I can only assume that people who take drugs have something missing in their lives. Like I look at Kieren Fallon, Diego Maradona, Martina Hingis, Adrian Mutu and Dock Ellis, sports stars with the world at their feet who all took drugs. Fallon's case amuses me most. He put it down to his Old Bailey trial and the extreme scrutiny he was coming under from the British and Irish media. But what went through his head as he took cocaine the night before he rode the favourite in one of France's premier Group Ones is anybody's guess. Its a common theme in a lot of jockey lives, however. Timmy Murphy, Paul Carberry and Johnny Murtagh all had their battles with addictions, alcohol in their cases. But all that is perhaps besides the point.

I think boredom plays a big part in it as well. Hence a lot of the posters on this thread used to take drugs (presumably when they were in college???) and quite a few who say they haven't taken the stuff are still only schoolchildren and haven't been exposed to drugs properly...yet. If there's the one thing I've learned though, its that your best nights out will be when you were completely sober and could remember the night in its entirety. But then a few recreational pints is all I ever have at most. So maybe I'm not the right person to be judging?

Plus I'd save a lot more of my castigation for the users rather than the dealers. Its easy money, there's a huge gap in that particular market and a few criminals possess the resources to exploit it. Sure why wouldn't they? If the likes of Dr. Shepherd, Nocky, Jimbodub, MesAmis and other addicts are happy to keep their pockets topped up, then why not? If I had a few contacts in Columbia, I'd keep the aforementioned addicts drugged up to the last and laugh all the way back to my three or four villas in Spain!!!! The dealers addiction to money is nothing compared to the users addiction to drugs in my opinion.

Loyal2TheRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 4522 - 12/02/2010 12:35:08    559482

Drug driving is as bad as drink driving. A fella I went to school with died when he smashed the car while stoned.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9748 - 12/02/2010 12:37:38    559485

ConnollyDub
County: Dublin
Posts: 547

559480 And the moral of the story is- lyotomacheda despises EVERYONE on this site......

Hahahaha... classic.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 12/02/2010 12:40:43    559490

Derry_ledd wrote:

Ive smoked quite a bit of dope in my time. None at all these days. And wouldnt want to. But lads on here condoning it I dont like. There is serious side effects of drugs and just because you yourself didnt experience them doesnt mean that they dont exist. For the lads condoning it, I admire your honesty, but if you have or ever had kids would you want them to go down the same road, as you think its ok and all that?

Superb post. Obviously someone who has done it, doesnt do it any more & someone I'd listen to. Fair play Derry_ledd

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 12/02/2010 12:41:26    559491

Watched two relevant shows on the BBC iplayer during the week, firstly Adam and Paul with Tom Murphy and Mark O'Halloran

link

and secondly Mexico's Drug War

link

Both excellent shows!

If anyone out there can honestly say they would want their children taking drugs or getting involved in them, then they would need looked about.

sam2008 (Tyrone) - Posts: 799 - 12/02/2010 12:43:49    559496

I have to say that not for one second would I condone the taking of drugs...

I just happen to like it... It's kind of like supporting Man United... some will hate you for it (me) but if it's what your into then good luck.

We're all grown men/women at the end of the day...

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 12/02/2010 12:44:04    559497

12/02/2010 12:43:49
sam2008
County: Tyrone
Posts: 371

559496
Watched two relevant shows on the BBC iplayer during the week, firstly Adam and Paul with Tom Murphy and Mark O'Halloran

If anyone out there can honestly say they would want their children taking drugs or getting involved in them, then they would need looked about.
_____________

90% (made up statistic but you get the point) of young people, and a large percentage of older people drink alcohol excessively (binge drink), but most parents turn a blind eye to this. More smoke cigarettes, but many parents don't stop them. Now I think the health implications and addictiveness of these two DRUGS are well known, but because they are legal in this country people turn a blind eye and it is socially acceptable.

The Adam and Paul film details a day in the life of two heroin addicts, which is not the same as someone smoking a bit of dope with their mates or taking a few yokes on a night out. When the whiter than white, morally superior brigade come out and say "drugs are bad, I'd never take them", they are being hypocritical - tobacco and alcohol are DRUGS, and dangerous ones at that.

People would love to be able to obtain cannabis etc. legally in this country, but don't have this option (unlike tobacco and alcohol it is illegal) so short of growing their own they must pay drug dealers. The government could make hundreds of millions of euro by legalising certain drugs (which are no more harmful than legally obtainable drugs) and take this industry away from the gangs, but instead they do nothing and continue to fight a war that they cannot win.

nocky (Wexford) - Posts: 2059 - 12/02/2010 13:12:52    559536

nocky .

me personally i do not drink or smoke.
they are implications on binge drinking, the health department is swamped with young people being brought in wiyh failed livers.
on the street front, the gardai are at breaking point with fights breaking out in large scales , then th a@e departments are brought into it with drunks in yhe wards.
the hospitals are 4 sick people , so who wonder the doctors and nurses on the front line , there morale is very low.
so honestly nocky i believe drink have far more implications and cause more suffering than drugs.
but drugs have wrecked lives as well.

ta32 (Tyrone) - Posts: 4907 - 12/02/2010 13:25:54    559553

Bartle Doo
That is the typical narrow-minded Irish view. Because I have taken drugs I have been joyriding and stealing. I have never even drove after more than 2 pints let alone joyridin or drivin while on drugs. I have popped a couple of pills in niteclubs or maybe done a line or 2 but anything else has been in the privacy of either my home or one of my mates.

Loyal: Is your post a wind-up or did you simply not read mine?

