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Charles · Jan 8th, 2008, 02:37 PM

I'm aware of of how long it stays in your system (2 to 4 days). My cousin is a habitual cocaine user. Still, it's immediate effects (the "high") only lasts a couple of hours. After that, your brain is in a Dopamine uptake deficit and thusly uptakes the excess Dopamine causing a lull or depression. This last a few hours as well. After that, it's effects are pretty much over...even though it stays in your system for days after. So, in other words, she could have done some Friday night then played a game Sunday, with no lingering effects, and still tested positive after the game.
Now, I'm not gonna say that being a professional sports player and choosing to do illegal drugs is the best idea...cause of reasons like this, but at the same time, I'm not going to just eat up what the government says about illegal drugs as gospel. I have friends who've been on crack, coke, heroine, and meth...who are alcoholics, so I know first hand what excessive drug use can do to a person. I also know what recreational drug use and infrequent drug use can do and it's def not like the media portrays it. I also have friends who occasionally do the same drugs (hell, I've done some stuff myself) and they're normal people who ave 40 hour a week jobs, who pay their bills and are successful people. They understand the dangers of such drugs and regulate it so it doesn't take over their lives. Sometimes people just want to have some fun, and doing a drug, whether it be alcohol, coke or caffeine, helps them have that fun. Then they go back to their lives and live like normal people. I have no issues with that at all. People should be able to do drugs in a responsible matter (ie not driving or performing job duties, etc etc). Martina Hingis should be able to do some blow Friday night and play tennis Sunday, but obviously, that's not going to happen. And my opinion also changes if she's doing drugs immediately prior to her games. That's a different story. It just bothers me that people seem to think that just cause something's illegal, it's automatically bad....then they turn around and do a shot of tequila. Laws do not make something bad. In fact, then main reason cocaine is illegal is cause the government thought the "black" folk would get high on it and rape their white women. That's why they made it illegal. How's that for informative law making!
Anyhow...sorry, I kind of went off on a tangent there!

Speedy · Jan 8th, 2008, 08:06 PM

Again, where do we draw the lines?

In my county, it's perfectly legal to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Hell, there's even a "supplier" (IE Dealer) about three blocks from where I am laying right now. However, it's still against California law to buy, sell or grow pot. And there is no regulations on it.

We had one "certified" grower on the other end of town. He was shot and killed by some dopeheads. You could smell his crop just by driving by his house, and he made no bones about being a "caregiver" for patients who had a medicinal marijuana card. Sadly, many "caregivers" here end up hurt, robbed or even dead because of the laxness of the laws for growing it.

And because pot is our unofficial number one cash crop, we get ALL the dopeheads from everywhere who think because it's legal for certain patients to smoke it, they come flocking here from everywhere to see if they can get in on this.

I've ALWAYS had the stance that they should legalize many "street" drugs. Regulate it, let the government grow it, tax it, and sell it like alcohol and cigarettes, then it wouldn't be the problem it is today.

Maybe I just don't understand the mindset that in order to have "fun", one must be high. Coke has a perfectly legitimate medicinal purpose too, and it used to be sold over the counter... and yes, like you said Charles, the reason it was stopped was due to some antiquated laws that worried that Black men would run amok and rape white women, but now? NOW it's illegal because it changes a person to the point where they cause accidents, death and mayhem. And it's more addicting than alcohol. (I have heard however, cigarettes are just as addicting as heroin, and this I believe, I've tried to quit smoking many times.) BUT, smoking a cigarette and then getting behind the wheel of a car isn't dangerous as say, taking a hit off a blunt. It doesn't change your vision or you perception like drugs and alcohol.

Many times I had to wonder if Mark Fregia would have not set my niece and her children on fire had he not been high. So it does affect more than just the user.

Charles · Jan 8th, 2008, 10:53 PM

Coke is more addictive than alcohol? Not so sure about that.

