Blow

[st_Trav_ofWA]

People show their age, and ignorance to a degree, when talking about drugs.


Here's the deal:

Drugs can f*** you up really bad.

So can gambling.
So can drinking.
So can eating.
Hell, so can online gaming these days!

But none of the above categorically f*** you up.


Many, many people take drugs, and you would never even know it. They are responsible about it and know their limitations. Same with gambling, drinking and anything else.

The thing with drugs, is that they make you feel good. That's the point of them. If they made you feel s*** - no one would take them!


So when we tell kids "don't take drugs, they're bad!", and as part of being young they get curious and take them anyway - they feel good and instantly think that we don't know what the hell we're talking about! They have the time of their lives, and think that the old dudes who told them how bad drugs are must just be being kill joys.

The other thing with drugs, is that it's easier to take them regularly, which is a trap. If you got pissed every night, the hangovers alone would make you change your mind and pull back! But you can easily get stoned every night and wake up fresh as a daisy.


So folks, the reality is that 'recreational drugs' is the new beer! The youth of today are simply doing what we did - they're just using something that most of us didn't, and the big worry is that they're using something that most of us don't understand. If we don't understand it - then we can't educate them on it.

Recreational drugs the new beer. Well it certainly depends what drugs you use. Beer is $2 a can if you buy a slab. Ice is $150 for about 2 smokes or injections. Whatever you prefer. it is far from the new beer. it is dangerous addictive drug. I think a good parent can explain that drugs are bad even if you feel good for an hour. Anyway I am of the opinion if the tests help one person its more than would be helped without them.

the question remains though Plugger has the testing really helped anyone ??? as it stands playerd know if they get pinged by the test they have two more strikes ... and there is the loop hole around the self reporting .... is there an follow up to this ? how does a club go about helping a player if is not allowed to know has a problem ??

[plugger66]

People show their age, and ignorance to a degree, when talking about drugs.


Here's the deal:

Drugs can f*** you up really bad.

So can gambling.
So can drinking.
So can eating.
Hell, so can online gaming these days!

But none of the above categorically f*** you up.


Many, many people take drugs, and you would never even know it. They are responsible about it and know their limitations. Same with gambling, drinking and anything else.

The thing with drugs, is that they make you feel good. That's the point of them. If they made you feel s*** - no one would take them!


So when we tell kids "don't take drugs, they're bad!", and as part of being young they get curious and take them anyway - they feel good and instantly think that we don't know what the hell we're talking about! They have the time of their lives, and think that the old dudes who told them how bad drugs are must just be being kill joys.

The other thing with drugs, is that it's easier to take them regularly, which is a trap. If you got pissed every night, the hangovers alone would make you change your mind and pull back! But you can easily get stoned every night and wake up fresh as a daisy.


So folks, the reality is that 'recreational drugs' is the new beer! The youth of today are simply doing what we did - they're just using something that most of us didn't, and the big worry is that they're using something that most of us don't understand. If we don't understand it - then we can't educate them on it.

Recreational drugs the new beer. Well it certainly depends what drugs you use. Beer is $2 a can if you buy a slab. Ice is $150 for about 2 smokes or injections. Whatever you prefer. it is far from the new beer. it is dangerous addictive drug. I think a good parent can explain that drugs are bad even if you feel good for an hour. Anyway I am of the opinion if the tests help one person its more than would be helped without them.

the question remains though Plugger has the testing really helped anyone ??? as it stands playerd know if they get pinged by the test they have two more strikes ... and there is the loop hole around the self reporting .... is there an follow up to this ? how does a club go about helping a player if is not allowed to know has a problem ??

