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Do you use recreational drugs? (not including alcohol)
JustV
Community Manager Posts: 4,951 The Mix Elder
Interested in whether this is something you folks are into. We used to see a lot more drugs chatter here but it's died down over the years, and not sure whether it's because less people are into it or it's just being discussed less. Feel free to comment with more info if you like - no judgement. 
Oh and for the purposes of this, alcohol isn't included (even though it is a recreational drug).
Oh and for the purposes of this, alcohol isn't included (even though it is a recreational drug).
All behaviour is a need trying to be met.
Do you use recreational drugs? (not including alcohol) 28 votes
Yes, often
17%
5 votes
Yes, sometimes
10%
3 votes
No, never
71%
20 votes
1
Comments
I'm pretty sure there is data out there about how people our age are using less drugs, drinking less, and smoking less than previous generations. I wonder why...
perhaps users of drugs use them less often and so they dont feel they can categorise themselves as a user outright, perhaps because of prices or because other means of hits eg video games, vaping, porn, tv shows you can finish in one sitting etc are more available now than during the 90s and 00s.
the amount of antidepressants precribed has gone up over the last few years, maybe whilst there are still drugs being used recreationally there are fewer drugs being used medicinally or as coping mechanisms. i wonder if youve found recreational drug users have fewer issues with drugs than people who use them to cope?
as Aisling and Mike say, education and understanding is never a bad thing!
Not sure on this, but would be an interesting thing to research! Intuitively I want to say that's probably true, but that's not backed up by anything concrete...
They're not all illegal, technically things like alcohol and caffeine and nicotine are recreational drugs, and some things are legal to use for yourself but illegal to make or to supply to others.
This page explains the drug classes, but its government so take it with a pinch of lockdown partying and hiring perverts
https://www.gov.uk/penalties-drug-possession-dealing
Do you mind me asking how you found trying weed, @independent_?
But bloody hell nicotine is the hardest to quit. I’m having surgery on Monday and I’ve got to quit smoking cigarettes until it’s over, I’m still vaping but for a legal drug the cigs are hard to kick!
The people I know who have taken other recreational drugs say a similar thing about nicotine. I also have relatives who have genuinely tried really hard to quit smoking, but have never managed it long-term. Seems like the one people struggle with the most.
Rooting for you, and I hope the surgery goes smoothly!
Thank you, it’s a minor operation so should be ok
I know this was from a year ago…but I find it really interesting…the perceptions about legal and illegal drugs and society’s attitudes to them.
I kinda think you answered Mike’s question as an “addict” too which I think is really helpful to be so aware. So many people, including scholars and politicians etc, agree that nicotine is highly addictive and tbh it would not be legalised today if it were a new product. It’s a terrible plant and after the crops are harvested the ground is useless for anything else for a long time.
@Jimette do you mind me asking what drugs you use?
That peer pressure to do more can be really powerful too and it's good to be wary of addiction as a possibility.
Hard to say but no more than once every couple of months. Mostly MDMA, though have done some mushies recently. And microdots back in the summer.
I tend to stay well away from coke. I only ever use it as a tool to sober up when I’ve drunk too much, which itself is quite rare.
The only drug that has negatively impacted my life or mental health is cannabis and haven’t smoked that for 20 years.