What do you mean where do we draw the line? We've always had lines drawn for legalized drugs. You can't drive while drinking. You can't smoke in a restaurant. These laws are to protect other people from your vices. How much mayhem and death is due to drunken mobs after playoff games or drunk drivers? How many cancer related deaths are due to smoking? Do we overlook that cause alcohol and cigs are legal? Just with coke/meth/whatever. If you drive while under the influence, you should go to jail. If you're high at work, you get fired. If you hurt someone while on meth, you go to jail just as you would if you were drunk off Jager. And while your example is heartbreaking, the legality of the drug had no bearing on his usage, and ultimately, I feel it's not the drug that causes actions like that. Those actions are caused from a mental disorder of some type that was there long before the drug usage. Would you agree? High or not, completely sane people do not kill other people on purpose. I mean, I'm sure you've gotten drunk in the past. Would you get behind a wheel like that? Probably not..cause you have something these people don't, rational thought and a moral compass. I've been high numerous times, and I've never...ever even remotely wanted to harm someone. So again...it's the people, not the drugs. And yes, it just so happens that he was high when he did what he did, so in that case do you want alcohol illegal cause someone killed or hurt someone else when they were drunk? You can't simply make things illegal cause of something a minority does. Most people do kill or hurt other people when they're drunk. Of course, some do, but alcohol isn't illegal due to the few people who can't control their actions while under the influence, nor should other drugs.

Vlad · Jan 8th, 2008, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by IntlSet

Good thing I will never raise my kids to think athletes are somehow also "role models" for simply being able to hit balls around or throw them into hoops.

If you had an athletic background, you could never make a statement like that. There is nothing simple about being a dedicated athlete, much less being pro. A degree of devotion, dedication and sacrifice goes into achieving high goals in sports that is certainly worth raising your kids towards.

It is just a shame when athletes break the rules, whether it'd be performance enhancing drugs or, in this case, cocaine. Coke isn't a p.e. drug, Hingis probably partied too hard the weekend before the test. Hardly excusable, I can see why the tennis federation would suspend her. Looking at the length of the suspension though, you can tell that they suspended her on the account of breaking the law and not using cocaine as performance enhancement. Many athletes get lifetime suspensions if p.e. drugs are found in their systems.

caitlin1214 · Jan 8th, 2008, 11:17 PM

^^ I agree.

I think it's amazing those people have that much dedication to something they really love. I'd like to think what would happen if I were a professional [fill in the blank] but I know I have too short of an attention span!

I remember reading something pointing out that if performance enhancing drugs weren't dangerous, they'd be frowned upon because they would give an unfair advantage to those that partake. So the options then would be to make them available to everybody or nobody.

Danger level aside, I don't WANT to watch a bunch of jacked-up athletes! That would ruin the game for me!

My dad played rugby and he did crew in college. Nowadays, he plays tennis almost every morning. He still keeps in touch with his rugby club.

My brother and I did the 'team things' when we were kids. My brother played t-ball, soccer and I believe he had a short stint playing basketball. I played soccer. (I wasn't GOOD at it, but I PLAYED it) and we were both on the swim team.

Marion Joyner was recently stripped of her medals when it came to light that she lied to federal agents about using performance enhancing drugs.

caitlin1214 · Jan 8th, 2008, 11:33 PM

To add . . . I think athletes are admired not only for their dedication and passion but also for the idea that they're supposed to represent such wholesome things as teamwork and good sportsmanship. Though the second thing is mostly for pee wee sports. In the professional world, the athletes were supposed to be the ones that ate their Wheaties and encouraged people to say no to drugs.

Vlad · Jan 9th, 2008, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by caitlin1214

Marion Joyner was recently stripped of her medals when it came to light that she lied to federal agents about using performance enhancing drugs.

Heh.... I think you just mixed up Marion Jones and Florence Griffith-Joyner.

Speedy · Jan 9th, 2008, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by Charles

Coke is more addictive than alcohol? Not so sure about that.

What do you mean where do we draw the line? We've always had lines drawn for legalized drugs. You can't drive while drinking. You can't smoke in a restaurant. These laws are to protect other people from your vices. How much mayhem and death is due to drunken mobs after playoff games or drunk drivers? How many cancer related deaths are due to smoking? Do we overlook that cause alcohol and cigs are legal? Just with coke/meth/whatever. If you drive while under the influence, you should go to jail. If you're high at work, you get fired. If you hurt someone while on meth, you go to jail just as you would if you were drunk off Jager. And while your example is heartbreaking, the legality of the drug had no bearing on his usage, and ultimately, I feel it's not the drug that causes actions like that. Those actions are caused from a mental disorder of some type that was there long before the drug usage. Would you agree? High or not, completely sane people do not kill other people on purpose. I mean, I'm sure you've gotten drunk in the past. Would you get behind a wheel like that? Probably not..cause you have something these people don't, rational thought and a moral compass. I've been high numerous times, and I've never...ever even remotely wanted to harm someone. So again...it's the people, not the drugs. And yes, it just so happens that he was high when he did what he did, so in that case do you want alcohol illegal cause someone killed or hurt someone else when they were drunk? You can't simply make things illegal cause of something a minority does. Most people do kill or hurt other people when they're drunk. Of course, some do, but alcohol isn't illegal due to the few people who can't control their actions while under the influence, nor should other drugs.

