[Done] The Bluelight Survey - We need your input!

Status
Not open for further replies.
(does it have to be yes or no?)

Have psychedelics affected your life in a positive and/or negative way?

Do you use psychedelics to seek understanding?
 
I rarely bring this up mainly because people tend to either lable me as a junkie so passionate about his habit he thinks hard drugs should be legalised, OR people are just to ignorant to hear my point of view, so they dont listen and process my (possibly) valid inferences. I'm in no way new to drugs or ignorant of the fact they alter attitudes, so I'm in no way implying the negative effect of drugs constantly bombarding us on the news or in newspaper reports is purely propaganda fabricated as a drug deterrant.

If I had to put it in question form, I would say:

Question 1.
Do you think laws imposed on various aspects of the drug culture (eg. possession, trafficking, etc), compliments the increase in reoccuring (and reported) instances where regular/habitual usage of the drug/s has a largely negative and/or permenant impact on a persons mental/physical health?

Question 2.
Could the actual laws be causing more problems to arise than the drugs itself?

Question 3.
Do you think its possible that a person of good mental health is more likely to use drugs while less frequently suffering commonly reported side effects, compared to that of a person who may suffer from any level of diagnosed/undiagnosed mental problem/s?

Background and Reasoning
1. I think its worth some research into how tightening drug laws seem to compliment the number of reported cases where a user suffers 'side effects' like depression, paranoia, psychosis, etc. As laws become increasingly strict for thoes caught possessing/trafficking/etc illict substances, reported cases of thoes conditions above seem to increase, largly fueling the bad stigma attached to drugs.

2. Instilling fear into people through anti-drug campaings and the use of police presence in and around clubs is apt to make people nervous about taking their drugs into a club, or doing a drug deal at a club instead of the privacey of, say, their own home. Stricter laws means more nervousness, which will increase cases of paranoia or psychosis and their severity.

3.This is strictly from my own observations. Its not my firm belief that people only get fucked up on drugs because the laws are too tough, but as someone keeping an open mind on drug use and harm reduction, I can't deny the relationship between the two. I've never heard any reports on drug usage that has been positive, and probably never will. Biast, conflicting and volatile research results makes the general concensus that drugs only ever fuck people up.

And I wont deny seeing people consumed by that path. But I also can't deny that, aswell as quite a few of my friend, I myself have been doing this for a good while (the last 4 years, 3 of thoes years I was using daily), without ending up in rehab or a psych ward. And the people who frequently succumb to dark depth of drug abuse more often than not suffer from some kind of problem mentally, which goes unnoticed because they might only be mildly affected, but with regular drug use, the problem surely will increase the prevelence and severity of underlying problems.


Food for thought I guess ...
 
1) Do you pre and post load to minimise neurotoxicity and improve the overall experience (including comedown) ?
 
A lot of the surveys these days adequately cover the drug side of things, but do little to reveal the motivational aspect of drug use.

That is, they ask about how/when/where the drug user takes drugs, and sometimes the effects of them, but not why.

1) Do you take drugs to
a) escape from something
b) enhance a social situation?
etc.

I also think an open-ended question(s?) needs to be asked about how the drug user feels their use fits into society.

e.g. Do you think that drug use is acceptable within your social context?
e.g. Do you think that drug use in your peer group is becoming more or less acceptable?
e.g. Do you prefer illicit drugs over legal ones (tobacco/alcohol), and if so, why?

and perhaps a politically-minded one. Governments go on and on about how they wan't to stop drug use, but that's not really possible without any sort of insight into why drug users take drugs.

Do you think that the dangers of drugs are portrayed to be more serious than what they are?
Do you think that drug use has made you similar to the drug stereotypes that are portrayed by government/media? (junkie, addict, etc). [Or perhaps, how similar?]
Do you think that drug use in society will decline?
Do you believe the criminal justice system is the appropriate way of dealing with drug abuse? If so, why? If not, why not?
Do you believe that there is an acceptable level of recreational drug use which should not be corrected? If so, why, and what level? If not, why not?
 
The Bluelight Survey - please read

johnboy (BL's press agent) has asked us to give the following as much exposure as possible. This survey is looking for an international response, so post away here. Personally I think its a very good idea getting drug fuckups themselves to help choose survey questions, you only have to look at the pathetic surveys on places like TalkToFrank to see how crap they usually are. Anyway, this is what johnboy posted:


Originally posted by johnboy
Surveys, surveys, surveys. Seems like there always a new bunch of lab coats that want us to help em with a survey. For some time now we've been happy to help them out, as one thing that Bluelight has always strived for is transperancy, and the only way for "them" to find out about "us" is to participate. The only problem is that we don't get to decide which questions we are asked. The time has come to change that.

