Opinions - Socially Acceptable Drugs

[laws0n]

First of all SWIM would like to apologize if this is in the wrong spot....


SWIM doesnt understand why some substances (alcohol, cannabis, vicodin, vailum) are socially acceptable by his peers and other substances (adderall, heroin, oxycontin) are totally "bad"

SWIM's friends have no problem taking percosets but if SWIM offered them a 40 of OC they would freak out, even though the same active ingrediant is oxycodone.

SWIM has tried heroin (smoked) and it is not even as close to as intense as most peolpe think, it just puts SWIM in a better mood, kind of like a vailum but less drowsiness. But Alcohol makes you black out and not remember what heppened, people get in fights, people drive because they feel euphoric. Overall Alcohol is 10X more intence than Heroin and 10000X more accepted.

Is SWIM looking at this wrong or is he right? he doesnt understand why some drugs are socially acceptable and some arent. Ignorance maybe?

Reputation Comments on this post:

very interesting post

[Corksil]

Lack of available un-biased drug information. People are afraid of the unknown. Combined with D.A.R.E. programming and fear mongering techniques used by the media...

Same problem in SWIM's area by the way, but he doesn't think it knows any source.

[rocksmokinmachine]

^^ It as already been said, just lack of understanding and ignorance

[LookingForHer]

Well for heroin, the main thing for me is just LOOKING at heroin addicts... You look at them, and see how screwed up they are, and think... "well I don't want to end up like him".

That's the main one for me.

A lot of people have used alcohol over the ages, in great quantities sometimes, and still remained (or even increased) in intelligence and creativity. Their lives weren't lessened. They were still people to look up to.

I don't know about adderal or oxycontin.

BTW cannabis is not socially acceptable in many places. And psychedelics even less so in the west. Just look at Holland trying to ban mushrooms...

[rocksmokinmachine]

Originally Posted by LookingForHer

Well for heroin, the main thing for me is just LOOKING at heroin addicts... You look at them, and see how screwed up they are, and think... "well I don't want to end up like him".

Many heroin addicts manage to be successful, have families and hold down good jobs, own a home and drive a nice car.

Do not stereotype, SWIM is one of these people and definately would not fit in the 'smacked up looser bumbling around the gutter' stereotype.

[Mint boi]

Originally Posted by lookingforher

Well for heroin, the main thing for me is just LOOKING at heroin addicts... You look at them, and see how screwed up they are, and think... "well I don't want to end up like him".

So what about the alcoholics you see on the side of the street? What about the countless lives ruined by alcohol abuse?

What about the people who take heroin and lead perfectly normal lives?
There are at least as many people living on the streets in the city where I live who were put there by alcohol as by heroin

[rocksmokinmachine]

I'm not denying the fact the heroin has ruined may many lives.

There are addicts who live relatively normal lives. That it what I was pointing out.

EDIT: Sorry mintboi, didn't read the bottom part of your post

[Mint boi]

Originally Posted by rocksmokinmachine

I'm not denying the fact the heroin has ruined may many lives.

There are addicts who live relatively normal lives. That it what I was pointing out.

EDIT: Sorry mintboi, didn't read the bottom bit

It was my fault, its happening more and more these days, im just not as fast at typing as i used to be! I've changed the post now, added quote!

[LookingForHer]

Originally Posted by mint boi

So what about the alcoholics you see on the side of the street? What about the countless lives ruined by alcohol abuse?

What about the people who take heroin and lead perfectly normal lives?
There are at least as many people living on the streets in the city where I live who were put there by alcohol as by heroin

I'll change my mind when I see some great writers who attribute positive some of their personality and character to heroin :P

The person who tells me "I'm the average joe blogg who is addicted to heroin and I live a normal life".... erm... well sorry but that doesn't impress me one bit.

1) being addicted to anything is bad.
2) Living a normal life is bad.

I'm interested in people who live extraordinary lives, extra-good lives. And who aren't addicted.

