For research purposes: What's the currently most favorite party drug in the US of A?

[lecroute]

Especially for teenagers with limited funds?
How do they make the consumers feel, for how long, and what's the comedown like for first-timers.
What other substances are they commonly mixed with?

EDIT: I don't want to party on drugs myself in the US. I'm asking because I'm writing a story where one of the characters is about to.

 

[Gaz_hmmmm]

Jesus, quickly followed by life.
Stay in school, don't be a fool!
Crack is wack and it ain't funky to be a junkie!



Seriously though, what do you have access to?

Being in the US and a young drug naive person I'd go with and stick with cannabis.

Avoid opioids, not only because they're highly addictive but also because opioid pills now are being counterfeited and contain powerful synthetic opioids in the fentanyl or nitazene family which are killing opioid users with tolerances, never mind the naive.

]

 

[lecroute]

Jesus, quickly followed by life.
Stay in school, don't be a fool!
Crack is wack and it ain't funky to be a junkie!



Seriously though, what do you have access to?

Being in the US and a young drug naive person I'd go with and stick with cannabis.

Avoid opioids, not only because they're highly addictive but also because opioid pills now are being counterfeited and contain powerful synthetic opioids in the fentanyl or nitazene family which are killing opioid users with tolerances, never mind the naive.

]

You're probably right, and I think cannabis and alcohol are among the most widely used drugs in that age group.

I should have explained the reason for my question, to avoid misunderstandings.

I'm not into party drugs, and neither do I live in the US.
My drug use/abuse is limited and something I'm very conscious about.

I asked this question for research purposes (writing a story). I would edit the title, but don't know how (if it's even possible).

 

[Jnowhere]

Alcohol and weed

 

[Keif' Richards]

My experience was Alcohol, Cannabis and whatever pills you came across. These were most often things like Amphetamine in the form of Adderall and to a lesser extent you would meet people on Benzodiazepines too. I'm not sure what the statistics are these days. I know kids were a lot more medicated in my day. It wasn't uncommon to find kids on 80mg Adderall per day.

I had a friend in High School. Granted this was back in 2008 that I graduated. He was prescribed 4x20mg Adderall and 4x1mg Alprazolam (Xanax) tablets per month. I'm not sure exactly how this came about. I know in the end he was getting prescribed by someone he didn't meet with face to face. Also, these prescriptions would be picked up in 3 month increments, which was just insane. This kid became known as the hookup and this status in the social circle eclipsed the actual personality of this kid. While I was in college I found out he shot himself in the head with a shotgun. Apparently this was following a rapid decline of his mental health, I'm guessing as a result of the drugs. Prescribing stimulants wit sedative in such an irresponsible way makes it difficult not to get addicted.

I can only imagine there are scenarios that fit this mold still occurring today, perhaps not at the same dosages, though still present in the way it's executed. My mother never would have let my brothers or myself be put on powerful medication like this, even though the school was screaming at her that I needed it. I'm thankful for that. I still experimented with drugs. I used Opioids intermittently that were prescribed, though my mom was not at all crazy about that idea. I know these drugs can do good for people. I take a stimulant these days, even in "sobriety", though I have a feeling in my gut that kids are probably negatively affected by being on these drugs during their development.

At any rate, in the United States, it's going to be 90% Cannabis, Alcohol when it can be had (I worked in restaurants in my teenage years and I was the "hookup" specifically for Alcohol. There was no shortage of cooks who would do it for 20 bucks and a bottle of vodka) and then you'll find kids experimenting with different pills that they are either prescribed or find through whatever means (I'm not proud of it, but we would always steal medicine from medicine cabinets in bathrooms back when medicine was still kept in such places).

You'll likely run into kids using psychedelic drugs as well. I know we did. This wasn't something you generally "did at a party" per se, as it was normally an event or gathering catered more or less to the specific use of psychedelics, though some people really take to tripping and start doing it at all kinds of random moments.

It's different depending on where you're located too. In and around Boston, at least in Lowell, where I am from, there was the constant knowledge that there was this invisible barrier that was always separating you from the Heroin and the Cocaine that we all knew was available. Different elements of your friend group will peel away and begin using the harder drugs and this typically ends to a separation from the previous friend group. It definitely wasn't "cool" to bring Cocaine to a party, it came with a level of apprehension that you'd expect from kids.

I assume wealthier kids have totally different approaches to this sort of thing, but I can't speak to that nor can I speak to what kids are doing these days. In fact, I never even see kids anymore out on the town. They're all locked up inside, which is actually pretty weird, now that I think about it. As kids, we'd run around all over the place. These days, I never see kids outside of going to and from school. Maybe that's just me.

 

[lecroute]

I assume wealthier kids have totally different approaches to this sort of thing, but I can't speak to that nor can I speak to what kids are doing these days. In fact, I never even see kids anymore out on the town. They're all locked up inside, which is actually pretty weird, now that I think about it. As kids, we'd run around all over the place. These days, I never see kids outside of going to and from school. Maybe that's just me.

I think that's just the video games, streaming TV (included non-pais Youtube and TicToc and whatnot) and cell phones. I get that from my ex's son (now 12) who hardly goes out, which leads to a lot of discussions between him and my ex (who used to be a "street kid").

