the popularisation and normalising of drug use!

Quazzie

Does anybody else find it disturbing that drug use has become so common and so accepted in Irish culture. I for one have never smoked or used drugs so I can't claim to know the 'benefit' of any of these but I just feel its taken nearly no time at all from going from knocking down drug dealers doors in the late 80's early 90's to suddenly seeing some smoking hash, or snorting a line and not passing a second glance. when did it all become so normal?

Canis Lupus

You're so right OP.

Especially all those nasty people smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol and no one batting an eyelid over it.

Wreck

Don't forget the people who ingest large quantities of caffeine on a daily basis through coffee, tea and soft drinks, even in public! This kind of complacency sickens me.

togster

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

when did it all become so normal?

in the last few years. It's not just ireland tbh. I've seen people snort cocain and pop pills all over europe.

Dragan

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Does anybody else find it disturbing that drug use has become so common and so accepted in Irish culture. I for one have never smoked or used drugs so I can't claim to know the 'benefit' of any of these but I just feel its taken nearly no time at all from going from knocking down drug dealers doors in the late 80's early 90's to suddenly seeing some smoking hash, or snorting a line and not passing a second glance. when did it all become so normal?

Mostly it all went wrong when the Government decided that rather than a truthful and honest bit of info they would run with the whole "drugs will kill you in seconds" thing. Then, when it turned out they were lying about cannabis going to kill you and getting stoned is actually a really nice feeling you have a lot of people who question what other bull**** they were told.

I cannot remember but i believe it was Seamus who made an excellent post on this issue before.

As for it being "normal" , it isn't.

Thats just silly.

brianthebard

It became normal in the fin de siecle era binges.

Canis Lupus

Dragan wrote: »

Then, when it turned out they were lying about cannabis going to kill you and getting stoned is actually a really nice feeling

If the government had spent more time warning me about the dangers of munchies (I shall have a bowl of muesli with.... oh... I've no milk... I shall use..... pepsi and... what's that I spy! A mars bar! That works with muesli and coke nyom nyom nyom) I'd probably have avoided trying weed.

Dave!

Maybe it's cos drugs are awesome. Get a life, square!

stovelid

togster wrote: »

in the last few years. It's not just ireland tbh. I've seen people snort cocain and pop pills all over europe.

How does one 'pop' pills?

Is it when they turn on, tune in and drop out?

Captain Ginger

Well, you can't just look at drugs and write them off as horrible killing things.

You have to realise that tanking up on heroin is very differnt than smoking a joint with a few mates. More harm in drinking all night than smoking some weed.

gixerfixer

When i was a kid i remember my mam and dad bringing me into town on the bus and seeing all the gearbags hanging about and thinking what a pack of losers.Nothing has changed.Anyone who uses drugs either coke,E or heroin are life's losers

Quazzie

Dave! wrote: »

Maybe it's cos drugs are awesome. Get a life, square!

I wonder should a Boards.ie Moderator be promoting drug use?

Captain Ginger

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

I wonder should a Boards.ie Moderator be promoting drug use?

Well, considering he's mod of the non-drinkers forum I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.

sunnyse

Canis Lupus wrote: »

If the government had spent more time warning me about the dangers of munchies (I shall have a bowl of muesli with.... oh... I've no milk... I shall use..... pepsi and... what's that I spy! A mars bar! That works with muesli and coke nyom nyom nyom) I'd probably have avoided trying weed.

For some reason you can't be thanked so can I just say this is a fantastic Post:D:D:D
Would It be ok if I used it as my sig for a while???
Pretty please with good Canadian indica on top:D:D


Also I'm amazed how smallminded people can be on a subject. How can you have a valid arguement when you call everyone losers if they try a drug if you have no experience of any of them yourself??

When i was a kid i remember my mam and dad bringing me into town on the bus and seeing all the gearbags hanging about and thinking what a pack of losers.Nothing has changed.Anyone who uses drugs either coke,E or heroin are life's losers

PurpleBerry

stovelid wrote: »

How does one 'pop' pills?

Is it when they turn on, tune in and drop out?

You "pop" them in your mouth.

But this expression actually comes from the fact that most pills such as Neurofen and Solpadeine are vacuum-packed and you have to pop them out of their containers to get to the juicy deliciousness inside.

Of course, some pills come in a bottle, other pills come in a little teeny tiny plastic bag and some pills come inside a ladypill.

chopperbyrne

Drugs are bad mmmkay.

Dave!

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

I wonder should a Boards.ie Moderator be promoting drug use?

Absolutely.

Dragan

Dave! wrote: »

Absolutely.

:pac:

Krsnik87

If ya don't like drugs, fair enough but for gods sake please stop whining about how others choose to live their lives! Its not your place to judge so take a walk...