Many alcohol drinkers have been amoungst these... well known ones even. Like Douglas Adams :P

[TheBlackPope]

Originally Posted by LookingForHer

I'll change my mind when I see some great writers who attribute positive some of their personality and character to heroin :P

The person who tells me "I'm the average joe blogg who is addicted to heroin and I live a normal life".... erm... well sorry but that doesn't impress me one bit.

1) being addicted to anything is bad.
2) Living a normal life is bad.

I'm interested in people who live extraordinary lives, extra-good lives. And who aren't addicted.

Many alcohol drinkers have been amoungst these... well known ones even. Like Douglas Adams :P

Just because you think something is bad for you and your life doesn't mean it applies at all to anyone elses life. Some people find that living a "normal" life, such as making b's thru highschool, going to a 4 year college, getting a good paying job, marrying a nice person, having 1.5 children, etc. is "good".

Just beacuse you think that you need to smoke weed every single day to make your life "good" doesn't invalidate their opinion on their life.

[zera]

Originally Posted by LookingForHer

I'll change my mind when I see some great writers who attribute positive some of their personality and character to heroin :P

Poe, Burroughs, De Quincey, Coleridge, Keats and those are just opiate addicted writers I can think of off the top of my head. If you included musicians and artists it would be way too long to list. Jazz would probably not even exist if it wasn't for heroin, and neither would my favorite band, Sublime.

Reputation Comments on this post:

for the helpful points re heroin!

[Shampoo]

Originally Posted by LookingForHer

I'll change my mind when I see some great writers who attribute positive some of their personality and character to heroin :P

To name a few....
Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thomas De Quincy, Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Eric Clapton, Iggy Pop, Keith Richards, Dr. William Stewart Halsted, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Timothy Leary, Chet Baker, Jean-Michel Basquiat...
need more?

[laws0n]

Thank you for all these insightful replies, I can't wait to hear more.

I think that it could also be due to the law. People think that since alcohol is legal it is probably less extreme than "hard drugs" such as heroin.

[Pondlife]

A lot of people think that alcohol is not a drug, or at least that it's totally different to illegal drugs in some way.

There are a huge number of people who use alcohol but have not tried other drugs, and there is a tendency to think that illegal drugs are in a totally different league. This is reinforced by the scare stories in the media e.g. "mad butcher who killed family had smoked skunk", and "person thinks he's a glass of orange juice after taking acid".

[tinytom]

people are brainwashed and uneducated, therefore all drugs must be bad,

[sarbanes]

It also has to do w/ who you hang with, and what your culture thinks. In IRAN, smoking opium and drinking opium tea (especially at funerals, etc.) is completely normal practice, yet alcohol is *heavily* frowned upon. Also in many places, weed is socially acceptable while booze once again, is taboo.
I think in this specific case (the West, and in particular, USA), there is such a high level of self-deprecation (not being true to one's self, one's soul) as can be seen by how our corporations won't allow employees to have a rest area if you are tired (even though those who do this have happier, more productive employees). How phony so much of our music and movies are now, yet still how big and (apparently) successful (maybe that's a bad comparison). All the brown nosing one has to do often times to make it to the top (what a huge compromise), instead of just doing a good job (which doesn't seem to count for much in some corporations when trying to get to the very high level positions). Where am I leading? In my experience, opioids are about the least harmful (if used correctly), and, psychologically, most beneficial drugs there are. They truly have been a positive factor in my life, and are part of what makes me a happy person. But in a country where we do all these dishonest things (the previous examples), and for no good reason (i.e. not providing sleep room for employees, even though it would pay to do so), we also are not surprised that its always the good drugs which are demonized. I mean, look at pot. Its almost a joke! Its been found to be so useful for so many medical issues, stubborn nausea, stubborn glaucoma, just to name a couple. Yet state laws are trumped on by the same feds who make political arguments that the states should not have to answer to big government (the feds). What hypocrisy, what double talk. But that is just another example if the self-deprecation which is rampant in USA. Its just sick. US could be so much better. We’re going down hill as a country because for some reason, we have decided we are happiest when we poo poo on ourselves. Makes no sense.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Insightful and well worded.

[Corksil]

Well said, Zera. SWIM's favorite artist would not be who they are if it were not for opiates. SWIM knows the music wouldn't be the same either.