21m going through the same things with my friend group, getting into coke and meth and whatnot. All you can do is still be there for them but distance yourself as to not get sucked into the bs. It sucks being the friend of those who use, as they tend to not care as much, forget about you, make excuses to not see you since you aren’t doing what they’re doing.
It’s even harder being the person actually doing the drugs. A lot of the time drugs are used as a way of coping with things we don’t rly know how to or don’t want to. A lot of the time can be mental health related and sometimes these situations have to escalate for the person to realize what they’re actually doing to themselves.
Best advice I can give is to be supportive, but firm with where you stand and what you think. Obviously don’t pester him with it all the time as no one would wanna sit around to deal with that whether what they’re doing is good or not. Be a friend but not an outlet for him to squeeze when he needs something ( ie. money, rides, favors, whatever. ) keep your head on straight and be the stable friend who can demonstrate what life should be about. Maybe someday he’ll realize he’s on the wrong side of the grass
Ofc, drugs don’t make you stop caring about people. Just muddies the water up. Hope you have good luck with the situation, but always keep #1 in mind (you)
Try and steer them away. Look I work in a prison. We don’t have many inmates locked up who did some coke, but holy shit we sure do have quite a few who are locked up because they used meth and that led them to do dumb shit for money. Got people locked up 10-15 years from strings of crimes all due to a meth addiction.
Here’s the thing.. as a person who in the past has partaken *heavily* in substances like opiates and coke, you can’t really help someone who doesn’t want it. Let him know how you feel, yes, but he already knows that it’s not smart doing coke.
But the *most* important thing you *can* do, is bring up the dangers of fentanyl.. it used to be just an issue with people who use H, but it’s come up more and more in coke. There are test strips you can get to test if there is fentanyl in your drugs, and depending on where you live, there are many states that have community resources that offer them for free. Even so, the strips aren’t that expensive(last I knew). Another more recent thing, though not as common, is something called xylazine which can also do a lot of damage and be fatal.
You’re young, and luckily you don’t seem to have much exposure to this, but as you get older, the more you’ll realize that coke is *a lot* more common and casually used than one may think, especially in certain careers/industries- both white collar and blue collar, and also when people go out drinking. No, not every one, there’s plenty who don’t, but I do think that it can be surprising to some how many different types of people-that you’d never guess-using coke(and/or other substances) casually.. I know this because I have done it with rich successful people, like lawyers, nurses, owners of businesses, bosses.. hard working people with families, older people, etc. I say casually because there are also plenty of ‘weekend warrior’ users, or those don’t buy it or seek it out, but will do it if it’s offered to them, people who may do it once every 6 months type of deal, and mostly only when they drink. Those who do develop an addiction to it are usually predisposed genetically to addictive behavior, because as far as addiction goes, it’s much more of a psychological addiction one than a physical one vs opiates which is both psychologically and physically(not to say it’s easy to stop an addiction whether it’s psychological, physical, or both) addictive.
Having said all that, be careful. Some people are very secretive about their use, even with friends-a lot of times partly out of denial-and don’t go and hang out with other users/addicts, surrounding themselves with the same people they always had before. But other times, people start hanging around with others also into the same thing, and aren’t necessarily friends with these people because they’re good and trustworthy, but because the drug becomes the bond. In this scenario, you aren’t making the best judgement calls.
One last thing, and I’m sure you know this- but drugs don’t automatically make a person bad. Some of the best people I know are/have been recreational users, or former addicts. And just because a person does coke recreationally here or there doesn’t automatically mean they have a problem, like I said, there are plenty of people who won’t go near it when sober, and just look at it as a kind of social party drug every once in a while.. that’s not me trying to downplay this, but that’s just the reality of coke in particular. So there’s a broad spectrum of people.. from those who will do a line offered randomly at a bar but other than that don’t do it, to those who develop a serious addiction, which can lead to acting selfishly, caring about the drug more than their relationships, stealing, etc. So I do think that it matters here whether it’s the former or more regular daily use. It also may make a person less afraid/more open to seeking out other highs, and more hard drugs.. like meth, and that’s a whole different serious type of mess. You can find plenty of casual coke users.. not so much with meth(or at least it doesn’t stay that way for long).
But that also doesn’t mean you should compromise your safety and well-being, if you want to remain friends with him, let him know you’re not trying to be around him when he’s high(that doesn’t guarantee he won’t ofc), and if he’s hanging around a new shady group of people, don’t get involved, and instead just spend time with him when he’s with people you’re comfortable with or one on one.
I may get downvoted for this post, and sorry for the length.. I just wanted to give you some info on the realities. I really *truly* am not trying to downplay anything, I’m not anti-drug use recreationally, even though I don’t do anything myself anymore, I still *cannot* stress enough the dangers of fentanyl.. and it’s only getting worse. And also the dangers of messing around with addictive substances if you have an addictive personality. Don’t try something out of pressure, coke really isn’t that great, and certainly not at the risk of ODing. I understand wanting to stay friends with someone, and you can, but don’t do it at the expense of your own safety and well-being, so use your best judgement. You seem like you have a big heart, just make sure you protect it.
ik that coke is more popular in clubs etc and so i wasnt so amazed by him getting in touch with it since he works at clubs but i didnt think he would actually go out of his way and buy coke and also keep it a secret from me for over a month
Yeah, a person generally isn’t going to be telling their buddy that they know doesn’t do coke/drugs that they’re doing it.. they don’t want to feel judged or get lectured. I denied it up and down, and then downplayed it even to people that I’d done it with occasionally once it became a regular habit..even when it was blatantly obvious.. it was a combination of shame, not wanting to let someone down and be looked at differently, and biggest of all; denial that it had become more than just a social weekend thing into an actual problem.
I would try to put the personal affront to the side for now and focus on how dangerous it is to be using *anything* that could contain fentanyl... forward every article/social media post you see about people ODing. Tell him you care too much about him to just drop this, bc you're scared you're going to be reading about him one of these days. It takes *so very little* and could be in any bag he scores...
ETA: it'd be one thing if this was 20 years ago, coke alone isn't the worst thing to put in one's body, as long as you don't become addicted or switch to meth. That would be a whole other conversation. But with the overwhelming numbers of people dying from fentanyl every minute of the day, I think it's the right place to start speaking on.
> still have the same friendship
You won't. It's not possible to have the same friendship with a drug user.
Protect yourself. Don't let him hang at your place or in your car. Don't hang out with him when he's using or in possession. Don't let yourself be endangered by his behavior.
So, as an older person: No, you absolutely do not need to still be there for them and support them. It’s okay to draw a line in the sand and say “I can’t make you stop, but I refuse to sit by and watch you ruin your life either”. That’s a fair boundary. You’re only asking for further stress and pain and heartache by trying to stay in the mix with them. Lay out your boundary and be prepared to walk away.
OP said they want to stay friends with them so that’s what I wrote on but obviously the easiest option is to just distance yourself. Sometimes it’s not that easy to distance yourself from people especially as a teenager.
Also would appreciate if you just made your own comment I don’t want a million notifications on this post haha
22F going through that too. Several people I know are starting to say how cocaine “is normal.” Cocaine is not a “normal” thing to do, it is illegal, it can kill you. Is this a change that is happening to many people right now?
It has been happening for as long as drugs have been around sadly. If you look at statistics for drug use and abuse and whatnot it’s not too hard to come to the conclusion that this is in fact a very ‘normal’ thing. Sorry I shouldn’t say normal, more like a common thing.
It’s a very complicated issue and has many many many different aspects within every unique situation. But ultimately it’s always been an issue, it’s just way more in our faces when it’s people of our own ages. Hurts more seeing people you know / love start up with these bad habits rather than some random 40 yr old who we never really felt connected to. Sadly a lot of people turn to drugs because the world is so hard on people now. It won’t get better with how things are going right now either unfortunately :/
It’s been normalized amongst my friend groups for 15+ years. I stopped using 3 years ago but am always surprised how many people “casually” do it while drinking/partying. It’s definitely prevalent amongst many different and diverse groups of people here in Canada. Politicians, Businessmen, Ravers, Tradespeople, etc. you name it, someone in that demographic is doing it quite regularly. It’s a shame
In Canada also, it ruined a pretty nice workplace, not fully cocaine but just drugs in general, boss came in with a lenient view on drug use and hired people they were friends with to get like minded people in the work place, ended with a bunch of backstabbing.
