Gory or glamourous? How cocaine has become a regular part of Australia’s nightlife

For many years, Australia has been known as one of the most highly regarded and beautiful tourist locations in the world. With people from all corners of the globe flocking to enjoy Australia’s beautiful sunny beaches, amazing outback, unique wildlife, and the laid back and friendly demeanor of the Australian people. However, there are just as many young and wild holidaymakers who also take Australia’s love of a good alcoholic beverage to heart as they enjoy the many pubs and bars across most of Australia’s towns and cities.

Of course, as has become the sad reality in the western world, when there are money and alcohol, there are normally people doing cocaine as part of their night’s fun. This is in no way unique to Australia, however with the Aussies, national love of a good time and drink is not exactly a secret, it is no wonder that cocaine, a drug famous for supposedly allowing users stay awake longer and drink more alcohol, is so popular. But let’s take a step back and examine this in a broader context

Cocaine, a Very Brief History

Coca leaves could be one of the oldest, strongest and most dangerous naturally occurring stimulants in the world. Thousands of years before the birth of Christ, people in various South American nations would chew the leaves in order to increase their heartbeat and breathing pattern to combat living at a high altitude. Before the Spanish Conquistadors came to South America, Native Peruvians would traditionally only chew the leaves during rare religious and cultural festivals. However, after being conquered by Spain, the coca leaves were given to force Indian workers to increase productivity and make them easier to control.

Fast forward to 1859 and the drug was first chemically refined by a German chemist by the name Albert Niemen, although the drug wasn’t really noticed by the larger medical community until famed Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud started writing about his experiences with the drug. Even going so far as entitling an article “Über Coca” stating that cocaine tonic was some kind of miracle cure-all that could be used to treat everything from depression to impotence.

For a very long time, cocaine as a drug was used in a number of recreational and medicinal ways, often used as a painkiller and numbing agent in dentistry work, and as a general pick me up cure even by well-known companies like Coca Cola (hence the name). This act made Coca Cola a household name for their tantalizing beverage the offered a REAL pick me up compared to today’s caffeinated Beverages.

However as use quickly skyrocketed amongst the population, the severe pitfalls of cocaine use started to become evident and after immense public pressure, Coca Cola removed the drug for which its namesake came from in 1903. In 1922, lawmakers managed to pass legislation to make cocaine illegal on a federal level. For a while, it fell into obscurity. Then the 70s happened.

Modern Day Use

In the 1970s, cocaine slowly started to become the drug of choice for celebrities and entertainers across Hollywood In a new, snortable powder form. For these people, cocaine seemed to be a perfect accompaniment to the fast-paced lifestyle most of them were living and allowed them to party till late into the night. Later that decade. Colombian smugglers began to consolidate their shipping routes into America in order to take advantage of this new craze, which then began slowly spreading across the globe.

With the new powder form of the drug landing on Australia’s shores in the late 1970s, and quickly being seized upon by local Razor Gangs across Sydney and other cities. These gangs often resorted to violence perpetrated on each other and members of the public who they deemed a threat to their operation. In the following decades, cocaine use would skyrocket despite the efforts of local government awareness campaigns and drugs enforcement squads making arrests. An increased level of cocaine use was detected in around 2000 and has been climbing ever since.

The problem is so widespread in Australia these days that over 40% of police detainees that were polled said they used cocaine frequently. This shows a small snapshot of the larger problem eminent in Australia.

The main problem associated with cocaine is its highly addictive nature and huge cost. Often times people addicted to cocaine quickly find themselves in debt with either family members, or even worse still, the dealers themselves. This leaves those addicted to cocaine open for exploitation and even violence in the worst case scenarios. To make matters worse, cocaine also causes outbursts of aggression, anxiety, paranoia and even psychosis when combined with alcohol and a lack of sleep.

Cocaine addiction has become such a problem that nightclubs and entertainment establishments now actively work in conjunction with law enforcement in order to maintain a zero tolerance to drugs policy. This is also due to the fact that they face a higher level of scrutiny due to the actions of previous clubs in the past being involved in the supply of drugs to attendees. However, these days they are far more interested in working alongside the police rather than against them after a number of high profile deaths and court cases.

For those addicted to cocaine in Australia, we here at Clarity offer a unique and refreshing form of substance abuse rehabilitation. Our rehab in Thailand is both visually stunning and easily accessible in terms of travel and is the perfect option for those considering private rehabilitation in Australia. Potentially you could get a better recovery experience in the heart of beautiful Thailand for a similar cost.  For more information on our facilities, what we offer to our residents and how we can help you to overcome your substance abuse issues, please call us to arrange a one to one consultation where we can answer all of your questions on +66 97 256 4084.

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