I need to say this because I haven't seen it yet. I guess I'm the one to mention it. We all have vices in our lives,drugs,smoking,liquors that sortof stuff, being from a health oriented company I have seen what DT's will do to many lives. Including the family members of the addict! I am wondering just how many people are on Drugs ? Drugs like Pot,Cocaine,Heroine,prescription,Coffee, I wonder how many are consuming liquor ? Beer,Wine,MD 20-20, Hard Liquor, Soda- Coke / Pepsi / 7UP .? How about Smokers,out there ? How many packs a day? Cigars ?

Should all this Y2K happen, There will be many who will in DT's very quickly after their supply runs out. Oh yes these items would be great to barter with, but have you ever had to take cigarettes away from a 2-3pack a day person?

We all have vices , Oh mine are M&M's, Pepsi, and Kool cigarettes, and the internet.

But the BIG question is what will Govt do without the US people buying drugs, Govt. won't have revenue to support their Black Budget projects either. It should be real interesting.

Have you thought what your habits are and how many will you be changing during this Y2K situation ?

Sober

-- Sober (SayNo2Drugs@vices.com), February 16, 1999

Answers

That's why a lot of people recommend stocking up on various "mood-altering" substances -- if not for personal use, for bartering.

-- a (A@AisA.com), February 16, 1999.

mood altering?

-- Duane (Duane24062@aol.com), February 16, 1999.

It's certaintly something that has occured to me. I am 90% done with aquiring my supplies, and when I'm done (well, I guess we aren't EVER going to be really done, right?) my plan is to prepare myself physically. I need to lose about 35 pounds and quit smoking. Y2K is giving me a lot of motivation to do this. I've already changed my eating habits (eating simpler, healthier foods) for the past month and have dropped 5 pounds without doing anything else. Oh wait. I guess I've been getting a bit of exercise lifting all those buckets. Now for the smoking part.

-- none (none@none.com), February 16, 1999.

Got chocolate???

-- gilda jessie (jess@listbot.com), February 16, 1999.

If you quit smoking now, think about how much money you'll be saving to buy more beans and rice, gold and silver.........

-- kickedthehabit (kickedit@nomore.com), February 16, 1999.

Yep, build muscles, firm up, get used to walking a lot, but lose weight? Not a goal this year!

-- Carrying some storage (inthat@extra.blubber), February 16, 1999.

I quit smoking almost five months ago, and while I think cigarettes will make a good barter item, I'm afraid to buy any for obvious reasons. Besides, they're too expensive now. By the way Sober, you shouldn't include coffee and Pepsi in any discussion about drugs. Tends to trivialize the drug problem, don'tcha know? MD 20-20? If I drank it I wouldn't admit it.

-- Vic (Roadrunner@compliant.com), February 16, 1999.

Rambling about on the BBC World Service page I came across some wonderfully entertaining transcripts. Here's a little snip from one that should interest all you reprobates out there:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/drugs/plantsofpower/4script.htm

[BEGIN CUT AND PASTE]

ANDREW WEIL: Even how we define a drug. Is sugar a drug, for example? There are people that say they get high from sugar and there are people that say they get addicted to sugar. Is salt a drug? Is alcohol a drug? The body can metabolise it like a food, its clearly a poison in high doses, its a favourite social intoxicant, but I still very commonly hear the phrase drugs and alcohol as if alcohol is something different. So we have a certain set of associations for the word drug, drugs are good if theyre being used by doctors for the purpose of healing. Theyre bad if theyre being used by people to get high for fun. At least if its not one of the drugs that we approve of. So theres a great deal of value in all of this.

[END OF CUT AND PASTE]

All your little helpers are discussed, including coffee, chocolate, kat, cannabis, opium, and more, including the fact that elephants really like alcohol and get drunk very easily. Sobering thought.

Cut and pasted by a slightly caffeine-addicted

-- Old "I can quit any time I want" Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 16, 1999.

I can see all of the hard-core druggies goin' through withdrawls now if TSHTF. Think it'll get interesting. Will the crackheads go berserk, recover, or die?

-- Faze the Nation (dazed@confused.com), February 16, 1999.

But do the elephants remember the night before?

-- Vic (Roadrunner@compliant.com), February 16, 1999.

Oh, Vic, GOOD one!

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 16, 1999.