Quazzie

Is it fair that kids in my area as young as 13 are regularly smoking hash.? I hardly think thats a culture to be proud of!

Captain Ginger

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Is it fair that kids in my area as young as 13 are regularly smoking hash.? I hardly think thats a culture to be proud of!

Why target hash? I think early teens drinking till they puke is a far bigger concern no?

Quazzie

I'm targeting hash because in my particular area and in everal others I know of it is much easier for them to get hash than it is to get alcohol because of the laws attached to alcohol.

brianthebard

Krsnik87 wrote: »

If ya don't like drugs, fair enough but for gods sake please stop whining about how others choose to live their lives! Its not your place to judge so take a walk...

but...Isn't your own post a whinge about how people choose to live their life?Mmm,i love the smell of irony in the morning.

AngryBadger

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Is it fair that kids in my area as young as 13 are regularly smoking hash.? I hardly think thats a culture to be proud of!

It's not fair to those kids maybe, but how does that relate to other adults who use drugs? I smoke cannabis fairly regularly, I'm an adult, I work a full-time job, and I have no criminal record, I'm entitled to make that decision for myself, but I bear no responsibility for children who have access to drugs, I'm not selling it to them, I'm certainly not encouraging them to use, so would you mind explaining how my use of drugs somehow makes me responsible for these kids?

sunnyse

brianthebard wrote: »

but...Isn't your own post a whinge about how people choose to live their life?Mmm,i love the smell of irony in the morning.

In fairness this is a thread about the EVILS of drugs. If it was a thread about the small mindedness of people you'd probably be right. The poster was reacting to rather than initiating.

Peteee

Never mind the drugs, Its disturbing to see the trend of american spelling creeping into every day use!

dr.bollocko

Drugs have gone hand in hand with society since society started.
Archeological evidence citing the existance of drug use goes back 10,000 years.

Even animals eat plants to get a psychoactive response.

It aint ever been the drugs that have been the problem, but the weak minds of those that abuse them.
Why can't the Joe Duffy "I'm a mother and..." brigade ever see that?

chopperbyrne

AngryBadger wrote: »

It's not fair to those kids maybe, but how does that relate to other adults who use drugs? I smoke cannabis fairly regularly, I'm an adult, I work a full-time job, and I have no criminal record, I'm entitled to make that decision for myself, but I bear no responsibility for children who have access to drugs, I'm not selling it to them, I'm certainly not encouraging them to use, so would you mind explaining how my use of drugs somehow makes me responsible for these kids?

You may not be selling it to them, but you are giving money to the people who are supplying these kids and thus prolonging the problem.

Cannabis is illegal you know :rolleyes:

Quazzie

Drugs have and always will be in use. I am not denying or objecting to that fact. Where my issues lie is that drug use is becoming normal, so normal that children now accept it as being a natural thing to do instead of the dreadful illegal and disgusting act it was percieved to be little more than ten years ago. Its seen as normal as going to the pub for a pint nowadays, (and I do realise that alcohol is just a different form of drug). Some of todays favourite celebraties are seen as rolemodels for our children and they publicly use drugs and flaunts its affects but todays media seem to publicize this as normal activity. Drug use by consenting adults in a private controlled respected manner is IMO acceptable, but publicizing and normalizing it isn't. When did society start to accept the likes of Pete Dohery and Amy Winehouse as rolemodels? and why should our national radio (paid for from our taxes) be allowed to promote these people and fund there habits by playing their music?

ScumLord

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

I'm targeting hash because in my particular area and in everal others I know of it is much easier for them to get hash than it is to get alcohol because of the laws attached to alcohol.

So your supporting legalisation because it would be harder for kids to get hash if it was legal.

The hash their smoking is probably soapbar to, which is barely hash and extremely bad for them. Tell their parents??

Kids smoking hash/cigarettes/drinking openly would be a sign of the neighbourhood going down the pan in my books too.

brianthebard

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Drugs have gone hand in hand with society since society started. Archeological evidence citing the existance of drug use goes back 10,000 years. Even animals eat plants to get a psychoactive response. It aint ever been the drugs that have been the problem, but the weak minds of those that abuse them. Why can't the Joe Duffy "I'm a mother and..." brigade ever see that?

they can't see that because it would take a considered,informed person instead of a knee jerker.

Loomis

Wreck wrote: »

Don't forget the people who ingest large quantities of caffeine on a daily basis through coffee, tea and soft drinks, even in public! This kind of complacency sickens me.

Caffeine addictions from drinking coke or coffee tend not to turn into debilitating habits though...

AngryBadger

chopperbyrne wrote: »

You may not be selling it to them, but you are giving money to the people who are supplying these kids and thus prolonging the problem.

