who you hang around with.

Must be specific to where you live because I've personally not known anyone who takes drugs since leaving london in the 90's (in the advertising world half the office took Coke).

The local drug dealer in my town got arrested 6 months ago after a sting operation, and whilst we know people do smoke cannabis because I can smell it, I personally don't know anyone who admits to it at least!

Can't say a generic reason why @FoodMishap

Since Covid, more of my friends have been clear they're popping to the loo for a reason, or it's a pill they're taking and not paracetamol. When you talk and dig a little, they care less now who knows what they're doing.

When I've spoken about people's new openness generically with other friends, some of them then tell me they've been doing a cheeky line for years, chewing an edible or slipping a pill here and there.

Maybe it's an age, maturity, don't give a fuck anymore thing post covid. I honestly don't know.

Oh and my hair dresser wears the same seasalt style dresses as me, she's my neighbour

I'm sure it goes on in most places. It's a depressing thought.

I think the thread title is completely misleading, I imagine purposefully just to cause a lot of friction. Of course not 'EVERYONE is a drug dealer'. That comment is just ridiculously fucking stupid. If you're asking are most people aware of others that do drugs and people that deal them then yes. People are taking drugs regularly in every town and city in every part of the world. Even if you don't yourself you will know of someone that does. But to say everyone is a dealer is beyond thick.

I go to a hairdressers in my local community centre, and the chitchat includes normalised criminal behaviour. Laughing about partners robbing equipment from their workplaces etc.

OP, is your hairdresser located in a economically disadvantaged area?

I stay just out side Edinburgh like less than 10 miles from the city centre. I know of 2 in my street who deal and at least a hand full of people who deal with in the local area that are very loosely linked to friends.

I'm 35+ in a good job and don't have these people in my friendship groups.

I live in a city, when I was younger and worked full time in the city, most of my higher up and better paid colleagues took cocaine on work night out - they didn’t tell everyone but its obvious. The finance director of my company (very middle class, very wealthy) told me he often likes to take Ket and cocaine.
I know tonnes of people who smoke weed, these range from tradespeople, estate agents, bankers and I do know a few people who have sold weed to get buy whilst having a full time job.

I agree lots of people may not know any dealers but your foolish to think no-one you know dabbles in drugs.