Oh, yeah, I've gottten smashed... in another thread I admitted to being a recovering alcoholic. BUT, alcohol is not illegal... it's what you do while intoxicated (driving drunk, ect) which is. ANd yes, I have been stupid enough to drink and drive. Luckily, I was caught before I killed someone.
While I agree that is IS the people and not the drugs, there are just TOO many people who just flat out don't know their limit.

I meant to say Heroin was more addicting than alcohol, not Coke. Forgive the slip.

Problem with these drugs is, unlike alcohol and cigarettes, there is no regulations. It all comes from illegal labs, and there is no "quality" control. Last weeks batch may not be as strong as this week's, and seriously, no-one but the cook knows what's in it. (Unless you cook your own.)

And no, SANE people don't go around killing people, but the drugs are exactly keeping one sane. I seriously do NOT understand the mindset that one has to be high in order to have fun Charles! (I used alcohol for another reason, I was self-medicating.) And stats show people seldom kill or maim others for cigarettes and alcohol, unlike people who steal for drug money, or decide to knock off the neighborhood dealer for his money and stash. Just because you wouldn't kill someone while on it, doesn't mean everyone else wouldn't.

Come on man, our prisons are at record highs for drug offenses. While simple possession is sometimes treated harshly, the problem comes from the ones who devote their lives to this "recreation". The bottom line is, people DIE because of drugs. Yeah, I know, when cocaine was legal and could be had at any corner drug store, we didn't have this problem, right? Well, yes, but at the same time, it wasn't as strong and addicting as it is now. And no-one cares if you get shot on the street because of a drug deal gone wrong. If anything, they'll say one asked for it for dealing with such a person(s) to get your "high". But the ones who suffer the most aren't the ones who do drugs, it's the people who are innocents, the people who are robbed by drug addicts, the children of druggies, the spouses. And it doesn't matter to the people if you yourself didn't harm them, but someone along the chain of drug dealings will.

It's like trying to justify breeding your dog when a million animals a year are being put down. No big deal because you don't get crazy after a snort, just like it's no big deal you've got a litter of puppies and need to find homes for them. But when everyone thinks this way, we end up only having to take care of your puppies as well as the other million. Being a "recreational" user only supports the dealers and the people who will kill.

I know the coke law came about because of the Black Man/White Woman scenerio, but there is more to it than that. It's a narcotic, and it affects people differently. I've yet to meet someone who told me they were glad they did drugs. Just like I wished I hadn't wasted all those years being drunk.

IntlSet · Jan 9th, 2008, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by Vlad

If you had an athletic background, you could never make a statement like that. There is nothing simple about being a dedicated athlete, much less being pro. A degree of devotion, dedication and sacrifice goes into achieving high goals in sports that is certainly worth raising your kids towards.

Vlad, if I recall correctly, you were a competitive swimmer in college? I hope I didn't offend you because that wasn't my intent. I danced ballet for many, many years and played tennis competitively. And they certainly helped me develop discipline, I can't deny that! It can be a great vehicle for a lot of things, including education (didn't you and/or Megs swim for Ohio State?).

It's just a question of values, and to each his/her own. There are many different applications of "devotion, dedication and sacrafice." Sports is one of the arenas (i.e. entertainment) that I would not be especially keen to see my kids devote themselves to. I would be thrilled if they decided to dedicate themselves to a subject like, say, marine biology, and become an expert in this highly competitive and important field. I would be thrilled if my kids could develop some dedication and passion for the saxophone and become the next Winton Marsalis. I just don't know that I want my kid to become the next Venus Williams. Roger Federer -- maybe!

