Have any of you......

To be fair, most of the the stock market was built on drugs (lol ignoring the fact that the stock market has gone to pot...ooooo excuse the pun). In the sense of thats where the money came from and that most of london was fueled on coke in the 80's and prob even more so now.

So no matter how much people disagree with it, drugs will always be a part of
society

Originally Posted by Lozzo

Trying to justify drug use by comparing it to drinking is the mark of a drug-using loser. There's no comparison, drugs can screw you up permanently with no chance of recovery - Alcoholism is treatable

Rubbish, and addiction is a addiction. Alchohism is not treatable IMO, this is speaking as someone who watched her dad kill himself because of it last year

[dizzyblonde]

Smoked a shed load of weed for years, never did me any harm.
Now I don't smoke fags or that, or indeed drink that much either. Haven't smoked a joint for five years, just the smell of it puts me off, but it does make me giggle when I see younger folk hiding having a sly joint!
I was never some druggie, and never will be, can't ever agree with the whole statement of 'smoking pot leads to harder drugs'.

I've hunted for shrooms with me mates, gone out with them on a night out when they are hammered on other things other than booze, and never even contemplated trying any of it.
I am open and honest about it, and couldn't give a monkeys if people wish to judge me for it.

[CheGuevara]

Originally Posted by Lozzo

Trying to justify drug use by comparing it to drinking is the mark of a drug-using loser. There's no comparison, drugs can screw you up permanently with no chance of recovery - Alcoholism is treatable

I neither use drugs (aside from alcohol) nor promote their use, so you're way out of line. I'll suggest that your comment is the mark of an ignorant, narrow-minded loser however.

Edit - like it or not, if you drink you're using drugs -it just thappens to be a legal one.

Originally Posted by Spiderman

Seriously mate i cant believe an intelligent guy like you would say that. ALL addictions are treatable and "curable" to a lesser or greater degree.

I'll put it in more simple terms.

I detest drug useage. I've had good mates turn into complete morons because they decided to start using weed and then move upwards into harder stuff. Drugs have screwed up the lives of more people I know than drink, emotional problems or anything else you care to mention combined. I'[ve worked with kids who are constantly stoned and it's infuriating how stupid they come across, and how lazy and apathetic they are about their own lives and anyone else's.

Drugs were all around me as a teenager and even later on in life, but I chose not to go down that route. You can call me small-minded, ignorant and whatever you like because it doesn't bother me. One things for sure, I certainly don't consider myself a loser because I stayed clean - quite the opposite.

Whilst I don't mind other people drinking, I don't drink alcohol very much myself. I don't like being out of control of my thoughts and emotions so I steer clear of anything that may change them.

As Mr Garrison keeps telling Cartman and the boys "drugs are bad... mmmmkay"

[pookie]

just to reiterate the point

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clip...5/?tag=Mr.+Hat

It doesnt really bother me what people want to do as long as they dont try to foce it on me.

I've known people take all sorts of whatever they want and be fine, however I have a very close acquaintance who smoked weed for a while and suffered serious mental health issues as a result of it.

As long as they dont put anyone else at risk (drug driving etc) or turn to crime to pay for drugs then let them get on with it. The more you tell people NOT to do something, the more alluring it becomes

Originally Posted by richie95

Err here goes...
A lot of people call cannabis a gateway drug, meaning you pass-through to use other stuff, some say cigarettes are...
I used cannabis a lot in teens, it was 'normal' for where I grew up (holding pen for Jeremy Kyle show) but then it got worse, because the little gang of us when at the dealers would be able to buy other types of drugs, get a bit of speed or some acid and bring it back to the gang, it was all fun and we had a motto which was if you passed out you lost out, then heroin came round.... a lot of people moved on, but myself and a few others moved though to the hard stuff, I was addicted to heroin/crack and most other drugs for over 10 years, ripped the heart out of my life, it killed my sister, and some others too, but in 1995 I stopped. Don’t know why, don’t know why I started or why I stopped or why friends didn't follow same path etc. ... f**k knows.... but drugs and addiction are a truly equal opportunity 'employer' ... anyway you'll all be please to know I work in the prison service now having abstained from all drugs (drink too - devils sweat!!) since 1995 and I am the area manager for prison rehab units across 8 of her majesties hotels.... so people can change... I remember when stood in front of a judge, who sent me to prison for 2 years for shoplifting saying that I was 'beyond rehabilitation' and here I am. I guess you never know which way someone's going to go.... people can guess that yes if you have exposure to drugs and you've had a **** life then you would use drugs to escape... but what about all those rich people? Elton John, Eric Clapton, Davina McCall.. All high profile on record ex users, they were rich had everything ... but still used..... So you cant predict....

Just thought I would acknowledge the bravery of this post and the strength of character I think Richie shows through it.

I wish I saw more people who could pull themselves away from heroin but it seems that once it has a hold of people, it will *usually* not let go.

As to a point made earlier in the thread about alcohol also being a stepping drug, I can see the point you are trying to make however, look at the amount of people in the UK that use alcohol - probably a pretty large percentage of British adults - how many of them have gone on to become addicted to harder drugs compared to the amount who have gone on from using cannabis? Far more cannabis users will move to Class A's than alcohol users.

Don't get me wrong, I do believe there are a number of factors which will lead a person to chose hard drugs instead of sticking to cannabis but there does appear to be some sort of link. It may be something to do with the mental effects than cannabis clearly has on some people, driving them to need strong drugs to block out thoughts of paranoia etc etc.

Like Rai said, drugs are a part of society, unfortuntaley, and always have been and it is very unlikely that we will ever be able to eradicate the problem.

[DarrenSV650S]

I for one would try it if offered

Dr pepper

take my hat off to you richie-takes balls to do what you done mate and come out the other side stronger.

I don't buy into the "cannabis leads to stronger drug abuse" stuff- if you have an addictive personality you'll find your crutch no matter what it is-if its drugs , alcohol or exercise so be it-but unless your a non smoking,non drinking, no vices living person you can't judge