Something sinister going on about Cocaine in the UK

[EasterBun23]

Something sinister is going on.

We all know people on Cocaine, it's very very popular, every time i go in the toilets in my local bars on the weekend there's lads in there doing and dealing it.

Recenly it was reported that the UK is the second most popular country for cocaine..

We are an Island country. (excluding NI).

How the hell is so much getting in our borders? There are sniffer dogs and checks at airports and sea ports. You can very well imagine some is getting in..

But enough to feed a population of 67million? nah

Most of my friends seem shocked (or at least pretend to be shocked) that I used to smoke dope at university and knew people who took speed. I don’t know that anyone of my acquaintance has used coke, though I guess some may well have. I’m in my late 50s. know weed is prevalent in the area and used by a lot of teens and many adults. 🤷🏼‍♀️Much more commonly used than coke.

I think considering it's been rife among the rich, politicians and media types for decades, it's not really seen as a big problem. Although now that regular people are super into it and can't really afford a proper habit, the associated social problems are going to rise.

I was more surprised to learn that apparently crack is becoming popular as a party drug for young people these days! Ppl selling crack or smack used to be kicked straight out of raves in the past, and lucky if they escaped a kicking for trying to push that stuff on party goers.

I know a lot of people who take coke. I know a lot of younger people. In my age group (ancient) the only people I knew who did it were wealthy wanker banker types. Now it is rife amongst those in clubs. Luckily my adult kids don’t seem interested in it.

it’s a horrible drug. I hate it. Have seen the damage it does. Someone posted some stats on here - think deaths from cocaine have increased by 800% in the last ten years (from memory - someone may have the figures to post).

Prohibition is the problem. Drug use and misuse will never go away. Legalise it, regulate it and tax it. That's the only solution. Anyone who tells you different is on an ego trip. If you doubt that, ask yourself this, how much more drugs would get taken if they were legalised tomorrow? Answer: none, cos they are already being bought and taken. Right now. Portugal has proved that hands down andseen a huge improvement in helping addicts and society in general. If you want to help children in future, you must accept that this is true. Sincerely, an ex smack head.

Exactly. Honestly, OP, you get that drugs don’t all arrive via ports or airports, right? There’s been a big seizure here (Ireland) recently, because customs/navy boarded the ship (Maltese-registered) before they could finish the operation by throwing it overboard with GPS trackers so it can be picked up by small boats and taken ashore somewhere remote, anywhere you can pull a boat up onto a beach for a minute.

I am late 40s and live in a small and beautiful village in Norfolk. I know it is absolute rife with cocaine down our village pub!
people you would never, ever expect to do it as well:
I am friends with none of them.
it disgusts me!
A family members s 59yr year old husband is addicted to it and thinks she doesn’t know and she is too weak to do a god damn thing about it, she just takes his bullht attitude and gives excuses!
Week in and week out there is always some news article about county lines and the gangs and culture it creates.
I can’t believe people even begin to take it knowing the devastation it causes and the lives which are lost needlessly because of it

It’s not, though. It’s about 2%

But what’s the spread amongst ages & location, surely there is significant variation. Plus are the stats all self reported?

@cantsleepinbed yes, my son went to work at a motor dealership and had to leave as they were all doing lines of coke at work, when they went out, everywhere. He would have put money on every single car that they sold being stopped by sniffer dogs.
I had a dealer move in across the road from me. Cars would pull up 50/60 times a day to buy. I moved. All ages and genres of society. Police didn't care.
Personally tho, I don't know anyone who does coke.

@jgw1

I'm older, I don't know anyone who takes cocaine nor seen it openly used publicly since the 90's. Now cannabis is definitely different, I'm sure most my neighbourhood use it based on the stench around the area, plus you can buy it off the guy who hangs out near the coop I'm told (I've never taken drugs, it's just public knowledge)

Went to a pub in Clapham recently and was very confused for about 5 minutes as to why the queue for the gents was so much longer than for the ladies. Then it hit me.

Really? Your parents, siblings, extended family? Workmates, teachers, dentists?
Wow.