A lot of professional athletes are in the sport for the money (also nothing wrong with that, but hardly something for a kid to look up to). A lot of athletes fail in the competitive atmosphere or feel pressured to take drugs to do well because the rewards for doing well are so great: look at Barry Bonds. A lot of athletes eschew an education in pursuit of their sport (lots of basketball players, like Kobe, lots of ballet dancers although ballet is not really a sport).

Those are MY reasons, and probably those held by others, of why athletes are not the finest rolemodels we can create for our society, although they are the ones most often looked up to.

Charles · Jan 9th, 2008, 01:02 PM

Speedy, I think you're kind of missing my point. Sure, alcohol is legal, and there are laws to regulate it, but even with those laws, how many people die from its abuse? The legality of a drug has nothing to do with its level of harmfulness (to an extent). How many people died during prohibition? Smugglers, distillers..etc etc. How has the war on drugs curbed illegal drug use? To make a drug illegal is an exercise in futility. And yes, people do kill for more drugs, but again...that's a minority. Just like people who kill when drunk. There will always be people who can't control their vices, and I'm ok with that. I shouldn't have a right to say "you can't do that cause you're gonna hurt yourself" They're adults who can make up their own mind. However, the line is when it affects me, and it's always been that way. That's when the government steps in. So when you ask where is the line drawn....it's drawn the same place it's always been drawn, when your vices affect others in a harmful nature. So in the end, I feel if you're going to legalize some drugs, you should legalize them all. Have it regulated by the government and have the quality regulated as well. A high quality, regulated product means lower prices which will eliminate the street dealers. They'd have no point of existing. With no street dealers, you'd have authorized sellers. As far as the people who would kill for drugs...there's nothing you can do about that...just like you can't prevent people who are going to drink and drive or people who randomly snap and drown their kids. There will always be people who are crazy and no law will help prevent that.

Oh, and I'm glad I've done drugs.

I've never let them take over my life and when I do them, I have a fun time. As far as people needing to do drugs to have a good time, it's all relative to me. Sometimes I get happy when I play with my dog. I get happy when I do a great job at work. I get happy when I do something nice of Kara or Tristan. Then there are other times when I do a certain drug to feel happy. It's not that I need to, it's that I want to. We don't need to sky dive or rock climb or do a good deed for someone less fortunate. We want to. And as a side product of that deed is a good feeling. Now, you're always going to have people who need to do drugs in order to feel good, but then again, that goes with anything. People are addicted to food. People are addicted to sex. There will always be people who are addicted to something. So when you say you don't understand the need to do drugs to feel good...well, I don't either. I don't know what's going on in that person's head. I can only tell you what I feel, and it's not about a need for me. I try to enjoy life to its fullest, and that means, to me, experiencing as much as I can. I try to make informed decisions based on risk and positive and negative outcomes. Sometimes, I feel an activity is too risky, and I don't do it. Most of the times I figure...why not? I don't have regrets in life for this reason.

caitlin1214 · Jan 9th, 2008, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by Vlad

Heh.... I think you just mixed up Marion Jones and Florence Griffith-Joyner.

Oops! Yeah, I meant Marion Jones.

Dammit! My whole well-thought-out response just went right out the window, didn't it?

The point is: I agree with you that the consequences to athletes caught using performance enhancement drugs are harsh.

Speedy · Jan 9th, 2008, 06:31 PM

Charles,

Welllll... I think we could argue this til the cows come home! So we should just agree to disagree on this subject. I've just seen so many lives ruined by narcotics and alcohol, people like you who can "take it or leave it" or use it recreationally are very much in the minority however, and few can say what you did, that they are glad they did drugs.

All along I've said they should regulate it, tax it, and deal it out like alcohol. Then the government can become the pushers, and make money off of it. I think if they did that, it would justify the rehabs. Really, as a taxpayer, aren't you a little ticked off that YOUR money goes to help the people who can't control their addictions? I know I am looking at a much bigger picture here, but it's time everyone did.

As for the athletes like this gal in the story, I'm really shocked. I was never an athlete, heck, the only thing I ever did that was even close was I was the sixth grade dodge-ball champ... but when one dedicates their lives to a performance, why would they risk all that hard work on an occasional high?

RoseMary · Jan 10th, 2008, 05:27 AM

so many athletes are doped, it's really sad.

purseinsanity · Jan 14th, 2008, 02:38 AM

I thought she was denying it??

GUNG · Jan 14th, 2008, 03:20 AM

Originally Posted by Charles

Oh, and I'm glad I've done drugs.

