Taking illegal drugs ruins lives. I've seen it happen to family and close friends.
I count myself damn lucky I've never been tempted to do it.
For me when I was younger, hearing stories of people shooting up heroin with a syringe put me off it permanently.
I just couldn't see what they got out of it and it looked damn frightening.
When I was 16 my mother got me involved in the local theatre company to get me away from the "bad company" I'd been keeping. I think she was worried I'd get into drugs. The ironic thing was that drug use was just as prevalent in the theatre!
I've seen people smoke dope, snort coke, inject heroin and plenty of other things. Only one of my mates from that early era came out the other side. Others did rehab, were institutionalised, some went off their scone with schizophrenia and never recovered.
I'm all for free choice and the right for people to do what they want. I don't care if they break the law as long as they know they have to take the responsibility for it.
I'm trying to educate my 11 year old son now on this same issue and thankfully, for now, he seems to think it just as abhorrent as I do. Hopefully that continues.
Because I would hate to see my son ruin his life like plenty of those in times gone by.