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I’m not sure about that. A lot of friends from poor families that couldn’t get out are turning to suicide or the drugs that will lead them to it eventually. Thi

by sysbin 7y ago

I’m not sure about that. A lot of friends from poor families that couldn’t get out are turning to suicide or the drugs that will lead them to it eventually. This era is likely the worse one for the poor.

Broken_Hippo 7y ago
I did mention weed/hash, and explained the effects it has on life. Alcoholism is an option, but harder drugs generally are more expensive. A lot of poor folks don't do drugs simply because they can't afford them. IIRC, poor folks do drugs at the same rate as better off folks, though. Sometimes you are more likely to get caught because of the situations you use them in... plus the businessman has more to lose so tends to be more secluded unless you are trusted. As far as worse, I don't know, man. The depression was pretty bad. The 1800's were pretty bad. The US is worse than Norway, just because of the lack of safety net, and both of these places are better than anywhere facing near-famine or actual active war. And so on. It is really hard to say, "worse".
- sysbin 7y ago
  There will always be people somewhere around the world that are suffering from famine or living in extreme poverty. I’ve noticed in the USA specifically from where I grew up (that wasn’t a huge city), that all friends from families that were not well off have an even harder time leaving parents. Even the lower middle class people seem to nowadays stay with parents until late 20s and even with decent degrees; so they can afford a home. Upper class has parents that are loaning a couple hundred grand to their kids to purchase a home. The poor are aware of their situation more so because of the internet and see no escape contrary to the previous generations. I disagree about access to drugs from affordability. Somehow there is always a way from what I’ve observed.
- throwaway0x69AF 7y ago
  > Alcoholism is an option, but harder drugs generally are more expensive. Are you sure? In my experience, a tab of acid costs $5-10, and the effects last about 5 hours. That's way cheaper than alcohol. [1] shows a breakdown of cost per hour for a bunch of drugs I've never touched, and most of them look to be pretty cheap under this metric. Compared to movies, sitting around in coffee shops, etc., they're remarkably cheaper than a lot of legal forms of entertainment. [1] https://www.addictionresource.net/blog/cost-of-illegal-drugs/ https://www.addictionresource.net/blog/cost-of-illegal-drugs...
  - Broken_Hippo 7y ago
    For occasional use, drugs give a lot of bang for the buck. I've met lots of folks doing them recreationally from time to time, but 1) it isn't just low-income folks and 2) Some personalities just pass completely, and lots of folks 'grow out' of some of them. I certainly have done more drugs, both illicit and legal, when I've had spending money compared to when I didn't. And then, it was generally a bottle of $5 wine. I can have a glass or two after work but certainly not drop acid after work and expect to go to work in the morning. You can quote that 5 hours, sure, but you probably need to have 8 hours free. (I have lots of experience with acid: I have completely lost track at how many hits I've done over the years). There is also difference between that sort of recreational use and addiction, though. Even if you do acid as much as possible for it to really be effective, you aren't doing it that much. Heroin? Sure. Alcohol? Definitely. And it depends on, say, the type of alcohol you buy. When I lived in the states, I worked at a pharmacy for years. We regularly sold a half gallon of vodka (and whiskey, gin, etc) for $10 or less. now, I don't know about you, but I could get me and a few friends pretty drunk from that one bottle. Heck, we could get fairly drunk on less than that - a 750ml bottle would do pretty well with 2-4 of us. Plus, alcohol is readily available. Not everyone knows where to get illicit substances, nor is everyone willing to risk losing their children over it. Acid carries a fairly tough penalty and your price is per person. Per experience. Isn't always available, even to those that use lots, unless you are in the right part of the world in a large enough city. There is a liquor store in most towns.

by sysbin 7y ago

Broken_Hippo 7y ago

I did mention weed/hash, and explained the effects it has on life. Alcoholism is an option, but harder drugs generally are more expensive. A lot of poor folks don't do drugs simply because they can't afford them. IIRC, poor folks do drugs at the same rate as better off folks, though. Sometimes you are more likely to get caught because of the situations you use them in... plus the businessman has more to lose so tends to be more secluded unless you are trusted. As far as worse, I don't know, man. The depression was pretty bad. The 1800's were pretty bad. The US is worse than Norway, just because of the lack of safety net, and both of these places are better than anywhere facing near-famine or actual active war. And so on. It is really hard to say, "worse".

sysbin 7y ago
There will always be people somewhere around the world that are suffering from famine or living in extreme poverty. I’ve noticed in the USA specifically from where I grew up (that wasn’t a huge city), that all friends from families that were not well off have an even harder time leaving parents. Even the lower middle class people seem to nowadays stay with parents until late 20s and even with decent degrees; so they can afford a home. Upper class has parents that are loaning a couple hundred grand to their kids to purchase a home. The poor are aware of their situation more so because of the internet and see no escape contrary to the previous generations. I disagree about access to drugs from affordability. Somehow there is always a way from what I’ve observed.
throwaway0x69AF 7y ago
> Alcoholism is an option, but harder drugs generally are more expensive. Are you sure? In my experience, a tab of acid costs $5-10, and the effects last about 5 hours. That's way cheaper than alcohol. [1] shows a breakdown of cost per hour for a bunch of drugs I've never touched, and most of them look to be pretty cheap under this metric. Compared to movies, sitting around in coffee shops, etc., they're remarkably cheaper than a lot of legal forms of entertainment. [1] https://www.addictionresource.net/blog/cost-of-illegal-drugs/ https://www.addictionresource.net/blog/cost-of-illegal-drugs...
- Broken_Hippo 7y ago
  For occasional use, drugs give a lot of bang for the buck. I've met lots of folks doing them recreationally from time to time, but 1) it isn't just low-income folks and 2) Some personalities just pass completely, and lots of folks 'grow out' of some of them. I certainly have done more drugs, both illicit and legal, when I've had spending money compared to when I didn't. And then, it was generally a bottle of $5 wine. I can have a glass or two after work but certainly not drop acid after work and expect to go to work in the morning. You can quote that 5 hours, sure, but you probably need to have 8 hours free. (I have lots of experience with acid: I have completely lost track at how many hits I've done over the years). There is also difference between that sort of recreational use and addiction, though. Even if you do acid as much as possible for it to really be effective, you aren't doing it that much. Heroin? Sure. Alcohol? Definitely. And it depends on, say, the type of alcohol you buy. When I lived in the states, I worked at a pharmacy for years. We regularly sold a half gallon of vodka (and whiskey, gin, etc) for $10 or less. now, I don't know about you, but I could get me and a few friends pretty drunk from that one bottle. Heck, we could get fairly drunk on less than that - a 750ml bottle would do pretty well with 2-4 of us. Plus, alcohol is readily available. Not everyone knows where to get illicit substances, nor is everyone willing to risk losing their children over it. Acid carries a fairly tough penalty and your price is per person. Per experience. Isn't always available, even to those that use lots, unless you are in the right part of the world in a large enough city. There is a liquor store in most towns.