Cannabis is illegal you know :rolleyes:

Touche.

However I don't think we agree on the definition of what constitutes a problem. In my view if you're going to say cannabis is illegal, then you should also be saying alcohol and cigarettes are illegal, (I'm not commenting on other substances because I have no experience with them). Since we don't do that I think it could be argued fairly convincingly that laws making cannabis illegal are actually discriminatory.

And would you apply the same argument to people who drink alcohol in terms of them being responsible for the knacker drinking that a lot of teens get involved in.

My main problem here is that you have a substance like cannabis, which is not any more dangerous than alcohol/cigarettes, (less so according to many studies), and yet is illegal. So you have people who drink, can become violent, and cause all kinds of problems but that's fine because it happens to be legal, and you have people who smoke dope and go to jail for it, even though they spend their time high watching cheesey music videos and childrens programmes. There's no balance between the two.

dr.bollocko

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Drugs have and always will be in use. I am not denying or objecting to that fact. Where my issues lie is that drug use is becoming normal, so normal that children now accept it as being a natural thing to do instead of the dreadful illegal and disgusting act it was percieved to be little more than ten years ago. Its seen as normal as going to the pub for a pint nowadays, (and I do realise that alcohol is just a different form of drug). Some of todays favourite celebraties are seen as rolemodels for our children and they publicly use drugs and flaunts its affects but todays media seem to publicize this as normal activity. Drug use by consenting adults in a private controlled respected manner is IMO acceptable, but publicizing and normalizing it isn't. When did society start to accept the likes of Pete Dohery and Amy Winehouse as rolemodels? and why should our national radio (paid for from our taxes) be allowed to promote these people and fund there habits by playing their music?

The public perception of drugs is like the public perception of every perceived threat to society.
A bit of a smoke screen when you begin to view it objectively.

Also ten years ago it was not perceived by most as a dreadful illegal and disgusting act. Just the meeja and the "Im a mammy and..." brigade.
By that token, publicising it and normalising it is not ok in your eyes, right?
Well for the past ten years the media have gone on a tirade against drugs, touting ridiculous scare stories that turned out to be a load of bull****.
When people get fed bull**** they rebel against it.
If we had a policy where we could actually educate people about drugs rather than using the d word as a bogey man for teens older to know better we might have some healthier reactions to drug use.
And drug use and celebrities is as old as the hills. As old as time.
Look at the romantics, look at the beat generation. The hippie movement, every rockband ever, right back to tribal times, drugs and music, writing and art go hand in hand.
So you are saying we should censor every mention of drugs to not give our kids the knowledge that they even exist?
Read 1984 much?

Quazzie

Alcohol abuse and smoking in general are big issues for society and one that are being tackled, Cannabis abuse and drug abuse in general isn't because people woh protest are seen as squares as said before

AngryBadger

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Drugs have and always will be in use. I am not denying or objecting to that fact. Where my issues lie is that drug use is becoming normal, so normal that children now accept it as being a natural thing to do instead of the dreadful illegal and disgusting act it was percieved to be little more than ten years ago.

Do you not feel parents of these kdis have more direct responsibility than the faceless millions who make up "society"?

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

todays media seem to publicize this as normal activity.

The media markets what it knows people want to read, yes they do have a certain level of control over what people want to read, but ultimately if a large portion of the population didn't want to read about Amy Winehouse latest drug binge, then the media wouldn't be harping on about it.

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Drug use by consenting adults in a private controlled respected manner is IMO acceptable, but publicizing and normalizing it isn't. When did society start to accept the likes of Pete Dohery and Amy Winehouse as rolemodels? and why should our national radio (paid for from our taxes) be allowed to promote these people and fund there habits by playing their music?

Well I actually agree with you on this, unfortunately a lot of people do want to hear about the hi-jinx of a lot of these eejits, and so they get coverage, c'est la vie, unless everybody suddenly stops showing any interest.

EDIT: I have to ask though, if it's publicised and "normalised" does that not mean people would be mfree to talk about it, therefore more informed, and less likely to **** themselves up with drugs? Or do you think ta taboo situation where there is no information or open forum is better?

chopperbyrne

Alcohol and cigarettes are sold in licensed sellers and are (supposed to be) regulated.

No minors should be able to get alcohol or cigarettes and licensed sellers should have their license revoked if caught selling to minors.

However, cannabis is neither licensed or regulated which makes it a far worse problem at the moment.

*I'm not going to get into a discussion on which of these three is the least unhealthy. I'd happily see cigarettes made illegal too.

dr.bollocko

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Alcohol and cigarettes are sold in licensed sellers and are (supposed to be) regulated.

