To think people are naive re cocaine

[Knockonw00d]

I see threads on here all the time where women find out their husband has been doing coke etc and are absolutely floored.
But it always amazes me how oblivious people are to how common it really is. I’m childfree and in my late 20s and i go on nights out almost every week so you get to know all of the other regulars in the bars. I do not know one person that I’ve met through going out that doesn’t do cocaine.

These people have professional jobs Monday - Friday. Some of them I know are teachers, nursery staff, work in the passport office. It is so common.

I also see a lot posters describing a change in behaviour and people suggest it could be drugs. But unless you’re doing things like heroin or spice, cocaine does not make you act in the ways people suggest.

Do people really not know how common casual use of cocaine is in this country?

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/jun/11/how-big-is-europes-cocaine-problem-and-what-is-the-human-cost

1/40 adults according to this article..

Iin some SAm countries, travelling there we were offered coca leaves for free, for fun, to help walk further. Tea or chew. But that’s only the extract from which the drug is made. It’s all over. Perhaps people in Europe should enjoy Coca leaves rather than cocaine, I suppose that’s not as cool. Sad, really. Bit desperate, taking drugs. Foolish money wasting idiots - at best. Are they not interesting enough without taking cocaine? Why not? 🫣

Crack is processed cocaine. It is solid and you typically smoke it with a pipe. It is very addictive and has a very short high. This is what makes it incompatible with any sort of functional life. It is sold in smaller quantities so reflect that users probably cannot work. You can get some cracking for a tenner.

Cocaine is the unprocessed powder form that is typically snorted. The high is still relatively short but longer than crack. Probably because it is snorted and not smoked, it tends to be less physically addictive than crack. It's typically sold by the gram for about 50 or 60 quid. A common deal is getting 3 grams for 100 for a weekend night between a few of you.

You'll see memes that mention 3 for 100. That's what they're on about.

I agree it's much more commonplace and "normalised" then many posters on here seem to think. I don't agree that it doesn't affect people though.

I know someone who uses cocaine fairly regularly (on a night out, maybe once or twice a month) who really needs to stop using it as she struggles terribly with her mental health in the days after using.

Whenever I've brought it up with anyone (like "everyone keeps going on about how many people do coke, but I don't think it can be true because I don't know anyone who does it") it's always been met with a slightly awkward silence, and then the other person telling me that of course they and everyone else in that particular group "occasionally" do a bit of coke (with the implication that it's somehow a bit weird that this isn't obvious to me!)

But I've never seen it with my own eyes, or been offered/invited to partake.

Yes because people think drug related behavioural.changes will be things like losing your job and turning to shoplifting. They don't necessarily count general irritation or fatigue. They think their husband is "Type 1 Personality", not a raging cokehead

Coke once a week is unlikely to cause issues if you are young and child free. No more than drinking heavily once a week. More often is obviously problematic.

It was a well know phrase when I was growing up and drugs were everywhere: K makes you a dope, Coke makes you a cunt.

White is crack. Nobody calls cocaine "white". Crack and heroin are "white" and "brown".

Regardless of effect and use taking cocaine supports county lines and coocooing( not sure on spelling )
Why would you do something that supports that .

It you smoke cocaine, you've dabbled in craic. Imo.

Definitely depends on your social circle. Completely normalised in some areas. A friend of mine was shocked to discover her DH was ‘dabbling’ with it when out with his work colleagues or on golf weekends! I did say she was incredibly naive (he’s a well known coke head) she then said he reassured her by saying ‘everyone’ did it as it s a good pick me up when you’re on a big drinking sesh!!

Thats the mentality that’s out there for many hitting their 40’s. As for the younger generations, I can see it has been normalised (sometimes by their own parents) and opening snorting in the crowd at a festival is ok, compared to actually going to the toilet like the generation before them!

Absolutely. I don’t touch the stuff and neither do some of my friends but SO many people do. I would say most men I know under the age of 40 do it when they go out for a drink. Most of the girls don’t though.

No it is the other way around. Craxk refers to the solid processed form of cocaine. It has a specific chemical that I forget removed so you can smoke it. All crack is derived from cocaine. Not all cocaine is crack.

I worked in drug services for years. Cocaine is known as ‘white’. Crack is rock, stones etc.

Off the top of my head I can think of at least 4 people in my quite small social circle who do it. I also used to have a friend who had a massive friendship group, almost all of whom regularly did it. I think it is very common. But not harmless at all.

Snow and white have been used to describe cocaine who do you think transports the cocaine? Do you think county line customers don't use cocaine? Do the drug dealers use special people to deliver cocaine? I live in the city centre, a lot of people sell, a lot of the young fellas won't sell heroin or crack, they look down on those types of addicts but they'll happily whip you up a few grams of weed, ket, or cocaine.
The crack heads sell heroin and crack.

Yeah... no. If you asked for white, you'd have a cracking dealer round. Cocaine is called other names though some round here do call it "white girl" on occasion. White and brown refer to crack and heroin though.

Unless you're targeting universities, the vast majority of county lines are about selling craxk and heroin in small cities and towns.

Whatever happened to the cost of living crisis? I'm still struggling with food and utilities - I don't have £100 spare at the end of the month for a bit of coke!

I wonder exactly how much money is being spent untaxed in this way, and what the impact is on the economy? Like, how much better off would we be as a country if people were spending that £100 on alcohol or fags instead of drugs?

I agree people are very naive. Cocaine is the drug of choice among young adults these days. These are kids in sixth form, college, university. Both of my kids know of people doing coke at parties and in student houses. (even at one sixth form prom by all accounts). When I was that age coke was the elite drug for those with money. Not any more.

I dont view cocaine any differently to alcohol
you can have some at the weekend and do your work well in the week.
OR, You can overdo it every day and it affects jobs, relationships and mental health.

It’s not just cocaine. I know other nurses who regularly smoke cannabis.

Totally agree OP. I don’t take it but a good friend and his partner do occasionally. They both have senior, professional roles, one in the civil service.

Totally agree. It’s funny that OP thinks it’s other people who are the naive ones

It's so common that it's almost normal nowadays. That's a scary thought.

I agree it’s rife but I don’t personally see it in my circles.

When I went to hospital recently with a sudden health scare, I was asked several times by different doctors if I had taken cocaine. I am a middle aged teacher. (Yes I know some middle aged teachers take cocaine.) The guy next to me in the waiting room in A&E told me he was there as he had taken cocaine earlier that evening and he felt so ill that he was never taking it again.

Agree it is very common. Some people I worked with in creative industries used to take it. It does change personality. Certainly made our boss an aggressive asshole.

But I don't go out now and wouldn't have realised at all how common it was until a friend of mine shocked me while pregnant. She was angry because her dh took it on a weekend and she obviously couldn't and she was missing it. She's a teacher. Don't know if she still does it. I suspect she might occasionally.

Another friend told me half the football kids' parents were buying from the coach. She'd accidentally found out, won't say how as might be identifying, but there ended up with violence and threats.

So yeah, it's everywhere and part of a normal night out these days.

Glad I don't go out anymore.