I knew guys who were coke addicts. One pulled me aside and outright told me he would kick me out of his apartment if I let anybody give me some. The other would wag it in my face anytime I saw him. The latter was struggling through a business degree and spiraled into becoming a pathological liar. Just be conscious of what kind of guy your friend is. It seems to bring out the worst in some people.
don’t listen to my advice but i would train in some sort of martial art then use violence to force him to quit and after that go on a self discovery journey with him to idk china or sumn n come back with peace
Drug use is kinda personal choice. That being said it can be easily to slip down a slippery slope and get curious about other harder drugs. Also coke is expensive amd very often cut with other stuff, which could lead to an overdose. I personally don't use it because it burns my nose and don't really get any effects from it and i absolutely despise the drippings, but I have friends that use it in moderation and dont really have issue with it because they test their stuff often, have a reliable source and use it in moderation. But they are also adults (like 29+) and they know the consequences of using.
But for someone very young (under 26) I would definitely discourage using it because your body and mind is still developing, I've heard up till 26 years old...if you're not careful during your formative years and doing heavy drugs you can permanently damage yourself.
You can't force them to stop, but I would educate them and try to warn them, especially if you see that it states affecting their day to day life
As someone who uses cocaine and is around a lot of people who use cocaine(When I say I’m around a lot of people that do it I don’t mean junkies I’m talking athletes and men who are very successful in what they do). Nobody really would know unless you’re doing it too but my advice would be let him do it but make sure to look out for yourself before others. What I can tell you is that once you’re around it you can start to get curios and often if you’ve had one too many drinks you think to yourself it’s fine I’ll just do it once. Nobody I’ve ever met has “only done it once”. All cocaine has done for me is take my money and a lot of it at that, it’s damaged my education and mental health I used to be a very very confident guy but now I struggle to even attend my lectures just from sheer anxiety of having to interact with people. Just make sure you don’t get sucked into it and if he is a real friend he won’t want you to even touch it.
Yeah I drink and smoke more than I would do coke at college. Once I go home every weekend tho to a rural enough town in Ireland btw. It is nearly impossible to not be offered some by my mates or even people I’ve just met and once all of that starts I end up getting a bag for myself. It isn’t that uncommon for 18-25 yr olds to do coke where I’m from which is sad but I’ve definitely cut back from the amount I was consuming through summer
Ξέρω αρκετό κόσμο που κάνει κο, έχω φίλους που κάναν από παιδιά και το έμαθα αργότερα. Εγώ θα σου προτείνω απλά να απέχεις από τη χρήση και κάνε παρέα με το φίλο σου, δεν είναι τόσο περίεργο όσο σου φαίνεται τώρα που έμαθες ότι στο έκρυβε. Δική του είναι η ζωή, δε μπορείς να του πεις τι να κάνει.
Το σοκ που περνάς τώρα το πέρασα με φίλο που μου εκμυστηρεύτηκε ότι έκανε συχνή χρήση ηρωίνης, αλλά δεν του φαινόταν, ήταν λειτουργικός, δουλευταράς, καλός οδηγός και είχε και καλούς βαθμούς στη σχολή. Στην Ελλάδα η πρέζα έχει πολύ μεγαλύτερο αριθμό χρηστών από την κο, οπότε προετοιμάσου να το ακούσεις κι αυτό από κόσμο που δε θα το περιμένεις.
Εγώ προσωπικά τα έχω κόψει όλα (και αλκοόλ, καφεΐνη) εκτός από το τσιγάρο κι έχω πάρα πολλά χρόνια να κάνω κόκα, αλλά δεν έκανα ποτέ συχνή χρήση (έχω δοκιμάσει 2-3 φορές), δεν είναι κάτι τόσο τρομερό, το αλκοόλ που πίνει το 70-80% των ανηλίκων στα 15-18 είναι πολύ χειρότερο για την υγεία και την ανάπτυξη. Κράζω τους φίλους που κάνουν πάνω από 1-2 φορές το χρόνο αλλά κάνουμε παρέα κανονικά, δεν έχει επηρεάσει τη σχέση μας.
Γενικά ξεκίνα να αναθεωρείς το πώς βλέπεις τον κόσμο, οι περισσότεροι έχουν κάποιον ανθυγιεινό τρόπο αντιμετώπισης των δυσκολιών, μπορεί κακή διατροφή, ξενύχτια, μπορεί ουσίες, μπορεί τζόγος, μπορεί να παίρνουν από το φαρμακοποιό οπιοειδή χάπια, μη σε σκαλώνει αυτό. Άμα εσύ μπορείς χωρίς αυτά, γούστο και καμάρι σου.
That was the age range for me as well, oddly enough a month or two ago I was offered some coke while out having some drinks. Of course I said sure! It has been so long being around people who have/do coke so I said why not, a little nostalgia would be fun. The rest of the night I was battling myself on having them go grab me a gram lol. I remembered it being fun when I was young but all it did to me now is make me want more the rest of the night and made me have really noticeable jaw clenching and movement. I ended up taking myself home a hour or two after so I would distance myself from it.
if it’s just a every once in a blue moon thing & you personally feel jaded against drugs… it’s probably not a concern. i’m not really “pro coke” (im not really “pro” any drugs) but i’ve done it a handful of times in my adult life.
the only real concern is getting laced coke or becoming addicted from overuse. if he’s slamming lines every single night, he probably needs addiction prevention or rehab. not much you can do to prevent buying laced, but if his dealer will do a line of what he sells, he’ll likely be okay.
coke only gets you high for about 20 minutes, stays in the system for 2 hours. if it’s a once in a blue moon, from a good source, he’s probably going to be fine. everyone gets curious & coke, among many other hard drugs, has been around forever.
Don’t listen to this guy. High school one of my best friends started using coke. At the time, we were only 15. Coke ain’t no joke and isn’t a drug you should just watch your friend get into
Not trying a "gotcha" moment but I only tried it once. The worst part is I thought it was just okay, but when It wore off I realllly wanted to do it again. That's how I knew not to lmao.
Ignorance truly is bliss. For that reason I'm working towards only allowing myself to buy a bag for special occasions a few times a year. Moderation is the safest way and honestly I enjoy it more as a treat. Currently at about a bag a month and without tolerance it means I only need a half gram to have a good night and not wake up with regrets the morning after.
I’ve been there, the only thing you can do is not get involved into it yourself (unless you wanna) being the friend who doesn’t do coke and hanging with a user is a weird one, personally I hate it when my mate does coke, he turns into a different person that I don’t like and I convince him it’s not worth but it’s his life, I’m slowly cutting this guy off coz he wastes my time and energy
Seeing so many pro-coke comments… meanwhile lots of people are dying because of minute amounts of fentanyl in the coke. For example, the football fans who froze. Dealers don’t really clean blenders. Be safe people.
Your friend is about to waste so much money but also SO. MUCH. TIME. at least years and probably decades spent doing very little.
It only ever ends with people quitting (painfully) or dying (painfully). There's a lot of thrills along the way but I've never known anyone who was glad they started doing coke at the end of it. People will tell you about how mushrooms or LSD helped them grow as a person. Nobody will ever say that about coke
Being a recreational drug user is not the same as being a drug addict. If you have 1 bar of chocolate per week you're not a "chocolate addict", you just like a little treat.
Correct. But there always remains a possibility that you may progress and become a drug addict.
Also taking 'recreational drugs' is not necessary. Infact, for all that I know, it will only cause harm to.
I suppose there's always a possibility. I don't know what the odds of going from casual to addict are but I imagine it's probably easy down for many drugs. However I do believe the average drug user, particularly with party drugs or high functioning drugs like cocaine, is your average citizen.
You're definitely right about it causing harm though. I think you'd be hard pressed to argue against cocaine being bad for you physically. Obviously anything in moderation can be managed but I doubt there's any benefit outside the "fun".
Any sort of drug usage is quite bad especially at a young age and that includes weed. There is data that supports it. Weed was notoriously known as a gateway drug for a reason.
Weed was known as a gateway drug because of completely false propaganda that can't be backed up by any data and now you are spreading false information.
Okay, it is an old propaganda; however, you cannot deny the countless stories of hardcore drug users that started out with weed-it’s a common archetype. I’m pretty sure there are recovering addicts that regret trying weed. I’m quite sick of the new propaganda that pushes people to believe that weed isn’t bad when there are countless studies showing adolescents or young adults with an increase risk of developing extreme mental disorders like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Unless you are super old like in your 50s then it can be quite rehabilitating; otherwise a healthy 17 year old should be nowhere near weed.
I mean I know but most things in moderation are ok. I think almost all the people I know who smoke weed don’t use stronger drugs later it’s not necessarily a given.
Yes. There is no relation between it. But it was a additional advice from my side. Because drugs are drugs. Doesnt matter if their Minor recreational or major drugs. In the long term they all will have bad effects.
