Hmmmm….this just keeps getter better and better….. 😐

WTF has he got himself into?

‘Good news’ in depth discussions with his mother, who has been talking to him a lot, reveals it is not Crystal after all. Methadone or Methadrone….

MCAT – im sure things have come a long way, but in my day legal highs were shit.

‘Good news’ in depth discussions with his mother, who has been talking to him a lot, reveals it is not Crystal after all. Methadone or Methadrone….

Good news!

I suspect (and hope!) it’s not methadone (a drug prescribed to heroin addicts) and we can assume it is in fact my very first guess…the teenagers designer drug of choice…mephedrone

Meph isn’t inherently dangerous, but it’s a stimulant and if you take larger doses it’s bad. It’s a bloody disgusting drug (apparently), no idea why the kiddie winkles love it so much!

Mixing any drug isn’t a good idea, but as far as bad drug mixes go, ket + meph isn’t the worst. One is a “downer” and the other an “upper” which is generally better than two of the same category.

Tell the lad to take it easy, he’s got a long road ahead of him and doesn’t want to peak too soon 😉

I know this won’t be much comfort to the mother, but teenagers doing meph and/or ket is really very common. Our generation cut our teeth on weed, this generation do it on legal highs (and some not so legal!)

Tell the mother to call Talk to Frank and read up as much as she can about both drugs so that she can at least try to make her son aware of the dangers and how to avoid them. She might not be able to persuade him to stop doing it, but she can educate him and make sure he knows she’s there to support him if he needs it. The LAST thing she should do is go ape shit and put a wall up. He’ll continue to do it anyway and she’ll have no visibility/input/control at all.

http://www.drugscope.org.uk/Resources/Drugscope/Documents/PDF/Good%20Practice/DruglinkJanFeb10.pdf

a little light reading?

Peterfile has talked a huge amount of sense on this thread.

Pleased to hear it’s not crystal meth. Very pleased. Horrible drug.

That’s very good news. But as peterfile points out, there is also a massive difference between methadone and mephedrone. The second one ‘was’ (I believe no longer?) a legal high common with teenagers these days, thus the most likely one he’s talking about. The first is a substitute for heroin, and really not something you want to be taking – that’s another very slippery slope. I used to know a good few people into that kinda stuff, and had friends fall victim to it – it’s not a cool lifestyle choice.

Ketamine is very common with club goers these days. Few pills, bit of ket… Not really the type of stuff you want your kids to be doing, but then half of us have probably done it as well – I know I have.

I’m no ‘innocent’ but I know things have moved on since I was at uni. I too have had friends who were ‘totally in control’ and then went on to….erm nothing really, just a totally messed up life until it all ended badly.

The thing is it seems to be a different ballgame nowadays.

Peterfile has talked a huge amount of sense on this thread. +1

As I said before, thanks to everyone for their input.

Mephedrone I hope not Methadone. Big big difference (one being a now illegal high and one being a heroin substitute).

As for ketamine – main problem is that it crytalises in your bladder and can cause serious pissing issues if taken for too long – like having to go every 5 minutes because your bladder has lost its elasticity and capacity.

Worst cases are seeing people having to have their bladder out. Its really not good for you!

As others have said if it were crystal meth then we are a whole different level of bad…

You could get his mum to contact the local NA group and ask if he could sit in (if she can convince him to go). Not that I think his problem is serious enough to need to go. But listening to what can happen and where it can lead you might just be enough to make him see sense.

You have to really want to stop to stop and without a change of friends it will be very difficult.

The thing is outlk, he’s not an addict, wanting to stop isn’t the issue. This is a youngster finding his way and experimenting.

Taking him to NA probably wouldn’t be very useful. Recreational drug users are like guys who like cars and addicts are like car thiefs – the vehicle might be the same but it’s completely different. A recreational drug user will look at an addict and think “that’s nothing like and and will never be anything like me”. It’s two different worlds as far as the recreational user is concerned. I appreciate that the addicts probably thought that way at some point too, but it doesn’t change the fact that he won’t be able to relate to them.