I've never let them take over my life and when I do them, I have a fun time.

I dont think that is a very responsible attitude to have. I think a lot of the drug problems that people have, start with the notion that drugs are fun, recreational, and don't pose a problem for them. Then suddenly, the shitaake hits the fan, its not fun and recreation anymore, and they are a full blown addict. No, I am not saying that you are an addict or will become when. As you said, when you do them, you have a fun time, and thats all. Its more about the easygoing attitude about drugs that I am commenting on. To be flippant and nonchalant about drugs and drug usage is harmful, irresponsible, and compounds the issue of drugs further.

My point: You can't be affable, easygoing, and glib about drugs and drug usage. Its not a joke, its not about having a good time, and they should be illegal.

I ponder....if drugs like meth, cocaine, marijuana, and X were legal, the streets of SF would be wrought with glassy eyed, uninhibited, out-of-control users driving,walking to the liquor store, inline buying groceries..because hey its legal right?

I dont mean to offend Charles, or anyone else here. I just strongly believe that the issue of drugs must be taken with the highest regard and seriousness.

Jan 8th, 2008, 02:37 PM	#16
Charles Sucks at budgeting Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 7,037	Re: Come on athletes we got to do better!! Tennis player tested positive for Cocaine I'm aware of of how long it stays in your system (2 to 4 days). My cousin is a habitual cocaine user. Still, it's immediate effects (the "high") only lasts a couple of hours. After that, your brain is in a Dopamine uptake deficit and thusly uptakes the excess Dopamine causing a lull or depression. This last a few hours as well. After that, it's effects are pretty much over...even though it stays in your system for days after. So, in other words, she could have done some Friday night then played a game Sunday, with no lingering effects, and still tested positive after the game. Now, I'm not gonna say that being a professional sports player and choosing to do illegal drugs is the best idea...cause of reasons like this, but at the same time, I'm not going to just eat up what the government says about illegal drugs as gospel. I have friends who've been on crack, coke, heroine, and meth...who are alcoholics, so I know first hand what excessive drug use can do to a person. I also know what recreational drug use and infrequent drug use can do and it's def not like the media portrays it. I also have friends who occasionally do the same drugs (hell, I've done some stuff myself) and they're normal people who ave 40 hour a week jobs, who pay their bills and are successful people. They understand the dangers of such drugs and regulate it so it doesn't take over their lives. Sometimes people just want to have some fun, and doing a drug, whether it be alcohol, coke or caffeine, helps them have that fun. Then they go back to their lives and live like normal people. I have no issues with that at all. People should be able to do drugs in a responsible matter (ie not driving or performing job duties, etc etc). Martina Hingis should be able to do some blow Friday night and play tennis Sunday, but obviously, that's not going to happen. And my opinion also changes if she's doing drugs immediately prior to her games. That's a different story. It just bothers me that people seem to think that just cause something's illegal, it's automatically bad....then they turn around and do a shot of tequila. Laws do not make something bad. In fact, then main reason cocaine is illegal is cause the government thought the "black" folk would get high on it and rape their white women. That's why they made it illegal. How's that for informative law making! Anyhow...sorry, I kind of went off on a tangent there!
	Last edited by Charles; Jan 8th, 2008 at 02:39 PM.

Jan 8th, 2008, 08:06 PM	#17
Speedy Sofa King Banned Joined: Nov 2007 Location: N. California Posts: 3,750	Re: Come on athletes we got to do better!! Tennis player tested positive for Cocaine Again, where do we draw the lines? In my county, it's perfectly legal to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Hell, there's even a "supplier" (IE Dealer) about three blocks from where I am laying right now. However, it's still against California law to buy, sell or grow pot. And there is no regulations on it. We had one "certified" grower on the other end of town. He was shot and killed by some dopeheads. You could smell his crop just by driving by his house, and he made no bones about being a "caregiver" for patients who had a medicinal marijuana card. Sadly, many "caregivers" here end up hurt, robbed or even dead because of the laxness of the laws for growing it. And because pot is our unofficial number one cash crop, we get ALL the dopeheads from everywhere who think because it's legal for certain patients to smoke it, they come flocking here from everywhere to see if they can get in on this. I've ALWAYS had the stance that they should legalize many "street" drugs. Regulate it, let the government grow it, tax it, and sell it like alcohol and cigarettes, then it wouldn't be the problem it is today. Maybe I just don't understand the mindset that in order to have "fun", one must be high. Coke has a perfectly legitimate medicinal purpose too, and it used to be sold over the counter... and yes, like you said Charles, the reason it was stopped was due to some antiquated laws that worried that Black men would run amok and rape white women, but now? NOW it's illegal because it changes a person to the point where they cause accidents, death and mayhem. And it's more addicting than alcohol. (I have heard however, cigarettes are just as addicting as heroin, and this I believe, I've tried to quit smoking many times.) BUT, smoking a cigarette and then getting behind the wheel of a car isn't dangerous as say, taking a hit off a blunt. It doesn't change your vision or you perception like drugs and alcohol. Many times I had to wonder if Mark Fregia would have not set my niece and her children on fire had he not been high. So it does affect more than just the user.