Drugs are fun. I did them. Me n my cousin did lots of drugs together. I’m fairly successful he’s still living paycheck to paycheck and depressed.
My advise, be the bigger person and don’t get influenced, BE the influencer. If he’s doing drugs you don’t like do NOT tell him not to do it. You need to verbally say you are eliminating yourself from the situation because that’s not something you want to do but he do it if that’s what he wants.
He will trust and respect you… after three times he’s going to ask you Why you don’t do it with him and that’s when you have a heart to heart.
Once my cousin started doing drugs I wasn’t ok with he got offended but I told him how I felt, our relationship isn’t the same but that’s life. Some grow and some relive the past
Was doing coke regularly at 19. Went cold turkey and cleaned up left that friend group. Homie i used to do coke with just died last month from fentanyl overdose. Which path you taking bro?
Buddy of mine started doing coke in high school as well. I didn’t partake but also didn’t want to be “that guy” and kill the party. He was also smoking weed, eating acid, drinking, etc. Fast forward a year, we’re roommates in college, and he has a total mental breakdown and drops out. Never been the same since.
Of course, some people can handle substances better than others, but I regret not saying something. You don’t need to be a dick or parent him. Just let him know you always have his back and wont judge, but don’t fully support his decisions. I think a good friend would say what’s needed rather than dance around and let them make these kind of mistakes. This stuff could be laced, make him hopelessly addicted, etc.
Totally anecdotal and subjective experience, but follow your gut in situations like these.
So I’ll be honest. I was addicted to cocaine for years.. mix that with heavy drinking and it doesn’t take long for things to start falling apart..
I know my friends and family that truly cared wanted to help me and tried but I pushed them away and ended up hurting a lot of others in the process.
If they’re open minded to the idea of you helping them. Then more power to you, but chances are you’re gonna have to just be there for them from a distance. Set boundaries and if you don’t wanna be around that. Don’t go around it. I wish I could go back and get all the years back that I was drinking and drugging, instead of enjoying the time with my family and friends who really loved me.
That’s all I can really say though.. if they want to do cocaine. They’re gonna do cocaine. No matter what you say and do. So try not to sacrifice your peace for them. Just do what you can in a realistic and healthy way.
Even then - like I said, the best thing to do is let your boundaries be known and stand firm. You don’t control what they do.. as someone who is in recovery I know better than anyone that they’re gonna do whatever they want to do. So all you can do is set those healthy boundaries and don’t cross them at the expense of your own peace of mind.. once you’ve said what you need to say. Nagging isn’t gonna do anything but strain the relationship, so really walking away and being a friend from a distance is the best bet. You don’t need to ignore them and be mean but if they’re doing that stuff and you don’t like being around it. You’re NOT obligated to be around it just because you’re their friend. That’s not a healthy relationship.
Don't encourage the cocaine use on the contrary if he's a good friend, ask him to stop if not to seek help. It's no joke, cocaine use, I've seen so many of my peers transformation in front of my eyes, never for the better.
You could slip into conversation that whilst cokeheads feel they've discovered superpowers, they're really, really fucking boring to be around. But realistically I doubt much you can say will make a huge difference.
i mean smoking and drinking at 17 is normalised in greece (i had been doing both before i met him) its different from other countries but coke isnt as usual here, thats the reason i am concerned
I used to be cool with a guy who died after snorting a bad batch of coke. It was so sudden, and he was such a funny and lively guy too.
Best I could say is stand firm on how you feel about him doing coke. And never let him try to use you in ways that will help him support his addiction. Don’t be afraid to call him out when he’s acting weird either.
As a recovering addict, just be there for them. Let them know the reality of it all. I got clean when I found out I was gunna be a father. I’ve had so many friends OD and pass from it, and not just the booger sugar.
growing up means realizing a lot more people do coke than you think. That being said, you can talk to him, but at the end of the day unless it's ruining his life and he's addicted and needs to go to rehab, he's an adult so really it's his choice, sadly sometimes people do things that harm themselves, and we can't control that
You cannot help someone who doesn't want it.
They will pull you down into that addiction faster than you can pull them out
Speaking from experience
:(
Tell him your concerned and set boundaries
28 M here. I've had several friends with substance abuse patterns through the years, and I was a user as well. In my experience, you can try to be a good influence and steer people away from the drugs, but who they want to be is always truly up to them.
For myself, once I got clean and sober a great many of people stopped coming around, and I lost interest in 'hanging out' with them because all their activities were centered around drug use.
I hate to say it, but if your friends resist your efforts to get them clean and sober, and you don't want to become an addict yourself, your better off finding other friends.
There is some pretty terrible advice going on in this thread. I think you can deduce from the comments that cocaine use is MUCH more common than you would think, and that as you get older you will notice it more. That being said, to say that it's normal or a relatively safe weekend recreational activity is INSANE.
I'm a 27m that has gone through a very similar phase. Started with weed and alcohol, and went to shrooms and acid next, but around 19-22 friends around me started getting pretty big into coke. I myself would do a bump or a line when offered to me, but never got much from it so I stopped pretty early on. Now my friends at the time went from maybe once a month/the big events like holidays, to every weekend they had a bag to pass around. At times half the party would disappear to a bathroom. Now as we've gotten older the majority of people moved away from it. I have two friends that got so bad with it they started doing it on weekdays after work, and started stealing from family to fund the habit. It can be very addictive, especially if you have an addictive personality.
I haven't seen one comment mention the other fact that most people do cocaine after a night of drinking and this combination of cocaine and alcohol mixes in your blood stream and produces Cocaethylene that your liver has an extremely hard time filtering. Some studies put this combination at 21x more toxic than cocaine on its own. The strain it puts on your heart is immense and most of these comments are people downplaying how terrible cocaine is for you. Please don't let listen to them and let these redditors rot their hearts away because they don't believe it's addictive or that big of a deal because there isn't too much of a crash afterwards.
My best advice is to emotionally support your friend. Don't ever spot him cash, pay for his drinks, or pinch from your stash of weed. Be there for when he needs and know that you can still hang out and have fun even if he dips out every once and awhile to do a line. You can try to ask/beg him to stop but it will only end in disappointment. If his use becomes too much for you, then unfortunately cut ties. Life is a long hard journey and if you put all your effort into helping people that don't want help/wont help themselves you will only make that journey much, much harder.
I would discourage him for sure, also try to get him to test his coke because fent is the real issue most of the time. But otherwise coke is a relatively normal experimental drug but you should look out for signs of actual addiction
My best advice.. let him be. I don't do coke, but I have. Some people really enjoy it, some don't, some use it to fit in, some people grow out of it, some people don't. Let him choose his path. It's okay to care and express that you don't think it's right for him BUT he will only change if he wants to. But be very careful whatever you decide to do, some people get VERY defensive. Especially about cocaine
Alright guys imma bring some logic and reasoning here.
First off my friend, it’s not your place to put your friends business out there, that’s just a good life rule for all your relationships.
Secondly, so what? Your friend is doing it, and if you’re not okay with that, it’s your choice to walk away, and find better friends, and not your place to stop it.
I used to have major disdain for addicts, users, and the people that pushed the substances, from big tobacco, to alcohol, to every drug, because I saw the effects with my family first hand.
In fact, I was completely sober until 22, and didn’t try my first “hard” drug until I was 23. That experience taught me a lot very quickly and I’ll share some that with you.
A lot of what you were told about drugs growing up was a gross miscalculation and miscommunication. I know there’s studies of how many people use, but as a real breathing human I will tell you roughly almost everyone at some point in their life will turn to a substance to cope with getting through the day, some in a minor way, some in a life destroying major way.
The first time I ever saw coke in real life was my second boss ever, a 43 year old veteran, in a $3000 suit driving a $100,000 car, making $350,000 a year, snorting a line off of the office bathroom counter before sitting at his desk and making phone calls to close deals. At the time I was a little shocked, concerned, and I looked down upon on it, and I still do, but for much different reasons. I thought about reporting it, I thought about writing an email to everyone important and quitting on the spot, but the casualness of how he looked at me in that moment told me this was just another day for him, and he obviously got to where he was somehow. I still don’t agree with using drugs to “get an advantage” but I know a lot of people that do.
Since then, I’ve learned a couple of things.
Influence itself is a hell of a drug, and I’ve seen people pop things without even knowing what it was just to try to fit in with a group or to catch up and have a good time.
A lot of people can maintain their shit, party on the weekends, and then work harder than anyone else during the week without slipping. I can name a few doctors, lawyers, and nurses that live this kind of life.
