PsiloSubNaut
Bluelight Crew
Hey guys, I received a PM from Vivienne who is writing a story for her university newspaper (Griffith University, Brisbane) about ecstasy use and the ways that ecstasy takers use online forums to get information etc.
I am sharing the questions and my answers with the forum and I will link her to this thread so any other information that you may be able to add can be viewed by her.
Here are my questions and answers in full. I will be very interested to read what gets used in this article and whether it truly is "unbiased".
The concept of harm reduction is realizing the risks of ones drug use and taking steps to reduce the harm that can be caused by using drugs. These steps can be as simple as drinking water or eating while using said substance or they could be as broad as not using certain combination's of drugs or using supplements (vitamins, 5htp etc.) to reduce damage to the body and its organs while on certain substances.
This question can be interpreted in 2 ways. Firstly, a 'good pill' which contains only MDMA, not only gives the best high, but it also gives the safest high when compared to some of the recent MDMA replacements which have surfaced over the last few years.
I believe there are a large number of pill reports users who only use the site to find out what is going to get them the best high for the least amount of money. Whether that be in the interests of reducing the harm to themselves or them just wanting to get more 'fucked up' from less pills is a topic of debate.
All I know is that without such information, they are at a higher risk of harming themselves.
I don't believe that people use ecstasy because it's cheaper in comparison to alcohol.
Alcohol is the first drug that most people use and we all know the loss of self control that this substance is famous for.
The MDMA high is not only more fulfilling than alcohol, but it is also a very controllable high.
The ecstasy user isn't slurring their words and trying to beat people up or sleaze onto others. They are in a state of bliss and understanding.
While there may be some users who do use it because it is cheaper, I believe they are few and far between and most people are after a high that alcohol just can't give them.
Another big factor that arose in my research is the lack of a serious hangover the day after ecstasy use, unlike alcohol which has one of the worst substance hangovers of all drugs.
People are nicer on this drug, venues with high percentages of ecstasy use are the safest venues to party at. Even Police agree on this, although they are reluctant to speak publicly on this topic.
When used correctly and not abused, users report less detrimental effects than those caused by alcohol.
I believe 4 words that best some this up are "nobody likes a drunk!"
While I may be slightly biased in my opinions. I try to look at everything academically and see both sides of the story.
From many years of use and research I do believe the government is taking the wrong approach towards ecstasy and it's users. The same can be said for almost every scheduled, non-habit forming drug.
Governments are not trying to reduce risks or help users who are going to use no matter what the legal status of said drug is. They are taking the old failed approach of trying to scare the user, which has never and will never work.
I don't think the latest campaign will be effective and the millions spent on these campaigns could be put to far better use.
It is mainly about votes and not user safety when it comes to politics.
The truths behind the abuse of ecstasy are enough to keep users from abusing this substance. The government needs to realize that they don't need to lie about it.
(feel free to ask me a broader range of questions on this topic. I tend to get carried away and don't know how in depth you want me to go here)
This question can be hard to answer, as, every country is culturally different.
One big thing that sticks out about Australia's ecstasy scene is the percentage of users per capita.
When our shores were flooded with high dose pills in years gone by, we had the highest ecstasy use rates on the planet and I constantly get told by over seas friends that they are amazed at how open Aussies are about their use. There are many jokes about us all having a bag of pills and some sort of stimulant (coke, amphetamines) in our pockets.
I have noted that Canada, USA, SE Asia and parts of Europe are nowhere near as open about their use. Many of their clubs have a large percentage of non using patrons and some people get offended when asked for pills. Where as in Australia almost everybody (if not everybody) is on a substance (namely ecstasy when they were high dose MDMA, not so much these days though) and no one takes offense to getting asked for pills, it is just the norm over here.
Some may say we love/prefer our drugs over alcohol, although alcohol is still widely abused.
Yes, the government should accept the facts and support all harm reduction sources. Not doing so is only causing more problems.
I do believe a large percentage of politicians know the facts and would be more than happy to implement change, but it's so hard for them to swallow their years of drug war rhetoric, as, this makes them look like fools.
Nobody likes to look like a fool and they will continue down this destructive path to save face for some years to come.
The accuracy of reagent tests really comes down to the knowledge of the person doing the testing.
Without proper education, there can be some misinterpretations of test results, but for the most part, people using these tests kits tend to learn all they can (mainly from online forums) about the possible results and the more information they have, the safer they are when it comes to using ecstasy.
Simply put, someone with a test kit and only the basic testing information is FAR safer than someone without the ability to test their pills.
It takes a lot to offend me and as I said earlier, I look at everything from both sides..
I don't believe the ecstasy users on these forum are in denial about their use, however, I am certain there is a small percentage.
I have found that most forum users actually use less ecstasy, less often than those who don't have the information about possible side effects from it's abuse. These side effects, such as depression seem to be much more common in users who know little about the substance which they take and therefore are more likely to abuse it.
For the most part, forum users are the safer users and they tend to share the information that they learn online with friends and other users.
