People who've never taken alcohol or drugs

[snappydog]

I've never done any sort of drugs and I've never had alcohol (I'm now a couple of weeks off 20 years old). I was on antibiotics that would have reacted pretty nastily with alcohol for the first year or so of being able to drink, the drinking age in the UK being 18, and I've just kind of stuck with being a non-drinker. Don't really see the point of it I s'pose.

 

[Chemical Alia]

Drugs, though, I've never tried, and I can't really see myself trying them in the future. The whole idea of recreational drug use doesn't sit well with me. I don't want to consume them, and I don't want my money going to drug dealers.

When you say "the whole idea of recreation drug use doesn't sit well with me", do you mean the idea of using them yourself, or anyone at all? Also, funnily enough, there are plenty of drug users that hate drug dealers. They're not nice people (for the most part) because they can't be, there's too much money and no rules involved, so the violent tend to excel. Drugs would probably bring in a lot of money through tax. Though I'd have to insist that all the money earned from drug tax went to NASA/ESA.

I mean me using them myself. I'm totally cool with my friends who use drugs as long as they do it responsibly and preferably not around me.

I also agree that it'd be better for drugs to be taxed and regulated for safety, rather than seeing that money go to gangs and to fund violent organizations. Great idea on the space thing, let's do it for science!

 

[Drizzitdude]

I don't really consider alchohol a bad thing at all unless you use it like an idiot.

As for drugs I have never and will never try them.

 

[Corven]

I have better things to waste my money on than cigarettes and the like, usually they're video games.

I've only ever tried alcohol once just to do the whole "if you've never tried it you can't say you don't like it" thing, well I tried it and it tasted as terrible as I had thought, so I won't be doing it again since once again I have better, more entertaining things I could be wasting my money on.

 

[DasDestroyer]

I only drink alcohol on special occasions, though not to the level of "only a sip of champagne on New Years". Getting together with friends I don't get to meet often, birthdays and so on are all good occasions, although I won't drink more than a few glasses, if that, and I certainly won't drink something which I dislike the taste of. I've never gotten more than a little tipsy in my life and I've never tried or plan on trying smoking and drugs, unless you count taking benylin when you have a cold.

 

[kortin]

I'm glad you asked. I have never taken narcotics nor drunk alcohol (more than a sip, because people wanted me to taste). I have numerous reason for avoiding it.

1. It is toxic.
2. It is addictive.
3. Some of the immediate effects are negative.
4. It is expensive.
5. It tends to limit options, especially since it effects your judgement.
6. I view consumption of it as a weakness.
7. The positive effects can generally be attained without it by other means, like mental tricks.
8. For alcohol: The things I have tried taste bad, and those that could taste well (drinks) can be made without alcohol.

My criteria for when it is acceptable to use narcotics or alcohol is when it is done for rare legitimate reasons where the benefits will definitely outweigh the costs. E.g. medical intervention. Everyone is of course free to poison themselves, as long as their consumption does not effect anyone else aversely and that they retain unimpaired judgement when it comes to decision-making that effects others (especially when voting). Note that the simple fact that you are poisoning yourself may tax your health-care system, which would fall under the previous point.

Wow. I'm astonished. You covered pretty much everything I was going to say. I started reading your post assuming it would be similar but... I mean you literally covered every single point I was going to say. Uh. Yeah, I agree. Wholeheartedly. I do not, nor will I ever, require the self-destruction that is alcohol and drugs.

 

[Guffe]

Narcotics / Illegal Drugs, never, they're illegal = you shouldn't take them.

Yeah, you need to be careful with that though. The law isn't always right. .

Maybe I should explain myself?

The laws change, so do people, and society at the moment in my country we have list of substances that have been made illegal to use. This is based on tests done by medical experts who find out that usage of such substances in small enough doses damage your body/nervous system/mental health in a bad/dramatical way, then it's made illegal. Some you may use if you get an order from a doctor, because with some sicknesses or health issues the bad in the drug also reverses the bad in your body and therefor has a healing effect (or something), but without a certificate you can't use them. And then we have the 100% illegal stuff like cocaine, heroine, weed etc etc.

At the moment the law says I can't use any of these, it means I won't. If alcohol would've been illegal since I was born, or just 10 years ago changed to illegal, I doubt I would drink today.

I'm not saying people always made the right decision, as you said, slavery. But if I would've lived in 19th century I would probably not have seen anything wrong in slavery, most likely! That was the society of that time, then came along great people who did great things to change all that.

There are rules in society, I live in a country were every person who is in this country, has to obey the same rules and laws, doesn't matter what sex, skincolour, height, weight, haircolour etc etc.

