Are you prejudiced against drug users?

Are drug users bad people?

Yes, always.	12.5%	[ 6 ]
No, it doens't change whether someone is 'bad' or 'good'.	58.3%	[ 28 ]
Only certain drugs make you a bad person.	16.7%	[ 8 ]
Don't know don't care, here for the poll.	12.5%	[ 6 ]
Total Votes:			[ 48 ]

[Opidreams]

This is something I'm interested in finding out a bit more about. I wanna know how the general public percieves drug users. I get that in school, we're often taught that drugs are 'bad' and drug users are 'bad' people - ie. encouraged to be prejudiced against a specific group of people (seems odd, and goes against the teaching and general belief that unfounded prejudice against a group is a poor, discrimanatory attitude to take).

So yeah I wanna ask the general gaia-using public how you guys would judge someone if you found out that they were a drug user. Would your judgement change based on which substance they used? If so, how? If this person was a stranger, would you automatically think of them as someone you wouldn't want to get to know? Would you view them as a troublemaker or assume that they are a criminal (for the purposes of this, I'm referring to crime other than the use of illegal drugs)? How would you react if you found out a close friend or a family member was using drugs? Would your views on them change? Would you lose trust in them, and for what reason(s)? If you're a user yourself - I'm assuming this would massively impact on how you would answer these questions, so if you feel comfortable, do tell me if this is the case when you reply and answer. Also, your age and background/country may also add a bit of helpful insight.

You don't have to answer all those questions; I just put them there as potential discussion starters, as I find this topic pretty interesting and would like to see and understand a range of views that people have on it. This isn't for any formal study or project; just a topic of interest of mine.

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies! smile

[this rainbow lover]

I know a lot of drug users. And I don't judge all of them; if I did, I would probably have disowned 70% of my family by now.

I really only judge addicts/cig smokers. Cigarette related cancer killed three of my grandparents, and I don't like seeing people smoke knowing that they could and probably will have the same fate. And, well, addicts need help, but they can also be abusive and such.

[Opidreams]

this rainbow lover

I know a lot of drug users. And I don't judge all of them; if I did, I would probably have disowned 70% of my family by now.

I really only judge addicts/cig smokers. Cigarette related cancer killed three of my grandparents, and I don't like seeing people smoke knowing that they could and probably will have the same fate. And, well, addicts need help, but they can also be abusive and such.

Fair enough. But not all addicts want what you consider 'help'. They may be using drugs in order to 'help' themselves ie self-medicate against all sorts of mental problems. I may as well admit that I'm an addict for this reason and have never committed a crime other than using drugs, which is a pretty victimless crime at that. My view is that it's the own person's choice what they take. It's nice of others to be concerned, but ultimately, forcing someone to get 'help' won't make them all too happy with you and/or make them likely to quit just because someone else wants them to. People need to find a reason within themselves to find the motivation needed to stop using these very addictive substances.

[SuperOtaku]

I don't care what they want to put in their body once they've hit a certain age. They're big kids, they can do research about the chemicals they put in their body (I certainly have, have tried marijuana and ecstasy. Curious about cocaine.)

I might get fretty if they hit addict territory, but I do not view them negatively for it. It's a bad coping habit and for some people that's all they have (cutter and cyclical ED for me, I totally get it.)

[Opidreams]

SuperOtaku

I don't care what they want to put in their body once they've hit a certain age. They're big kids, they can do research about the chemicals they put in their body (I certainly have, have tried marijuana and ecstasy. Curious about cocaine.)

I might get fretty if they hit addict territory, but I do not view them negatively for it. It's a bad coping habit and for some people that's all they have (cutter and cyclical ED for me, I totally get it.)

smile

It's clear you understand more than most people anyway. It definitely is a coping strategy, and I know it's not a great one but telling someone to just stop the only coping strategy they have isn't gonna work.

[SuperOtaku]

Opidreams

SuperOtaku

I don't care what they want to put in their body once they've hit a certain age. They're big kids, they can do research about the chemicals they put in their body (I certainly have, have tried marijuana and ecstasy. Curious about cocaine.)

I might get fretty if they hit addict territory, but I do not view them negatively for it. It's a bad coping habit and for some people that's all they have (cutter and cyclical ED for me, I totally get it.)

smile

It's clear you understand more than most people anyway. It definitely is a coping strategy, and I know it's not a great one but telling someone to just stop the only coping strategy they have isn't gonna work.

Indeed. It's not ideal but if it's what's keeping you alive, by all means. There was a The Young Turks episode the other day about this wherein one was talking about her friend from years ago who had an eating disorder, and she called her friend on it, and told a psychiatrist about how she did so. Psych told her to please not do that again, because sometimes they just aren't ready to deal with it, and having a big intervention sometimes just sends them screaming into their bad habits. And really, you can't help them until they think they're ready to try anyways.

[Opidreams]

SuperOtaku

Opidreams

SuperOtaku

I don't care what they want to put in their body once they've hit a certain age. They're big kids, they can do research about the chemicals they put in their body (I certainly have, have tried marijuana and ecstasy. Curious about cocaine.)

I might get fretty if they hit addict territory, but I do not view them negatively for it. It's a bad coping habit and for some people that's all they have (cutter and cyclical ED for me, I totally get it.)

smile

It's clear you understand more than most people anyway. It definitely is a coping strategy, and I know it's not a great one but telling someone to just stop the only coping strategy they have isn't gonna work.