There is shame in many things which are stigmatized in our world. I do believe the stigma attached to drugs causes more harm than good and a massive problem is people not wanting to talk to family/friends about their use/abuse due to not wanting to be shamed.
I believe people turn to the internet for advice because in forums such as pillreports and bluelight, the advice given is generally unbiased and 9 times out of 10 the information is solid and truthful.
One thing which we try not to do on our forums is glorify drug use. We are here to help hand out unbiased information and guide people towards reducing the risks associated with their use. If you have ever looked at many posts on bluelight, you will soon see how often other members will pull up drug abusers and warn them that such actions can and will be detrimental to their health.
The information given through official channels is usually biased and often doesn't contain all the information that is available on said substance.
Once again, with all the drug war rhetoric out there, it makes it hard for governments to provide all of the available information, because some of it goes against what they have been pushing for so many years.
Prohibition and misinformation has really dug governments (not only in Australia) into a bit of a hole and it is going to be very difficult for them to go back on their word, even if doing so is for the good of man kind.
I believe that being informed about ecstasy makes people use less often and stops them from taking random pills (which could contain anything) at clubs/pubs/events etc.
In all my years of study and use, the worst abusers and those who will take anything are always those who are the least informed.
Note: this does not apply to seriously habit forming substances such as methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin, as, these substances can lead even the most informed user into cycles of abuse.
I once randomly handed out 250 short questionnaires at a large dance event in Melbourne in 2007 and the percentages that we got from this small group was 19% which consulted pillreports and 7% who used other (usually more knowledgeable) forums such as bluelight. Another question on the sheet was whether people who didn't use internet forums, got information from friends who did and 70% answered yes to this question. This did not surprise me because most groups of friends have one or two very knowledgeable users who are consulted for drug information within that group.
I handed out the same questionnaire to another 250 random people at a psy trance event in the Vic bush in 2009 and these percentages jumped to 32%, 19% and 87% respectively. This is more than likely due to the higher level of knowledge all round at these (bush doof) events.
The latter percentages are most likely a lot higher than users in the general public and it should be noted that this was a very small study group.
Read all you can about every aspect of the drug. There is no such thing as a stupid question, so don't be scared to ask other forum members (especially forum Moderators) about anything that you are unsure of.
They should use forums such as pillreports/bluelight and also look at non profit drug information sites such as erowid (www.erowid.org)
Honestly, in the current Australian market of adulterated and bunk pills, the advice I give to all young people is not to take ecstasy at all. Until there is a return of MDMA, it just isn't worth the risks. Wait until it's more dangerous substitutes start to leave the market before using this once widely available and magical substance.
Psilo
skeazel said:
I am sharing the questions and my answers with the forum and I will link her to this thread so any other information that you may be able to add can be viewed by her.
Here are my questions and answers in full. I will be very interested to read what gets used in this article and whether it truly is "unbiased".
The concept of harm reduction is realizing the risks of ones drug use and taking steps to reduce the harm that can be caused by using drugs. These steps can be as simple as drinking water or eating while using said substance or they could be as broad as not using certain combination's of drugs or using supplements (vitamins, 5htp etc.) to reduce damage to the body and its organs while on certain substances.
This question can be interpreted in 2 ways. Firstly, a 'good pill' which contains only MDMA, not only gives the best high, but it also gives the safest high when compared to some of the recent MDMA replacements which have surfaced over the last few years.
I believe there are a large number of pill reports users who only use the site to find out what is going to get them the best high for the least amount of money. Whether that be in the interests of reducing the harm to themselves or them just wanting to get more 'fucked up' from less pills is a topic of debate.
All I know is that without such information, they are at a higher risk of harming themselves.
I don't believe that people use ecstasy because it's cheaper in comparison to alcohol.
Alcohol is the first drug that most people use and we all know the loss of self control that this substance is famous for.
The MDMA high is not only more fulfilling than alcohol, but it is also a very controllable high.
The ecstasy user isn't slurring their words and trying to beat people up or sleaze onto others. They are in a state of bliss and understanding.
While there may be some users who do use it because it is cheaper, I believe they are few and far between and most people are after a high that alcohol just can't give them.
Another big factor that arose in my research is the lack of a serious hangover the day after ecstasy use, unlike alcohol which has one of the worst substance hangovers of all drugs.
People are nicer on this drug, venues with high percentages of ecstasy use are the safest venues to party at. Even Police agree on this, although they are reluctant to speak publicly on this topic.
When used correctly and not abused, users report less detrimental effects than those caused by alcohol.
I believe 4 words that best some this up are "nobody likes a drunk!"
While I may be slightly biased in my opinions. I try to look at everything academically and see both sides of the story.
From many years of use and research I do believe the government is taking the wrong approach towards ecstasy and it's users. The same can be said for almost every scheduled, non-habit forming drug.
Governments are not trying to reduce risks or help users who are going to use no matter what the legal status of said drug is. They are taking the old failed approach of trying to scare the user, which has never and will never work.
I don't think the latest campaign will be effective and the millions spent on these campaigns could be put to far better use.
