We all use drugs, every each one of us, especially when we take the liberal meaning of what a drug is – anything that can cause addiction. The thing with addictions is that they can range from very severe to very light and because the human brain is wired to release endorphines into our head to induce pleasure any time we do a pleasurable activity we can get chemically addicted to pretty much anything. Many people out there, for example, are addicted to adrenaline sports and can’t quite function normally without something rushing through their veins every now and then – then we have the television addicts, sitting in front of the damned telly all day long and let’s not forget to most recent entrant to the addiction scene internet. Very many people I know can’t fathom life without internet for more than a week or two and whose to blame them, us geeks made the world even more internet dependant than it is fossil fuel dependant.

But let’s look at a less liberal definition, the one where a drug is “any chemical substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function”.

Most people simply do not make a distinction between using and abusing drugs, especially when it comes to illegal drugs. But that’s not the case. There is such a thing as responsible drug use that is not abuse. There are many examples out there of people drinking alcohol, but not being drunks. People smoking cigarettes, but not dying of cancer. People popping ecstasy every now and then, but not dehydrating to death. People doing some acid to increase the spectrum of their experience, but not jumping out of windows. People smoking a joint here and there, but not … ok what’s the proverbial “bad thing” people do when stoned? Lounge around and eat?

This is why I believe it’s wrong that we teach our children and everyone around us not to do drugs, because, simply put, drugs are cool, everything from alcohol to caffeine and THC is quite simply awesome. We get a buzz, we broaden our lives, we … whatever. But we must be responsible. No driving under any kind of influence, no getting addicted (and it’s easy not to get addicted really), no doing stupid shit and we must always be wary of what we do. For example the moment I start noticing I’m doing a certain drug too much I stop. That’s right, quite simply stop. Why? Because I don’t want it becoming a habbit as it would then lose its alure and become just another plain and boring aspect of my meaningless existance (more on how all our existances are meaningless tomorrow).

I don’t understand how some people can think only those without a real life, without anything to do, can use drugs. Because drugs aren’t about filling the void that resides within us, it’s in all of us and we fucking have to put something in there to fill it up lest we be empty. Some people put telly in there, some make children, some fill their lives with work, some go to mountains, some fly high up and jump down, while the others opt for a few hours of chemically induced fun.

Personally I’ve tried several different drugs, many legal ones, very few illegal ones, actually just one illegal drug, and I can safely say I’m addicted only to two – caffeine and the internet. I don’t want to cure this addiction because I don’t see a reason in it, when I will, I’ll ween myself off them. Until then … do drugs people, they’re fun, but be responsible about it.

Oh, on a sidenote, our society as a whole should start condoning drugs, because when they’re regulated and taxes are paid, they become controlable and there’s less addiction and overall less bad crap from them.

Tags: commentary, food for thought