And throwing out extremes at me like "make it so everyone has to smoke 1 gram of weed a day" is unnecessary. It's not going to happen!
What I can agree on is that some laws might be a bit weird, you can go around them or maybe one or two might be outrageous, that's why we have a system here that when we notice flaws like this there are people educated to notice it, and change it. But the laws are made so everyone can live together in this society, if everyone were to follow the rules. Which too many don't!!

 

[Techno Squidgy]

snip

You raise some interesting points. Let me start cutting up your argument a bit.

at the moment in my country we have list of substances that have been made illegal to use. This is based on tests done by medical experts who find out that usage of such substances in small enough doses damage your body/nervous system/mental health in a bad/dramatical way, then it's made illegal.

then we have the 100% illegal stuff like cocaine, heroine, weed etc etc.

Okay, but what's interesting is the debate on the harmfulness of Cannabis and various other recreational drugs. Cannabis is actually pretty safe. There are risks, of course, but there are also ways to minimise those risks. Research has shown that cannabis has some really positive aspects to it, and not purely recreational. MDMA, the bit you actually want when you buy ecstasy, has potential applications in PTSD treatment and can be extremely helpful in therapy. A lot of drug legislation has more to do with politics than it does with what's best for everyone.

At the moment the law says I can't use any of these, it means I won't. If alcohol would've been illegal since I was born, or just 10 years ago changed to illegal, I doubt I would drink today.

And throwing out extremes at me like "make it so everyone has to smoke 1 gram of weed a day" is unnecessary. It's not going to happen!

I wasn't saying that because I think it's actually going to happen, I was saying that because I wanted you to think. If the law said you HAD to smoke weed, would you?

What I can agree on is that some laws might be a bit weird, you can go around them or maybe one or two might be outrageous, that's why we have a system here that when we notice flaws like this there are people educated to notice it, and change it.

I agree with you there, and I think drug legislation across most of the world is flawed, and needs to be changed.
To me, it's ridiculous that a consenting adult can't go to a store and pick out an intoxicant of choice, and have themselves a nice evening. Of course, you'd need to actually educate people about drugs, what they do, how they can be dangerous, how to use them safely, but overall I think that having drugs illegal makes them more dangerous. There's no regulations on adulterants, no guarantee that what you pay for is what you get, and drug dealers (for the most part) are scum.

As an aside, I don't think ALL drugs should be legal. However, there should be a wide selection of safer drugs, so that people don't have to resort to shit like heroin. Also, I apologise if I came across as hostile earlier (or now), that was never my intention.

 

[DementedSheep]

Not never. I have had alcohol before but I've never been drunk and very very rarely drink it at all. I had maybe a bottle or 2's worth during my life (I'm 22). I actually haven't found an alcoholic drink I even like taste of so I don't even want to drink it for that. The only drugs I've taken are medicinal.

The idea of being drunk or high dose not appeal to me at all, in fact it looks horrifying. I embarrass myself enough when I'm completely sober so I don't need to add alcohol to the mix. Besides I couldn't afford to drink much even if wanted to.
Babysitting people who are drunk and/or high isn't fun either. I have friends who have been trying to to knock drug habits and have a lot of issue from that so I'm sure as hell not going to start.

 

[Thedutchjelle]

I don't drink/smoke/do drugs

And I live in the Netherlands, hehe.

I see drinking and drugs as the same thing really, they both fuck with your mind to make you feel good. Eh, no thanks. It also smells terrible, makes people act like they're not themselves anymore and is extremely expensive compared to water >_>

 

[xWestie]

I've never taken drugs. Just simply doesn't appeal to me.
Alcohol; I very rarely drink. Only if I'm out with family friends and they're drinking, but I tend to not have more than 2 drinks or so.
Again, doesn't much appeal to me. + 1 Alcoholic mother which has rather put me off drinking tbh, lol.

 

[Silverbeard]

I was just wondering, are there any of you here that have never taken alcohol or (recreational) drugs, either for religious reasons, health reasons, or because the idea has simply never appealed to you?

Religious reasons for me. I've not drank any alcoholic beverages or taken drugs beyond the occasional panadol or avellin. Apart from that, I've seen druken people before (really drunk, I mean- dancing on tables drunk and picking fights with bobbies kind of drunk) and it terrifies me to think that I could ever end up that way.

 

[Plinglebob]

I don't drink, smoke or take any illegal drugs as I figured out in my teens that I've an addictive personality and so I've always preferred to play it safe and not risk it. I've no problem with alcohol in food (other then I don't particularly like the taste if there's too much) and no problem with my friends drinking and smoking.