It is mainly about votes and not user safety when it comes to politics.
The truths behind the abuse of ecstasy are enough to keep users from abusing this substance. The government needs to realize that they don't need to lie about it.
(feel free to ask me a broader range of questions on this topic. I tend to get carried away and don't know how in depth you want me to go here)
This question can be hard to answer, as, every country is culturally different.
One big thing that sticks out about Australia's ecstasy scene is the percentage of users per capita.
When our shores were flooded with high dose pills in years gone by, we had the highest ecstasy use rates on the planet and I constantly get told by over seas friends that they are amazed at how open Aussies are about their use. There are many jokes about us all having a bag of pills and some sort of stimulant (coke, amphetamines) in our pockets.
I have noted that Canada, USA, SE Asia and parts of Europe are nowhere near as open about their use. Many of their clubs have a large percentage of non using patrons and some people get offended when asked for pills. Where as in Australia almost everybody (if not everybody) is on a substance (namely ecstasy when they were high dose MDMA, not so much these days though) and no one takes offense to getting asked for pills, it is just the norm over here.
Some may say we love/prefer our drugs over alcohol, although alcohol is still widely abused.
Yes, the government should accept the facts and support all harm reduction sources. Not doing so is only causing more problems.
I do believe a large percentage of politicians know the facts and would be more than happy to implement change, but it's so hard for them to swallow their years of drug war rhetoric, as, this makes them look like fools.
Nobody likes to look like a fool and they will continue down this destructive path to save face for some years to come.
The accuracy of reagent tests really comes down to the knowledge of the person doing the testing.
Without proper education, there can be some misinterpretations of test results, but for the most part, people using these tests kits tend to learn all they can (mainly from online forums) about the possible results and the more information they have, the safer they are when it comes to using ecstasy.
Simply put, someone with a test kit and only the basic testing information is FAR safer than someone without the ability to test their pills.
It takes a lot to offend me and as I said earlier, I look at everything from both sides..
I don't believe the ecstasy users on these forum are in denial about their use, however, I am certain there is a small percentage.
I have found that most forum users actually use less ecstasy, less often than those who don't have the information about possible side effects from it's abuse. These side effects, such as depression seem to be much more common in users who know little about the substance which they take and therefore are more likely to abuse it.
For the most part, forum users are the safer users and they tend to share the information that they learn online with friends and other users.
There is shame in many things which are stigmatized in our world. I do believe the stigma attached to drugs causes more harm than good and a massive problem is people not wanting to talk to family/friends about their use/abuse due to not wanting to be shamed.
I believe people turn to the internet for advice because in forums such as pillreports and bluelight, the advice given is generally unbiased and 9 times out of 10 the information is solid and truthful.
One thing which we try not to do on our forums is glorify drug use. We are here to help hand out unbiased information and guide people towards reducing the risks associated with their use. If you have ever looked at many posts on bluelight, you will soon see how often other members will pull up drug abusers and warn them that such actions can and will be detrimental to their health.
The information given through official channels is usually biased and often doesn't contain all the information that is available on said substance.
Once again, with all the drug war rhetoric out there, it makes it hard for governments to provide all of the available information, because some of it goes against what they have been pushing for so many years.
Prohibition and misinformation has really dug governments (not only in Australia) into a bit of a hole and it is going to be very difficult for them to go back on their word, even if doing so is for the good of man kind.
I believe that being informed about ecstasy makes people use less often and stops them from taking random pills (which could contain anything) at clubs/pubs/events etc.
In all my years of study and use, the worst abusers and those who will take anything are always those who are the least informed.
Note: this does not apply to seriously habit forming substances such as methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin, as, these substances can lead even the most informed user into cycles of abuse.
I once randomly handed out 250 short questionnaires at a large dance event in Melbourne in 2007 and the percentages that we got from this small group was 19% which consulted pillreports and 7% who used other (usually more knowledgeable) forums such as bluelight. Another question on the sheet was whether people who didn't use internet forums, got information from friends who did and 70% answered yes to this question. This did not surprise me because most groups of friends have one or two very knowledgeable users who are consulted for drug information within that group.
I handed out the same questionnaire to another 250 random people at a psy trance event in the Vic bush in 2009 and these percentages jumped to 32%, 19% and 87% respectively. This is more than likely due to the higher level of knowledge all round at these (bush doof) events.
The latter percentages are most likely a lot higher than users in the general public and it should be noted that this was a very small study group.
Read all you can about every aspect of the drug. There is no such thing as a stupid question, so don't be scared to ask other forum members (especially forum Moderators) about anything that you are unsure of.
They should use forums such as pillreports/bluelight and also look at non profit drug information sites such as erowid (www.erowid.org)
Honestly, in the current Australian market of adulterated and bunk pills, the advice I give to all young people is not to take ecstasy at all. Until there is a return of MDMA, it just isn't worth the risks. Wait until it's more dangerous substitutes start to leave the market before using this once widely available and magical substance.
Psilo
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![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
), but it's a sad state of affairs for what used to feel like such a special thing.