Jan 8th, 2008, 10:53 PM	#18
Charles Sucks at budgeting Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 7,037	Re: Come on athletes we got to do better!! Tennis player tested positive for Cocaine Coke is more addictive than alcohol? Not so sure about that. What do you mean where do we draw the line? We've always had lines drawn for legalized drugs. You can't drive while drinking. You can't smoke in a restaurant. These laws are to protect other people from your vices. How much mayhem and death is due to drunken mobs after playoff games or drunk drivers? How many cancer related deaths are due to smoking? Do we overlook that cause alcohol and cigs are legal? Just with coke/meth/whatever. If you drive while under the influence, you should go to jail. If you're high at work, you get fired. If you hurt someone while on meth, you go to jail just as you would if you were drunk off Jager. And while your example is heartbreaking, the legality of the drug had no bearing on his usage, and ultimately, I feel it's not the drug that causes actions like that. Those actions are caused from a mental disorder of some type that was there long before the drug usage. Would you agree? High or not, completely sane people do not kill other people on purpose. I mean, I'm sure you've gotten drunk in the past. Would you get behind a wheel like that? Probably not..cause you have something these people don't, rational thought and a moral compass. I've been high numerous times, and I've never...ever even remotely wanted to harm someone. So again...it's the people, not the drugs. And yes, it just so happens that he was high when he did what he did, so in that case do you want alcohol illegal cause someone killed or hurt someone else when they were drunk? You can't simply make things illegal cause of something a minority does. Most people do kill or hurt other people when they're drunk. Of course, some do, but alcohol isn't illegal due to the few people who can't control their actions while under the influence, nor should other drugs.

Jan 8th, 2008, 11:17 PM	#20
caitlin1214 Go ask Alice Joined: Jul 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 23,400	Re: Come on athletes we got to do better!! Tennis player tested positive for Cocaine ^^ I agree. I think it's amazing those people have that much dedication to something they really love. I'd like to think what would happen if I were a professional [fill in the blank] but I know I have too short of an attention span! I remember reading something pointing out that if performance enhancing drugs weren't dangerous, they'd be frowned upon because they would give an unfair advantage to those that partake. So the options then would be to make them available to everybody or nobody. Danger level aside, I don't WANT to watch a bunch of jacked-up athletes! That would ruin the game for me! My dad played rugby and he did crew in college. Nowadays, he plays tennis almost every morning. He still keeps in touch with his rugby club. My brother and I did the 'team things' when we were kids. My brother played t-ball, soccer and I believe he had a short stint playing basketball. I played soccer. (I wasn't GOOD at it, but I PLAYED it) and we were both on the swim team. Marion Joyner was recently stripped of her medals when it came to light that she lied to federal agents about using performance enhancing drugs.
	__________________ Find your freedom in the music Find your Jesus Find your Kubrick Dance in the Dark - Lady GaGa Last edited by caitlin1214; Jan 8th, 2008 at 11:30 PM.