 

[Hurrly]

I used to drink quite alot and noq i smoke weed pretty much everyday.
My reasons initially was curiosity simple as that, i wanted to experience something different which is why iv tried acid on three ocassions ans i may do it again.

I believe that if people are educated to the potential harms and possible benefits then they can and should make an informed decision based on their own personal thoughts.
Personally i will never ever do cocaine or heroine as iv seen people who destroyed their live through it.
The first time i smoked weed i was living with classmates at college and we sat in the kitchen for an hours quizing our friened who had done it quite regularly.
We asked about side effects long term short term and medium term.

We all made an informed decision some decided to try it and some didnt, none was judged we understood it was a personal choice for them to make and if they are concerned about the effects that is perfectly fine.
With alcohol again education and personal preference. For me sometimes i just like to forget things and when im really drunk i do. ofc i do drink responsibly but every so often i want to get so wasted i cant remember my name and so thats what i do.

 

[Spiridion]

I drink whenever I get the opportunity, but as I'm still a few months short of the legal drinking age in the U.S. that doesn't come up too often. I've been tipsy once or twice, but usually just try to maintain a buzz without getting drunk. Funnily enough, I tend to drink more at family gatherings rather than with friends since we're all poor college students and I don't want to drink too much of something they spent money on when I can't pay them back for it. So my family boozes me up since I'm respectful enough to ask/wait for it to be offered.

Never done drugs, as I've never found the idea appealing. Smoking weed isn't legal in my state, but it is in the state 15 minutes north of where I live, so I might be willing to try it if I ever happened to be hanging out in that area. I'm not really curious enough to seek it out on my own, but I'd probably give it a try if the opportunity ever arose. Any other drugs I will pass on.

 

[Techno Squidgy]

I mean me using them myself. I'm totally cool with my friends who use drugs as long as they do it responsibly and preferably not around me.

That's a very good way to look at it. I think most people have this kind of attitude towards drugs, or they would do if they believed responsible drug use was possible. I say this because a not insignificant amount of people don't seem to realise that it's possible to use drugs in a responsible manner, a lot of people seem to think that you either don't do drugs or you spend every waking hour high or trying to get high. They seem to rule out the possibility of moderation.

I believe that if people are educated to the potential harms and possible benefits then they can and should make an informed decision based on their own personal thoughts.

Hooray for common sense!
Though I should add that you should be careful about posting your own experiences with drugs online. Mods and web hosts don't normally like it and I do believe it might earn you a warning or worse on this site. Best to discuss it in the abstract, rather than personal experience. That and considering recent revelations about operations PRISM and Tempora...

 

[Micalas]

I don't do drugs. Never really had a chance to because I became a High School Work Study for for the Department of Defense when I was 16 and they hired me full time when my year was up. Shit is zero tolerance. Drug tests are supposed to be random, but they tested me four times a year (the most allowed without probable cause) for three years. Including once after I got back from Senior Week, lol.

As for drinking, I don't really do it. It's too expensive for me to get drunk. I'm kind of like a weaker version of Wolverine or Deadpool. I CAN get drunk but it takes a lot to do it. The only time I got drunk was after 19 oz of Gin in under 4 hours. Even after that I still spoke properly, had minimal slurring, and woke up the next morning with no hangover.

 

[Remus]

I've been on a variety of medications since before I was old enough to retain memory. It's bad enough experiencing the wonderous side effects that those caused me, from hyperactivity and lightning fast mood swings, to hallucinations, rash, double vision, the list goes on. These side effects had the added bonus of quickly pushing me toward atheism, since anyone outside family that saw me at church thought I was the antichrist. Not. Even. Joking. Combine that with uncountable bad encounters with associates, shall I say, that abuse alcohol and drugs, and I have more than enough reason to not ingest any chemical that science has already deemed harmful to my body. I've never drank, never smoked, never touched anything illegal outside of cleaning up a couple messes left by said associates.

 

[Phantom Kat]

I've drunk alcohol for as long as I can remember, a glass of wine with dinner was commonplace with my parents (though admittedly it was a small glass). At the moment I don't drink much, more because it's expensive than for any other reason.

Tried weed twice. First time I ate (yes, ate) a ball of it because my friend dared me to after I had drunk half a bottle of rum and the second time I just smoked it though it didn't do much.

 

[sumanoskae]

Tried some wine once, hated it, and haven't drunk before or since. I have no desire to be drunk, and I don't trust myself under the influence of alcohol, I worry I might say something hurtful.

As for drugs, same basic story; no interest, not worth the health and/or legal risks.

I've never really understood the appeal of being drunk or high, I've never felt held back by my inhibitions; if I'm not comfortable with it, it's usually because it's a bad idea.