Bluelight, in partnership with Dr Cameron Duff of the Australian Drug Foundation and Dr David Caldicott of the Royal Adeliade Hospital, as well as many other like minded people in the harm reduction community, have begun developing a major survey tool which will allow the users themselves to have input into the research. Also we will allow the resulting data to be used by anyone who wants it, as quite a bit of the survey data we have helped provide over the last couple of years has never been released.

So how can you help? By letting us know what you want to be asked. For example it has always bugged me that no survey ever done here has ever asked"Do you test your pills before you buy them?" or "Have you ever refused to buy a pill because of a test result?". What bugs you? Let us know by posting in this thread. Any and all feedback is welcome.
 
Last edited:
^^ very good point VelocideX. I would like to see some data on the motivations for people's drug use.
 
Hooray Johnboy! Great work with the good DrPlatypus as always...

* one thig that always bugs me is the categories of use frequency - they are always far too broad for my liking. They rarely have scope for light-end users ("every month or less" is quite different to 3 times a year) or don't account for dose size ("3 pills a month" - is that 3 seperate occasions or one big night?). I'd also like to see questions on the length of use and long term useage patterns.

* I'd love to see questions that examine the depth of user awareness of basic MDMA or meth biochemistry. See how many users are aware that MDMA causes a massive serotonin release versus those who know "it makes me feel good".

I agree that having a defined scope for the survey would help us give you better suggestions - it's easier to think about questions relating to a certain aspect rather than the whole shebang. I also think your example questions are great - things that have often bugged me too.
 
Those are fabulous questions VelocideX=D . My own interests are very similar to the last set i.e. with an intelligent, affluent group of users, why hasn't there been any serious political commentary on drugs policy in this Australian election? The only party that's tried is the Greens, and they've been mocked, even by Bluelghters:( Is it because this group doen't care what anyone else thinks? Do they think that there is no chance of change? Do they feel so far removed from the political process that they don't have a say? I can see the Bluelight survey uncovering alot more about society than merely the drugs aspect, while concentrating on drugs. How can it fail- recreational drug use is one of the issues that has defined turn of the century youth culture.:)
 
I want questions like : Have you ever heard of 2c-i, Have you ever take 2c-i. I want to see how many non-online people have heard of rc's.
 
my questions

1. Have you ever overdosed from a street drug? (an awful experience)

2. If so would you have consumed this drug had you known the quality and quantity of the substances, or with this information would you have consumed less of this drug?

3. If the distribution of recreational drugs were formally controlled are you capable as an individual of using these substances without detriment to the quality of life that you and your immediate social group enjoy?

4. Would you accept a distribution model that provided substances to users in a medical facility wherein detailed personal and medical information could be taken to monitor your health and provide vital information to health care professionals to monitor the effectiveness of a such a program? (we do not want drugs to be sold like legal stimulants are now - that would just get the scheme shut down by wankers who can't handle their drug use and subsequently fuck other peoples lives up).

5. Using this information would you accept a universal model that would allow health care professionals to determine if your usage was beyond your capacity, medically and socially, and thus limit your intake of substances to avoid adverse affects to your health and lifestyle?

6. If your usage of controlled substances was affecting your lifestyle would you accept consuling and treatment?

7. How would you like this to be offered?

8. Would you agree that controlled distribution of substances, and education of their dangers, would have limited or stopped dangerous behaviour you encountered or exhibited in the previously uncontrolled regime? (i.e. excessive use of unknown drugs, unsafe sex or driving?)

9. Please list in order of significance, the motivating factors that cause your consumption of drugs:

1) Pleasure
2) relaxation
3) religious or spiritual reasons
4) medical use (i.e. perceived lessening of symptoms of depression/panic attacks/asthma - or if other please indicate)
5) denial
6) social occasion (used to empathy / relaxation
7) Other (list)

10) Are you addicted or dependant on drugs? (i.e. do you feel a need to consume drugs on a regular basis and experience negative issues when you do not)

11) Does this impact on your life in a negative fashion (i.e. are you in debt, or do you lie/steal, ostrize from friends & family?)

12) How many times this year have you purchased drugs?

