I remember when I was in middle school and our friends would call their moms, we would yell things like “Light up this blunt!” in the background to get them in trouble. We all thought it was hilarious. None of us were even into drugs, simply hanging out at the park or the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts. Innocent, naïve preteens. So unaware of the temptations that lurked in the near future for our teenage selves.
And then things changed. We got older. Drugs became something of wonder, something appealing. Weed stopped being the gateway drug and became the drug you had to smoke in order to be cool at a party.
Eventually, it felt like I was watching from a distance as everyone I loved began experimenting with the latest drug trends.
“Just dropped a tab of acid a few hours ago, no big deal.”
“We only wanna go to the concert if we take shrooms.”
“Hey, can I put you on hold? I have to snort a line before heading to the bar.”
Drugs are the new norm now. “You don’t smoke??” “You’ve never even tried weed at least once??” Trust me, I’ve heard it all. Nowadays it’s not unusual if you do drugs, it’s unusual if you don’t.
I’m surrounded by it. I manage to keep myself away from it for the most part, but it’s all around me. I’ve had relatives die, friends get addicted, you name it. I’ve even had friends whose high grades declined because of it. Maybe I feel so strongly about it because my parents have been aware of the stigma behind drugs ever since I was a little girl. I never saw why they were necessary to have fun or to “get through” something. In that case, you’d be enduring the same boring thing except a little more dizzy and out of it. Is everything just ten times more entertaining when you’re high? When people who are unaware of my drug-free lifestyle ask me to take a hit, I politely decline and they get so taken aback by it. I always get the same response, “Well, if you ever want to, I’ll do it with you. I wanna be there the first time you try it!” I don’t think I ever will though. I’m not bad-mouthing the people who do drugs, I just know what’s best for me. It’s a personal choice. In my eyes, drugs do more bad than good. I’m in my twenties, and I’ve never touched a bong in my life. I’ve seen one, I know how and what they’re used for, but I’ve never touched one. And I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon.
Drug use has become so recreational that it’s practically second nature for most people my age. When someone throws a house party, there’s really never any question as to whether or not there’ll be “party goods.” You provide the drugs, they come to your party, simple as that. People younger than me attend EDM concerts and bring light-up pacifiers with the intent of popping molly. It seems like that’s pretty much the point of those festivals anyway. I’ve been to one before but just watched everyone go crazy around me. Nowadays, people think they need drugs to have fun. And yes, it’s all fun and games, until someone you know and love gets hurt.
We need to start asking ourselves, when does it stop being recreational and become an addiction?
There is a stigma with casual drug use, and it’s not pretty. I know that it’s none of my business, considering I’ve far from touched a tab of acid or taken a hit, but my heart weeps for some of my generation, the people who only enjoy things when they’re high off their asses. When did it become this thing that we do in order to make it through boring office hours or lame parties? Drugs have become something that gets people through the day. A crutch, a party favor, a lifestyle. I really can’t dictate what people do with their bodies. All I can say is mine is drug free, and that is the best choice I can make for myself right now.
Featured image via Yash Lucid on Pexels
Honestly I really appreciate seeing this article and hearing about other people staying clean. Way to go!
I’m 16 in high school, I don’t know if you’ll ever see this but I’m proud of you. I myself have not ever done any type of drugs in my life before, besides medicine and stuff. It’s almost everyday I hear other kids talking about there drug experiences that they had the night before and most of the time I don’t care, but I always get some strange feeling in certain situations and I don’t know how to describe it. Like when I have a good friend that I’m really close to, and find out they’re doing drugs I almost start to feel like some kind of father that recently found out his son died. It’s hard getting through high school when you’ve never done drugs, for me anyways, not because it’s temping, because it’s not, but because it hurts me to see all the people I was close to and knew for so long get into them and just completely change. I get so uncomfortable and scared I hate it. But anyways where ever you are now, congratulations on not giving in, it’s something almost no one can do from what I’ve seen (:
You are far smarter then all of those doing drugs. Most all drugs are addicting and none of them will improve your life. There is nothing positive about drug use at all. I have been an addict for 45 years and one thing for sure is drugs have been the failure to every success I have had. So if your on them get off them, if your not then stay off them