Thanks for your detailed answer. It helps a lot , even if it's not actual and here & now report. Especially the part with the groups splitting up when some start to take (other) drugs. This is something I was told happens nowadays (like 6 years ago, before COVID) too.

And mentioning COVID, this might also add to kids staying at home or inside more than what they used to. Though I think by now this shouldn't be such a big deal anymore. Kids, by nature, seek adventure and room to grow and use up all this extra energy they have.

 

[Keif' Richards]

I think that's just the video games, streaming TV (included non-pais Youtube and TicToc and whatnot) and cell phones. I get that from my ex's son (now 12) who hardly goes out, which leads to a lot of discussions between him and my ex (who used to be a "street kid").

Thanks for your detailed answer. It helps a lot , even if it's not actual and here & now report. Especially the part with the groups splitting up when some start to take (other) drugs. This is something I was told happens nowadays (like 6 years ago, before COVID) too.

And mentioning COVID, this might also add to kids staying at home or inside more than what they used to. Though I think by now this shouldn't be such a big deal anymore. Kids, by nature, seek adventure and room to grow and use up all this extra energy they have.

It is an interesting topic for a variety of reasons. I am majorly opposed to screens if they don't also have a complimentary experience of the world outside of the screens.

People would say my generation watched too much television or played too many games. IMO these were still finite activities. Even a person who "loves tv" doesn't have there whole life wrapped up in it.

I don't want to be that lame reactionary guy. I think we have to find ways of symbiosis with our technology. I get that. I guess the question is, are we using the technology or is it using us, and I do feel that is an apt question. Spending hours online with literally nothing to show for it, often even leaving people spun and anxious.

Anyway, you have to fid was to talk to the kids. I'm not saying they will tell you the truth but talking to the CA help you figure out that truth.

Believe me, developing an Opioid addiction when you're supposed to be learning about adulthood sets you up for a twisted world view.

I liked to think of myself as a good person during my usage. I was a teacher, the kids liked me and were learning, I was called funny, charming and warm.

Maybe true, but the truth comes out when I didn't have Heroin. When that happened, it was about me and my needs. The kids wouldn't even cross my mind. What you learn is that love isn't real if it comes terms.

Also, the availability of drugs seems much different. When I lived in Lowell we would have to call our dealer in Lawrence, drive to Lawrence wait for maybe an hour for dealer to call "go to the pizzeria" -wait potentially 45 mins. Dealer pulls up, we then drive behind him all over town for 15-20 mins. Dealer would abruptly stop signaling me to run to the driver window. Guy spits individual grams (0.8g) out of his mouth and gives them to you, then you pay.

Nowadays I have people offer me fentanyl on a regular basis. Nobody is afraid of anything.

I got arrested with an empty syringe in New Hampshire. They sent it to the state crime lab, found traces of Heroin and charged me with Felony possession. I spent 27 days in valley street jail, no medication, just a metal bed and water. It was brutal as I was constantly believing it was a mistake and would end at any moment.

In the end, they gave me a yea of good behavior and I made it without getting knocked again. So my record is clean but Tha was almost not the case.

Things are definitely different now.

 

[Didgital]

I would say Ketamine is the most popular party drug in the US, tho it probably varies state to state.

 

[foodcrisis]

in early 2000's shrooms and E were always being shouted about in the halls of my high school. of course weed was popular too... i'm gonna guess with fentanyl today the smarter kids that don't want to get laced are still doing shrooms. i dunno. E probably too for those that take a risk or have test kits...... maybe the character in your book could order some kind of legal research chemical or something... a ton of people in my school were taking Foxy (not even sure what that is) and 5meo-amt was going around... a lot of the popular jock type kids would take pretty much anything.

 

[foodcrisis]

you could make a scene in the book where some one has uneven dosed research chemicals because they tried to order and dose them themselves and people get all different trips... happened in my high school..

 

[lecroute]

Believe me, developing an Opioid addiction when you're supposed to be learning about adulthood sets you up for a twisted world view.

Also, the availability of drugs seems much different. When I lived in Lowell we would have to call our dealer in Lawrence, drive to Lawrence wait for maybe an hour for dealer to call "go to the pizzeria" -wait potentially 45 mins. Dealer pulls up, we then drive behind him all over town for 15-20 mins. Dealer would abruptly stop signaling me to run to the driver window. Guy spits individual grams (0.8g) out of his mouth and gives them to you, then you pay.

Regarding the story, these points are quite helpful. First one because the character does have a twisted world view. Second because some events need such a setup. If things today are done differently, that part of the story needs adaptation.
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I would say Ketamine is the most popular party drug in the US, tho it probably varies state to state.

I will def look into that.
---

maybe the character in your book could order some kind of legal research chemical or something...

Great idea. Thanks!

 

[lecroute]

you could make a scene in the book where some one has uneven dosed research chemicals because they tried to order and dose them themselves and people get all different trips... happened in my high school..

The outline for the drug part of the story reminded me very much of the beginning from Breaking Bad. I didn't like it. But I get that for authenticity's sake someone will have to know at least the basics of chemistry.