⭐️ Social ⭐️ Why did coke and amphetamines lose their stigma but heroin didn't?

[cowardescent]

Drugs stigma only became a thing in the late 19th/early 20th century. I live in Ireland and my girlfriend's father told me that drugs growing up were highly stigmatised (besides alcohol of course...lol). Many parents would even kick their kids out for smoking a joint of weed but would be fine with cigarettes. Then over time, coke and ecstasy became popular drugs in pubs and nightclubs. In fact, Ireland and the UK have one of the highest rates of drug use. What hasn't changed though is the stigma of heroin and opioids. They're the most feared drugs both among those who are anti-drugs and those in the drug scene.

Now, at first glance, the obvious answer is that opioids are the most addictive but not everyone get euphoria from heroin, oxys, hydros and afaik, the addiction rate is 20%. Coke can ruin your life just as much. Might it have to do with the fact that heroin is generally not a drug that makes you extroverted and chatty like coke, ecstasy, and speed?

 

[FuckinAcidMan]

Opiods fuck up a lot of men's sex drives and make folks less interested in money and status. I can see why they get a bit of stigma.

 

[qwertygina]

I don't think there is only one factor . Where I live it's the opposite. Opiates are all the rage..

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

People associate heroin with disease-ridden back alley junkies. It's the loser's drug. Whereas coke is associated with yuppie wealth and lavish hedonist parties.

 

[paranoid android]

It's because coke is associated with rich people where as heroin is associated with poor junkies. Same stupid thing with crack even though its the same drug as coke having a stigma as well. Granted noone cares about crack here

 

[Jabberwocky]

Why do you say coke and amphetamines don't have a stigma?

Crackhead, tweaker, meth mouth, speed freak.

Drug abuse of any kind is stigmatized by the overwhelming majority of people.

And for the majority of people, use of illegal drugs equals abuse.

Maybe not the overwhelming majority of people you know, maybe not the overwhelming majority of people born after the year 2000. 2000. But the overwhelming majority of people stigmatize cocaine abuse amphetamine abuse opiate abuse.