# Did anyone else "just say no"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 24, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537 "2023-05-24T21:42:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/21 "2023-05-24T22:34:58Z")
Never smoked or used any illegal/illicit substances, have only had a few drinks, all after 21, never been drunk. Never known (or wanted to know) how to access the illegal stuff, and generally not thrilled with how any of this stuff effects people that use them. Alcohol in particular smells and tastes bad IMO. Smoking just seems like something utterly dumb to do. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/22 "2023-05-24T22:36:40Z")
Add me to the list. Never smoked pot or even gummies. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/23 "2023-05-24T22:45:14Z")
They were giving it away on the street corner, even though it was quite expensive. And putting it into my Halloween candy. So I had little choice about addiction. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/24 "2023-05-24T22:52:45Z")
I have not had an alcoholic beverage in almost 50 years. During all that time the only time I ever had to demur an offering of a drink was someone handed me a wine glass. I asked what was in it (wine) just to make sure and handed it back. That’s the closest I’ve ever come to saying “no” and even then there was no explicit verbal prodding and my response was just to hand it back. (Most people I associated with knew my preference and might offer grape juice or something instead. So not being wine was a possibility.) I keep hearing about people being badgered regarding accepting a drink, etc. but those annoying people don’t seem to exist in my universe. As to drugs, if that’s my experience with alcohol, guess what my experience is with people offering me drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/25 "2023-05-24T22:54:05Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Sometimes I feel like I’m in a super minority in that I never tried recreational illegal substances. I’m in the same boat; I’m 55 and have never taken an illegal drug. I’ve also never taken a prescription drug, legally or illegally. OTOH, I _have_ taken a drug illegally. Numerous times: I recall many weekends as a 17 year old, drinking beer with my friends. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/26 "2023-05-24T22:54:23Z")
I smoked pot in High School and a bit in college, but grew out of it. Since then I maybe have smoked 2-3 times total. I once had hallucinogenic mushrooms in HS, but based on the lack of any trip I suspect they were extremely low grade. Never had any temptation to try anything else, never felt the need to go back to pot. I like beer and wine with food, and I enjoy a fine cocktail and scotch. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/27 "2023-05-24T22:55:01Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Sometimes I feel like I’m in a super minority in that I never tried recreational illegal substances. Count me in. Not only that, I’ve never used alcohol or tobacco either. I always thought using substances to scramble the function of your brain for recreation idiotic, and using them to hide from emotional pain cowardly. So my smug sense of superiority was a shield against peer pressure. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/28 "2023-05-24T22:55:16Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Hey, I smoked a lot of weed in my younger days. And what I liked about both it and alcohol is that you had the choice, joint by joint or toke by toke, (or with booze drink by drink or sip by sip) as to whether to raise or call. Anything like mushrooms or LSD, you buy the ticket, you’re taking the whole ride and that fact deterred me quite effectively. I’m planning this for when it won’t matter too much. At that point I suspect I’ll be glad to buy the ticket to have that experience. ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/29 "2023-05-24T23:06:55Z")
All my friends in high school were headbangers and stoners, but I never tried it. I drank a little too much alcohol back then though. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/30 "2023-05-24T23:07:36Z")
LSD was the best. I loved it so much. I wanted to fry all day every day, so I quit using it. I had a very abusive relationship with meth, so I broke with it as well. As you know, I’m a pothead, so I’m going to bow out now, but I did want to tell you that even after 50 years…I still remember how much fun LSD was. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/31 "2023-05-24T23:07:50Z")
Well, obviously can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m another one. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/32 "2023-05-24T23:16:24Z")
I’ve never smoked or done any drugs, but I’ve occasionally had alcohol. I don’t anymore, though. It interacts badly with my medications. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/33 "2023-05-24T23:17:13Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > but I suspect there aren’t many of us on the _Just Say No_ bench. I’m not in the “Just Say No” group. That would infer I took considered decisions or enacted active denial. I’m more in the “Just Couldn’t Be Bothered” sub-sect. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/34 "2023-05-24T23:27:54Z")
I have to say I’m surprised how many of us there are. Aren’t we a squeaky-clean wholesome bunch? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/35 "2023-05-24T23:41:35Z")
Never. Nor booze. Nor tobacco. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/36 "2023-05-24T23:52:57Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Aren’t we a squeaky-clean wholesome bunch? There are plenty of other opportunities for depravity and decadence. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/37 "2023-05-25T00:00:08Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I have never smoked pot or tried any of the other substances when I was younger and they were illegal, altho I have been around people smoking weed and probably inhaled enough for it to show up on a drug test. It had nothing to do with the slogan; I was just never interested in doing it. I do drink alcohol on occasion, maybe once or twice a week on average, and usually only one beer or glass of wine. I am roughly in this category. Also, I learned the hard way in college (at a Dead show. An _outdoor_ Dead show!) that weed smoke is my absolute worst asthma trigger. I don’t like substances that leave me unable to control how my brain works. I did take prescribed opioid painkillers after surgery, but only the minimum amount needed to bear the excruciating pain. I have a glass of wine occasionally, but that’s about it. I don’t judge others for use of cannabis, etc., though. I do believe that it has genuine medical value for a number of conditions and wish the Feds could be sensible about that. Really, they don’t have more important things to worry about? ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/38 "2023-05-25T00:03:38Z")
I’ve never tried marijuana or any harder drug. Believe it or not, all the anti-drug messages from home, school, and the media made sense to me. Particularly the one about how if people will only like you if you indulge in these things, they aren’t really your friends. Although I don’t have a uniformly negative view toward marijuana in adulthood, I see no reason to try it. I don’t like the idea of smoking anything, I don’t like the smell of the stuff, and I have enough other bad habits. I have refused offers of joints on multiple occasions. Nor have I ever tried smoking. I’ve always perceived it to be an unhealthy and smelly habit, and I had examples around me from early childhood of people who suffered from serious illnesses to bring the point home. There was simply no reason for me to start. Doing so always seemed counterintuitive to me and I always wondered why so many people did. I did once try snuff, but the person who offered it to me spun it as some kind of special substance. It hit me in the head and made me very dizzy. No wish to ever try that stuff again. OTOH, I do drink quite a bit. Edit: I have willingly drunk coca tea, but I don’t know if that counts as “doing drugs” on any level, or if I am being pedantic here. My understanding is that import of the substance to the Czech Republic, where I now live is illegal, but I don’t know that possession is illegal (I have drunk coca tea prepared for me by an acquaintance who had just returned from South America, as well as from tea bags that were from among a selection left by my landlady in an apartment I once had. Honestly, drinking one individual bag was like drinking green tea. I didn’t feel any narcotic effect, and I’d say drinking a strong black tea in the morning is more “narcotic” than drinking coca tea in the amount that I did). ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/39 "2023-05-25T00:05:39Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > Also, I learned the hard way in college (at a Dead show. An _outdoor_ Dead show!) that weed smoke is my absolute worst asthma trigger. In fairness, I held it in for as long as I could. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537/40 "2023-05-25T00:07:03Z")
I was never even tempted to try illegal drugs. Caffeine, alcohol and nicotine were the only drugs that tempted me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-just-say-no/984537.md?page=3)