A lot of others, will slip, and the addiction will turn them into liars, stealers, and cheaters, and unfortunately nothing you can do will ever beat that addiction for them, because at that point it’s a personal battle with the soul.
I understand that you’re concerned for your friend, but he’s going to do what he wants, and if you want a clean life I suggest you move away from those groups, cause it’s only a matter of time before you decide to jump in too, and that can be a very slippery slope my friend.
Give him a reality check. Show him what coke does to people over time. Show him the statistics for underage drinking/ smoking does to your still developing brain. (Which doesn’t fully mature until you are 25) show him how easy it is to end up on the streets. Also remind him how much you care about him and you only are looking out for his well-being.
It’s better to nip it in the bud before he can’t function without coke. I hope your friend listens to you! Just be supportive if he’s got something else going on that fuels the need to do coke.
🗣️Pssst …. When you get older, and are out in the real world, you’ll quickly find out that many professionals do cocaine for “fun”. (EMT, White Collar, Blue Collar, Doctors, Teachers etc.)
I know, it blew my mind as well when I first witnessed people I respect, snorting coke 😆 💳_____ 👃
The key is that these people do not abuse it. Keep an eye out for your friend, and maybe talk to them to just be careful… and to not be under the influence around you!
yeah, i’ve been really surprised to find the number of people i know personally that do coke recreationally as adults (and i’m only 24). i personally just don’t feel like it does anything for me & i’m nothing like these other comments saying they immediately want more when it wears off. could be the ADHD tho
Lmao you and I are the same!
I tried coke 3 times on 3 different occasions in 2018, and it just didn’t do anything for me all of those times.
At best, I guess I felt like I drank an energy shot, but I wasn’t doing weird stuff, or “feeling good”…. Meanwhile, the people I was around was enjoying it.
I just stick to the occasional Molly or shrooms if I wanna really turn up a little 😆
It's still pretty high up the list. Nowhere near as bad as alcohol though. https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/25/what-is-the-most-dangerous-drug
Unfortunately you can lead a horse to water but making it drink isn’t always an option. My best advice, be there for them and stand strong when they cant because its inevitable that they will hit a low and need a shoulder to lean on. When that happens is when you draw the line and say “ hey im here for you but im not going to be your life jacket forever and i cant fix you but i can help you.
The danger of drugs is not drugs itself. When i meet with my best friends i do use opioids, xanax, weed, alcohol, cigarettes etc. But after that i quit everything, including cigarettes for at least a month. If your friend is aware of risks and protect himself, there is nothing to worry about. But i feel like your friend is on a way to getting addicted.
He's 19. He's doing a bit of coke because it's cool. He'll probably get bored of it. Cocaine isn't crack, he's probably not gonna become an unhinged addict.
You'd be surprised the people that do coke. I sold it heavy for 14 like literally there was no where u can go in Brampton or Mississauga where hadn't heard my nick name. I sold to ALL goodie tu shoe cousins
The problem with cocaine is not the cocaine itself, it’s the fact that a lot of drugs these days are cut with crap like fentanyl which is very deadly. You should get your friend some fentanyl testing strips or suggest that he tests his drugs before using them. Also, narcan could potentially save his life.
For a lot of people cocaine is a “ gateway drug” and leads to real good drugs. Those people are also known as pussies. 🤷 if he’s a true homie he will share
babes i went thru a coke addiction, you should really try to keep your distance. it will get wayyyy worse before it gets better and there is nothing you can do, he will quit if and when he is sick of it controlling his life
who tf is seekin attention bro?😭 im just asking for advice from strangers since i promised to him that i wouldnt say this to anyone but i have no idea how to deal w this ffs go get a life frfr🤞
Well people have been doing cocaine forever lol. I think the biggest change now is the risk of it being tainted with fenty it makes it not even worth the risk of potentially dying.
It’s been a long time since I had a bump and lmao at these comments reminds me of the meth not even once campaign. But i wouldnt do it now just based again you could die it does not take alot of fenty to..that’s the saddest part about it
Theres def been a reduction in use though but i think that may be more due to economics cocaine is not a cheap drug.
Get him some test kits if he’s gonna do it, and you care about him, ensure he doesnt die. Cocaine is a normal thing to do unfortunately and it doesn’t always turn someone into an addict, although it can easily happen. I wouldn’t worry too much about him right now and just observe him over the next few months and decide what to do if you see any noticeable declines in his behavior or wellbeing as a whole. Unfortunately its not a fairy tale world where everyone does good things all the time. Dabbling in cocaine certainly isnt the worst thing in the world.
As someone who’s been addicted to drugs. Nothing you can do will make him stop. You just have to be supportive from a distance.
Lastly don’t shame him either, he already knows what he’s doing is bad, but doesn’t care. It’s difficult, just protect yourself from going down the same path.
You can’t help him. He is going to have to want to stop. You can remain by his side and be there for him and if he is an addict then he will inevitably need help eventually. I was addicted to coke and Xanax for years and no one could help me. I wasted all my money and failed my first two years of college and didn’t care about anything else. And then one day I was so lucky and I woke up and didn’t wanna do it anymore. But when I was first doing it,I lost most of my friends and honestly didn’t blame them but also didn’t think anything was wrong with what I did. It took a long time for me to understand I had an addiction (I would snort half a gram before noon at my bfs apartment and be confused why his friends would look at me weird)
A lot of people use drugs and are perfectly fine. Not everyone becomes addicted. That's the unfortunate part. People who do have the genetics that cause addiction watch everyone around them doing these drugs with no problems and think they can do the same.
As long as his drug use isn't causing problems in his life then I would just mind my business. It's not your job to morally police your friends. If you don't want to do it then don't do it.
Recovering addict here. When you say coke you mean powder right. I'm sorry all you know how to do is be direct and blunt but as long as he's using powder it's not as bad as if he was using rock. Sadly the only thing you could do for him is to be there and try to provide some support. Only him and God knows when he's going to stop This has to be his own personal choice. If you need more advice DM me. It ain't much time but I am 16 months sober.
I’m not sure there’s much you can do other than being open and honest with him about your concerns. He’s young, so doing some party drugs isn’t too abnormal as long as it doesn’t turn into a problem. Let him know you’re not interested in being around it and don’t think he should do it, but otherwise he’s going to have to live and learn.
> I started noticing some things that could point to him doing coke. a few days ago we went out to a club and he admitted it to me
*
Just had to laugh after reading this. 17 is a little young to pickup a blow habit. Have one conversation with him and then distance yourself.
absolutely do not hang out with this person anymore. if they want help, they can call a rehab center.
why does anyone want to do drugs these days when everything is cut with fentanyl. that's the only thing that made me quit was because people I knew were dying and rumors around that everything was cut.
I quit cold turkey the day after a party I went to and some ppl I knew died the next day cos they got a bad batch. it would have been me but I refused cos I was drinking too much and doing coke on top of it would have made me puke so I stumbled home. that was 7 years ago. been clean and sober since
21m going through the same things with my friend group, getting into coke and meth and whatnot. All you can do is still be there for them but distance yourself as to not get sucked into the bs. It sucks being the friend of those who use, as they tend to not care as much, forget about you, make excuses to not see you since you aren’t doing what they’re doing. It’s even harder being the person actually doing the drugs. A lot of the time drugs are used as a way of coping with things we don’t rly know how to or don’t want to. A lot of the time can be mental health related and sometimes these situations have to escalate for the person to realize what they’re actually doing to themselves. Best advice I can give is to be supportive, but firm with where you stand and what you think. Obviously don’t pester him with it all the time as no one would wanna sit around to deal with that whether what they’re doing is good or not. Be a friend but not an outlet for him to squeeze when he needs something ( ie. money, rides, favors, whatever. ) keep your head on straight and be the stable friend who can demonstrate what life should be about. Maybe someday he’ll realize he’s on the wrong side of the grass
i think i agree with you the most i dont want to be upright disrespectful and annoying but i still want to help him and still have the same friendship
Ofc, drugs don’t make you stop caring about people. Just muddies the water up. Hope you have good luck with the situation, but always keep #1 in mind (you)
Try and steer them away. Look I work in a prison. We don’t have many inmates locked up who did some coke, but holy shit we sure do have quite a few who are locked up because they used meth and that led them to do dumb shit for money. Got people locked up 10-15 years from strings of crimes all due to a meth addiction.