No minors should be able to get alcohol or cigarettes and licensed sellers should have their license revoked if caught selling to minors.

However, cannabis is neither licensed or regulated which makes it a far worse problem at the moment.

*I'm not going to get into a discussion on which of these three is the least unhealthy. I'd happily see cigarettes made illegal too.

Yeah.
Too right buddy.
Prohibition has always worked.

Quazzie

Addressing the current drug problem in an educated way is far better than brushing it under the carpet, and ignored as we have done in the past. Education about the real downfalls of drugs not only on a personal level but on a cultural level IMHO is the way forward. trying to change the general view that drugs are "cool" is the way forward. Knowing the real benefits and detremental effects of drugs i think is the way to helping people make an informed decision about whether they want to do them. My worry is that 10 years ago smoking and alcohol was the norm, now its cannabis and cocaine. In ten years time will it be heroin?

dr.bollocko

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Addressing the current drug problem in an educated way is far better than brushing it under the carpet, and ignored as we have done in the past. Education about the real downfalls of drugs not only on a personal level but on a cultural level IMHO is the way forward. trying to change the general view that drugs are "cool" is the way forward. Knowing the real benefits and detremental effects of drugs i think is the way to helping people make an informed decision about whether they want to do them. My worry is that 10 years ago smoking and alcohol was the norm, now its cannabis and cocaine. In ten years time will it be heroin?

I wouldnt worry.
If things moved that fast we would all be on the mugwump gism by now.

Captain Ginger

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

My worry is that 10 years ago smoking and alcohol was the norm, now its cannabis and cocaine. In ten years time will it be heroin?

I doubt it, I mean I wouldn't call cocaine the norm yet either, but there is a massive difference between lighting up a joint and taking heroin.

Quazzie

Captain Ginger wrote: »

I doubt it, I mean I wouldn't call cocaine the norm yet either, but there is a massive difference between lighting up a joint and taking heroin.

Tean years ago people said there was a massive difference between lighting a cigarette and rolling a joint. As for cocaine, it is readily available in any nightclub or nightscene in Ireland. It has gone from being the elitist drug to the common man's drug.

Captain Ginger

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Tean years ago people said there was a massive difference between lighting a cigarette and rolling a joint. As for cocaine, it is readily available in any nightclub or nightscene in Ireland. It has gone from being the elitist drug to the common man's drug.

Well I guess things change in time.

I for one don't and will never see the attraction to crap like heroin.

AngryBadger

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

Tean years ago people said there was a massive difference between lighting a cigarette and rolling a joint. As for cocaine, it is readily available in any nightclub or nightscene in Ireland. It has gone from being the elitist drug to the common man's drug.

What's your point here? There still is a massive difference between lighting a cigarette and rolling up a joint...

Quazzie

AngryBadger wrote: »

What's your point here? There still is a massive difference between lighting a cigarette and rolling up a joint...

My point is that what was seen ten years ago as unacceptable now is acceptable

Captain Ginger

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

My point is that what was seen ten years ago as unacceptable now is acceptable

No it isn't, people do it (myself included) but it isn't acceptable by any means.

Loomis

brianthebard wrote: »

they can't see that because it would take a considered,informed person instead of a knee jerker.

Eating plants as a cave man and a strung out heroin junkie committing crime and/or spreading disease through sharing of needles aren't exactly the same thing

dr.bollocko

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

My point is that what was seen ten years ago as unacceptable now is acceptable

Well that statement is not true. Were you around as a lucid adult ten years ago.
Do you think that drugs were a big no-no back in the distant wild past of 1998?

dr.bollocko

Mr. Anderson wrote: »

Eating plants as a cave man and a strung out heroin junkie committing crime and/or spreading disease through sharing of needles aren't exactly the same thing

And everything in between the dawn of man and the dregs of man?

Cactus Col

10 years ago wasn't ecstasy all the rage?

Never got into much drug use myself. I do think it is a bit sad that so many people resort to them. There is a danger with hash that people rely on it a bit too often when they've nothing to do. I think it was in South Park where they came to the conclusion that hash made being bored alright.

I know some people who have reduced the amount they smoke and feel much better and brighter for it, and have become a bit more active and engaging.


Whenever this topic is raised the side defending drug use always seems to get a bit overly defensive and will attack things that are legal (such as smoking, drinking,etc). Such arguments don't really do anything to convince the other side that some drug use may be okay.

Dragan

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

My point is that what was seen ten years ago as unacceptable now is acceptable

Go back far enough and the colour of your skin dictated where you sat on the bus and what was between your legs dictated whether you could vote.

Back in the day it was perfectly fine to call a black dog "******".

Thankful, things that will not always be as they "are".