His mum should surprise him with how level headed and supportive she can be with this. If she wants him to listen, show that she’s worth listening to. He’ll think he know so much better so that’s a hard battle!

You can cook crystal meth in your kitchen. Very cheap, highly addictive, it **** you up. Frank is good to talk to. If his social circle is using it harder to leave alone. Using combinations of drugs is not so rare,though this may not be of any great help to hear. May also be using the ketamine to calm down from crystal meth. Best to talk with him not at him. Stay calm, good luck.

I must be one of the few boring ones and never touched any drugs…

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/10948382._I_got_hooked_on_mephedrone__stay_away_from_it____Tredegar_man/?ref=var_0

To dispell a myth but ketamine isn’t physically addictive. Your mind can crave the out of world experience but you won’t be physically hooked.
That said I have watched a good mate of mine dissolve her bladder from too many regretamine sessions, it eats away your bladder lining after prolonged use. She nearly died and was in hospital for ages. Ketamine is stupendously powerful, it can be very safe when used in a controlled environment and only occasionally, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

I didn’t say or think he was an addict. Hopefully it’s just a phase. But as you said everyone is a recreational user until it comes to stopping. Nobody at this stage knows (including him) if he can stop.

I’ve thought long and hard about what might have stopped me. Being taken to a meeting early enough or another reality check is imo the best chance. Not because he is an addict but to listen to peoples stories, to understand the life they have lived.

Like I said hopefully it’s a phase and just a bit of fun. The trouble is by the time you find that out it can be too late.

If its only that MCAT gear I would worry too much. Crystal meth is a big problem, doubt very much he’d take methadone unless he was a proper junkie.

As it stands bit of coke, weed, MCAT etc not too much to worry about, long as its not taken to detrimental levels. The old weekend here and the will do no harm. Talk of professionals etc is probably way over the top, well unless its more than casual use.

The best advice I can offer is to keep the channels of communication open, and it sounds like the lad is talking to his mum and family friends about it. Taking drugs is not terrible if you have support and someone to talk to.

I never talked to my mum and dad about going to raves and guzzling pills speed acid coke mushrooms ketamine etc etc but I think I kept some slither of a lid on things and was so wary of heroin and crack.

I’ve seen good friends die or screw their lives up and others lives. No amount of warning and scaremongering works, but dialogue about it can bring someone round to understand their own problem – and it is only that realisation that can lead to change.

wiggles – Member
I must be one of the few boring ones and never touched any drugs…

Likewise. I’ve never even tried a cigarette! Too scared of getting addicted to anything and I’ve always been happy as I am and enjoyed sport.

It always surprises me how many people out there have tried stuff. Apart from a few mates smoking weed in their late teens, I know nearly all of my friends have also not tried anything. Yet we’re all perfectly happy to get smashed ‘on’ alcohol.

I’ve hardly even come in to contact with any drugs, apart from seeing people with coke in pub/bar toilets, so even more surprised how common it seems to be.

I sincerely hope the lad referred to in the OP a successful ‘recovery’, if that is the right word.

I too am in the camp of never taken drugs, never seen the need to.

I actually agree with what some of the drug takers above have said, but whether the drug is bad on a scale of 1-10 is almost irrelevant, its a shame a young kid has decided to experiment/use drugs.

I hope in the OP’s case things get sorted.

*man hugs Peterfile for some excellent, prudently pragmatic posts.

**after a slightly too long man hug! turns and shakes hand.

As you guys said above I know people who take/taken them and saw some friends get in a bad way when I was younger. Just never felt the need personaly if people want it it is their choice. Just commented to see if I was the only one really as surprised me how many said they had.

This is an interesting read for those with teenagers – Dopamine and Teenage Logic

piemonster – you can never have too long a hug!