There is such a narrow minded view towards drugs in this country. If you take drugs you are a thief, a bad person, a waster, a gangster
Maybe if people took time to have a greater understanding of drugs there would not be such problems with them.
I remember being shown a video at school and a Garda giving us a talk. He more or less told us that if we ever took one pill that we would die.
Obviously nobody is gonna believe that. They would be better off telling children the truth. That certain drugs will give you an unreal buzz but then warn of the dangers of over-use or the withdrawls.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the depression that goes with the come-down from yokes. If you don't have a bit of smoke then it can be almost unbearable for a day or two, deoendin on how many one took.

Now I am not condoning the use of drugs and if I had kids I wouldn't want to see them take drugs in case they ended up an addict but if someone was to just go through an experimental phase as I did I fail to see the harm in it.
I think people in this country need to broaden their minds and quit jumping on their high horse when it comes to issues like this.

I agree with Nocky that a controlled market is the way to go. It would eliminate the nedd for gangs for a start.

I think that marajuana should be immediately legalised. It would free up Garda time to deal with harder substances. It can provide relief for numerous medical conditions. I once had a doctor whom I told I was smoking it to give me relief from back pain and his exact words were, ''If you're getting relief from it then keep smoking it, and if I could prescribe it to you I would.''

I know there will be arguements that it leads on to harder drugs but this is because a young person smoking it has access to a dealer.
If smoke could be bought legally then that young person would never come into contact with the dealer and therefore wouldn't be offered harder drugs.

Dr.Shephard (Leitrim) - Posts: 2187 - 12/02/2010 13:26:54    559554

There gonna be a few people upset tonight, the 24hr head shop on Capel Street has burnt down. To be honest I did frequent it the odd night if I was low on drinking money. Was a very very busy spot!!

Adler (Monaghan) - Posts: 754 - 12/02/2010 13:51:17    559585

Dr.Shephard
County: Leitrim
Posts: 1114

559469 lyoto.machida
County: Meath
Posts: 266


I'd say the wildest thing you've ever done is drink Lucozade from the bottle without a straw.

Pretty pathetic post Dr. Shep. So your saying anyone that's never takin drugs has never had any fun.

Yop (Wexford) - Posts: 362 - 12/02/2010 14:18:04    559616

Dr.Shephard
County: Leitrim
Posts: 1114

I hope you now understand why I had to go lightly when starting this thread... it's got nothing to do with waiting for someone else to come forward.

I honestly thought that I'd receive a verbal bashing... it's refreshing to see the honesty of a lot of posters... you being the first that deserves the credit.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 12/02/2010 14:46:43    559641

Surprised no one has mentioned how less damaging some drugs would be if legalized,for one pure weed and grass could be sold rather than cannabis resin which a lot of young people are smoking which is processed using diesel and other chemicals.

beer baron (Cavan) - Posts: 3916 - 12/02/2010 14:49:33    559645

Adler
County: Monaghan
Posts: 220

559585 There gonna be a few people upset tonight, the 24hr head shop on Capel Street has burnt down. To be honest I did frequent it the odd night if I was low on drinking money. Was a very very busy spot!!

Plenty more where that came from... ur man must have been stoned and fell asleep with a spliff in his mouth!

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 12/02/2010 14:57:26    559655

Adler
County: Monaghan
Posts: 220

559585 There gonna be a few people upset tonight, the 24hr head shop on Capel Street has burnt down. To be honest I did frequent it the odd night if I was low on drinking money. Was a very very busy spot!!

I've been watching the smoke billow from it for most of the morning! You couldn't see down capel st! I'd say some firemen will be on great form tonight!

The owner of the shop suspects foul play. These anti-drug types will kill someone some of these days!

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12311 - 12/02/2010 15:03:36    559667

dope is worse than cigarettes because its mind altering and the cancer risks from it are disproportionatley higher. the point people are making that alcohol and tabacco are also drugs and addictive is fair but a higher % of people who take illegal substances get addicted than legal ones (numbers maybe higher for legal ones but %'s arent)
they arent illegal because they are addictive and harmful they are illegal because they are MORE addictive and harmful.
thats how i see it anyway but some people can take the odd joint without moving to stronger stuff, thats their choice but its not for me and i dont think its responsible to condone it

speedy12 (Fermanagh) - Posts: 592 - 12/02/2010 15:08:50    559670

Adler
County: Monaghan
Posts: 220

559585 There gonna be a few people upset tonight, the 24hr head shop on Capel Street has burnt down. To be honest I did frequent it the odd night if I was low on drinking money. Was a very very busy spot!!



Nothing like a good fire to relaunch a business

chainsaw (Laois) - Posts: 712 - 12/02/2010 15:19:34    559683

chainsaw
County: Laois
Posts: 544



Hopefully the wind blows in the D9 direction....

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 12/02/2010 15:38:29    559708

speedy12- you are off the mark bigtime lad, tobacco is way more addictive than any commonly used recreational drug.

Down follower (Down) - Posts: 193 - 12/02/2010 17:36:54    559855

Cavan_Slasher
County: Cavan
Posts: 3894

559307 Nocky, yes i would agree but i can't see it happening. Do you know anywhere in the world where this happens ?

Toma007, Unless you are personally effected by it you would never understand the depth of pain it causes. I know one boy who has had three siblings who died through heroin o.d.'s and h.i.v. !!

Its very fine that people can come on here and say that they have taken all sorts of concoctions and come out the other side intact but spare a thought for the less lucky people whose lives have been wrecked and also their families !! ..................Cavanslasher i know what drugs can do to a family..the devestation it can cost a community..I would be happy to see drug dealers rot in prison life meaning life......It sickens me to see our city and now our countryside being destoyed by drug dealers..///

tomaoo7 (Dublin) - Posts: 5896 - 12/02/2010 17:50:41    559867