I want drug users, smokers, alcoholics to explain this to me (seriously)

[Flailing Escapist]

I smoke probably 2 packs a month, I know it's harmful and I don't care. And when I turn 21 I'll drink, and I won't care.

And I like to indulge in being human; because I am.

 

[6037084]

Smoking makes you cool ( ok not really ) and I really enjoy the nicotine rush I get
other than that smoking makes for a really good ice breaker, If a girl smokes you can just go up to her and ask for a cigarette and go from there

 

[Angry_squirrel]

snip

I bet you've had chocolate? Coffee? Hell, if you play a lot of games, there's a chance you're addicted to adrenalin.

OT: For fun, it starts out that simple. Then you get addicted and everything turns to shit xD

I view many drugs as I view gaming, that is I don't consider them particularly bad as long as done in moderation. Would you criticise someone who plays xbox for roughly an hour a day? No, that's their business. Would you criticise someone who plays it so much that it's destroying their social life, education ect?

Personally, the only two drugs I'll ever do are weed and mushrooms, because - in my opinion, based on a fair bit of research - they're no worse for you than alcohol or tobacco (neither of which I ever take)
I take these drugs because my friends take drugs. Since you've never been drunk, I'm sure you can understand how irritating it can be on a night out when all your mates are getting drunk. It's at times like this that I'll often get high.

It's widely known now that the benefits of those things are temporary but they could ruin your lives fairly easily

I disagree, I think it depends on the drug. How many successful smokers have you met? How many successful drinkers? Weed smokers? Okay, alcoholics and pot heads are going nowhere, but that's addiction. There is a big difference between having a recreational drug on a night out with mates, for fun, and taking one daily because you cant stand not having this drug.
I would go on but I just noticed how long this post is xD

 

[Chrinik]

Please, if you want to, give me your honest reasons for doing what you do so I can understand where you're coming from even if I don't agree with it.

I, likewise, am 21.
I smoke since I´m eleven, don´t look at me funny, that´s how mighty fine germany really is on the inside, keep in mind that laws since then have changed dramatically to hinder minors to buy cigarettes and alcohol...still didn´t dampen the number of 14 year olds with alcoholpoisoning or standing smoking on schoolgrounds, behind some corner so the teachers don´t catch them.
I started out of "Hey, let´s try that.", stopped briefly, only to start again with 14, then stopped for half a year only to beginn anew and keep it that way. Altho I don´t really smoke that much...while I smoke daily, I can sometimes go for hours, in fact, at the time of this writing, my last cigarette was about 5 hours ago. Usually depends if I have something to distract me with.
Why don´t I stop?
Well, I don´t care to stop...serriously. I smoke out of habbit, and I self roll so it´s not really that expensive for me. My body is fucked up enough, a little lung cancer wouldn´t be all that much suprising, really, given that I somehow accuired the body of a 75 year old...

I do not drink excessivly, altho I like being a little drunk, I usually know when I had enough, and I completely hate the feeling of being completely smashed, altho it is a weird experience. I drink maybe once a month, or less, and get "drunk" even rarer...usually on some best friends birthday, of which there aren´t many. I have accuired a taste for Vodka tho, and, despite my heritage, don´t really like most beers, or Jägermeister...that herbal spice-brew can fuck right off.

I don´t do drugs. At all.


So there you have it.

Despite all that, I do tell people to never start smoking, on which they usually ask "why do you smoke then.", to which I answer "The same reason´s you shouldn´t."

Also we pay massive Taxes... not smoking actually costs the government so much money that, if every german stopped smoking at once, we´d have a recession within 2 months.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

That's a pretty silly question.
Drugs and alcohol because they're fun, smoking 'cause it looks cool and peer pressure. And because nicotine is apparently a pleasant thing.

 

[freaper]

Haven't done drugs, nor have I smoked. I do drink when I go out with friends, but never gotten drunk outside a friend's house, and always arrived home safely.
Alcohol lightens the mood, and can lead to some interesting and albeit funny discussions. Don't do it if you don't want to, but it's lame to sit around with friends when they're half drunk and you're sober.
The taste also grew onto me, so I enjoy my beer more now than I did 5 years ago.

Now just to ***** a bit about smoking: do it outside, I'd like to keep my lungs as clean as possible.

 

[ad4m101]

For me its just a social thing. Ill drink because i am going out with friends, ill smoke when out if some one is kind enough to offer one, and drugs not so much just weed but thats just because it was a social thing and i am with people i trust. And overall its usual fun mostly the drinking for the fun part tough.

 

[kahlzun]

Basically, I had never tried them, I did try them, and enjoyed them, and continued use.