It’s nice to see a balanced chat about drugs on here. Taking or abstaining from drugs when you’re young doesn’t define you, in the same way that a kid who decides to drink with his mates at 17 isn’t really any different from one who chooses not to.

The drugs v no drugs camp is divided because those who take drugs recreationally tend to gravitate towards friends who also do the same and those who don’t take drugs will be more likely to hang around with likeminded folk. Makes sense, but does create an physical separation between two groups that are otherwise the same.

I’d love to see a shift in how drugs are perceived by non drug experienced parents – i.e. that not all drug use is equal and that an 18 year old who has a pill at the weekend isn’t in the same group as the guy smoking crack all week. And likewise, that same 18 year old who has that pill hasn’t made a poor life choice compared to an 18 year old who “stands up and says NO!” to drug, yet drinks himself into oblivion every weekend.

We’re in a perverse situation at the moment where if I walked in the door at 18 and said to my mother “mum, i don’t drink, I attend all my university lectures and I’m really fit…but I occasionally take ecstasy with my friends”, my poor mum’s world would have fallen in around her. Yet if I walked in and said “mum, i go out and drink 10 pints with my mates every friday, but i’ve never touched drugs”, I know she would have been a bit concerned about the drinking but actually quite relieved it wasn’t drugs. That can’t be right.

I’ve been involved in drug harm reduction since about 2004 and it frustrates me massively that during the last decade we’ve make little progress in addressing what has to be the most important consideration attached to drugs (any drugs, including alcohol)…harm reduction.

Had an interesting afternoon on Saturday. The kid in question came over, with his mother. It seems that they are due to see someone on Tuesday who is a professional counsellor. It was interesting to hear that he has stressed how important it is that lines of communication are open and that these must be maintained at all costs.

Meanwhile, we spent a constructive hour or two bringing his mum’s bike back to life so he could ride it to work (KP in a pub).

Apparently he had never seen anyone working on a bike before (his Dad has zero practical abilities) and was quite interested in what I was doing. He reckoned he might be up for learning (limited) spannering – and we briefly discussed doing a build project where we source s/h bits (to complement what I have in my spares box) and make him a ‘cool’ bike. I left the ball in his court. It would give him a bit of focus and give him something else to think about apart from getting his next score.

It would involve a reasonable journey for him and his mum but at least she would be able to sit and natter with my better half and he could learn some skills. Fingers crossed!

(Apparently, he has had some unpleasant issues with his waterworks already. Hopefully it is an early warning and not too late.)

Unless he’s been caining the Ket for a good few years i’d be very very surprised if he’s managed to damage his bladder enough to cause issues.

I know a lot of people that absolutely hammered it 4/5 days a week for 5+ years, only one of them has bladder issues now.

Admittedly the bladder issues are pretty serious, like she doesn’t get invited round to peoples houses any more and her social life and self esteem are completely ruined.

Peterfile speaks sense. He’s clearly a man that knows a lot about drugs. 😉

You can cook crystal meth in your kitchen

I wouldn’t try it though (and I’m a chemist)

1) likelyhood of it going wrong there and then and exploding
2) lieklyhood of it going wrong and unoticed (see krokodil)

a mate of ours nicked his gran’s methadone. we went to the park, got stoned, took the methadone and wandered around a little. one of our group was on his bike. as we approached an underpass he mistook the steps for the ramp and went flying over the first step, crashing and rolling to the bottom with the bike landing on top of him. he just casually got up and jumped back on the bike. we were well impressed.

did loads of drugs when from 16-20. lots of Es, lots of weed, occasional ket, lots of coke (almost wrote cock there) and the occasional “i-have-no-idea-what-it-is”. just weed now…. get my kicks elsewhere nowadays. however, i still have the itch when i’m in a club and the electro “umpz-umpz-umpz-umpz” is blaring away… tend to avoid clubbing for this reason.

slojo… you sound like a decent fella. well done and good luck.