Question about ah hem.....drugs.....at the DZ...?

[pyke 0]

Okay - I know (and nobody needs to remind me!) that this doesn't pertain to actually doing drugs while you're jumping...although - I won't deny that it doesn't happen in some locations....

But...

In general what is overall attitude towards "talking" about drugs while you're at the dz??
Perhaps it is just me, but I am of the opinion of, "hey, they're out there - people do them - we all know someone who does them...so who cares and what does it matter!"

A situation happened recently where the topic came up in the plane (full of only fun jumpers) and it got quickly "shhhhhhh"ed. We're not talking about standing around the packing mats and discussing purchasing and using...but how openly do you discuss "recreational substances" at your dz??

What insights do you have to offer....??

Kahurangi e Mahearangi,
Kiwi, RB #926, AFF-I, FAA Snr. Rigger, RN/BSN/Paramedic

[somethinelse 0]

I think it is pretty hush-hush...
ya know, 'cause it's like, ya know, ILLEGAL?

Here's a FUNNY short story for ya though:

I'm older than most of the jumpers that I've met so far... I grew up in the 60's OKAY? Well, anyways, I was (still am unfortunately) a student last year, and just shooting the breeze with some regular, long-time jumpers at this DZ. We were standing outside by the hangar, but with in easy ear-shot of the packing area. Joking around I said,

"KNOW WHAT MY 3 FVORITE DRUGS ARE?..."

I swear I paused only a second or so, barely missing a beat but only for humour's intent, ya know? But it got really quiet so I know people must have turned to stare and or listen! I continued...

"...ADRENILINE, ENDORPHINES and SEROTONIN!!!"

The people I were talking with just about bust a gut laughing...I could literally feeling everybody relax and returned to whatever they doing.

In hind-sight it was an ODD situation-
but I THINK IT WAS CURIOUSLY FUNNY!!!

Whatcha think about THAT?!

[ChileRelleno 0]

My attitude about "talking about drugs" is, be discriminate about who, when, where and what context when your talking about such subjects.

My attitude about drug use is, "DO NOT" use during operations!, "DO" be very "low profile" when using after the beer light comes on!, "DO NOT" buy or sell at the DZ! and "ALWAYS" remember anything you do can be used against your DZ/DZO by people who might want to shut them down.

ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414
Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868

[blondeflyer7 0]

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My attitude is, "DO NOT" use during operations!, "DO" be very "low profile" when using after the beer light comes on!, "DO NOT" buy or sell at the DZ! and "ALWAYS" remember anything you do can be used against your DZ/DZO by people who might want to shut them down.

Very well said

[kevin922 0]

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My attitude about "talking about drugs" is, be discriminate about who, when, where and what context when your talking about such subjects.

My attitude about drug use is, "DO NOT" use during operations!, "DO" be very "low profile" when using after the beer light comes on!, "DO NOT" buy or sell at the DZ! and "ALWAYS" remember anything you do can be used against your DZ/DZO by people who might want to shut them down.

Does Mardi Gras come to mind Chili? :)

[pyke 0]

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My attitude about drug use is, "DO NOT" use during operations!, "DO" be very "low profile" when using after the beer light comes on!, "DO NOT" buy or sell at the DZ! and "ALWAYS" remember anything you do can be used against your DZ/DZO by people who might want to shut them down.

Well, when you put it that way!!!!

Very well said and some good 'food' for thought! I guess I am just too blatant about everything and forget sometimes the implications of one's actions. [pyke's inside voice]Must learn to be hush-hush about certain things!!![/pyke's inside voice]

Thanks for the contributions...!

Kahurangi e Mahearangi,
Kiwi, RB #926, AFF-I, FAA Snr. Rigger, RN/BSN/Paramedic

[Gawain 0]

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... and "ALWAYS" remember anything you do can be used against your DZ/DZO by people who might want to shut them down.

That includes possession, whether you were going to tok up or not.

I may get flamed for this but I'll pitch in and let it rest:

Drugs may have helped inspire all the great music we've grown up with. Many derivatives of the "recreational" substances have medicinal purposes that are proven remedies or relief agents to various ailments.

However, beyond that they hold devastating power to destroy everything you love in and out of the sport, on and off of the DZ, especially in the "recreational" realm. Drugs serve no benefit to the sport.

