cAmmAc
Bluelighter
Thanks for all the positive comments guys - it's funny how only our generation can see the reasons and the truth behind issues such as drugs. My parents are separated, and ever since I was about 11 or 12, my old man has been living his own life of golf, mistresses, high rollers, travel and god knows what else. Because he hasn't spent any time in or around families he just thinks the world is a perfect place, and when he found out his son is taking drugs, I think it's totally flipped him out. Anyways, this is the letter I gave to my parents. I didn't mention anything about my current drug taking - I have left it out so we can *hopefully* discuss it in the near future.
Oh yeah, Melting, thanks for your comment too! Have I met u b4? I think we have, but I just can't remember! If we haven't, maybe we should!
---------------------------------------------
Dear Mum and Dad,
In this letter I’m hoping that I can make you understand all the questions you must be asking yourself, and answer the questions you must be wanting to ask me. This letter is not going to be short by any means, as I am going to attempt to cover absolutely everything so you can have an idea of what possessed me to go on a national documentary on ecstasy and raves.
Firstly, I’ll start off with the reason why I went on the documentary. I’m not going to get straight to the point as it is a very complicated issue and I need to explain a lot of things first.
Ecstasy use in the community is not an isolated activity. Believe it or not, it is absolutely colossal. Out of my 20 or so friends from Ivanhoe and William Angliss, I can safely say that 18 out of 20 would have tried ecstasy at least once. I would go on to say that 12 at least have used it again. My friends are not “druggies”, some of them were prefects, some of them were captains of school sports teams, some of them were academic award receivers. Most of my friends have not even smoked marijuana. I didn’t choose to take it because my friends had taken it, in fact, I would have been one of the first to try it. However, I didn’t just decide to go out one night and put any old pill in my mouth, instead I researched ecstasy on the Internet. On the Internet I discovered that not every pill contains MDMA, which is commonly referred to as ecstasy. I found out that pills in Australia commonly contain other substances such as speed (amphetamines), LSD, ketamine (Special K) and in some cases even contain cocaine and heroin. I also found out that potentially fatal drugs such as 2CB, DXM and PMA have been found in certain pills and have been responsible for serious illness and even death.
MDMA, however, has only been responsible for one death in Australia, and that is of Anna Wood in Sydney a few years ago, and even then, it was not the actual ecstasy that killed her – it was the excess consumption of water that killed her which flooded her brain. It is very hard and controversial to say this, but if there is such thing as a “safe” drug, it is MDMA. It is almost impossible to fatally overdose on MDMA, as you need a ridiculous amount to do so, and if you pass 150mg (which is the equivalent of 2 or 3 pills) your body rejects it through vomiting. I also found out that if ecstasy was taken in certain amounts over a certain period of time, there are no side effects. However, if the drug is abused and used frequently, say every weekend, then it can cause a lack of ability to rejuvenate serotonin and can lead to depression. A Dr. Shulgun conducted this research, who is the world’s leading researcher into the effects of MDMA.
It was this extensive research that I conducted alone which made me come to a conclusion that I would try ecstasy.
Through my research on the internet, I also discovered that pill testers are also widely available to determine the major content of a pill. Before the night I decided I would take a pill, I went out and purchased a tester so that I would be sure of what I was taking. When I purchased my pill, I went and tested it and the results showed that the major content was in fact MDMA.
I liked the effects, which were feelings of alertness, empathy, friendliness, openness and energy. This was a feeling different to that of alcohol, which is disorientated, unco-ordinated, disillusioned and even potentially violent.
Now to the reason why I decided to openly talk to the ABC about ecstasy use and raves.
What I find amazingly disturbing is the lack information that is provided to young people about drugs and ecstasy in particular. Whilst at Ivanhoe, I clearly remember having absolutely no proper drug education whatsoever. We were told that drugs kill you and that’s basically about it.
We were never informed that pills that are sold off as ecstasy (MDMA) can contain potentially fatal drugs, and that is where the problem lies. Kids are going to want to try ecstasy regardless of what they are told. With the commercialisation of raves and events such as New Year’s Eve parties at the docklands more and more people are taking the drug. Then you have celebrities, rock stars and rappers such as Eminem condoning the use of it. These people may be abusing the drug and ruining their bodies, but this is the side that nobody sees. I have a number of associates (some of which are friends, some of which have been friends, which I would no longer regard in my circle of friends) that have gone from “normal” teenagers to flat out ravers who go out every weekend without fail from Thursday night through to Sunday morning and take absurd quantities of drugs, whether it be ecstasy, speed, cocaine or whatever they can get their hands on. God knows how this abuse has affected their mind and bodies, and what the damage will do to them 20-30 years down the line.
