The cocaine fad seemed to last about 25 years or so and then kind of mostly die off. All the other drugs seem to be still out there. Did something cheaper replace it? I know Chrystal meth remains a huge problem. Were the same people who were attracted to cocaine just switch to meth? I still hear a little about cocaine but nothing like in the 70’s and 80’s or even 90’s.
??? Do you not watch the news?
How could you miss what is going on in Mexico? El Chapo? Columbia? Drug cartels?
Did you miss the viral video of the US Coast Guard boarding a submarine with 17 000 lbs. of cocaine last month?
Cocaine is the second most frequently used illegal drug globally, after cannabis. Karila L, Zarmdini R, Petit A, Lafaye G, Lowenstein W, Reynaud M (January 2014). “[Cocaine addiction: current data for the clinician]”. Presse Médicale. 43 (1): 9–17.
It hasn’t died off at all.
Washington Post: American cocaine use is way up. Colombia’s coca boom might be why.
OK, so it looks like coke is still pretty popular, apparently more popular than meth or heroin or just about anything except marijuana.
OTOH, there’s this plot, which shows a decline in US cocaine consumption through the late 80s and early 90s, down to about a third of its peak in the early 80s. Was Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign really that successful? :dubious:
Okay, how about the fad of men wearing pastel suits–that has faded, right?
I would have thought the wide availability of Dexedrine, Ritalin and other stimulants might have cut into the coke market. On the other hand, maybe it’s making coke more popular by normalizing stimulant use.
For the most part although there are some neighborhoods where --------------- :smack:
Not being snarky or deliberately obtuse here, but is the distinction made between cocaine and crack? Because there’s a difference between doing a line of blow and of smoking crack, but both require, you know, cocaine.
There was a time in the 1980’s where open cocaine use was socially acceptable in certain circles.
I remember a large company Christmas party in, IIRC, 1982 or 1983. A huge blowout, attended by management, workers and all our clients. Part of our party prep consisted of setting up a room with several “stations” equipped with mirrors, razor blades and cut up straws.
And another party where every guest was handed a gram in a glass vial as a “party favor” when they entered. (And yes, a lot of the guests including myself left and came back in again).
There may be just as much now but it was more open then, at least in places like the entertainment industry.
Many of the sort of people who want that type of stimulant now use meth. Cocaine needs to be smuggled into the country, which is problematic. Meth can be made almost anywhere and is much cheaper and lasts longer. Meth also has the additional benefit of destroying your life and health much faster, and you do not need hundreds of dollars per week to do so, homeless people can afford it.
Basic econ 101. Supply, demand, cost, benefit.
I haven’t use cocaine in a good while. I like it so much, that I purposely decided to only abuse alcohol and cannabis. Many of my friends who are around my age (61) made similar decisions.
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As a habit, meth is much more affordable. For occasional partying, MDMA is better according to what I’ve heard about cocaine. Cocaine may also have lost some of its luster by being associated with cokeheads.
There have been pretty big ups and downs in estimates of cocaine importation and use in the US (the presumed place where ‘fad died off’), though it doesn’t necessarily fit a particular narrative of ‘the 80’s’ since it increased after that. But around halved in the 21st century to 2010 and limited rebound since.
But keeping in mind there are no complete stats just estimates or objective stats which are proxies (eg. amount seized could +/- because enforcement is more/less effective not just because more/less is there to seize). And some providers of stats have an interest in making it look like the problem is better/worse or getting so.
Judging whether it’s ‘socially acceptable’ is altogether slipperier. Personal experiences probably vary all over the map on that even in same kind of social and work settings at the same time. It’s also the kind of thing highly subject IMO to people not consciously realizing they are repeating what they’ve seen in TV/movie fiction rather than basing it on real life. I used to work in a business where per TV/movies coke was endemic and I never saw anyone use it in work or work related setting. There were people who were reputed to but it wasn’t the kind of thing people would be open about. Could have been different other places.
Most of the people I know just walked away from it one day, the lifestyle that went with it no longer fit them. ( they were not young and beautiful anymore). It also seems that there may not be quite as much disposable income anymore but I could very well be wrong about that.
There was a time in the 70s and 80s when come was considered as harmless as weed by some people. Jann Wenner talks about this. They soon learned that was wrong, though.
So, Larry, what’s been on your mind lately?
The auto correct on this phone, I swear. I know I typed cocaine.
That’s odd. Today on the train I saw a guy screaming at his phone ‘no, I wanted cocaine, not come’. Not sure if that was you or not.
Well, it depends what protection you’ve used.
I’ve noticed that part of its allure to its fans is the ‘secret club’ feeling it conjures - e.g. sneaking off to be cool and naughty in toilet cubicles. So cocaine use might be less obvious than some drugs. That said, cokeheads are less discreet than they think - just look for the brittle collection of self-admirers, enjoying the fleeting relief from their crippling self-esteem issues.