I don’t believe those figures, not for 1 minute. I think they are wildly underestimated. I know lots of highly paid professional adults who took coke in their 20s/30s. I absolutely hate the stuff, then and now, I never touched it and I cannot get my head around snorting something up your nose but plenty do it.

I have worked in mental health liaison for years, cocaine is definitely much more normal now than even 5 years ago. It is seen by many as no different than alcohol on a night out. It's as common as weed.

I don't move in circles where people take coke nor do I know anyone who takes it. Weed yes, coke no.

You don’t have to be in a circle to be aware if it’s usage. I grew up in a then rough part of London, came across plenty of drugs but never touched anything as I saw the fallout. Got to uni & peers were doing coke, bosses at work parties, school mums I met, someone worked talking to uni etc and I saw an exchange about 2 wks ago whilst walking home. I’ve never touched drugs & never will, but doesn’t mean I don’t see it.

I don't know anyone who does cocaine, ok so I don't have many friends and don't go out much so while I have no doubt it is happening maybe its not as common as you assume

This.....

I am with others saying it is surprising how many use it.
People I have seen using include artists, people working in publishing, IT workers, university support staff, education professionals, people working in fashion, car sales people, company owners, construction workers, social workers, nurses, housing officers and senior managers in local authorities.
I have never touched it. But wouldn't say there is any social group immune to using it, sadly.

I don’t know anyone middle aged doing it but did when younger

We might do cocaine more as a country idk - or even how it’s getting in - but looking at US the rise of other drugs is really bad. Fentanyl has much higher od rate there, and hopefully won’t pick up here

Lots of naivety on this thread.

Of course you probably know if your close friends do cocaine or not but you won’t know if your colleagues that you don’t socialise with outside of work do. It’s not something you tend to bring up while making yourself a cup of tea at 9am.

It isn’t just the corporate world/middle classes. I worked in a bar many years ago and most of the staff did coke (and other drugs, any drugs) every week. Most of the bouncers dealt drugs or knew someone to get gear from. A lot of the bouncers were painters/builders etc in their day jobs. On nights out with work ones, out of about 30 of us, I’d say about 5 of us (myself included) didn’t do any drugs at all. And this was a minimum wage, zero hour contact job, so money was hardly flowing here. It got so ridiculous at one point that staff were bringing drugs with them to work (weed in this case) and it absolutely stank out the staff room, or they would find drugs on the floor of the club nights we ran and just pocketed them and took them after the shift. I remember brushing up what I presumed to be Ket and happened to mention it to a colleague who I’ve never seen move as quick to grab it off the floor and put it in his back pocket for later.

I also once dated a guy who worked in the motor trade and found out at the end of our relationship he used to casually deal- had absolutely no inkling at all of this or I wouldn’t have even gone near him. Just casually mentioned to me how at one point he had 3k cash under his bed in shoeboxes.

I would say more haven’t tried drugs than have, though. And a lot of people have tried things once and then never again.

I honestly have no idea who does it! But all of my friends are home with kids and don’t go ‘out out’ anymore. Maybe it’s younger people?

Also someone who does coke one a year or whatever at a party won’t necessarily class themselves as a user.

It’s not 2% and people here are being very naive and kidding themselves or they aren’t in an area of high disposable income. I live in a very naice (£££) rural village and I’m sure a few local people would say they don’t know anyone who does coke whereas I know the same people and I know in the 40-55 yr / 16-25 yr bracket it’s rampant.

Why is this the case though? Why is it seen as more normal?

We were in a nice restaurant in Bath last weekend and dh came back from the men’s and said wow, that lady over there just came out the ladies’ all over the place, wiping her nose and still had powder very visible!

dh is observant though, I never notice stuff and would be the worst crime witness ever. I don’t have any friends who openly take cocaine but I know of some friends of friends who do. Not my scene at all. I’m a 2 glasses of wine or I’m on the floor kind of woman. God knows what cocaine would do to me.

I have heard some wealthy ‘older’ people are into it (the 40-55 bracket you mention) I don’t know why though!

I thought it was just politicians and pensioners. Cocaine is so late 70s/80s. I'm sure you are just overreacting.

I'm not down with the kids but are they all on Fentanyl, Ketamine, Shrooms, and Haribo these days?