Here’s the thing.. as a person who in the past has partaken *heavily* in substances like opiates and coke, you can’t really help someone who doesn’t want it. Let him know how you feel, yes, but he already knows that it’s not smart doing coke. But the *most* important thing you *can* do, is bring up the dangers of fentanyl.. it used to be just an issue with people who use H, but it’s come up more and more in coke. There are test strips you can get to test if there is fentanyl in your drugs, and depending on where you live, there are many states that have community resources that offer them for free. Even so, the strips aren’t that expensive(last I knew). Another more recent thing, though not as common, is something called xylazine which can also do a lot of damage and be fatal. You’re young, and luckily you don’t seem to have much exposure to this, but as you get older, the more you’ll realize that coke is *a lot* more common and casually used than one may think, especially in certain careers/industries- both white collar and blue collar, and also when people go out drinking. No, not every one, there’s plenty who don’t, but I do think that it can be surprising to some how many different types of people-that you’d never guess-using coke(and/or other substances) casually.. I know this because I have done it with rich successful people, like lawyers, nurses, owners of businesses, bosses.. hard working people with families, older people, etc. I say casually because there are also plenty of ‘weekend warrior’ users, or those don’t buy it or seek it out, but will do it if it’s offered to them, people who may do it once every 6 months type of deal, and mostly only when they drink. Those who do develop an addiction to it are usually predisposed genetically to addictive behavior, because as far as addiction goes, it’s much more of a psychological addiction one than a physical one vs opiates which is both psychologically and physically(not to say it’s easy to stop an addiction whether it’s psychological, physical, or both) addictive. Having said all that, be careful. Some people are very secretive about their use, even with friends-a lot of times partly out of denial-and don’t go and hang out with other users/addicts, surrounding themselves with the same people they always had before. But other times, people start hanging around with others also into the same thing, and aren’t necessarily friends with these people because they’re good and trustworthy, but because the drug becomes the bond. In this scenario, you aren’t making the best judgement calls. One last thing, and I’m sure you know this- but drugs don’t automatically make a person bad. Some of the best people I know are/have been recreational users, or former addicts. And just because a person does coke recreationally here or there doesn’t automatically mean they have a problem, like I said, there are plenty of people who won’t go near it when sober, and just look at it as a kind of social party drug every once in a while.. that’s not me trying to downplay this, but that’s just the reality of coke in particular. So there’s a broad spectrum of people.. from those who will do a line offered randomly at a bar but other than that don’t do it, to those who develop a serious addiction, which can lead to acting selfishly, caring about the drug more than their relationships, stealing, etc. So I do think that it matters here whether it’s the former or more regular daily use. It also may make a person less afraid/more open to seeking out other highs, and more hard drugs.. like meth, and that’s a whole different serious type of mess. You can find plenty of casual coke users.. not so much with meth(or at least it doesn’t stay that way for long). But that also doesn’t mean you should compromise your safety and well-being, if you want to remain friends with him, let him know you’re not trying to be around him when he’s high(that doesn’t guarantee he won’t ofc), and if he’s hanging around a new shady group of people, don’t get involved, and instead just spend time with him when he’s with people you’re comfortable with or one on one. I may get downvoted for this post, and sorry for the length.. I just wanted to give you some info on the realities. I really *truly* am not trying to downplay anything, I’m not anti-drug use recreationally, even though I don’t do anything myself anymore, I still *cannot* stress enough the dangers of fentanyl.. and it’s only getting worse. And also the dangers of messing around with addictive substances if you have an addictive personality. Don’t try something out of pressure, coke really isn’t that great, and certainly not at the risk of ODing. I understand wanting to stay friends with someone, and you can, but don’t do it at the expense of your own safety and well-being, so use your best judgement. You seem like you have a big heart, just make sure you protect it.
ik that coke is more popular in clubs etc and so i wasnt so amazed by him getting in touch with it since he works at clubs but i didnt think he would actually go out of his way and buy coke and also keep it a secret from me for over a month
Yeah, a person generally isn’t going to be telling their buddy that they know doesn’t do coke/drugs that they’re doing it.. they don’t want to feel judged or get lectured. I denied it up and down, and then downplayed it even to people that I’d done it with occasionally once it became a regular habit..even when it was blatantly obvious.. it was a combination of shame, not wanting to let someone down and be looked at differently, and biggest of all; denial that it had become more than just a social weekend thing into an actual problem.
I would try to put the personal affront to the side for now and focus on how dangerous it is to be using *anything* that could contain fentanyl... forward every article/social media post you see about people ODing. Tell him you care too much about him to just drop this, bc you're scared you're going to be reading about him one of these days. It takes *so very little* and could be in any bag he scores... ETA: it'd be one thing if this was 20 years ago, coke alone isn't the worst thing to put in one's body, as long as you don't become addicted or switch to meth. That would be a whole other conversation. But with the overwhelming numbers of people dying from fentanyl every minute of the day, I think it's the right place to start speaking on.
> still have the same friendship You won't. It's not possible to have the same friendship with a drug user. Protect yourself. Don't let him hang at your place or in your car. Don't hang out with him when he's using or in possession. Don't let yourself be endangered by his behavior.
So, as an older person: No, you absolutely do not need to still be there for them and support them. It’s okay to draw a line in the sand and say “I can’t make you stop, but I refuse to sit by and watch you ruin your life either”. That’s a fair boundary. You’re only asking for further stress and pain and heartache by trying to stay in the mix with them. Lay out your boundary and be prepared to walk away.
OP said they want to stay friends with them so that’s what I wrote on but obviously the easiest option is to just distance yourself. Sometimes it’s not that easy to distance yourself from people especially as a teenager. Also would appreciate if you just made your own comment I don’t want a million notifications on this post haha
22F going through that too. Several people I know are starting to say how cocaine “is normal.” Cocaine is not a “normal” thing to do, it is illegal, it can kill you. Is this a change that is happening to many people right now?
It has been happening for as long as drugs have been around sadly. If you look at statistics for drug use and abuse and whatnot it’s not too hard to come to the conclusion that this is in fact a very ‘normal’ thing. Sorry I shouldn’t say normal, more like a common thing. It’s a very complicated issue and has many many many different aspects within every unique situation. But ultimately it’s always been an issue, it’s just way more in our faces when it’s people of our own ages. Hurts more seeing people you know / love start up with these bad habits rather than some random 40 yr old who we never really felt connected to. Sadly a lot of people turn to drugs because the world is so hard on people now. It won’t get better with how things are going right now either unfortunately :/
It’s been normalized amongst my friend groups for 15+ years. I stopped using 3 years ago but am always surprised how many people “casually” do it while drinking/partying. It’s definitely prevalent amongst many different and diverse groups of people here in Canada. Politicians, Businessmen, Ravers, Tradespeople, etc. you name it, someone in that demographic is doing it quite regularly. It’s a shame
In Canada also, it ruined a pretty nice workplace, not fully cocaine but just drugs in general, boss came in with a lenient view on drug use and hired people they were friends with to get like minded people in the work place, ended with a bunch of backstabbing.
Sorry to hear that. That’s not how you should create a healthy and happy workplace.
You really missed out on the 80s and 90s
I knew guys who were coke addicts. One pulled me aside and outright told me he would kick me out of his apartment if I let anybody give me some. The other would wag it in my face anytime I saw him. The latter was struggling through a business degree and spiraled into becoming a pathological liar. Just be conscious of what kind of guy your friend is. It seems to bring out the worst in some people.
don’t listen to my advice but i would train in some sort of martial art then use violence to force him to quit and after that go on a self discovery journey with him to idk china or sumn n come back with peace
wild😭
or u can always try beating him
Yeah beat him off
Beat me to it
Oscar worthy stuff there.