As long as you do your research and ensure you keep well within physical tolerances (and make the uses OCCASIONAL), there is nothing wrong with any of the aboce.

 

[Togs]

Because its fun, and it lets you get away from yourself for a time by removing your inhibitions that whilst critically important can become pyschologically damaging after awhile.
Also drugs especially can give you whole new persectives on things- I myself use weed to help deal with my nerves and offer clarity on current emotional problems in my life, I have friends who after going through the peyote ritual turned their lives around.
And ultimately as the old saying goes "If you odnt trust yourself enough to loose control, how can you expect others to do the same?"
Or "Id hate to be a teetotaller, imagine waking up each morning and knowing that thats gonna be the best you'll feel each day".

 

[Glerken]

Marijuana and alchohol aren't bad and havent resulted in anything bad happening to me yet, don't see why people think it's so bad

This is why it's bad.
http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidence99/marijuana/Health_1.html
I'm not trying to say you should stop with either one, it's completely your life, and your choice.
But an argument of "Nothing (visible) has happened to me because of it" isn't really a solid counter-argument if someone were debating you over your alcohol and marijuana use.

 

[RabbiiFrystofsk]

Because it feels gooood!
Nah honestly it's just good for unwinding really and enjoying yourself. I don't smoke cigarettes anymore because i can't stand the taste and it just makes me feel shit but i still bun on the odd occasion. Never touched anything higher and tbh i'm not too interested either. I've been in front of a rock of cocaine but kept to my spliff and only last night i was among friends who were doing some molly. And of course i drink whenever the opportunity arises (too much as my hangover this morning reveals, darn you £1.50 monster/vodka).
In my opinion, you've got to enjoy yourself but everything in moderation. You lose the thrill if you do it all too regularly and it just isn't appealing anymore.
Get crunk, fuck what mum says.

 

[Crazy_Dude]

Drugs I smoke pot often (More then once a day) and I know that it can be unhealthy if you it that often. But I wouldnt really call me addicted I could smoke an insane amount in a weekend. And just stop for the rest of the week. Physically it isnt addictive like cigarettes.

I also did XTC multiple times just because its hell a lot cheaper the weed. Its around 2.5-5 euros for one pill and the effect lasts for 6 to 8 hours. The quality varies a lot though I never met anyone who really went "bad" on XTC. You throw up and after that you feel a lot better.

Alcohol I used to drink alot when I was 15-16 but just to get drunk. Later I switched to pot and I am still liking that decision. I still drink time to time but more like 4-6 beers instead of 10-15.

Smoking I started smoking because my friends did it ect. Not really to look cool but when your whole friend group is smoking you still recieve a lot of second hand smoke. So I thought I should start anyways since I was recieving a lot of smoke already. Some of my friends quit but I still like it. It helps me relax so I aint stressed out when working on school projects.

 

[The Human Torch]

Because they are weak with no willpower. The same goes for people with overweight that just can't stop eating fatty food, even if they wish they could. They will use excuses like "it's a social thing" or "you have your bad habits as well", but they are only fooling themselves.

I do hope you're only referring to addicts here. (I will however semi stick up for heroin addicts, that stuff is fucking heavy, it takes a VERY VERY strong willpower to get off that stuff.)

It also takes strong willpower to not begin taking such stuff. Or just once to 'try it', and never touch it again.

Okay, so what about Alcohol, pot or LSD? Neither drugs are addictive and most people drink and I am quite in control of my life even though I smoke pot and drink on quite a regular basis.

EDIT: Or are we just on about Heroin here?

Just heroin, since that is what you mentioned. The problem with these kind of substances (alcohol, LSD, pot, heroin, etc.) is that even when they are not biochemically addictive, they tend to destroy your body. Everything in moderation of course, a few glasses of wine/beer a week won't kill you, but pot will definitely make your life more miserable once you are older.

Even if you are strong and can stop at any time, it's just not healthy.

 

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

It can't be explained. Go get drunk, go get high then you'll understand.

 

[Denomoses]

i definitely understand weed and drinking because they just make things more fun for a while. Its purely just fun to have a party where everyone gets pissed and stoned and just fuck around for a while. I don't really get what smoking does for you but yeah.

 

[CyanideSandwich]

The point of drugs (and alcohol to some) is for the feeling; to get high. Tobacco doesn't do this, so I don't get that, but I know that's why most people who take drugs do so.

 

[The Last Nomad]

Simple answer:
Because it is enjoyable.

