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Using and Abusing

by Zaki Omar
T T 7" is about drugs 1 A/ that makes people V Y take them even though they know that drugs are harmful ? Is tt because the wonderful feelings which certain drugs give outweigh the harm they cause ? Does the threat of brain damage, liver damage, even death have no effect on them ? Blake stated that. 'When the DOORS OF PERCEPTION are cleansed, man will see things as they truly are. Irflntte.' Many drug users believe that drugs are keys by which they may open the Doors of Perception. Besides teenagers, many well-known actors, singers. artists, and writers are known to have taken drugs. Samuel T. Coleridge, the 19th century romantic poet. Is supposed to have thought of one of his masterpieces during an opium trip. The story goes that — one day Coleridge woke from an opium trip and started to write down the poem which had been Induced by the drug.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and when he returned from answering ■ the door he Just could not remember the rest of the poem. He never finished It. but yet. it Is thought to be one of his most beautiful poems. I wanted to find out from drug users themselves why they take drugs. So I spoke to two individuals — the first Is an occasional user and the second Is an addict.
The x-casional user
Star: What types of drugs do you take and how did you first get Involved in taking them ?
User 1: The only substance which I take Is marijuana. The first time I took marijuana was when I once went to a friend's house. His elder brother used to smoke GANJA (marijuana). We sneaked some of the GANGA and, not knowing exactly how to take ft, we stuffed the green stuff into one of hts father's pipe, and smoked it. I didn't feel any different except for a slight headrush. This same episode occurred a few times before we started to comprehend the effect of GANJA. Ever since then I have been smoking GANJA occasionally.
Star: You stated that the first time you smoked marl Juana you did not feel any difference. but that later on you began to comprehend the effect of marijuana; what exactly do you mean ?
User 1: When 1 first did tt 1 thought that GANJA didn't ef-
fect me the way it is always portrayed in books and cinemas. But once wc started smoking It more often I began lo realise that your surroundings and mood can affect the effect which GANJA has on you. Many times wc would smoke GANJA at parties with music blasting and disco lights surrounding us. At parties it would only make me mellow and slow down my reactions.
It would be strangely different when wc did it in a dim or dark room with music playing softly. Though the music Is soft, your cars pick up the
sounds. Intensified by the GANJA, which break through the silence of the night. The effect also depends on the type of music you are listening to. Listening to songs by Pink Floyd. Doors, or Dob Dylan will hnvc a greater effect on one than listening to musk- by New
Kids On The Block. This Is because the music by Pink Floyd. Doors, and Bob Dylan has a certain meaning which is greatly emphasized when you have taken GANJA.
In one of the many books on Dylan he slates that GANJA 1s a substance which only bends your mind a bit and that everyone should hnvc Ihctr mtnds bent, somewhat, once In a while. 1 agree with him because the brain. I feel, holds awesome potential, most of which wc are not capable of using and some of that potential is cxccrciscd and released when you smoke GANJA.
Star: Arc you an addict ?
User 1: The thing about GANJA is that ft docs not make you crave for it. You can smoke some today but It docs not make you think that you have to smoke it again tomorrow. No. I would not say that I am an addict but that I am a frequent user.
Marijuana Is a very common drug In Bangladesh and may be acquired easily from many sources. A big attraction to this drug ts that It Is very cheap. Five takas will buy you enough marijuana to fill at least two normal length cigarettes. Another drug which ts very popular in Bangladesh ts Phensldyl. It Is actually a cough syrup and is banned in Bangladesh because one of the main Ingredients in it ts coedlne. It is not made here but is brought tn from our neighbouring countries. Phensldyl users drink the syrup for the coedlne but the syrup contains other dangerous chemicals which ex-cercise harmful effects on the body, especially the liver. The liver Is over-taxed with having to break down the various chemicals In the syrup, and after a certain point the addict's liver will Just give up.
My second interview was with a Phensedyl addict: Star: How did you get involved with or Introduced to Phensldyl ?
User 2: I had friends who used to take it and one day I tried it with them. It was not peer pressure but I wanted to see why they enjoyed taking It so much.
Star: How did it effect you and what did you feci ?
User 2: You do not feel anything as soon as you take it but only after some time. It makes you feel very light on your feet and sends this tingling feeling through your body. i
Star: Why Phensldyl ? Wny not alcohol or marijuana ?
User 2: To drink alcohol you have to build up a certain resistance. In the beginning you start with a very small amount and slowly your body gets more and more accustomed to drinking greater quantities of It. If you arc not used lo alcohol you will start throwing up and your head will ache. With Phensedyl, to begin it you do not have to build that resistance as you would for alcohol. With marijuana it la the same thing aa alcohol — you
have to get accustomed to taking greater quantities.
Star: How did you get so Involved in doing Phensldyl ?
User 2: At first 1 would do it occasionally with my friends
Slowly wc started taking tt more often until we were doing Phensldyl everyday The thing with Phensldyl is that if you take ft today you will have a great urge and craving to take Il again tomorrow
Wc would take Phensedyl and then smoke marijuana and this combination would increase the effect of your high.
Star: How do you feel emotionally and physically when you combine Phensedyl and marijuana?
User 2: The emotional effect is extraordinary because It heightens your perception level. Things which would or dinartly have no meanings seem to become priorities. You lend lo become prioritlca. You tend to become lethargic and things which were priorities to you before you took the drugs seem sometimes unimportant.
Many months ago a friend of mine and I made a plan to meet at another friend's house. I was the one who suggested this plan but 1 myself forgot about It entirely. 1. for some reason, thought that the plan had been cancelled. I met my friend after a few days and when we were alone he said to me."You know. I only went that night because I thought you were going to be there. What I mean 1s when you say you arc going to be somewhere, be there."
11c said this In a very matter of fact tone and he was not saying 11 to make me feel guilty but was merely making a statement. I was on both Phensedyl and marijuana at the time and when he said this to me I realised what I had actually done to my friend. He had said what he had unknowingly, not meaning to hurt me. but it had made a great impact on me. The point that I am trying to make is that my emotional powers were at full alert and I could see meanings in things which were not supposed to have any meanings.
Star: Are you not aware of the damage which these drugs are doing to you?
User 2: Yes, 1 am aware of the damage which these drugs are having on me. Phensedyl takes the liver to the point of exhaustion. One of my friends died from jaundice because his liver had been totally destroyed from taking excess Phensedyl constantly. Even after his death I took tt showing you how indifferent an addict becomes. But I do not take ft for the physical feelings, like most people, but because It makes me emotionally aware of my surroundings and own-bc-ing.
Star: How would you feel If you were a father and you found out that your son was taking Phensedyl ?
User 2: I would not want anyone to start on Phensedyl because it Is a very sweet high and one can easily become dependent on it. 1 despise Phensedyl because it eats your soul but I despise myself more for being dependent on ft.
Doing drugs is no Joke because a user does not know when tt is that he stops using and starts abusing them. If ■ drugs do 'open the doors of perception', it Is only for a brief while, after which there is only one thing — darkness.