13) Of these times did you receive what you expected?

14) Would you take more drugs if legalised and distributed by the state?

15) When did you first begin taking drugs

16) Have you found that the reasons for consuming drugs since this time have changed

17) have you increased or decreased your usage since your first use of drugs?

18) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being good and 1 being bad) how would you rate your overall experience with drugs

19) Do you believe overall your life has improved through your use of drug of drugs?

20) would the creation of draconian drug laws (i.e. long prison sentences, higher conviction rates, larger fines) stop or reduce your drug use?

21) Irrespective of harm reduction, controlled distribution or draconian drug laws will you continue to use drugs?

(last question)

22) If drugs were legalised would the quality of your life improve, and if so by how much? (financially, socially or medically?)
 
Last edited:
Do you think some recreational drugs should be legalised? If so how should they be distributed?
What were your reasons for trying drugs the first time? Have these reasons changed over the years?
What would make you stop taking drugs? Would you ever stop taking drugs or would you just reduce the instances?
 
This is such a fantastic idea. Gives me a lot more faith in my job - interviewing people who use drugs with a standard questionnaire that not even I (let alone the people I'm interviewing) have any control over... can get a bit depressing.

There are so many exciting partnerships happening in drug-related research at the moment in Australia, that hopefully we will be asking some really good questions.

I feel pretty strongly about involving everyone in the research process at all points - it hasn't happened in the past and I hope this indicates a way forward :)
 
There is alot of talk about pot smoking being the gateway into other drug usage, but I for one never engaged in it.

What about a question on your drug use progression - so we can gauge if there really are any stepping stones or patterns through use of various drug types.
 
Questions about people's parent's attitude to / experience with drugs. Also whether people have talked about / done drugs (and if so which, in what environment, and who bought the drug for who) with their parents.
 
Have you ever used drugs to get sex?

Have you ever used sex to get drugs?

Do you consider alcohol to be more acceptable than the drugs you take and why?

What are the positive/negative effects of the drugs you take, personally?

Have you ever prioritised drugs over work/school?

Do you use drugs to help you work/study?

Do you drive home after using drugs?

These are just some off the top of my head, I'll add more later.

Nice thread btw :)
 
The Bluelight Survey - We need your input!

Surveys, surveys, surveys. Seems like there always a new bunch of lab coats that want us to help em with a survey. For some time now we've been happy to help them out, as one thing that Bluelight has always strived for is transperancy, and the only way for "them" to find out about "us" is to participate. The only problem is that we don't get to decide which questions we are asked. The time has come to change that.

Bluelight, in partnership with Dr Cameron Duff of the Australian Drug Foundation and Dr David Caldicott of the Royal Adeliade Hospital, as well as many other like minded people in the harm reduction community, have begun developing a major survey tool which will allow the users themselves to have input into the research. Also we will allow the resulting data to be used by anyone who wants it, as quite a bit of the survey data we have helped provide over the last couple of years has never been released.

So how can you help? By letting us know what you want to be asked. For example it has always bugged me that no survey ever done here has ever asked"Do you test your pills before you buy them?" or "Have you ever refused to buy a pill because of a test result?". What bugs you? Let us know by posting in this thread. Any and all feedback is welcome.
 
Last edited:
The Bluelight Survey--- "any and all feedback is welcome"

Surveys, surveys, surveys. Seems like there always a new bunch of lab coats that want us to help em with a survey. For some time now we've been happy to help them out, as one thing that Bluelight has always strived for is transperancy, and the only way for "them" to find out about "us" is to participate. The only problem is that we don't get to decide which questions we are asked. The time has come to change that.

Bluelight, in partnership with Dr Cameron Duff of the Australian Drug Foundation and Dr David Caldicott of the Royal Adeliade Hospital, as well as many other like minded people in the harm reduction community, have begun developing a major survey tool which will allow the users themselves to have input into the research. Also we will allow the resulting data to be used by anyone who wants it, as quite a bit of the survey data we have helped provide over the last couple of years has never been released.

So how can you help? By letting us know what you want to be asked. For example it has always bugged me that no survey ever done here has ever asked"Do you test your pills before you buy them?" or "Have you ever refused to buy a pill because of a test result?". What bugs you? Let us know by posting in this thread. Any and all feedback is welcome.

Original thread in Aus. Discussion (check here especially for some sample questions)
 
I want to know whether most people feel that their drug use has improved their quality of life or not. Which drugs were responsible?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top