From first hand experience, up and down the line, I can personally attest to this. And it isn't simply a matter of "holding one's liquor" or "keeping it to three or four lines". Impairment is impairment is impairment. The long term affects further impair abilities and simply stopping doesn't guarantee health (Richard Pryor):

Marijuana - Increases risk of heart attack, slows reflexes, short term memory degrades

Cocaine - Seriously increases risk of heart attack, scatters judgment, and destroys the very cells in the brain that register that "high" feeling

Alcohol - Slows reflexes, impairs judgment, long term damage potential to liver, stomach, brain

Not exactly attributes I want when I'm in the air.

Alcohol is the grandaddy of the bunch, we can relate to one instance or another on that matter alone. And the gang that hangs out having a few beers after the props stop turning isn't the real issue. As most of those I see enjoying some brew do so in moderation, the liver effectively filters it out of the system overnight. Some dehydration easily handled with fluids in the morning.

However, the other substances' affects are not so easily thwarted. You cannot simply flush THC or Cocaine out of the system on a whim (and I don't mean from a urine test perspective). And, stronger-than-moderate drinking too, cannot always be flushed out of the system by the following morning or 6-8 hours later.

Now, I am not on a 100% anti-everything soapbox here. I am simply driving home the point that there are few worse places to have, or use drugs than the DZ. If you want to kick it and light-up at the end of the day or weekend, use discretion about where you are, and that includes alcohol too. Somewhere, there is some jack-ass lawyer that will attempt to link liability after a car wreck or an incident, on or off the DZ.

If you want to do them, hey, it's your nose, arm, lungs, brain and generally, I don't give such instances much thought (even being clean and sober myself). When it's on the DZ though, I'm hyper-sensitive to it and simply wish everyone to keep that in mind. My rant is done. Peace.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[ChileRelleno 0]

Yes, and many others.

How ya doin Kevin?

ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414
Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868

[Iflyme 0]

The whole thing is ... if there is a serious injury or fatality, and investigators are asking questions around the dz, and some newbie says "well I heard some jumpers talking about blah blah blah..." Well that just wouldn't be cool ... Best advice? Lay low, and don't broadcast to everyone.

[rgoper 0]

i don't use drugs, or even drink. my thoughts on the matter have been well documented in these forums in the past. if anyone wants to utilize illegal substances before, during or after skydiving operations, then they should be perfectly comfortable consenting to an airline pilot flying while impaired, or a surgeon performing surgey on them while UTI. whether quited or not, skydivers do not have the right, or authority to "knowingly and intentionally" skydive impaired given that their state of mind "may, and can" lead to the injury or death/dissmemberment of another skydiver, or themselves as this would show a blatant dissregard for themselves and others. let's face it, it's ignorant...really ignorant. skydiving is dangerous enough, adding illegal substances to the equation only raises the odds of an incident, and drugs are illegal. by the way, i am not donning nomex for my views on this topic, so fire away, at least i'm straight.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[tbrown 26]

Drugs used to be out in the open twenty or so years ago. People would light up out in the parking lot during the daytime. There were definitely some fatalities where drug use was involved. Those days seem to be over.

I'm not so naieve as to think people aren't still using drugs these days, after all skydivers are people and drug use is human behavior. But it doesn't seem to be the wide open thing that it was in the old days, and thank God for that.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[Amazon 7]

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I'm not so naieve as to think people aren't still using drugs these days, after all skydivers are people and drug use is human behavior. But it doesn't seem to be the wide open thing that it was in the old days, and thank God for that.

I am so glad those days are well passed...I hope I remember going to a DZ were there was open use of alcohol and was offered a toke or two that I declined.. just before I left the DZ without making a jump.
I dont care what someone does after the beer light comes on. I myself do not smoke anything, drop anything, or drink anything but very small amounts of alcohol. I expect people I am with while jumping to adhere to a code of personal behavior that will not cause harm to others. I for one will not jump with anyone I suspect of abusing drugs of any kind during jumping operations . And I would be hesitant to jump with them any time in the future as well.

Amazon

[cptfunky 0]

I think that someone who takes drugs with the intention to push this unique and absolutely incredible physical and mental feeling of our sport even 'higher' is a very very poor person. A person that is gambling with it's own life and the life of others.

I'll never judge or condemn people who're looking for new experiences and take drugs because this is the nature of all human beings.

But, PLEASE! Do it, when the weather is bad and you're watching your skydive-videos at home. BUT NOT ON THE DZ!!!

[txblondie 0]

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I think that someone who takes drugs with the intention to push this unique and absolutely incredible physical and mental feeling of our sport even 'higher' is a very very poor person.