After going to the majority of Melbourne’s dance clubs over the last year or so, I have met a lot of people of all different ages, from every different walk of life. When under the effects of MDMA, you feel very friendly and often find yourself having extremely deep and meaningful conversations with absolute strangers. I have meet, and still occasionally keep in contact, with people that are computer software engineers, school teachers, stockbrokers, Aussie Rules footballers, army personnel, accountants, hotel managers and even the head of national safety & security for one of Australia’s largest companies – I am not making this up for the benefit of covering my behind or making it OK to take ecstasy.
After taking into consideration all of what I have just mentioned, I decided to talk to the ABC. The community as a whole needs to know that a startling percentage of young people are deciding to take ecstasy, and that these people are not “druggies”, but people that are normal, everyday people, people that you work with, people that you have known for years and thought would never take drugs. The problem is that parents are not openly talking to their kids about drug use and kids are not being educated properly into the actual dangers of drug use. Instead, drugs are taboo. When parents find out that their kids take drugs, they are punished instead of being talked to on an open, mature level, and this is a major issue that I strongly believe is still yet to be addressed. The more drugs are pushed underground, ignored, etc, the worse the problem is going to get. The less kids are informed that ecstasy pills contain a variety of drugs, the higher the chances grow of kids dieing from taking what they believe is ecstasy.
When deciding whether I should participate in the documentary, I talked in depth with a lot of people about what I have mentioned in this letter. The people I talked to included my friends (ones that have tried it once, ones that come out with me and ones that haven’t tried it), teachers, and counsellors from my uni. Almost everyone I talked to agreed whole-heartedly with the problem that society is going to have to face up to, whether they like it or not. Finally, I decided I would talk to “Four Corners” after they told me what the documentary would be on, which is what I have mentioned. I was told it was not going to be a one-sided presentation, but was hoping to give the public an idea of what I mentioned in the previous paragraph.
By talking to the ABC, I was hoping to help generate public awareness – I wasn’t just there to get my head on TV in hope of a bit of a gag between me and my friends. I knew that an enormous amount of people would be watching it – including my family, my employers, my peers, my peers parents, my teachers, etc. It was just unfortunate that the documentary was shown whilst I was in Perth, because I was honestly hoping I could talk to you about it on Sunday before it was shown and then watch it with you. I did it hoping that if a public awareness is created, then society could work together in solving the problem. I do not want my kids to grow up in a society that is ridden with secrecy, where kids are afraid to talk to their parents, where kids are punished for exploring their curiosity. If nobody is willing to talk about dugs, the problem is going to be out of control before we know it – that is, if it isn’t out of control already.
Why did I have to be the idiot to go and talk about it on national TV, because if nobody is willing to talk about the problem and uncover the truth, then who the hell is? You can guarantee the politicians aren’t going to do it – they wouldn’t dare tarnish their reputations. The movie “Traffic” is an example of how we need to address the drug problem in this millennium.
I had an idea that your reactions would be similar to what they have been. I knew you would be shocked, embarrassed, etc, and that is to be expected. Your son has been involved in illegal activities and then gone and dobbed himself in on national television. I can understand if you want to punish me, and I will accept what you decide to do, but the fact is that I’m now an adult, and I can make decisions for myself – however stupid they may seem to appear. I believe whatever repercussions I receive from doing the interview I can handle in a mature manner. Just remember that I still love you both, and respect you as my parents, and whatever I do is not intentionally done to embarrass you. I just hope that you can both see that my intentions, however obtuse they may appear, have tried to be positive and have not been done for self-gain. I hope that this can bring us closer together as a family instead of pushing us further apart…
Lots of love always,
Cam
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I'll be keen to hear what you guys think about it. Is there anything I've left out that I should have included??
Oh yeah, some of the things in the letter I can't prove, some things I may have underexaggerated a bit, but it's all been said to give my parents an idea of how I educated myself and stuff like that. Don't go flaming me coz I may have got a few facts and figures wrong, it wasn't a research assignment, just a letter to my totally clueless parents.
