Change is on its way. But this ain’t the change that Obama promised. This change has been brewing for a while, since the infamous Summer of Love in the 60s, since globalisation made it so easy to import goods from the other side of the world.

I’m talking about the illegal drugs that have seeped into the cracks of our society (no obvious pun intended). 27% of UK adults have admitted to taking drugs. The younger they are, the more likely they have taken drugs too with 46% of 16-34 year olds having indulged in the illegal pastime.

Drugs are everywhere. They’ve infiltrated the whole globe too. You could probably find a dealer in Manchester who is selling Columbian Cocaine, Ecstasy manufactured in Amsterdam, Hashish from Morocco and Afghan-sourced Heroin.

Whether it’s the kid smoking a joint behind the school bicycle shed, or the cityboy buzzed up on coke trying to secure an investment for a client, or even the student who just bought a couple of pills from a shady character in an underground nightclub; they all believe that they are part of some expanding bourgeoisie. They regard themselves as a cut above the sober proletariat, purely because they have felt experiences beyond the wildest dreams of the proles.

Concerned parents of children will probably put the growth of drugs down to peer pressure. More youths are falling in with the bad crowd. Celebrities are setting horrendous examples (Kerry Katona springs to mind). However, The Observer Drugs Poll in 2008 found that 80% of drug users put the cause of their first indulgence down to curiosity; 18% said peer pressure and 2% went down the celebrity emulation route.

Perhaps peer pressure and curiosity are linked though; a kid at college may wonder why some of his friends have massive smiles across their face, when they are relating the tales of their weekends spent at drum-and-bass raves. He’s obviously going to be curious about the potential happiness that lies in taking 3 tablets on a Friday night.

But think about why any lifestyle change occurs. A person would join a gym to become healthier or lose weight in order to boost their self-esteem and become happier and content. Similarly with purchasing a new car, you believe that it will lead to greater enjoyment and delight. No one slides down the twisted decline of drugs in order to end up as homeless, performing distasteful acts to feed the habit; the users believe the substance brings satisfaction.

Cannabis has often been labelled as ‘the gateway drug’, with most believing that a few puffs will lead you down the route of Ecstasy and Ketamine, ultimately resulting in dependence on Cocaine or Heroin. I would argue that this is the wrong label to attach, that drugs should be treated as a whole entity, no matter the point of entry. A significant number of people know their limits and will stick by them.

One potential solution to the drugs problem that has been put forward many times, is the policy of legalisation. They say that in Amsterdam, where Cannabis is legal for personal use, there is a lower number of drug users than in the UK. However, the Labour government are a staunch opponent of this, and I, for once, agree with them. Legalisation would cause a plummet in labour productivity and bring a recession worse than any credit crunch.

I believe that the answer lies in a complete social reformation. You’re probably confounded as to what this term actually means, but it’s pretty simple. Be happy and content. Don’t put your pleasure down to driving a BMW, having a PlayStation or owning a wardrobe full of designer clothes. I’m not saying don’t have ambition, far from it, strive to set yourself goals and seek to achieve them. But don’t be disgruntled with your current lifestyle. Learn to be yourself and always have a smile across your face.

I just realised that the irony of the last paragraph lies in the fact that it sounds like it’s coming from a stoned hippy. But trust me on this; I had once fallen down the cavern of despair that is drug abuse. Drugs granted me a sense of belonging and each new thrill felt like a whole new state of being. Different substances bring out certain aspects of your personality.

But one day I realised that I could potentially be up to 8 different people depending on what my dealer had in stock. I was disgusted at the fact that I had to buy something in order to be chilled out, hyper or excited. I couldn’t even sleep most nights without something to smoke.

No longer did I want to hold on to such a segregated personality. I just wanted to be me, one holistic being, that was capable of experiencing the whole spectrum of human emotion without resorting to the chemicals stashed under my bed. I turned my back on the whole lifestyle and have never regretted it since.

You probably expect me to say that I found religion or joined an outlandish cult, in order to fill the void left by drugs. Actually, I have done nothing of the sort. Since my transition from a lifeless drone continuously needing fixes, I’m extremely content with just feeling like a human being once again.

By Anonymous

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