http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZIfd_UT3fQ

Disclaimer: this is NOT a troll post. If you read on, you will find that my true beliefs are quite contrary to the thread title.

Why do all these "straight edged" folks insist on pushing their values on everyone around them?

Don't see the point of getting high? Cool, don't do it. Don't like the taste of cough syrup? Good thing you don't use it to "get high" then, right? Who cares if I do it?

It "blows my mind" that some people find crocs to be fashionable but do I go and try to create social stigma around said activity? And now we see horse teeth here trying to demonize a group of people who indulge in "socially unacceptable activities" like taking drugs to feel good because she doesn't "get it".

It's bullshit. I, for one, don't "get" why it's acceptable to believe in fairy tales and go about your life being guided by said fairy tales. I'm talking about religion, if you haven't noticed. We let that get in the way of important medical treatment and research, for instance. Some people take it to still higher levels.

At the risk of morphing into the image of my own adversaries, I'd like to extend the question of where their logic comes from, that "getting high" is completely insane and controls your life, yet religious zeal is perfectly normal and is to be encouraged, at least according to some people.

Use of recreational drugs, in some ways, brings us closer to reality by letting us see the world in different ways and letting us manipulate our perception like one would adjust the brightness/contrast on their computer monitor. They, I feel, make us more aware of our humanity. Of our bodies, and of our minds and how they work.

Religious beliefs, however, at many times requires its followers to drape a shroud over their eyes. To unsee what is apparent. To ignore facts. To think inside of the scope of a religion.

I hate to completely discredit myself when I quote Karl Marx in saying that religion is the true opiate of the masses. More potent than opium itself, even.

ITT: Let's have a serious philosophical discussion on why it's wrong to use drugs.

There's nothing wrong about using drugs.
But i'm sure all of us here are gona agree that using heroin isn't a really good thing to do.

In general, id probably agree with that statement, but what about the velvet underground, the stones, miles davis, sublime and countless other who have used heroin as inspiration and pushed the boundaries of fine art? Thats only taking music into consideration.
The creativity found by looking at life and other subjects through completely different numb, blissful, and all encompassing perspectives could definitely be considered positive. Granted it took many of them before they should have gone, but its somethin to think about.

I disagree...

If you can use it responsibly (very few people can), then go ahead and enjoy yourself.

EDIT: Girl the the video shouldn't be talking about the subject until she's tried it.

I disagree...

If you can use it responsibly (very few people can), then go ahead and enjoy yourself.

lrn2drugs

lrn2drugs

If you just shoot up once and never do it again then there isn't really a problem

I plan on doing it just once and never again.....or maybe limit it to once a year or something.

You want to know why drugs are wrong? I'll tell you.

First, we have to start by defining right and wrong. A philosopher will tell you that that's objectively impossible, which is why axiology is an age-old field of inquiry.

I would reply, that they were stupid and small-minded.

The closest we can get to defining right and wrong objectively is by looking at the roots of what makes someone say "that's wrong," or "because it's the right thing to do."

These things are generally said when it comes to decisions that either hurt or help others. Alternatively, it could be things that hurt or help a society. For instance, lining in a strictly regulated society, an individual's version of right and wrong might revolve not around the greatest benefit or damage to others but to the society as a whole.

So, I reach the conclusion that right is things that help people or society and wrong is things that hurt people or society.

Now, we get to drugs.

Drugs in medicinal use have been one of the greatest developments of human civilization. With medicine, we can stave off sickness, suffering, and death. Pure good.

Recreation, on the other hand, is much murkier. Addiction, violence, and death. These are the things that people think of when they think of drugs. Pure bad.

The question here is whether these ideas about recreational drug use are correct. Drug use is highly correlated with addiction, violence, and death. This is fact.

In my own experience, almost everyone I know who does drugs (~100 people) (most of them just smoke bud and drink on occasion) haven't gone anywhere. Most of them graduated high school, and with mediocre grades and test scores, went to mediocre colleges. Some of them dropped out. Some of them are currently doing time. None have died for more than a few minutes, but like I said before, most just smoke and drink. Only one of them has done well in HS (straight A's and a 34 on the ACT), but almost didn't get into college due to a series of drug arrests senior year.

What does this mean? Though drug use isn't exclusively wrong, it is generally so. Well this post is already going on many pages long so as for specifics, I'll go into it later

I agree with your idea on drugs bringing us closer to reality. I feel much more in control of my emotions, consciousness, and actions because of drug use.

hydroponichronic

I agree and disagree.

I know plenty of people that do drugs(from just bud, all the way to a $500+ a day habit), and more than just the majority are doing fine. In fact, one of them, actually is a teacher now, but used to work for NASA, and has a master's in teaching. The funny thing is, he used to drink, smoke bud, do coke, acid, x, mushrooms, and DMT on a regular basis for probably a good 10 years of his life. He's only in his mid thirty's now, so it wasn't that long ago. That's the best example I have of someone doing something with their life after drug abuse.