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I think of my life as a series of sketches; each one funnier than the last
[This message has been edited by cAmmAc (edited 07 June 2001).]
Oh yeah, Melting, thanks for your comment too! Have I met u b4? I think we have, but I just can't remember! If we haven't, maybe we should!
---------------------------------------------
Dear Mum and Dad,
In this letter I’m hoping that I can make you understand all the questions you must be asking yourself, and answer the questions you must be wanting to ask me. This letter is not going to be short by any means, as I am going to attempt to cover absolutely everything so you can have an idea of what possessed me to go on a national documentary on ecstasy and raves.
Firstly, I’ll start off with the reason why I went on the documentary. I’m not going to get straight to the point as it is a very complicated issue and I need to explain a lot of things first.
Ecstasy use in the community is not an isolated activity. Believe it or not, it is absolutely colossal. Out of my 20 or so friends from Ivanhoe and William Angliss, I can safely say that 18 out of 20 would have tried ecstasy at least once. I would go on to say that 12 at least have used it again. My friends are not “druggies”, some of them were prefects, some of them were captains of school sports teams, some of them were academic award receivers. Most of my friends have not even smoked marijuana. I didn’t choose to take it because my friends had taken it, in fact, I would have been one of the first to try it. However, I didn’t just decide to go out one night and put any old pill in my mouth, instead I researched ecstasy on the Internet. On the Internet I discovered that not every pill contains MDMA, which is commonly referred to as ecstasy. I found out that pills in Australia commonly contain other substances such as speed (amphetamines), LSD, ketamine (Special K) and in some cases even contain cocaine and heroin. I also found out that potentially fatal drugs such as 2CB, DXM and PMA have been found in certain pills and have been responsible for serious illness and even death.
MDMA, however, has only been responsible for one death in Australia, and that is of Anna Wood in Sydney a few years ago, and even then, it was not the actual ecstasy that killed her – it was the excess consumption of water that killed her which flooded her brain. It is very hard and controversial to say this, but if there is such thing as a “safe” drug, it is MDMA. It is almost impossible to fatally overdose on MDMA, as you need a ridiculous amount to do so, and if you pass 150mg (which is the equivalent of 2 or 3 pills) your body rejects it through vomiting. I also found out that if ecstasy was taken in certain amounts over a certain period of time, there are no side effects. However, if the drug is abused and used frequently, say every weekend, then it can cause a lack of ability to rejuvenate serotonin and can lead to depression. A Dr. Shulgun conducted this research, who is the world’s leading researcher into the effects of MDMA.
It was this extensive research that I conducted alone which made me come to a conclusion that I would try ecstasy.
Through my research on the internet, I also discovered that pill testers are also widely available to determine the major content of a pill. Before the night I decided I would take a pill, I went out and purchased a tester so that I would be sure of what I was taking. When I purchased my pill, I went and tested it and the results showed that the major content was in fact MDMA.
I liked the effects, which were feelings of alertness, empathy, friendliness, openness and energy. This was a feeling different to that of alcohol, which is disorientated, unco-ordinated, disillusioned and even potentially violent.
Now to the reason why I decided to openly talk to the ABC about ecstasy use and raves.
What I find amazingly disturbing is the lack information that is provided to young people about drugs and ecstasy in particular. Whilst at Ivanhoe, I clearly remember having absolutely no proper drug education whatsoever. We were told that drugs kill you and that’s basically about it.
We were never informed that pills that are sold off as ecstasy (MDMA) can contain potentially fatal drugs, and that is where the problem lies. Kids are going to want to try ecstasy regardless of what they are told. With the commercialisation of raves and events such as New Year’s Eve parties at the docklands more and more people are taking the drug. Then you have celebrities, rock stars and rappers such as Eminem condoning the use of it. These people may be abusing the drug and ruining their bodies, but this is the side that nobody sees. I have a number of associates (some of which are friends, some of which have been friends, which I would no longer regard in my circle of friends) that have gone from “normal” teenagers to flat out ravers who go out every weekend without fail from Thursday night through to Sunday morning and take absurd quantities of drugs, whether it be ecstasy, speed, cocaine or whatever they can get their hands on. God knows how this abuse has affected their mind and bodies, and what the damage will do to them 20-30 years down the line.
