Drug use and acceptance with different kinds of users.

[TangerinO]

First of all I think this is the right thread but if not Mods feel free to move anywhere.

Now this thought just came to me when I saw an article about the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and their wild antics over the years and I realised it's a little ridiculous for society to accept the drug use of celebrities whether it be coke, herion or whatever else you want to drop. However if you're just a normal functioning person of society, it's looked down upon even to smoke a joint.

Can anyone offer any insight as to why society seems to think it's okay for the Chilli's to shoot heroin into their arms for over a decade and still be considered as kings of the world (or as the article put it "masters of mayhem...") as opposed to a perfectly functioning person being looked down upon for smoking a bong on a friday night instead of going out and guzzling highly intoxicating amounts of legal poison at a club.

Maybe there's no secret to it, maybe it's just society looks at drugs in a warped, illogical fashion.
Either way I think it's a somewhat interesting point of discussion.

 

[Tommyboy]

For the specific example of RHCP, I think that they are a great example of people that can successfully overcome addiction, and lead a healthy lifestyle after years of living unhealthy. It offers hope to many that are currently suffering with addiction.

I wouldn't say that most people think that it was o.k. for them to have lived the way that they did for years. I'm sure that many people that saw them while they were addicts really thought to themselves, "I hope they get some help, or they are going to die." I don't think that anybody approved of what they were doing when they were actively using.

I think that people were rooting for them to get better when they were still addicted. People don't like to see other people waste incredible talent like that.

 

[LogicSoDeveloped]

I feel people may use the reasoning that some celebrities have had messed up lives leading up to their crazy drug use. I guess basically society sees no point in a normal, healthy person wanting to get intoxicated but when it comes to the chili peppers-due to their history-it becomes a little more acceptable. I read somewhere that the vocalist of the chili peppers lost his virginity to his dads girlfriend when he was 12. That sort of thing isn't really considered normal by most standards.

I'm thinking people also think that when you use drugs like coke/heroin that there is no turning back whereas with weed, some people see it as something that is very easy to stop and for most, it is. My personal experiences with weed weren't so similar but I believe this to be due to my history and psychological factors. There was a very numbing effect on my emotions that I got from weed that I sought over and over again as well as something to do as I was for a long time a bored and unoccupied teenager.

I kinda still am but I'm working on it and since I got busted, I can't smoke so I'm forced to find more productive uses of my time, even if my ADD makes it seemingly damn near impossible.

Don't get me wrong though, I totally agree with what you're saying.

 

[radiationman]

To put it simply, the Chilli Peppers are celebrities. Often society regards the people that are responsible for entertaining the masses as an entirely different class. You know: cops, politicians, professional athletes, the extremely wealthy. Do you get the point? All of the people in those categories are regarded as "above the law". Until our society decides to quit persecuting the average user and glorifying the rock stars I can't see anything changing.

 

[TangerinO]

Yeah I understand that these people are "above the law" and I guess I was just thinking, is there any logical explanation for why that is or is just unfair bullshit?
Also TommyBoy I don't know about all of that, I'd wager that back in the days of the Chilli Peppers heavy use, most of their listeners would have been users too, and I honestly believe they wouldn't have been the band they were when they got popular without all that drug use. I do agree however they are an inspiring example of getting clean, they were pretty messy at a time and are super straight now and still on top.
All the stuff about people not agreeing with their use, that can't be right, heavy drug use was a massive part of their image for over a decade and probably had a hand in helping them write their music and even getting a lot of their fans. If anything their use could have allowed them to use their talent more effectively rather than wasting it.Whether sober or fucked up the Peppers were and are always writing good music.

Also Logic, the thing about his Mum's girlfriend was in his biography, it's crazy. I also have ADD and have trouble getting off the weed. Todays the first day I've had a break in a little while in fact, and I'm actually feeling really good, don't know how I'll be going at night time though...

ANYWAY, sorry to derail, the Peppers were just an example, I guess what I was really asking is does anyone even notice this? Does the average person who frowns at me for smoking a joint or eating some mushrooms, do they realise that for some reason they don't have a problem with celebrities doing drugs because it's "normal", and furthermore how can the government fight a war on drugs and claim how bad they are, when a large amount of the most successful and "admirable" people in our Western society do more cocaine than I eat sugar. Has anyone in Government ever been asked to defend this blatant hypocrisy?

(It's funny I could probably answer this question myself with the essay I'm currently writing on hegemony, but I won't even go into that)

 

[Carl Landrover]

RHCP were really popular and well-known. That is, they were successful.

Most functioning addicts are functioning in the life they're living, but most addicts I know (even the functioning ones) aren't doing anything great or that I would deem a success. Though, if their time and energy didn't go into their addiction, I'd say a lot of addicts could do better, more influential things in their lives.

The fact that RHCP was influencing people with their music helps allow people to not demonize their drug using lifestyle.


Plus, it seems almost assumed that drugs are part of the music scene.

 

[Renz Envy]

Much like the food-service industry, the music industry is plagued heavily with drug use. Being a powerful social medium, their lives are heavily monitored. Getting away with excessive drug use as a famous musician is not the same as a chef.

As someone who typically spends weekends with people in popular local bands, I can say from personal experience that there is an unwritten social acceptance for rock stars doing drugs. I have personally watched members of the band inhale lines of coke off of their keyboards in front of the audience.

Alcohol is a dangerous drug, however it does not take someone who is very responsible to consume it safely. You may disagree with me, but most people quit drinking when they come down with a serious case of alcohol poisoning and puke their guts out/pass out. While in regards to smaller-dose type drugs, it would be much easier to irresponsibly down an entire bottle of xanax and oxycontins and die a sleepy death.

Either way, if you plan to use drugs and lead a normal un-altered lifestyle. I highly recommend keeping such things to yourself. As word does spread and the average law-abiding citizen was not raised under the knowledge cap of "Harm-reduction" unfortunately our world tends to push the rule of "Absolute Abstinence" which leads to ignorance and unfortunate loss of life.