For me, drugs are definitely a thing of the past (and I wish they were a thing of NEVER). I don't think there's a single drug that could equal (or enhance) the total euphoria of freefall for me. Far be it from me to deny anyone else; that's not my place. But I wouldn't want to know about it, and if they were crazy enough to do it before jumping and I found out about it...I would probably lose a lot of respect for them.

*****************************************
Blondes do have more fun!

[kevin922 0]

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Yes, and many others.

How ya doin Kevin?

Not too shabby, gonna be at Rantoul next weekend (Wooo-mutha-f'kin-woo) you hittin any boogies up?

[ChileRelleno 0]

Rantoul next weekend??? Dude, its only the end of June?
I probably won't make Rantoul this year, Not without divine intervention.

But I have been hitting new states and DZ's, I'm up to 34 states and 59 DZ's.

As for boogies I hit the Skydive Greensburg (Indiana) Grand Caravan Boogie and had a real goodtime jumping and flying in the portable windtunnel they have setup there for the summerWindtunnels are fun, but man what a workout!

ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414
Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868

[w4p2 0]

Anyone carrying drugs at DZ should be barred for life.

Anyone doing drugs while skydiving should be reported and have his/hers license pulled.

Anyone selling drugs in general, should be hanged from his/hers neck until dead. Then displayed in public until the rats have gnawed him/her away.

End of problem.

Cheers: JL

[Raefordite 0]

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My attitude about drug use is, "DO NOT" use during operations!, "DO" be very "low profile" when using after the beer light comes on!, "DO NOT" buy or sell at the DZ! and "ALWAYS" remember anything you do can be used against your DZ/DZO by people who might want to shut them down.

And don't use so much that you remain f-up the next day and can't jump.

[cptfunky 0]

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Anyone selling drugs in general, should be hanged from his/hers neck until dead. Then displayed in public until the rats have gnawed him/her away.

End of problem.

Cheers: JL

you're from finland, the most heavy drinking nation in europe? you're signature is whiskey papa?
but drug dealers should be hanged/displayed in public?

thanks for displaying yourself!

[Blahr 0]

Some of us (me anyway) used to be pretty well fucked from drugs, lost the job wife kids the whole deal. Hard core. Worked long and hard to get clean, and KNOW where that road leads.
I prefer to not tell people how to run their lives (or what they should or shouldnt talk about ) but I'd also rather not listen to people tell me how they are destroying theirs for fun.
Its hard enough dealing with all the beer I dont drink!

My 1st chop, whenever that happens, they get rootbeer If they dont like that, tough titty :-)

I wouldnt normally express this opinion, but you DID ask.

[dropdeded 0]

I did my first Tandem when I was drinkin and usin, after I sobered up I went back and did another Tandem. Im still a lowtimer but skydiving was a HUGE part of not returning to the old habits.

The people that can handle that stuff, more power to em. I just choose not to participate.

dropdeded

------------------------------------------
The Dude Abides.
-

[w4p2 0]

Sure, and proud of it.

I used to live in LA from 79 until 83. I enjoyed all the positive things in California life, but had to move away at the time my kids started the school as I did not want them to grow up in drug infested society.

Unfortunately in Finland the things turned bad after joining EU, and at the moment it is no different in drug scene if compared to US. Safe heaven has crumbled down in few years with huge cost to the society and sorrow to families.

If you use drugs, be my quest. It's your life. Take an overdose, so much faster for everyone.

However, if one sells or distributes drugs, he is profiteering on the misery of someone else.There is only one way to deal with such individual, snuff him/her before the cancer spreads. If it is the society that takes care of the task, so much better.

Having worked many years in countries like Singapore, Saudi Arabia etc... and while admitting that these countries have plenty of their own problems at least the drug scene is dealt with high efiency and low cost.
Certainly something to learn from.

[skybytch 259]

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However, if one sells or distributes drugs, he is profiteering on the misery of someone else.There is only one way to deal with such individual, snuff him/her before the cancer spreads.

Alcohol and nicotine are also drugs. Either one can mess up your life as badly as any illegal drug can.

Shall we kill all the folks selling beer and smokes too?

[MarkF 0]

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Shall we kill all the folks selling beer and smokes too?

Just the ones selling Fosters...
Ooroo
Mark F...

[w4p2 0]

Alcohol and nicotine are accepted state controlled vices and people participating in their use are paying huge amounts of voluntary taxes to the country of their residence.

What are the drug users contributing to. Everybody knows that drug dealing is the prime funding source for terrorism, weather in Colombia, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Czetsenia or... America.

Unfortunately, those dollars were also involved in 911...... my Finlandia or Camel dollars were not.

Cheers: JL