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 don’t know any drug dealers and don’t know anyone with the aesthetics you’re describing. I see people with obvious surgical ´amendments’ only in passing

Thank you very much for this

As far as I know, only legal drug dealers!

You don't necessarily know if you know any drug dealers.

When my son was at an academic city independent school, the police turned up one morning and arrested a member of his form (aged 16). He had been dealing drugs to people in school for some weeks.
Turned out he'd already been thrown out of his previous school for drug taking.He was prosecuted and his 'clients' were cautioned.

The chain of supply is very long with many people involved and they don't tend to put 'drug dealer' on their CV.

I'm not!

I live in the north west but not in a city although I work across a few cities
My adult DC are 30ish and amongst their social circle lots are in building industry or associated trades eg electrician or plumbing, quite a few in engineering, those who don’t seem to be mainly NHS, civil service or local authority and quite a few teachers - not a drug dealer amongst them - although I’m sure they would know where to find one

I’d also like to know the answer to that! And how you’re supposed to buy houses there without inheritances, family or drug money.

Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester and all towns around, London, Leicester, drugs are everywhere.

In my city and my social circle, recreational drug use is very common. However, the only dealer I know of (and that's the only one I've ever known on sight) is a well spoken long hair/ vintage bicycle/ grandad glasses hippie type much like the customers.
It's very hush-hush and no one talks about it.
I don't get the impression that everyone here deals or is related closely to a dealer even if partial to a line twice a month.

😂 I know exactly what you mean, I live in the NW

Is this South Manchester area. Particularly around the expensive parts

I used to live there for a bit and it very much was for a lot who lived there the centre of the universe. It was one a very strange area
And yes did know a lot of drug dealers and this was many years ago

I had a theory why drug dealers were so predominant and that was because it was a very boring area.

if you didn’t want to shop, drink, eat or take drugs then there wasn’t anything much else to do without spending loads or having to leave the area

Is it Liverpool, which is fast becoming the drug capital of the north west unfortunately.

I live in a city in South West Ireland, historically it was considered deprived, but huge regeration project for the last 20 years and it is much more affluent now.

Everyone knows people in the drugs trade, be it people who are involved in grow houses etc. It is normalised, which is unhealthy. Not everyone takes drugs but you are considered precious if you are judgmental about drug taking or the drugs trade in general.

I'm very anti drugs and am considered precious for being like that.

I think the under 30s are starting to look insane, do much bottox and teeth whitening. Between drugs and Only Fans and the zero judgment culture, there is a heady mix for the younger generation to navigate.

Another one who would go for a weekly wash and blow dry if she could.

We live inner city, desirable area, lots of big houses (although ours isn't), professional people, independent school, pubs and bars. Drug use seems to be all pervasive, so I inevitably know people who deal and people who use (mostly recreationally), although they are not part of my immediate social circle.

For the older or the insulated, it is shocking how much drug use/activity there is out there and how little it is disguised. The police in our area no longer prioritise it. A local venue which tried to clean itself up has waited over a year for a promised 'surprise' visit from a sniffer dog.

Must be some idiot that hasn't RTFT 🤪

Everyone being a dealer and everyone knowing a dealer are two very different things.

But I still think its more about the circles you are moving in than the city itself. Not necessarily the professions or the education or social class of your contacts...but the fact they are all clearly of a type where flashing the cash and having a certain look is important.
I am in a city in the northwest....there aren't that many. And yes I know there are probably a lot of drug dealers and users but not the people I know.

Bolton?

I'm in Liverpool and don't know anyone who deals drugs!

People who do need to move circles

For Liverpool it's still like that. On my street alone I can easily count half a dozen people regularly buying and they are not even hiding it. And those are people with professional jobs, family, nice home, the works. The son in law of a neighbour even made a family business out of dealing, with girlfriend and baby in the back of car. It's more common than one thinks.

As someone who has lived in Liverpool for over 40 years I can say that absolutely not EVERYONE is a drug dealer! I have never met any drug dealers or heard anyone know discuss knowing one

I'm not far from Liverpool either and due to work and different social things, I'm meeting a lot of people all the time. I do not know any drug dealers.

I don't think op lives in a city. There are plenty of shithole drugdealer towns around the northwest that fit the bill for this. Not shithole rundown where they are taking the drugs, but desperate housewives rural towns on the outskirts between Liverpool and Manchester.

There's a lot more money in my town than there should be, if everyone really was working in the local industry.

It's hard bringing up kids because they see where the real money is made.

Our local barbers did get done for massive drug smuggling, so maybe the common denominator here is the hairdressers, op. I don't go so I wouldn't know (do my own) but they are often a cash in hand front for laundering, like nail bars, car washes and turkish shave places.

I'm assuming you're in Liverpool but there is a lot of lovely people too! Get off Country Road 🤣

County Road even

it’s that uncommon for people with certain types of hair. When i lived in sis london, it was common for my friends to go to the salon for a wash and blow dry once a week

I've never knowingly met a drug dealer. Quite possibly I've crossed paths with one but funnily enough they didn't mention it!