Drugs

Some comments on the use of drugs.

1. Medicinal pharmaceuticals. Legal, sometimes useful (e.g. paracetemol for a toothache), often dangerous. Part of the scientific revolution, which treats the human body like a machine. It is true that the body's state can be measured chemically, it is also true that suppressing chemicals that appear as the result of illness can sometimes remove the symptoms. But is it healing?

2. Legal recreational pharmaceuticals. Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, sugar/chocolate. Everyone takes these, so they must be OK. Everyone knows someone whose life has been made worse by addiction. An alcoholic parent, a grandparent who dies 20 years too soon, executive stress, chronic tiredness. Handle with extreme caution.

3. Illegal recreational pharmaceuticals - Cannabis. The real crime here is the influence that cannabis has on music. There is a repetitive quality inspired by this herb that means that the audience must take cannabis to appreciate it. Sometimes the music can transcend the monotony - some Bob Marley for example - but mostly I think the music suffers. Having tried cannabis as a student, I can say that I like the effect, so I appreciate the attraction, especially as an antidote to the stresses of the rest of the year. So mixed feelings here...

4. Illegal recreational pharmaceuticals - Ecstasy, Heroin, Cocaine, this month's mood-changing designer drug. A quick "fix" for a boring life? These drugs only make sense if you believe that life has no meaning. Changing the chemical balance in the brain will change how you feel, but the brain will bounce back, so the only way forward is to repeat the dosage until you die. Boring.

4. Hallucinogens. LSD, magic mushrooms, mescaline. I have always been passionate about the Truth, and so suspicious of any view of reality influenced by chemicals. The problem I have here is the one-way nature of these drugs. I value the world as I see it too much to risk losing it to a different reality.

5. Cliques. How do I know that my reality wouldn't be better, deeper, more enriched by taking any of the above drugs? I don't - and there lies the problem of the clique. I am alienated from the world of the acid head (LSD users) because I have never taken LSD. I have never taken Ecstasy, so how can I know the gulf that separates me from the clubbers who dance themselves into states of deep bliss? Real music is joyous, healing and has no barriers. You don't have to join a clique to hear it.