I have no idea if it is helping anyone. My guess would be yes but obviously none of us know. The doctor of the club helps the player and so does the AFL.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

the problem is to the outside eye it looks like its only there to prop up this perception that the AFL is clean and they are being proactive in doing something ... from the only real evidence we have the program isnt working very well with the likes of Travis Tuck being lost from the game because the help came too late ....

that being said a player is going to do what he wants as an adult regardless of the help structures put in front of them ... the AFL should just scrap the illicit drug testing it proves nothing and solve nothing all it tends to do is create rumour and scuttlebutt amongst fans and gives gutter journos things to speculate on ... if they were dinkydi serious about weeding the drugs out then the process would have to involve the club coach and CEO not just the doctor.... i work in an industry where random and targeted drug testing is done.. if i fail a test my direct manager is informed and i am given counselling and a knowllege i am going to be target tested my manager is also on the look out for if i come to work effected .. if i fail again 90% of the time i will find my self removed from the business...

[plugger66]

the problem is to the outside eye it looks like its only there to prop up this perception that the AFL is clean and they are being proactive in doing something ... from the only real evidence we have the program isnt working very well with the likes of Travis Tuck being lost from the game because the help came too late ....

that being said a player is going to do what he wants as an adult regardless of the help structures put in front of them ... the AFL should just scrap the illicit drug testing it proves nothing and solve nothing all it tends to do is create rumour and scuttlebutt amongst fans and gives gutter journos things to speculate on ... if they were dinkydi serious about weeding the drugs out then the process would have to involve the club coach and CEO not just the doctor.... i work in an industry where random and targeted drug testing is done.. if i fail a test my direct manager is informed and i am given counselling and a knowllege i am going to be target tested my manager is also on the look out for if i come to work effected .. if i fail again 90% of the time i will find my self removed from the business...

I have no idea what you do but is there a danger to other people if you take drugs? The reason the club doesnt get told is probably unlike where you work it will get out into the media once a few know at the club. It just about always does. yes they could scrap the drug testing but then the media will just say they gave up. they are in a no win situation and it maybe part of the CBA with the players anyway.

[markp]

So you reckon any of our lads might have tested +ve for blow?

If any of our players ever give an interview like this...



We should probably worry.

[Dis Believer]

In my opinion, the only reason the current AFL illicit drugs policy exists is as a PR mechanism for the AFL. If anyone thinks for a moment that Handy Andy actually gives two s***s about the players , or anyone elses, health, then all club officials would be covered as well !!

It was created as a PR mechanism and to deflect attention away from performance enhancing drugs. Now that the PED issue has blown up, I suspect that the illicit drugs thing will have a limited lifespan.

As a society I think it is ill informed and naive to equate Ice to beer, but I do get the social context - drugs have become far more prevalent than people pulling a few cones on a weekend or doing a couple of lines before heading out to a party. There is far more backyard chemistry and LOTS of money to be made by people big on ambition and short on scruples. Despite the damage that alcohol can (and does) wreak, you need to consume a significant amount to become a risk, and over a reasonably lengthy timeframe to develop a dependence, by stark comparison not to somehting like Ice.

The prevalvence of coke in more recent times is the thing that has surprised me the most...

[plugger66]

In my opinion, the only reason the current AFL illicit drugs policy exists is as a PR mechanism for the AFL. If anyone thinks for a moment that Handy Andy actually gives two s***s about the players , or anyone elses, health, then all club officials would be covered as well !!

It was created as a PR mechanism and to deflect attention away from performance enhancing drugs. Now that the PED issue has blown up, I suspect that the illicit drugs thing will have a limited lifespan.

As a society I think it is ill informed and naive to equate Ice to beer, but I do get the social context - drugs have become far more prevalent than people pulling a few cones on a weekend or doing a couple of lines before heading out to a party. There is far more backyard chemistry and LOTS of money to be made by people big on ambition and short on scruples. Despite the damage that alcohol can (and does) wreak, you need to consume a significant amount to become a risk, and over a reasonably lengthy timeframe to develop a dependence, by stark comparison not to somehting like Ice.

The prevalvence of coke in more recent times is the thing that has surprised me the most...