Now I'm not saying everyone is like that, not by a long shot, I know people who have overdosed, but not died. Before their OD, they were fiends. However, after that experience, all of them quit what they OD'd on, and toned it down at the very least, to quit drugs entirely at the more extreme ends. All these are kids that have taken heroin, coke, crack, those harder drugs that usually cause the problems. Hell, my 2nd dad(not a step, just an older man who treats me as a son and a friend) has been in trouble for the better part of 20 years of his life, he has no job, stays drunk all the time, but you know what? he takes care of 3 kids plus himself and still has money to catch a buzz.

I'm not trying to get anyone to see drugs as "good" "bad" or anything in between, I believe their good as long as you don't over-indulge, but even if you do there is still hope. Personally, I think if you let drugs rule your life, you were going to end up worthless in one way or another anyway, drugs just happened to get there before gambling did, or whatever. A survival of the fittest kinda idea. If you can't handle what you're doing, then don't fucking do it. That's what I live by.

I don't think drugs can be labeled good or bad, ones intentions with the substances can, however.

I've been around plenty of successful people that have used hard and soft drugs alike. Just because you used drugs in your life doesn't mean your a loser. Take my dad for example he smokes pot every second day yet he has a $40 dollar an hour job and has had for about 11 years.

I hate how people look at drugs and say they are worse than sin when in fact they are very helpful to some people.

Acid can be actually a very life changing experience with either good or bad consequences it just depends on the trip.

Taking drugs is a lot like a gamble; it can be either good or bad.

That's very true, but intentions go awry way to much as well. For example, people OD for 2 reasons.
#1. They want to go so high they take to much out of a love of being high on said drug
or
#2. They have the devoutness to their drug, they turn it into something its not(like religion, or similar thing) and take it to far which leads to an OD.

Both ways of ODing are bad, but one intention is to just get fucked up, while the other is for a otherwise "good" reason. I mean, if a preacher seriously thought doing coke got him closer to god, and he continued to do it chances are, he'd end up ODing on it to get even closer, yes?

It's not the drugs that are bad, it's the people. Some people really just can't handle certain drugs, it's on them to avoid the drugs.

so doing drugs is okay just not some drugs? who decides which drugs are okay and which aren't?

so doing drugs is okay just not some drugs? who decides which drugs are okay and which aren't?

Ask 556.

Ask 556.

Ask meta?

Taking drugs is wrong because noone knows whats right, so they're trying to narrow it down a little.

i think right/wrong do not exist and we should be trying to try things as long as we're here..

but with the amount of people who have gone 'down that road' with the harder drugs, it is probably a smart choice to avoid them if you can for your own personal well-being.

The girl in that video is extremely pretty.

I say doing drugs is right, you say doing drugs is wrong, who the fuck is right? It's a matter of opinion, I personally see nothing wrong with them, it's the people who use them that fuck everything up.

Doing drugs irresponsibly is what's really wrong. If you use responsibly, treat the matter with respect, and fulfill all the duties in your life that are more important than drugs, then it's fine. Not everyone is a responsible user though. The irresponsible ones might even be the majority of the users. Drugs are one of those things that aren't truly good or bad, the actions of the people that use them place them at either end of the spectrum. So, uneducated dumbasses end up defining drugs for society, and with people like that, drugs get a bad image and ruin it for the rest of us. The government also strengthens the stigma. We have to remember the bottom line though: You choose what you do with your body, including what you put in it. Nobody has the right to tell you otherwise. However, it's your duty to make your choices responsibly, and in the end, no one can be held accountable for them but you.

I dont think drug use is bad necessarily but the things that it brings with it most definitely are.

There are bad side effects to drug use, especially is it's a serious habit.

Some of my close friends are fairly heavy drug users.

One's doing a double degree in law and journalism at one of the more prestigious universities in my country.

Another one is doing journalism, a few more are doing computer sciences etc.

Alot of drug users I know work in construction. Not that glamorous but still a $50 an hour job.

Im studying for a class A builders license (skyscrapers and large commercial structures) and my girlfriend is studying graphic design and journalism at uni.

I'm know alot of people in this forum are intelligent uni students, so not every drug user turns out a deadbeat.

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1662/66491498ub2.th.jpg (http://img184.imageshack.us/my.php?image=66491498ub2.jpg)
....5

^Yes, the successful drug users keep it to themselves and don't get arrested.

There really isn't any good argument for why it's wrong to do drugs. It's a personal choice based on a personal freedom. The drug in itself can be neither good nor bad, it is just a thing. And "good" and "bad", "good" and "evil" are just social constructs whose principal role in society has been to impose the will of a few powerful people on the proletariat.

In a more holistic sense, it could be said that using drugs is harmful to the mind and/or body; certainly there are instances in which drugs have caused grievous bodily harm, but this is entirely dependent on the substance in question and the biochemical environment it was introduced to. There is an incredible variety of psychoactive chemicals and substances available to the informed user today, some of which are used daily by millions of people around the world. Why should a social consensus on which drugs are good and bad be imposed on the individual human? A person's responses to these drugs is entirely idiosyncratic, it is as unique to them as their fingerprint. No person deserves to suffer because they are different, make different choices, or have different preferences.

To take this to it's logical conclusion, it's actually wrong to prevent someone from doing drugs!

Alright, I just watched that vid and damn, that girl is dumb as fuck! Cute though.

There's no ethical problem nihililsm can't solve.

"There was weed in the car, and I'm like Mom, why is there weed in our car?"

I lol'd