Drug use- what do you find acceptable?

[Rachmumoftwo]

There is a thread that has touched on this already. What is acceptable drug use in your eyes? Is it OK to smoke a little weed when the children are in bed, or take cocaine on weekends or holidays, or is it totally irresponsible to even entertain the idea of drug taking if you are a parent (or if you are planning to be)?

Cote d"azur- I do wonder about those stats. Do they include teh entire population ,fliers and non-fliers, or only those who fly? Similarly drugs use- do the stats only use people who take drugs, or all people? Do they remove from the stats people who have only smoked weed once at university and didn't even inhale, or include all levels of drugs use, from very casual to very risky dependent use. Also do the stats factor in lifestyle- ie drugs may be cited as part of the cause of death in someone who had multiple health problems due to a risky lifestyle. I am always wary of statistics being quoted in this kind of context as they can tweaked by anyone for any purpose.

Personally I find nothing I have nothing in common with people who "need" any substance to have fun- be it alcohol, or more to the point a class A non-prescription substance, which involves so many other health and social issues. To my mind it shows a lack of imagination and character.

Look, statistics, risk of death etc aside....

Drugs are illegal. If it's illegal, then as a responsible parent, you don't do it.

Even if you don't agree with whether a certain thing should or shouldn't be illegal, being a member of society you don't deliberately flout the law.

Campaign to get the law changed. Vote to get the lawmakers changed when you have the chance.

But don't just live in that "I don't agree with the law, so I'll ignore it" world. Because if we all do that, utter anarchy reigns, and the world is a crap place for all of us, and no where to bring up kids.

Well, you asked .....

Not sure about decriminalisation - alcohol and tobacco are legal and are responsible for more deaths than all the other drug usage put together, people have access to information on them in terms of health and still choose to use them. So although decriminalisation or legalising other drugs will solve some problems, it potentially will create others.

With duchess a bit on this as it is sad that people feel the 'need',is something missing from their lives? I am a bit of a hypocrite as I do enjoy the odd glass of wine or bacardi but never to excess when the kids are my responsibility.

Would parents feel ok if they left their children in the care of someone else who was drinking, snorting or smoking?

Lindenavery:

Alcohol and tobacco (legal) are responsible for the deaths of more people who make the choice to take/use them.

(Illegal) drugs are responsible for the deaths (as well as the ruining of many lives) of more people who don't use but are caught up in other ways: victims of crime, exploited drug mules, family members etc etc etc.

That to me is the big difference and why I would agree that decriminalisation needs to at least be looked at properly. You are NEVER going to win the war on drugs - the people who control the drugs trade have a lot more resources than most governments/police forces have or are willing to use.

Alcohol is also responsible for violent crime - people killed from fights,challenging drunks, drink driving, wife beating, child abuse etc.........

So alcohol can be responsible for ruining lives of people living with alcoholics/ drinkers.

Have been on numerous courses linked to drug use thru' work so have been given the evidence from a variety of sources.

Smoking not as much but also linked to passive smoking thru' places of work.

Of course smoking ban now in place

I have zero tolerance with drugs. I had a zero tolerance to them as a single person and the same applies to me as a parent.

If that's due to fear/ignorace on my part, I don't care. I don't like smoking and don't want anyone trying to rationalise that vice to me.

Do I think my dd will try them? It's statistically probable. When we get to that point, I'll start worrying about it then.

Til then, my message is consistent. I've never done drugs and neither has DH. I won't tolerate drug taking in my house. I don't like drugs. When DD asks, or when the subject arises, that's what she'll be told.

In the same way that we don't want our kids to smoke, because it can be antisocial, health threatening, expensive and addictive, I don't want my child to get involved with drugs.

Parachuting, potholing, etc, can be threatening to your health, but are generally not anti-social or addictive, so they can stay on the list. I'm not taking this stance because I'm totally risk averse. I just like to manage my risks wherever I can and this is one risk I can happily live without.

re 'war on drugs'

Some years ago, I read an article in "The Economist" on this subject. It showed a graph of sharply declining drug prices as proof that the 'war' was long lost.

Example: 15 years ago, 1 ecstacy pill cost 10 pounds. Several years ago, this was down to 5 pounds. Now I am told it is down to 2-3 pounds.

Higher demand >> higher supply >> lower price per pill.

re 'illegal = bad'

No, not necessarily. There are parts of the world where contradicting the state, chewing gum, or writing about a period of time (ex: Armenian genocide in Turkey) are all illegal. Some (not all) recreational substances are illegal for us at present.

I have a brain that reasons independently of the government and it says what I eat, swallow, snort, or inhale is none of the state's business.

re 'Statistics'

If you read the Times article I linked to further down, you will see that the mortality rate/pill is calculated as dead bodies/avg estimated pills sold.