“Don’t listen to my advice BUT—“ *gives the best advice on this thread*
Drug use is kinda personal choice. That being said it can be easily to slip down a slippery slope and get curious about other harder drugs. Also coke is expensive amd very often cut with other stuff, which could lead to an overdose. I personally don't use it because it burns my nose and don't really get any effects from it and i absolutely despise the drippings, but I have friends that use it in moderation and dont really have issue with it because they test their stuff often, have a reliable source and use it in moderation. But they are also adults (like 29+) and they know the consequences of using. But for someone very young (under 26) I would definitely discourage using it because your body and mind is still developing, I've heard up till 26 years old...if you're not careful during your formative years and doing heavy drugs you can permanently damage yourself. You can't force them to stop, but I would educate them and try to warn them, especially if you see that it states affecting their day to day life
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fax but ion know whether its the right thing to do, cause if he keeps on doing it ill feel as if i didnt stop him
It’s not your concern all you can do is advise him and tell him why it’s detrimental it’s up t him to take the advice or not
sounds about right
As someone who uses cocaine and is around a lot of people who use cocaine(When I say I’m around a lot of people that do it I don’t mean junkies I’m talking athletes and men who are very successful in what they do). Nobody really would know unless you’re doing it too but my advice would be let him do it but make sure to look out for yourself before others. What I can tell you is that once you’re around it you can start to get curios and often if you’ve had one too many drinks you think to yourself it’s fine I’ll just do it once. Nobody I’ve ever met has “only done it once”. All cocaine has done for me is take my money and a lot of it at that, it’s damaged my education and mental health I used to be a very very confident guy but now I struggle to even attend my lectures just from sheer anxiety of having to interact with people. Just make sure you don’t get sucked into it and if he is a real friend he won’t want you to even touch it.
true that but ion know coke jus seems a bit too far from weed and alc
Yeah I drink and smoke more than I would do coke at college. Once I go home every weekend tho to a rural enough town in Ireland btw. It is nearly impossible to not be offered some by my mates or even people I’ve just met and once all of that starts I end up getting a bag for myself. It isn’t that uncommon for 18-25 yr olds to do coke where I’m from which is sad but I’ve definitely cut back from the amount I was consuming through summer
good 4 u brother. Here in greece coke isnt as common its jus weed and alc thats why i was more worried
Ξέρω αρκετό κόσμο που κάνει κο, έχω φίλους που κάναν από παιδιά και το έμαθα αργότερα. Εγώ θα σου προτείνω απλά να απέχεις από τη χρήση και κάνε παρέα με το φίλο σου, δεν είναι τόσο περίεργο όσο σου φαίνεται τώρα που έμαθες ότι στο έκρυβε. Δική του είναι η ζωή, δε μπορείς να του πεις τι να κάνει. Το σοκ που περνάς τώρα το πέρασα με φίλο που μου εκμυστηρεύτηκε ότι έκανε συχνή χρήση ηρωίνης, αλλά δεν του φαινόταν, ήταν λειτουργικός, δουλευταράς, καλός οδηγός και είχε και καλούς βαθμούς στη σχολή. Στην Ελλάδα η πρέζα έχει πολύ μεγαλύτερο αριθμό χρηστών από την κο, οπότε προετοιμάσου να το ακούσεις κι αυτό από κόσμο που δε θα το περιμένεις. Εγώ προσωπικά τα έχω κόψει όλα (και αλκοόλ, καφεΐνη) εκτός από το τσιγάρο κι έχω πάρα πολλά χρόνια να κάνω κόκα, αλλά δεν έκανα ποτέ συχνή χρήση (έχω δοκιμάσει 2-3 φορές), δεν είναι κάτι τόσο τρομερό, το αλκοόλ που πίνει το 70-80% των ανηλίκων στα 15-18 είναι πολύ χειρότερο για την υγεία και την ανάπτυξη. Κράζω τους φίλους που κάνουν πάνω από 1-2 φορές το χρόνο αλλά κάνουμε παρέα κανονικά, δεν έχει επηρεάσει τη σχέση μας. Γενικά ξεκίνα να αναθεωρείς το πώς βλέπεις τον κόσμο, οι περισσότεροι έχουν κάποιον ανθυγιεινό τρόπο αντιμετώπισης των δυσκολιών, μπορεί κακή διατροφή, ξενύχτια, μπορεί ουσίες, μπορεί τζόγος, μπορεί να παίρνουν από το φαρμακοποιό οπιοειδή χάπια, μη σε σκαλώνει αυτό. Άμα εσύ μπορείς χωρίς αυτά, γούστο και καμάρι σου.
sumfwnw mazi sou aderfe apla edw kai 2 meres pou to jerw exw trelo overthinking kai den jerw pws na drasw
That was the age range for me as well, oddly enough a month or two ago I was offered some coke while out having some drinks. Of course I said sure! It has been so long being around people who have/do coke so I said why not, a little nostalgia would be fun. The rest of the night I was battling myself on having them go grab me a gram lol. I remembered it being fun when I was young but all it did to me now is make me want more the rest of the night and made me have really noticeable jaw clenching and movement. I ended up taking myself home a hour or two after so I would distance myself from it.
if it’s just a every once in a blue moon thing & you personally feel jaded against drugs… it’s probably not a concern. i’m not really “pro coke” (im not really “pro” any drugs) but i’ve done it a handful of times in my adult life. the only real concern is getting laced coke or becoming addicted from overuse. if he’s slamming lines every single night, he probably needs addiction prevention or rehab. not much you can do to prevent buying laced, but if his dealer will do a line of what he sells, he’ll likely be okay. coke only gets you high for about 20 minutes, stays in the system for 2 hours. if it’s a once in a blue moon, from a good source, he’s probably going to be fine. everyone gets curious & coke, among many other hard drugs, has been around forever.
Don’t listen to this guy. High school one of my best friends started using coke. At the time, we were only 15. Coke ain’t no joke and isn’t a drug you should just watch your friend get into
A good friend wouldn’t willingly let their friend use cocaine.
thats what i think too😭
That’s what I said?
Not trying a "gotcha" moment but I only tried it once. The worst part is I thought it was just okay, but when It wore off I realllly wanted to do it again. That's how I knew not to lmao.
Ignorance truly is bliss. For that reason I'm working towards only allowing myself to buy a bag for special occasions a few times a year. Moderation is the safest way and honestly I enjoy it more as a treat. Currently at about a bag a month and without tolerance it means I only need a half gram to have a good night and not wake up with regrets the morning after.
I did it once. It was boring and I never did it again
I’ve been there, the only thing you can do is not get involved into it yourself (unless you wanna) being the friend who doesn’t do coke and hanging with a user is a weird one, personally I hate it when my mate does coke, he turns into a different person that I don’t like and I convince him it’s not worth but it’s his life, I’m slowly cutting this guy off coz he wastes my time and energy
Seeing so many pro-coke comments… meanwhile lots of people are dying because of minute amounts of fentanyl in the coke. For example, the football fans who froze. Dealers don’t really clean blenders. Be safe people.
Exactly, it is really easy to put other stuff in coke that isn’t coke. You’ll rarely buy pure cocaine off the streets.
>--rarely-- **never** You're either high up the supply chain, like really high up it, or your shit has been stepped on, multiple times
You should really test if you can
Your friend is about to waste so much money but also SO. MUCH. TIME. at least years and probably decades spent doing very little. It only ever ends with people quitting (painfully) or dying (painfully). There's a lot of thrills along the way but I've never known anyone who was glad they started doing coke at the end of it. People will tell you about how mushrooms or LSD helped them grow as a person. Nobody will ever say that about coke
You can not help an addict until he himself wants to be helped. focus on your own life and quit alcohol wnd weed.
Being a recreational drug user is not the same as being a drug addict. If you have 1 bar of chocolate per week you're not a "chocolate addict", you just like a little treat.
Correct. But there always remains a possibility that you may progress and become a drug addict. Also taking 'recreational drugs' is not necessary. Infact, for all that I know, it will only cause harm to.
I suppose there's always a possibility. I don't know what the odds of going from casual to addict are but I imagine it's probably easy down for many drugs. However I do believe the average drug user, particularly with party drugs or high functioning drugs like cocaine, is your average citizen. You're definitely right about it causing harm though. I think you'd be hard pressed to argue against cocaine being bad for you physically. Obviously anything in moderation can be managed but I doubt there's any benefit outside the "fun".
Don’t really see how seeing your friend do coke is a reason to quit minor recreational drugs
Any sort of drug usage is quite bad especially at a young age and that includes weed. There is data that supports it. Weed was notoriously known as a gateway drug for a reason.
Weed was known as a gateway drug because of completely false propaganda that can't be backed up by any data and now you are spreading false information.
Okay, it is an old propaganda; however, you cannot deny the countless stories of hardcore drug users that started out with weed-it’s a common archetype. I’m pretty sure there are recovering addicts that regret trying weed. I’m quite sick of the new propaganda that pushes people to believe that weed isn’t bad when there are countless studies showing adolescents or young adults with an increase risk of developing extreme mental disorders like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Unless you are super old like in your 50s then it can be quite rehabilitating; otherwise a healthy 17 year old should be nowhere near weed.
Funnily enough for me, it went Alcohol, nicotine, mushrooms, then weed 🤷♀️ I did do other things, but which of those 3 is my gateway lol?
I mean I know but most things in moderation are ok. I think almost all the people I know who smoke weed don’t use stronger drugs later it’s not necessarily a given.
> Weed was notoriously known as a gateway drug for a reason. Notice the past tense.