Indeed. It's not ideal but if it's what's keeping you alive, by all means. There was a The Young Turks episode the other day about this wherein one was talking about her friend from years ago who had an eating disorder, and she called her friend on it, and told a psychiatrist about how she did so. Psych told her to please not do that again, because sometimes they just aren't ready to deal with it, and having a big intervention sometimes just sends them screaming into their bad habits. And really, you can't help them until they think they're ready to try anyways.

Heh. Funnily enough you mention that, seeing as I've had an eating disorder in the past, as well as having been a cutter. It's like I've never developed good coping strategies so gradually made my way through trying all the bad ones. :p As much as I'd love to change, and not have to rely on trying every unhealthy coping strategy in the book, I have no idea what else I can do.

[SuperOtaku]

Opidreams

]Heh. Funnily enough you mention that, seeing as I've had an eating disorder in the past, as well as having been a cutter. It's like I've never developed good coping strategies so gradually made my way through trying all the bad ones. :p As much as I'd love to change, and not have to rely on trying every unhealthy coping strategy in the book, I have no idea what else I can do.

Just keep on keepin' on. mrgreen

[Opidreams]

SuperOtaku

Opidreams

]Heh. Funnily enough you mention that, seeing as I've had an eating disorder in the past, as well as having been a cutter. It's like I've never developed good coping strategies so gradually made my way through trying all the bad ones. :p As much as I'd love to change, and not have to rely on trying every unhealthy coping strategy in the book, I have no idea what else I can do.

Just keep on keepin' on. mrgreen

Well duh, I am doing. Not like I want to but it's not like I've got much choice in that. It's not as easy as you'd imagine to end one's life.

[mailie me]

It really depends for me.... I judge the hell out of someone doing hard drugs. I judge them even harsher if they have kids. I know what its like to grow up with a junkie mom. I see a lot of women using meth giving up their lives and families to become whores. I judge that s**t. If you are running off to suck D to get high leaving your poor kids alone or with family that's pretty low. If you are smoking weed whatever though. I don't really even consider weed a drug. Its not going to kill you or make you addicted like the other stuff. you are not going to go out looking to whore yourself out for weed.

[NejiSakuraFan]

My opinion of this is if people do drugs(not like if they are on them for medical/MH reasons, but for recreational purposes), then that's their personal choice. If they get in trouble for it or for doing other things while under the influence, that's their problem. As far as if I found out about family or friends doing it? I would discourage them from doing it. If they ignored me? Well that's their loss. I won't be a part of it. Plain and simple.

[inkdomina]

this rainbow lover

I know a lot of drug users. And I don't judge all of them; if I did, I would probably have disowned 70% of my family by now.

I really only judge addicts/cig smokers. Cigarette related cancer killed three of my grandparents, and I don't like seeing people smoke knowing that they could and probably will have the same fate. And, well, addicts need help, but they can also be abusive and such.

❝ This summarises my own opinion suitably well. ❞

[Reiko Iwamaru]

Not really. My mom and I know some other relatives are like this but thing is, doing drugs doesn't make you a bad person. Bad choice, yes, but they're not bad people. It's more depends on how they handle things and how they handle life, and what they choose to do.

My experience with them in family:

I boycott my cousin who does weed, though. He's a nice kid and all, but he is choosing to do drugs in front of his little brother, who is, by the way, looking up to him like a role-model since he's like 5-6 years year old and he's in front of his brother who is doing weed and not caring that this is going to seriously give an impact on his little brother, and it aggravates me. I mean yeah doing weed was his own conscious choice, but still...making his little brother see this who is probably going to be impacted negatively is just...ugh. His mom (my aunt) and her husband and her brother (both my uncles) are absolutely fed up with him, too. They know this, and they're trying to get him to realize this but he just doesn't seem to care I think...

[SchizoSpazz]

I would think if I later found out someone I was friends with took drugs, I don't know if I'd be prejudice and not want to deal with them and make sure I don't have anything that can be stolen when they come over.

I think sometimes, drugs can make people do bad things (primarily lie and steal), but they themselves may not be bad. I think that stupid D.A.R.E. program blows it out of proportion, like if you ingest any cocaine, you'll shoot up a building a la Scarface. I think it's a scare tactic that backfires, because when it does eventually happen, you realize it's not that bad. If you get addicted, it's not fun, but it doesn't morph you into this horrible person.

The ones I've encountered problems with are those that abuse alcohol and prescription pills (legal things). Either they're nasty drunks or they badger me for pills (they abuse a cocktail of Lortab, Vicodin, Percocet, Morphine Patches, Ambien and Xanax). I don't get them all that often (just when I'm in serious pain, because I'm allergic to ibuprofen, and last time was after I gave birth), but if they know, they try to hit me up, because surely I don't need all of those pills, and how can I be so greedy? (I know they generally will overprescribe what you need, but since I get horrid migraines and nasty period cramps that feel like birthing contractions, I will hold onto extras for those moments so I can have a normal life). They've even told me to lie about pain so I can get a prescription and give them the pills, but I'm not going to enable them.

Maybe the conclusion is that drug users aren't inherently bad people just because they use drugs, but I'll be ok as long as you're nice to me and don't try and use me as a pawn to maintain your supply

[savagesarge]

I judge the act, not the person. Doings drugs is really stupid. Even for medicinal reasons. Pot is not a viable alternative to traditional stuff, too much side effects. ******** painkillers and benzodiazepines too. People get addicted to that because their GP is just a lazyass and doesn't want to properly explore different pharmacotherapies.