I calculated the mortality rate by car accident as dead bodies/UK population. All figures per annum. So yes, they are comparable.

I remember reading such figures for cocaine as well, and they were similarly insignificant, although their comparability is a bit more tricky (how much is a 'line' and how many does one do?).

Did anyone see that Horizon a few weeks / months ago where they rated the 20 most commonly used/abused drugs in the UK?

It was really interesting. It used the effect on the body and on society to rate how bad each one was. And was all scientific.

I remember I hadn't heard of most of them! Alcohol was way above Es, and Heroin was at the top I think.

This list?

(1) Heroin (most harmful).
(2) Cocaine.
(3) Barbiturates.
(4) Street Methodone.
(5) Alcohol.

(6) Ketamine.
(7) Benzodiazepines.
(8) Amphetamine.
(9) Tobacco.
(10) Buprenorphine.

(11) Cannabis.
(12) Solvents.
(13) 4-MTA (para-methylthioamphetamine).
(14) LSD.
(15) Methylphenidate (ritalin).

(16) Anabolic steroids.
(17) GHB (gamma hydroxybutyric acid).
(18) Ecstasy.
(19) Alkyl nitrites.
(20) Khat (least harmful).

NONE.

I find no drug use acceptable. Not even alcohol.

Oh, here, someone on another forum posted the list so - with number of users in brackets:

20 khat (unknown)
19 alkyl nitrites (20,000)
18 MDMA (500,000) 27 recorded deaths a year
17 GHB (unknown) 3 recorded deaths a year
16 anabolic steriods (43,000)
15 methylphenidate (40,000)
14 LSD (43,000) no deaths recorded
13 4-mta (unknown)
12 solvents (30,000) 50-60 recorded deaths a year
11 cannabis (2 million plus) 1 recorded death a year
10 bupremophine (unknown)
9 nicotine (not given) 114,000 recorded deaths a year
8 amphetamines(430,000) 35 recorded deaths
7 benzodiazepines(100,000 )406 recorded deaths a year
6 ketamine (100,000) 1 recorded death a year but risk of dependancy moves it up the list
5 alcohol (40 million) 40,000 recorded deaths a year with 130,000 visits to hospital ER rooms a vear.
4 methadone (33,000) 293 recorded deaths a year, high risk of accidental overdose moves it up the list
3 barbituites (unknown) 30 recorded deaths a year
2 cocaine, both powder & crack (780,000) 214 recorded deaths a year, & dependance is highly likely.
1 heroin (300,000) 700 recorded deaths a year. Habit forming, easy to overdose.

sorry - x posted

Not sure about no of users, though. It would be very hard to determine, not only because people would be less than forthcoming about their use, and also because 'ecstacy' can include amphetamines or even ketamine.

smoking cannabis will help a great deal with anyones addictions, and personally i and lots of other people find this their savior! there is no physical addiction with this but maybe slight pyscological dependancy ...alcohol, amphetamine and codine, i have been addicted to..but i can do without cannabis, and i recommend to only smoke it pure with no tabacco!and not in the same room as your children..off-course!! the sooner that people and the powers that be, realise the medicaL potential of this magical herb the better to us all!! i apologise if this offends anyone but feel this should be shared and realised as this could possibly save YOUR life.....x

"Weed/Skunk etc- have never had an issue with this before, however im amazed at the amount of young people that I have come across during my training that have mental health problems and who smoke a massive amount of weed. It cant be just a co-incidence." By lulumama I couldn't agree more. The number of young guys I have come across with mental health problems caused by smoking weed is definitely more than a co-incidence.

omg cocaine is as easy to get in any bar round here as beer is

not my thing mind you..i quite like my septum as it is

i'll stick with weed

I think some people can take some illegal drugs with little or no worse effect than having a drink.

For example for some having a spliff is no worse for some than a glass of wine.

But for others a glass of wine would lead to a bottle...and the effects would be far worse than a spliff.

But on the otherhand for some one spliff is enough to trigger a panic attack or worse.

i say.. the proof is in the pudding...but if the pudding isnt to your liking then, DONT EAT IT!

just google medicinal cannabis use and go to the cannabis forums,most of them are very professionally run and have specific chat rooms for medical users!theyre all real people as you know!MIRACLES think not! just another one of mother natures gifts....As to, tests, surveys, by whom...lol the medical/pharmacutrical companies, governments ..arnt they the same people telling you how bad it is and that it will kill you...what a joke! there has not been one single death directley attributed to cannabis and no ODs either!!, ok maybe if you get in your car under the influence and kill someone! but im not going down that road...........please enlighten me if you can..! kormachameleon ....