Jan 8th, 2008, 11:33 PM	#21
caitlin1214 Go ask Alice Joined: Jul 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 23,400	Re: Come on athletes we got to do better!! Tennis player tested positive for Cocaine To add . . . I think athletes are admired not only for their dedication and passion but also for the idea that they're supposed to represent such wholesome things as teamwork and good sportsmanship. Though the second thing is mostly for pee wee sports. In the professional world, the athletes were supposed to be the ones that ate their Wheaties and encouraged people to say no to drugs.
	__________________ Find your freedom in the music Find your Jesus Find your Kubrick Dance in the Dark - Lady GaGa

Jan 9th, 2008, 01:02 PM	#25
Charles Sucks at budgeting Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 7,037	Re: Come on athletes we got to do better!! Tennis player tested positive for Cocaine Speedy, I think you're kind of missing my point. Sure, alcohol is legal, and there are laws to regulate it, but even with those laws, how many people die from its abuse? The legality of a drug has nothing to do with its level of harmfulness (to an extent). How many people died during prohibition? Smugglers, distillers..etc etc. How has the war on drugs curbed illegal drug use? To make a drug illegal is an exercise in futility. And yes, people do kill for more drugs, but again...that's a minority. Just like people who kill when drunk. There will always be people who can't control their vices, and I'm ok with that. I shouldn't have a right to say "you can't do that cause you're gonna hurt yourself" They're adults who can make up their own mind. However, the line is when it affects me, and it's always been that way. That's when the government steps in. So when you ask where is the line drawn....it's drawn the same place it's always been drawn, when your vices affect others in a harmful nature. So in the end, I feel if you're going to legalize some drugs, you should legalize them all. Have it regulated by the government and have the quality regulated as well. A high quality, regulated product means lower prices which will eliminate the street dealers. They'd have no point of existing. With no street dealers, you'd have authorized sellers. As far as the people who would kill for drugs...there's nothing you can do about that...just like you can't prevent people who are going to drink and drive or people who randomly snap and drown their kids. There will always be people who are crazy and no law will help prevent that. Oh, and I'm glad I've done drugs. I've never let them take over my life and when I do them, I have a fun time. As far as people needing to do drugs to have a good time, it's all relative to me. Sometimes I get happy when I play with my dog. I get happy when I do a great job at work. I get happy when I do something nice of Kara or Tristan. Then there are other times when I do a certain drug to feel happy. It's not that I need to, it's that I want to. We don't need to sky dive or rock climb or do a good deed for someone less fortunate. We want to. And as a side product of that deed is a good feeling. Now, you're always going to have people who need to do drugs in order to feel good, but then again, that goes with anything. People are addicted to food. People are addicted to sex. There will always be people who are addicted to something. So when you say you don't understand the need to do drugs to feel good...well, I don't either. I don't know what's going on in that person's head. I can only tell you what I feel, and it's not about a need for me. I try to enjoy life to its fullest, and that means, to me, experiencing as much as I can. I try to make informed decisions based on risk and positive and negative outcomes. Sometimes, I feel an activity is too risky, and I don't do it. Most of the times I figure...why not? I don't have regrets in life for this reason.

Jan 9th, 2008, 06:31 PM	#27
Speedy Sofa King Banned Joined: Nov 2007 Location: N. California Posts: 3,750	Re: Come on athletes we got to do better!! Tennis player tested positive for Cocaine Charles, Welllll... I think we could argue this til the cows come home! So we should just agree to disagree on this subject. I've just seen so many lives ruined by narcotics and alcohol, people like you who can "take it or leave it" or use it recreationally are very much in the minority however, and few can say what you did, that they are glad they did drugs. All along I've said they should regulate it, tax it, and deal it out like alcohol. Then the government can become the pushers, and make money off of it. I think if they did that, it would justify the rehabs. Really, as a taxpayer, aren't you a little ticked off that YOUR money goes to help the people who can't control their addictions? I know I am looking at a much bigger picture here, but it's time everyone did. As for the athletes like this gal in the story, I'm really shocked. I was never an athlete, heck, the only thing I ever did that was even close was I was the sixth grade dodge-ball champ... but when one dedicates their lives to a performance, why would they risk all that hard work on an occasional high?

Jan 10th, 2008, 05:27 AM	#28
RoseMary ♥ my dog ♥ Joined: Nov 2005 Location: Somewhere in Europe Posts: 22,230	Re: Come on athletes we got to do better!! Tennis player tested positive for Cocaine so many athletes are doped, it's really sad.

Jan 14th, 2008, 02:38 AM	#29
purseinsanity I can't stoaaaaahp!! Joined: Apr 2007 Location: In "H"andbag "H"eaven Posts: 24,672	Re: Come on athletes we got to do better!! Tennis player tested positive for Cocaine I thought she was denying it??

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