Drugs have been used by humans since begining of times. The problem comes from abuse of any one substance, be it sugar, alcohol, cocaine or pain killers. (Sugar does give a "high" in that it temporarily gives a boost of energy from a spike in blood sugar, but quickly crashes.)

I view coffee and alcohol as a luxury and I used them acordingly. I strive for my moto "anything in moderation is ok, if it does not hurt me, you or any bystander".

I'm stocking up on coffee and alcohol among other things, but when/if it runs out, oh well. I won't go into severe detox, for sure (it probably will take me much longer to be fully awake in the morning though).

As for the hardcore addicts out there, there is no question that many of them will suffer tremendous detox, but they and their families are already suffering from their addictions now. Some will die from experimenting with dangerous substances, some will kill for it... It's happening now. Might just add more to the Y2K drama.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), February 16, 1999.

Chris, you're right, there'll still be a drugs subculture. Illegal drugs will always find a way into the community, no matter what obstacles are placed in the way. Stills were in common use long before electricity (and will be again, just as they are in some rural areas 'round here!), marijuana will be grown domestically, more than it is now, and we'll likely see a Prohibition-era type of milieu. The narrative cited goes into the social need for stimulants and narcotics and how various cultures embrace them. It will probably tell you more than you ever wanted to know about mood-altering drugs, legal and illegal (starting with the famous apple) but it's very entertainingly phrased. I've noticed you and I often think the same way about things, so I think you might well enjoy this material.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 16, 1999.

The only good thing about this whole Y2K Problem will be the oportunity for people to shoot the "Crackheads" to help them with their withdrawl problem! Be doing the whole world a favor. In seriousness...the crack smokers will be the first to cause the problems since they "Get High" more often and consume larger amounts of drugs. I have given much thought to how this could possibly affect my familys safety. The only thing that makes this less of a threat to my family and me is the fact that crackheads are trashed in their head already and if you take away their dope they wil become unstable quick...within 2 to 5 days IMHO. They won't even notice that little red dot on their chest that is illuminating the entrance spot to the .223 round they will soon feel. Sorry about their luck...but getting sent to hell has to be better than toking a crack pipe!

-- bill"Your in my sights" (y2kbill@hotmail.com), February 16, 1999.

Thanks Old Git. Interesting good read. I knew a lot of it from my nursing studies. But this article makes for a good and entertaining reading.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), February 16, 1999.

I know from a previous attempt to quit (I quit for two years), that NO ONE wants to mess with me when I am in Nicotine withdrawal! Hmmmmm. Maybe I should have enough cigarettes to get through the first couple of weeks. Might need the extra 'meanies' to fight off marauders!

nicotine addict with a new defense plan

-- nicotine addict (addicted@tobacco.row), February 16, 1999.

My husband smokes a pack a day, about $80 a month that I pointed out could be used to prep. Doesn't matter to a smoker. He knows he will HAVE to quit post-Y2K. Actually cigarettes are a WONDERFUL barter item, but we obivously can't have them....I am addicted to Dr. Peppers and sugar. I am going off Dr. Peppers, I am exercising but NOT trying to lose weight. I am about 20 pounds overweight but it poses no health problems and I am amazingly strong, fit and limber (I am female, by the way). If things get bad, food wise, the extra 10- 20 pounds most people carry around could mean the difference between survival and starvation (if you start off OVER your ideal weight then you can stand to lose some more than someone starting off AT their ideal weight or below). This is the year NOT to diet, but to learn to live on less and less.

Kellie's Top Eleven Barter Items Post Y2K: (Not listed in order)

1) Alcohol (liquor, champagne, wine, whatever--we plan on buying a case of whiskey--can also be used for medicinal purposes, that's what the pioneers always used for pain relief...)

2) toilet paper--an obvious one

3) cigarettes--could be as good as money

4) chocolate --remember WWII? we bought gobs of Hershey bars! and are keeping them in the fridge

5) feminine supplies--nuff said

6)diapers. Yes, disposable diapers. There might be some pretty desperate parents out there....(we are not buying these, don't need them and can't quite justify spending the $$)

7)ammo (though you might want to keep this for yourself_

8) batteries (ditto above)

9) matches

10)baby wipes 11)sodas, any kind of candy Anyone got any other ideas?

-- Preparing (preparing@y2k.com), February 20, 1999.