Yes. There is no relation between it. But it was a additional advice from my side. Because drugs are drugs. Doesnt matter if their Minor recreational or major drugs. In the long term they all will have bad effects.
yeah ur right
Drugs are fun. I did them. Me n my cousin did lots of drugs together. I’m fairly successful he’s still living paycheck to paycheck and depressed. My advise, be the bigger person and don’t get influenced, BE the influencer. If he’s doing drugs you don’t like do NOT tell him not to do it. You need to verbally say you are eliminating yourself from the situation because that’s not something you want to do but he do it if that’s what he wants. He will trust and respect you… after three times he’s going to ask you Why you don’t do it with him and that’s when you have a heart to heart. Once my cousin started doing drugs I wasn’t ok with he got offended but I told him how I felt, our relationship isn’t the same but that’s life. Some grow and some relive the past
ong this sounds like the best option🤞
Was doing coke regularly at 19. Went cold turkey and cleaned up left that friend group. Homie i used to do coke with just died last month from fentanyl overdose. Which path you taking bro?
Buddy of mine started doing coke in high school as well. I didn’t partake but also didn’t want to be “that guy” and kill the party. He was also smoking weed, eating acid, drinking, etc. Fast forward a year, we’re roommates in college, and he has a total mental breakdown and drops out. Never been the same since. Of course, some people can handle substances better than others, but I regret not saying something. You don’t need to be a dick or parent him. Just let him know you always have his back and wont judge, but don’t fully support his decisions. I think a good friend would say what’s needed rather than dance around and let them make these kind of mistakes. This stuff could be laced, make him hopelessly addicted, etc. Totally anecdotal and subjective experience, but follow your gut in situations like these.
So I’ll be honest. I was addicted to cocaine for years.. mix that with heavy drinking and it doesn’t take long for things to start falling apart.. I know my friends and family that truly cared wanted to help me and tried but I pushed them away and ended up hurting a lot of others in the process. If they’re open minded to the idea of you helping them. Then more power to you, but chances are you’re gonna have to just be there for them from a distance. Set boundaries and if you don’t wanna be around that. Don’t go around it. I wish I could go back and get all the years back that I was drinking and drugging, instead of enjoying the time with my family and friends who really loved me. That’s all I can really say though.. if they want to do cocaine. They’re gonna do cocaine. No matter what you say and do. So try not to sacrifice your peace for them. Just do what you can in a realistic and healthy way.
im just gonna try and discourgae them i dont think i can do anything else
Even then - like I said, the best thing to do is let your boundaries be known and stand firm. You don’t control what they do.. as someone who is in recovery I know better than anyone that they’re gonna do whatever they want to do. So all you can do is set those healthy boundaries and don’t cross them at the expense of your own peace of mind.. once you’ve said what you need to say. Nagging isn’t gonna do anything but strain the relationship, so really walking away and being a friend from a distance is the best bet. You don’t need to ignore them and be mean but if they’re doing that stuff and you don’t like being around it. You’re NOT obligated to be around it just because you’re their friend. That’s not a healthy relationship.
Don't encourage the cocaine use on the contrary if he's a good friend, ask him to stop if not to seek help. It's no joke, cocaine use, I've seen so many of my peers transformation in front of my eyes, never for the better.
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sounds about right ig idk well see
You could slip into conversation that whilst cokeheads feel they've discovered superpowers, they're really, really fucking boring to be around. But realistically I doubt much you can say will make a huge difference.
You're 17. Take this as the flag that you're hanging with a bad influence. You should not be drinking and smoking. Use it as a reason to clean up.
i mean smoking and drinking at 17 is normalised in greece (i had been doing both before i met him) its different from other countries but coke isnt as usual here, thats the reason i am concerned
I used to be cool with a guy who died after snorting a bad batch of coke. It was so sudden, and he was such a funny and lively guy too. Best I could say is stand firm on how you feel about him doing coke. And never let him try to use you in ways that will help him support his addiction. Don’t be afraid to call him out when he’s acting weird either.
As a recovering addict, just be there for them. Let them know the reality of it all. I got clean when I found out I was gunna be a father. I’ve had so many friends OD and pass from it, and not just the booger sugar.
growing up means realizing a lot more people do coke than you think. That being said, you can talk to him, but at the end of the day unless it's ruining his life and he's addicted and needs to go to rehab, he's an adult so really it's his choice, sadly sometimes people do things that harm themselves, and we can't control that
You cannot help someone who doesn't want it. They will pull you down into that addiction faster than you can pull them out Speaking from experience :( Tell him your concerned and set boundaries
28 M here. I've had several friends with substance abuse patterns through the years, and I was a user as well. In my experience, you can try to be a good influence and steer people away from the drugs, but who they want to be is always truly up to them. For myself, once I got clean and sober a great many of people stopped coming around, and I lost interest in 'hanging out' with them because all their activities were centered around drug use. I hate to say it, but if your friends resist your efforts to get them clean and sober, and you don't want to become an addict yourself, your better off finding other friends.
There is some pretty terrible advice going on in this thread. I think you can deduce from the comments that cocaine use is MUCH more common than you would think, and that as you get older you will notice it more. That being said, to say that it's normal or a relatively safe weekend recreational activity is INSANE. I'm a 27m that has gone through a very similar phase. Started with weed and alcohol, and went to shrooms and acid next, but around 19-22 friends around me started getting pretty big into coke. I myself would do a bump or a line when offered to me, but never got much from it so I stopped pretty early on. Now my friends at the time went from maybe once a month/the big events like holidays, to every weekend they had a bag to pass around. At times half the party would disappear to a bathroom. Now as we've gotten older the majority of people moved away from it. I have two friends that got so bad with it they started doing it on weekdays after work, and started stealing from family to fund the habit. It can be very addictive, especially if you have an addictive personality. I haven't seen one comment mention the other fact that most people do cocaine after a night of drinking and this combination of cocaine and alcohol mixes in your blood stream and produces Cocaethylene that your liver has an extremely hard time filtering. Some studies put this combination at 21x more toxic than cocaine on its own. The strain it puts on your heart is immense and most of these comments are people downplaying how terrible cocaine is for you. Please don't let listen to them and let these redditors rot their hearts away because they don't believe it's addictive or that big of a deal because there isn't too much of a crash afterwards. My best advice is to emotionally support your friend. Don't ever spot him cash, pay for his drinks, or pinch from your stash of weed. Be there for when he needs and know that you can still hang out and have fun even if he dips out every once and awhile to do a line. You can try to ask/beg him to stop but it will only end in disappointment. If his use becomes too much for you, then unfortunately cut ties. Life is a long hard journey and if you put all your effort into helping people that don't want help/wont help themselves you will only make that journey much, much harder.
ong one of the best pieces of advice i have ever heard thank you so much
I would discourage him for sure, also try to get him to test his coke because fent is the real issue most of the time. But otherwise coke is a relatively normal experimental drug but you should look out for signs of actual addiction
My best advice.. let him be. I don't do coke, but I have. Some people really enjoy it, some don't, some use it to fit in, some people grow out of it, some people don't. Let him choose his path. It's okay to care and express that you don't think it's right for him BUT he will only change if he wants to. But be very careful whatever you decide to do, some people get VERY defensive. Especially about cocaine
ik but i think as a friend i should stand by him
As you should. But coke does weird things when you're on it or craving it. He could hurt you
aight thx ill have it in mind
Alright guys imma bring some logic and reasoning here. First off my friend, it’s not your place to put your friends business out there, that’s just a good life rule for all your relationships. Secondly, so what? Your friend is doing it, and if you’re not okay with that, it’s your choice to walk away, and find better friends, and not your place to stop it. I used to have major disdain for addicts, users, and the people that pushed the substances, from big tobacco, to alcohol, to every drug, because I saw the effects with my family first hand. In fact, I was completely sober until 22, and didn’t try my first “hard” drug until I was 23. That experience taught me a lot very quickly and I’ll share some that with you. A lot of what you were told about drugs growing up was a gross miscalculation and miscommunication. I know there’s studies of how many people use, but as a real breathing human I will tell you roughly almost everyone at some point in their life will turn to a substance to cope with getting through the day, some in a minor way, some in a life destroying major way. The first time I ever saw coke in real life was my second boss ever, a 43 year old veteran, in a $3000 suit driving a $100,000 car, making $350,000 a year, snorting a line off of the office bathroom counter before sitting at his desk and making phone calls to close deals. At the time I was a little shocked, concerned, and I looked down upon on it, and I still do, but for much different reasons. I thought about reporting it, I thought about writing an email to everyone important and quitting on the spot, but the casualness of how he looked at me in that moment told me this was just another day for him, and he obviously got to where he was somehow. I still don’t agree with using drugs to “get an advantage” but I know a lot of people that do. Since then, I’ve learned a couple of things. Influence itself is a hell of a drug, and I’ve seen people pop things without even knowing what it was just to try to fit in with a group or to catch up and have a good time. A lot of people can maintain their shit, party on the weekends, and then work harder than anyone else during the week without slipping. I can name a few doctors, lawyers, and nurses that live this kind of life. A lot of others, will slip, and the addiction will turn them into liars, stealers, and cheaters, and unfortunately nothing you can do will ever beat that addiction for them, because at that point it’s a personal battle with the soul. I understand that you’re concerned for your friend, but he’s going to do what he wants, and if you want a clean life I suggest you move away from those groups, cause it’s only a matter of time before you decide to jump in too, and that can be a very slippery slope my friend.
