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If an addict test their drugs and the results come back fail are they going to shrug and throw them away? I don't see an addict throwing away any drug they have

If an addict test their drugs and the results come back fail are they going to shrug and throw them away? I don't see an addict throwing away any drug they have in hand no matter what the test says.

hankchinaski 3y ago
It’s probably more useful for raves and parties where people can see if they are getting ripped off or ingesting something nasty
omnicognate 3y ago
Frequently yes, because the people consuming illegal drugs are actual human beings rather than stereotyped zombies, and in many cases aren't even addicts.
the_other 3y ago
Firstly, no “addict” wants to die from their addiction. Second, “addicts” is a tiny subset of “drug users”. “Drug users” would benefit from poison and allergen warnings, just like “food users”.
- Detrytus 3y ago
  > Second, “addicts” is a tiny subset of “drug users” Tiny? Does not sound believable, especially since they are explicitly excluding marijuana. If I was to give my totally uneducated guess I would give something like 40-50%
  - ajmurmann 3y ago
    I'm not an expert by any stretch, but it probably varies greatly by drug. I know a lot of people who have done LSD, shrooms or MDMA. Those aren't even all physically addictive and are more like experience drugs. Probably totally different for heroin or meth.
    - whimsicalism 3y ago
      In the Hacker News bubble, it might be natural to think LSD, shrooms, MDMA, ketamine, etc. are very common drugs, but they have nothing on cocaine, opioids, methamphetamine, etc. - especially in North America, but also globally. The vast majority of people who use drugs use the latter ones and a large amount of that use is by addicts.
- whimsicalism 3y ago
  > Second, “addicts” is a tiny subset of “drug users”. I think you are absolutely wrong. e: Okay, now some are disagreeing about whether 30-40% of users in the last year is a 'tiny subset' or not, but I think my point has been made.
  - junon 3y ago
    Why? What's your experience with dealing with populations of habitual drug users? Do you go to clubs? Parties? Raves? Backs of offices? etc?
    - whimsicalism 3y ago
      Just looking at the stats for the US, significantly more people have opioid use disorder than have ever reported using MDMA in their entire lives and using MDMA once in your entire life is a pretty generous definition of a drug 'user'. > Do you go to clubs? Parties? Raves? Backs of offices? etc? Do you live in Europe? Your description of drug use seems decidedly European to me.. America doesn't have the same MDMA use culture as in Western Europe outside of some raves, more of an opioid & amphetamine use. But I live in San Francisco so I have plenty of experience dealing with populations of habitual drug users. There are millions of Americans that are addicted to opioids and even more addicted to stimulants (illegal & legal, if you have withdrawal it is a dependence).
      - junon 3y ago
        I'm from the west coast and have lived in SF and Seattle, and now live in Germany. I still disagree with your assessment having worked in a lot of night clubs, bars, etc.
    - Rediscover 3y ago
      Living in Belltown (neighborhood of Seattle), we have a TON of addicts. Mostly alcohol. Most of the residents are great at functioning. We also have the /other/ "addicts" - crackheads (et al, sic) who show up here (Belltown) and are not part of the contributing society. The ones going to clubs/parties/raves when represented in a Venn diagram describing addicts/over-use and those not going to clubs/parties/raves and societal contributions is pretty dramatic.
- chasd00 3y ago
  > Firstly, no “addict” wants to die from their addiction addicts destroy their own lives and the lives of people around them and even anonymous members of the community because of their addiction. No test is going to overcome an addiction. As for recreational users, I went to plenty of raves in the 90s and if a test result said I should not take the hit of X or acid i'd been looking forward to all week i'm not sure what i'd do.
boomboomsubban 3y ago
Even if they don't throw the drug away, learning what the drug is can allow addicts to adjust their dose preventing overdoses.
solarkraft 3y ago
Huh? Why else would they do the test in the first place?
- chasd00 3y ago
  it's one thing to be willing to test it's quite another to watch a hit go down the toilet while you're sober and don't know how long until you can get another hit.
  - solarkraft 3y ago
    Is this from experience or conjecture? I haven't been in this situation myself, but I imagine that people organized enough to do tests are organized enough to keep a stash.