I wasnt comparing ice to beer. The other poster said that recreational drugs is the new beer. i actually said it depends on the drugs because you could never compare ice to beer so I actually am agreeing with you.

Also the illicit drugs policy was brought in well before there was a sniff that performance enhancing drugs were getting out of hand. Also I dont see why the AFL would bring in a policy that initially showed very high drug use if it was to gloat. Before they made it an official illicit drugs policy the figures were something like 30 positives in 400 tests. They could have walked away then and said this is going to be bad publicity but they didnt.

[satchmo]

In my opinion, the only reason the current AFL illicit drugs policy exists is as a PR mechanism for the AFL. If anyone thinks for a moment that Handy Andy actually gives two s***s about the players , or anyone elses, health, then all club officials would be covered as well !!

Yes!

If they are trying to such a good deed for society, then not only all club officials and coaching staff, but AFL staff should be tested as well.

But wait; there's more. They could actually insist on it as part of AFL media accreditation. After all there are more people in the media than players, and they could save a lot more desperate souls than you ever imagined!

So if it is a serious attempt to address the issue, then do everyone. And watch the media outrage at the despicable un-Australian invasion of privacy.

[plugger66]

In my opinion, the only reason the current AFL illicit drugs policy exists is as a PR mechanism for the AFL. If anyone thinks for a moment that Handy Andy actually gives two s***s about the players , or anyone elses, health, then all club officials would be covered as well !!

Yes!

If they are trying to such a good deed for society, then not only all club officials and coaching staff, but AFL staff as well should be tested as well.

But wait; there's more. They could actually insist on it as part of AFL media accreditation. After all there are more people in the media than players, and they could save a lot more desperate souls than you ever imagined!

So if it is a serious attempt to address the issue, then do everyone. And watch the media outrage at the despicable un-Australian invasion of privacy.

Its a player CBA policy so why would they test all those people. I actually think AFL staff may be tested though.

[satchmo]

Its a player CBA policy so why would they test all those people. I actually think AFL staff may be tested though.

The same reason that they test the players. Because they care.

[plugger66]

Its a player CBA policy so why would they test all those people. I actually think AFL staff may be tested though.

The same reason that they test the players. Because they care.

Obviously you dont think they do so why did they bring this in when the initial figures were poor. They could have just not gone ahead with it.

[Dis Believer]

Its a player CBA policy so why would they test all those people. I actually think AFL staff may be tested though.

The same reason that they test the players. Because they care.

Obviously you dont think they do so why did they bring this in when the initial figures were poor. They could have just not gone ahead with it.

The figures are irrelelvant. Either you are being obtuse, or you don't get it. The figures are irrelevant. It's like the pretty girl in the small, sparkly costume working as the magicians assistant. Her job is diversion. Focus the audience's attention away from what the magician doesn't want you to notice. Hell, high positive numbers maybe even a good thing. "Look everyone, how socially responsible and moral are the AFL saving all these poor lost souls, rehabilitation is our motto, not punishment"..........."PED's, what are those - we've never had a positive test!"............"no, back over here, look over here everyone, the illicit drugs are really the scourge of society, we are determined to clean up our little corner of it with all the free time we have on our hands from not have any other drug problems, like those, you know, wht did you call them, PED's ??"

[Cairnsman]

True Believer you are spot on. Also the AFL are like any other employer, the reason they have a drug and alcohol policy is because it's the law to do so and also because it means for more productive employees. I'll bet my left nut that there are lots of executives in the AFL and club boards that participate in alcohol and drug use. Drugs are a part of society whether we like it or not and taking the moral high ground is ignorant and a stance of a bygone generation.

[perfectionist]

Gilbo was caught sniffing Johnson's Baby Powder.

[satchmo]

Gilbo was caught sniffing Johnson's Baby Powder.

I bet you have the pics on your phone.

[loris]

I must live a sheltered life...

Me don't think so Icey................ not in your line of work