whats worse is they are as Raj says experienced drug users, often politically aware party organisers with their heads otherwise screwed on…

I don’t want to go into tinfoil ‘at mode but round here I think there is a certain element of the cops/NHS getting payback against those whom they can’t nick for other reasons, or they’ve wanted to haul in for ages..

I think what they wait for is a trigger point where someone kicks off at their family/girlfriend on a particularly paranoid comedown, their partner or family call nines and the cops/ambulance is sent in…

I don’t even think it a “babylon reprogramming project” or any bizzare conspiracy like that, its a not-so friendly warning to “Conform or else!”

@Raj 377008 wrote:

it hasnt left me with any interest in trying legal highs – I have lost a few well established friendships over this stuff because I was advising caution and they didnt want to hear it; its not quite as clear cut as not speaking to me because they didnt want to hear it – end result is the same though – have lost good friends with whom the trust is utterly destroyed and any further attempt at a relationship with them is meaningless because I will never trust them again

if i were to use drugs i would be sticking to the ones with a long history of use and known side effects/long term effects

exactly the same has happened with established drugs down here. I have noticed some of those symptoms in people, maybe not so bad but theres definitely a denial of any “bad news” associated with drugs..

TBH I think the symptoms are common to all amfetamine type stimulants and the real issue is the availaibility and potency. However this has set back any chance of decriminalisation by decades…

@Raj 377012 wrote:

Its almost as if people want to ignore the fact that legal doesnt mean safe at any cost so they can indulge their hedonism and they dont care who ends up suffering as a result as long as they can still get high; I guess what I am saying is they are a lot more addictive than I imagined and the after effects dont clear up after a week or two not taking them
I have seen some serious illegal drug binges in my time on the rave scene but most of those people did actually get better if they laid off the substance being abused for a bit – meph users dont seem to have that bounce back – they can lay off for 2 weeks off of everything and still be totally fucked up

to me it seems more like mephedrone is making Scots ravers act more like those in Southern and Eastern England.. I saw all the selfishness develop during the “readily available MDMA” days a few years ago. I think the legality of mephedrone has made it worse which paints a much bleaker picture – inasmuch that the so-called “alternative community” is simply not ready for legalisation/decriminalisation and that prohibition is destined to continue or be increased throughout our lifetimes..

I suspect the legality, easy availability and peer pressure means the users aren’t actually “laying off” but still taking the drugs. The same happened with ketamine especially before it was made class C..

down here mephedrone has taken over from ketamine, ironically what is happening is that all the street drugs have filtered into the townie lifestyle but there has been no resurgence in decent music events, so you’ve got angry townies on drugs what are still fighting over a limited number of girls (as many leave for Uni and go to London/the North) and beating up and stabbing one another!

There’s actually fuckloads of drugs in East Anglia but no rave scene any more…

everyone (including feds and ambulance staff) is now left with the worst-case scenario!

I’m not even that keen on the legal events as they are a bit of a minefield, someone always starts a fight at them – not quite like townie places where randoms start on you but former friends fall out and settle their differences by violence in the middle of the event..