After going to the majority of Melbourne’s dance clubs over the last year or so, I have met a lot of people of all different ages, from every different walk of life. When under the effects of MDMA, you feel very friendly and often find yourself having extremely deep and meaningful conversations with absolute strangers. I have meet, and still occasionally keep in contact, with people that are computer software engineers, school teachers, stockbrokers, Aussie Rules footballers, army personnel, accountants, hotel managers and even the head of national safety & security for one of Australia’s largest companies – I am not making this up for the benefit of covering my behind or making it OK to take ecstasy.
After taking into consideration all of what I have just mentioned, I decided to talk to the ABC. The community as a whole needs to know that a startling percentage of young people are deciding to take ecstasy, and that these people are not “druggies”, but people that are normal, everyday people, people that you work with, people that you have known for years and thought would never take drugs. The problem is that parents are not openly talking to their kids about drug use and kids are not being educated properly into the actual dangers of drug use. Instead, drugs are taboo. When parents find out that their kids take drugs, they are punished instead of being talked to on an open, mature level, and this is a major issue that I strongly believe is still yet to be addressed. The more drugs are pushed underground, ignored, etc, the worse the problem is going to get. The less kids are informed that ecstasy pills contain a variety of drugs, the higher the chances grow of kids dieing from taking what they believe is ecstasy.
When deciding whether I should participate in the documentary, I talked in depth with a lot of people about what I have mentioned in this letter. The people I talked to included my friends (ones that have tried it once, ones that come out with me and ones that haven’t tried it), teachers, and counsellors from my uni. Almost everyone I talked to agreed whole-heartedly with the problem that society is going to have to face up to, whether they like it or not. Finally, I decided I would talk to “Four Corners” after they told me what the documentary would be on, which is what I have mentioned. I was told it was not going to be a one-sided presentation, but was hoping to give the public an idea of what I mentioned in the previous paragraph.
By talking to the ABC, I was hoping to help generate public awareness – I wasn’t just there to get my head on TV in hope of a bit of a gag between me and my friends. I knew that an enormous amount of people would be watching it – including my family, my employers, my peers, my peers parents, my teachers, etc. It was just unfortunate that the documentary was shown whilst I was in Perth, because I was honestly hoping I could talk to you about it on Sunday before it was shown and then watch it with you. I did it hoping that if a public awareness is created, then society could work together in solving the problem. I do not want my kids to grow up in a society that is ridden with secrecy, where kids are afraid to talk to their parents, where kids are punished for exploring their curiosity. If nobody is willing to talk about dugs, the problem is going to be out of control before we know it – that is, if it isn’t out of control already.
Why did I have to be the idiot to go and talk about it on national TV, because if nobody is willing to talk about the problem and uncover the truth, then who the hell is? You can guarantee the politicians aren’t going to do it – they wouldn’t dare tarnish their reputations. The movie “Traffic” is an example of how we need to address the drug problem in this millennium.
I had an idea that your reactions would be similar to what they have been. I knew you would be shocked, embarrassed, etc, and that is to be expected. Your son has been involved in illegal activities and then gone and dobbed himself in on national television. I can understand if you want to punish me, and I will accept what you decide to do, but the fact is that I’m now an adult, and I can make decisions for myself – however stupid they may seem to appear. I believe whatever repercussions I receive from doing the interview I can handle in a mature manner. Just remember that I still love you both, and respect you as my parents, and whatever I do is not intentionally done to embarrass you. I just hope that you can both see that my intentions, however obtuse they may appear, have tried to be positive and have not been done for self-gain. I hope that this can bring us closer together as a family instead of pushing us further apart…
Lots of love always,
Cam
--------------------------------------------
I'll be keen to hear what you guys think about it. Is there anything I've left out that I should have included??
Oh yeah, some of the things in the letter I can't prove, some things I may have underexaggerated a bit, but it's all been said to give my parents an idea of how I educated myself and stuff like that. Don't go flaming me coz I may have got a few facts and figures wrong, it wasn't a research assignment, just a letter to my totally clueless parents.
------------------
I think of my life as a series of sketches; each one funnier than the last
[This message has been edited by cAmmAc (edited 07 June 2001).]
- it's the second best thing you can do with your lips 