Longer answer:
I don't drink all that much, I generally smoke weed more. Its much more fun if you ask me. It just makes everything better. Drinking on the other hand often makes things shitter. Of course that's just my opinion, I know that some people will feel different about that. And its a lot healthier than alcohol and regular cigarettes. Although I do smoke a lot of tobacco just by smoking joints.
One of the reasons I prefer weed to booze is that weed effectively saved my life. I know that sounds a bit over-dramatic but I don't know how else to put it. It didn't stop me from dying exactly, but it did make my life worth living. Before I smoked any weed, I was often very depressed, and I really didn't get any enjoyment out of life. But after smoking weed a few times, that began to change. I am hardly ever depressed anymore. Now weed is a major part of my life. I'm not saying I smoke it everyday, or even every week (Although most weeks I would smoke at least once), but I have become a happier person just by having it in my life. Maybe I just changed, and maybe that would have happened with or without weed in my life, but I feel it had a major part in it.

On a related note, I was going to ask if someone could explain this, but sadly it is practically impossible to explain:

 

[Treblaine]

I just want to know why you chose to do it.

Same reason we do EVERYTHING, it stimulates our pleasure and reward circuits of our brain.

Read the work of Freud, people are not rational, our rational minds are utter slaves to our desires in the sense that our primitive irrational brain (Home of lust, desire, fear, hatred, greed, etc) has incredible control over our rational mind able to influence it and constrain it.

This is how bias works, prejudice and self-delusion. How arguments happen. How very smart people can do very stupid things with the right emotional/instinctive pressure.

The great manipulators know not to appeal to people's sense of logic, as their logical minds don't actually make logical decisions, their irrational minds do that they then try to "rationalise".

I congratulate you for not having ever started smoking/drugging, but it is easy to deny a pleasure that you have never known. Try smoking for a year, get used to and enjoy that wonderful nicotine high THEN try to quit! All of a sudden you will value the long term health concerns much less.

I used to smoke, I quit only after I got very sick - too sick to smoke - and decide not to start again. I still get cravings. I often have dreams about smoking. I have found since I quit I have replaced cigarettes with excessive eating.

My advice to you: abstain from all drink/smoke/drugs FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

You should not drink any alcohol, except maybe the sip required for religious events.

Unless, you REALLY think you are in control (Pro-tip: you aren't, no one is) don't even try it.

 

[Matt-the-twat]

Wow, lots of opinions here, OP you're going to have a hell of a job reading through all of this. Good idea too because I imagine you'll have a much, much better idea as to why by the end of this, so hats off to you for wanting to understand things from other peoples perspectives.

I for one have never smoked a cigarette in my life, it seems 100% retarded to me. Some people say that it reduces their stress levels, but I believe that's just the release of stress once 'a fix' has been received. Some people say it's social, they do it when they drink... Speaking to one another is social enough I think, copying other peoples bad habits isn't productive. Anyway, I know plenty of people would defend why they smoke to the grave, yet I don't understand at all, so I understand where you sit in all this O.P.

I have been known to drink to excess, I like the feeling of pushing my body to its limits, experiencing as much as I can in life, whether that be environments, people, or states of being. This includes getting drunk. This said, I have gone off drinking considerably in the last year or two as the positive effects it give you are minimal when they are compared to...

Drugs! Yay! I'm not a huge drug user, I binge maybe once every few months, it's by no means regular and I'm certainly not addicted to anything (yet). This weekend in fact I intend to get high on shrooms, salvia, NOS and weed. They all produce different effects, but the effects are pretty damn good (for the most part, you can get a bad trip, but the risk of getting that bad trip makes the good trips all the sweeter). As I've said before, I enjoy experiencing altered states of conciousness, the ultimate escape from (or realisation of) reality. I haven't yet tried any drugs that I believe to be dangerous, or that I think will have more adverse effects than either smoking or drinking, so to me I can't see the stigma attached to these kinds of drugs. You get amazing experiences, realisations, epiphanies, hallucinations... You could learn more about peoples experiences with drugs by browsing Erowid's experience vaults.

I'll finish off by giving you two sources which demonstrate my two main reasons why I have no problem with and enjoy illicit drugs. Here's a list from Erowid mentioning some of the positive effects of Mushrooms:
- mood lift, euphoria
- increased giggling and laughing
- creative, philosophical or deep thinking : ideas flow more easily
- boring tasks or entertainment can become more interesting or funny
- sensation of insight
- life-changing spiritual experience
- intense feelings of wonder
- paradoxical feeling of a normalcy and deep alteration of psyche
- may interrupt cluster sequences in those suffering from cluster headaches
You tell me those don't sound good . I can't remember whether the escapist likes links or not, but here's a picture that speaks for itself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HarmCausedByDrugsTable.jpg

I'm 19 btw.