To think hard drugs aren't as socially acceptable as the media claims

[crowdedhouse23]

I was listening to a podcast on hard drug use here in Ireland . From listening to the media, it seems that a large amount of people are regularly using or have tried cocaine once and it's becoming normalised among the youth in particular in Europe and America. I feel there's a certain amount of sensationlism in these articles.

I'm not sheltered by any means, but most of my friend group who are in their 20s and 40s don't use coke regularly even though they go to the pub nightclubs. Cannabis would be a far more common drug but still used infrequently.
There was a survey that showed around 5% of Irish people aged 15 to 34 and 2.67 of English people aged 16 to 59 used cocaine. That seems like a vocal minority and far from the epidemic you hear about in the news.

https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/media-library/infographic-cocaine-use-last-year-europe-%E2%80%93-young-adults-15-34_en

I disagree. I don't believe the low level that a survey would bring.

Mexicans and Columbians and people in other parts of central America deserve to live and not have their lives blighted or ended by drug deaths.

Well, there's a big difference between 'use' and 'have tried'. The infographic you linked to shows people who have used cocaine in the last year.

I grew up and still live in London and would say that the vast majority of the people I know have tried it, but equally of those the vast majority are not active users - we're all now pushing 40 with families and much less in that lifestyle. However, having tried it/been exposed to it, I suspect a significant proportion don't feel the 'shock' factor which is probably in some way normalising it?

I think there is a difference in social acceptability between rich people using drugs and poor people using drugs.

There is also a difference between having tried, using occasionally and being dependant

Varies according to lifestyle. In my line of work coke use is quite high.

I'm 38 and live in a city. Most people I've known of my generation or younger have at least been exposed to "hard" drug use even if it's just being in the vicinity of it. On the whole I find people to be fairly non-judgemental whether it's their thing or not. I think being considered socially acceptable is a bit different from whether you actually use them or not.

And when I say "hard" drugs, I don't mean Heroin etc. That sits in a different class when it comes to social judgement.

As far as I am aware (because you can never truly know) nobody I know does any kind of drug, from cannabis to cocaine.

I would be disgusted if they did and would cut all ties regardless of who they were.

I’m mid 30s. Lived in the city and the country. Never been exposed to it or know anyone that has (to my knowledge).

Some of my guy friends do it occasionally. Mid to late 30s, varying jobs. We're all part of the same friendship group. They know I don't do it, I have no intention of ever trying it and it's the one thing I'd change about them. They don't do it in front of me, usually in another room when we're round at someone's flat, which I appreciate. I really hope they'll stop one day, though.

Ahahahahaha at those numbers! Just no.

I work in a role affiliated to the police and cocaine use is EVERYWHERE. It's across all social classes and areas.

I dont know what age you are OP but I'm early 40s and in NI. There were definitely less drugs available here eg when I was at Uni in the north there was resin type marijuana and e's and that was it.

Friends in England/Scotland were aware/partaking in a wider variety of harder drugs.

I was in my mid 20s before I became aware of coke being used socially here and that was most definitely by a "class above me"; the local WAG's and Tatler type sort.

Now there are needles on the streets and people off their faces everywhere you go. We used to have drunks. I visited Glasgow at 18 and was afraid of the drug addicts in every shop door that's Belfast now.

Ireland just takes time to catch up I think. NI probably even more so.

I think recreational drug taking exists within bubbles so the people who are around it assume that it's rife and acceptable and those who are not assume that drug taking is minimal and frowned upon. Neither really has a great gauge on it.

I think you are absolutely right @Desecratedcoconut , I'm in the type of group @ThePineapplePrincess describes, I don't know anyone who has taken cocaine. I know a few who smoked an occasional joint when young but no one who did this regularly. I keep hearing that coke its everywhere but don't see any evidence of that. I'm mid 40s so not exactly up to date with the 20 something scene, but my teenage son tells me that people vape a lot, a small few take cannabis and so far he has never heard of anyone doing cocaine. He is still young though, not out at clubs yet. I've heard its rife among young adult, university age groups, 'they are all at it', but I'm a bit cynical because i heard the same when I was young that everyone was taking pills, but saw very little evidence of it. I'm in Ireland too OP, in a city but not Dublin.

I live in a big city an hard drug use is rife.

At 35 with two tiny children I do not touch drugs and wouldn't be around people who did.

7 years ago I was a regular recreational cocaine user, as were most of my friends. I was also in a fairly senior corporate job, going to the gym regularly, dating... as in I wasn't hanging out in a squat or high finance office.

I think it's very easy to think it's not going on when you're not in that circle.

When I worked in London just over ten years ago (in the fashion industry) I’d say Coke use was quite common. Probably over 50% of the people I socialized with did it regularly.

now I’m in my late thirties and work for a charity in the midlands, and I’d say that almost all my younger colleagues smoke weed, but I don’t know a single person over here other than myself that has done hard drugs.

I see ecstasy is classed as a hard drug so maybe more people have tried hard drugs than you think. Not my thing but I know many people who have used it, or coke, when clubbing, for example.

I'm not in Ireland, but like @roarrfeckingroar 10 years ago I assumed everyone did coke, as all my friends certainly did. We were all professionals, educated etc, it's just the scene I was in, partying, living in a big city.
I'm now home with young dc but I know that some of that crew are still having the occasional line, even though they've young dc. And younger relatives, nieces etc have the tell tales of enjoying the occasional line or pill as well. It's everywhere.

I would struggle to name someone in my fairly large social circles who had never touched any drugs at all, there are a few who have tried weed, mushrooms and pills in their younger days but don’t do anything now. There are still vast amounts of them who regularly use cocaine, or habitually smoke cannabis, or would obtain a few ecstasy pills for a nostalgic special occasion, even some who will host a special night to vape DMT.

Depends on your circle, all my friends were doing drugs recreationally in my twenties, now I’m in my 30s only a few do. I think trying drugs is more common that people think, I’ve tried quite a few drugs and tend to only tell people who clock subtle references in conversations about our “youth” and they share it with me, I’m hardly going to tell someone who is clearly anti drugs that I used to do MDMA on the regular.