If an addict test their drugs and the results come back fail are they going to shrug and throw them away? I don't see an addict throwing away any drug they have in hand no matter what the test says.

hankchinaski 3y ago

It’s probably more useful for raves and parties where people can see if they are getting ripped off or ingesting something nasty

omnicognate 3y ago

Frequently yes, because the people consuming illegal drugs are actual human beings rather than stereotyped zombies, and in many cases aren't even addicts.

the_other 3y ago

Firstly, no “addict” wants to die from their addiction. Second, “addicts” is a tiny subset of “drug users”. “Drug users” would benefit from poison and allergen warnings, just like “food users”.

Detrytus 3y ago
> Second, “addicts” is a tiny subset of “drug users” Tiny? Does not sound believable, especially since they are explicitly excluding marijuana. If I was to give my totally uneducated guess I would give something like 40-50%
- ajmurmann 3y ago
  I'm not an expert by any stretch, but it probably varies greatly by drug. I know a lot of people who have done LSD, shrooms or MDMA. Those aren't even all physically addictive and are more like experience drugs. Probably totally different for heroin or meth.
  - whimsicalism 3y ago
    In the Hacker News bubble, it might be natural to think LSD, shrooms, MDMA, ketamine, etc. are very common drugs, but they have nothing on cocaine, opioids, methamphetamine, etc. - especially in North America, but also globally. The vast majority of people who use drugs use the latter ones and a large amount of that use is by addicts.
whimsicalism 3y ago
> Second, “addicts” is a tiny subset of “drug users”. I think you are absolutely wrong. e: Okay, now some are disagreeing about whether 30-40% of users in the last year is a 'tiny subset' or not, but I think my point has been made.
- junon 3y ago
  Why? What's your experience with dealing with populations of habitual drug users? Do you go to clubs? Parties? Raves? Backs of offices? etc?
  - whimsicalism 3y ago
    Just looking at the stats for the US, significantly more people have opioid use disorder than have ever reported using MDMA in their entire lives and using MDMA once in your entire life is a pretty generous definition of a drug 'user'. > Do you go to clubs? Parties? Raves? Backs of offices? etc? Do you live in Europe? Your description of drug use seems decidedly European to me.. America doesn't have the same MDMA use culture as in Western Europe outside of some raves, more of an opioid & amphetamine use. But I live in San Francisco so I have plenty of experience dealing with populations of habitual drug users. There are millions of Americans that are addicted to opioids and even more addicted to stimulants (illegal & legal, if you have withdrawal it is a dependence).
    - junon 3y ago
      I'm from the west coast and have lived in SF and Seattle, and now live in Germany. I still disagree with your assessment having worked in a lot of night clubs, bars, etc.
  - Rediscover 3y ago
    Living in Belltown (neighborhood of Seattle), we have a TON of addicts. Mostly alcohol. Most of the residents are great at functioning. We also have the /other/ "addicts" - crackheads (et al, sic) who show up here (Belltown) and are not part of the contributing society. The ones going to clubs/parties/raves when represented in a Venn diagram describing addicts/over-use and those not going to clubs/parties/raves and societal contributions is pretty dramatic.
chasd00 3y ago
> Firstly, no “addict” wants to die from their addiction addicts destroy their own lives and the lives of people around them and even anonymous members of the community because of their addiction. No test is going to overcome an addiction. As for recreational users, I went to plenty of raves in the 90s and if a test result said I should not take the hit of X or acid i'd been looking forward to all week i'm not sure what i'd do.

boomboomsubban 3y ago

Even if they don't throw the drug away, learning what the drug is can allow addicts to adjust their dose preventing overdoses.

solarkraft 3y ago

Huh? Why else would they do the test in the first place?

chasd00 3y ago
it's one thing to be willing to test it's quite another to watch a hit go down the toilet while you're sober and don't know how long until you can get another hit.
- solarkraft 3y ago
  Is this from experience or conjecture? I haven't been in this situation myself, but I imagine that people organized enough to do tests are organized enough to keep a stash.