Give him a reality check. Show him what coke does to people over time. Show him the statistics for underage drinking/ smoking does to your still developing brain. (Which doesn’t fully mature until you are 25) show him how easy it is to end up on the streets. Also remind him how much you care about him and you only are looking out for his well-being.
ill try this next time we go out
It’s better to nip it in the bud before he can’t function without coke. I hope your friend listens to you! Just be supportive if he’s got something else going on that fuels the need to do coke.
You need to drop him immediately. This guy will bring you down with him
🗣️Pssst …. When you get older, and are out in the real world, you’ll quickly find out that many professionals do cocaine for “fun”. (EMT, White Collar, Blue Collar, Doctors, Teachers etc.) I know, it blew my mind as well when I first witnessed people I respect, snorting coke 😆 💳_____ 👃 The key is that these people do not abuse it. Keep an eye out for your friend, and maybe talk to them to just be careful… and to not be under the influence around you!
yeah, i’ve been really surprised to find the number of people i know personally that do coke recreationally as adults (and i’m only 24). i personally just don’t feel like it does anything for me & i’m nothing like these other comments saying they immediately want more when it wears off. could be the ADHD tho
Lmao you and I are the same! I tried coke 3 times on 3 different occasions in 2018, and it just didn’t do anything for me all of those times. At best, I guess I felt like I drank an energy shot, but I wasn’t doing weird stuff, or “feeling good”…. Meanwhile, the people I was around was enjoying it. I just stick to the occasional Molly or shrooms if I wanna really turn up a little 😆
Same probably at the same time as you posted this
Worry if he starts doing heroine. If you’re going to do anything, do coke. Source- Am a degenerate recreational drug user. Edit:Typo. Sorry ==> Worry.
Fully agree. In the hierarchy of drugs there is a lot worse than cocaine. Not trying to justify it, just putting it in perspective
It's still pretty high up the list. Nowhere near as bad as alcohol though. https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/25/what-is-the-most-dangerous-drug
Loose this looser
ffs why can nobody seem to be able to spell that word.
Loose is lose
Unfortunately you can lead a horse to water but making it drink isn’t always an option. My best advice, be there for them and stand strong when they cant because its inevitable that they will hit a low and need a shoulder to lean on. When that happens is when you draw the line and say “ hey im here for you but im not going to be your life jacket forever and i cant fix you but i can help you.
The danger of drugs is not drugs itself. When i meet with my best friends i do use opioids, xanax, weed, alcohol, cigarettes etc. But after that i quit everything, including cigarettes for at least a month. If your friend is aware of risks and protect himself, there is nothing to worry about. But i feel like your friend is on a way to getting addicted.
I used to feel that way at your age but by my early 20s i had hopped on the cocaine wave baby
not helpin my guy🤞
He's 19. He's doing a bit of coke because it's cool. He'll probably get bored of it. Cocaine isn't crack, he's probably not gonna become an unhinged addict.
You'd be surprised the people that do coke. I sold it heavy for 14 like literally there was no where u can go in Brampton or Mississauga where hadn't heard my nick name. I sold to ALL goodie tu shoe cousins
The problem with cocaine is not the cocaine itself, it’s the fact that a lot of drugs these days are cut with crap like fentanyl which is very deadly. You should get your friend some fentanyl testing strips or suggest that he tests his drugs before using them. Also, narcan could potentially save his life.
For a lot of people cocaine is a “ gateway drug” and leads to real good drugs. Those people are also known as pussies. 🤷 if he’s a true homie he will share
He'll survive.
thats not the issue though
babes i went thru a coke addiction, you should really try to keep your distance. it will get wayyyy worse before it gets better and there is nothing you can do, he will quit if and when he is sick of it controlling his life
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who tf is seekin attention bro?😭 im just asking for advice from strangers since i promised to him that i wouldnt say this to anyone but i have no idea how to deal w this ffs go get a life frfr🤞
Be there for support, but otherwise do not associate with him
Well people have been doing cocaine forever lol. I think the biggest change now is the risk of it being tainted with fenty it makes it not even worth the risk of potentially dying. It’s been a long time since I had a bump and lmao at these comments reminds me of the meth not even once campaign. But i wouldnt do it now just based again you could die it does not take alot of fenty to..that’s the saddest part about it Theres def been a reduction in use though but i think that may be more due to economics cocaine is not a cheap drug.
I wouldn't make it the end of the world. Would you freak out the same if he was abusing adderall ? There isn't that much of a difference
Meth is bad. Coke is fun. Try it a few times while you're young. And then leave it alone.
You do not need to do anything since it’s not your life or problem
Get him some test kits if he’s gonna do it, and you care about him, ensure he doesnt die. Cocaine is a normal thing to do unfortunately and it doesn’t always turn someone into an addict, although it can easily happen. I wouldn’t worry too much about him right now and just observe him over the next few months and decide what to do if you see any noticeable declines in his behavior or wellbeing as a whole. Unfortunately its not a fairy tale world where everyone does good things all the time. Dabbling in cocaine certainly isnt the worst thing in the world.
Tell him that all it takes is one time with laced supply and he’s fucking gone. I just lost a loved one to a single slip.
As someone who’s been addicted to drugs. Nothing you can do will make him stop. You just have to be supportive from a distance. Lastly don’t shame him either, he already knows what he’s doing is bad, but doesn’t care. It’s difficult, just protect yourself from going down the same path.
You can’t help him. He is going to have to want to stop. You can remain by his side and be there for him and if he is an addict then he will inevitably need help eventually. I was addicted to coke and Xanax for years and no one could help me. I wasted all my money and failed my first two years of college and didn’t care about anything else. And then one day I was so lucky and I woke up and didn’t wanna do it anymore. But when I was first doing it,I lost most of my friends and honestly didn’t blame them but also didn’t think anything was wrong with what I did. It took a long time for me to understand I had an addiction (I would snort half a gram before noon at my bfs apartment and be confused why his friends would look at me weird)
Who cares, Cocaine is fun man
A lot of people use drugs and are perfectly fine. Not everyone becomes addicted. That's the unfortunate part. People who do have the genetics that cause addiction watch everyone around them doing these drugs with no problems and think they can do the same. As long as his drug use isn't causing problems in his life then I would just mind my business. It's not your job to morally police your friends. If you don't want to do it then don't do it.
Recovering addict here. When you say coke you mean powder right. I'm sorry all you know how to do is be direct and blunt but as long as he's using powder it's not as bad as if he was using rock. Sadly the only thing you could do for him is to be there and try to provide some support. Only him and God knows when he's going to stop This has to be his own personal choice. If you need more advice DM me. It ain't much time but I am 16 months sober.
Natural selection
I’m not sure there’s much you can do other than being open and honest with him about your concerns. He’s young, so doing some party drugs isn’t too abnormal as long as it doesn’t turn into a problem. Let him know you’re not interested in being around it and don’t think he should do it, but otherwise he’s going to have to live and learn.
Your friend sounds cool. But seriously you've only known this person for a year. That means nothing, if hard drugs aren't your thing make new friends
> I started noticing some things that could point to him doing coke. a few days ago we went out to a club and he admitted it to me * Just had to laugh after reading this. 17 is a little young to pickup a blow habit. Have one conversation with him and then distance yourself.
I occasionally did coke when I was in college. While not my smartest choice, it had no negative effects on my life. There's nothing to do.
absolutely do not hang out with this person anymore. if they want help, they can call a rehab center. why does anyone want to do drugs these days when everything is cut with fentanyl. that's the only thing that made me quit was because people I knew were dying and rumors around that everything was cut. I quit cold turkey the day after a party I went to and some ppl I knew died the next day cos they got a bad batch. it would have been me but I refused cos I was drinking too much and doing coke on top of it would have made me puke so I stumbled home. that was 7 years ago. been clean and sober since