BellaOnline Forums Family Addictions & Children Obama and Cocaine

Back when Clinton was running for president, there was a *huge* deal made about him having smoked pot. He told everybody he put it to his lips but never inhaled.

However, when Obama ran, he admitted that he did pot and cocaine, and I don't recall anybody even blinking. Have times changed so much that harder drugs like cocaine are considered not a big deal? I still think of cocaine as being a very dangerous drug ...

Lisa, cocaine IS a very addictive and terrible substance one should never put into their bodies nor should they use marijuana. So, they both can be equated to one another in some form but maybe, it was no big deal because of admittance not the drug per say.

I know a lot of people that smoke mariguana and they judged Clinton very harshly because they said, "no way" of him putting to the lips but not inhaling. Is that like saying to your mate, I slept in the bed with another man with no underwear on but we didn't have sex? Sounds kinda' ridiculous. I am giving you another perspective to see this from.

As far as Obama, he upfront admitted his wrong and its kinda' hard to knock someone who is upfront about his wrong or what people deem as "wrong".

As far as drugs go, I remember an Oprah show where she discussed drugs as far as what the media and society saw as the "most dangerous" drugs and it was really insightful. After giving a survey, people said that cocaine, marijuana, heroine, and meth were the most addictive and worse drugs but after seeing the show, she opened America's eyes to drugs that society either refuses to admit (just as the lady Oprah interviewed on the show - she didn't see herself taking pills everyday as bad behavior - she said it was not the same as the one who smokes a joint every now and then). Oprah made the point that society didn't even mention other drugs (pills and alcohol) that too, is destroying lives and families everyday. Guess where these people resided? Not in the ghettos or low, run down parts of town but in the suburbs and those drugs were pills and alcohols. That does not mean every housewife in the suburbs takes pills and/or drinks alcohol like crazy (considering I am a housewife and I reside in the suburbs) but the % was alarming Lisa. Hmmmm

I told my husband about it and was dumbfounded to get an elaboration on something I did not know. One, alcohol is a drug a very dangerous one and two, pills are taken by mostly by actors, celebrites and get this, suburban housewives. Hey, that's what Oprah's interview was all about. An interview with a high classed suburban housewife, who took pills for everything. One for her anxiety, one for a few other things she mentioned. It was quite alarming but educational for America to see.

So, Lisa, I say, its not that no one "blinked", we can't say that or that our times have diminished the cruelty of cocaine but if you're going to put down one who admittedly stated he did these drugs then its a whole lot of people we know personally, who if we knew what they took or did everyday, might just make us blink. Food for thought. Anyone else wanna chime in on this?

I think it was definitely the fact that Clinton made such a big deal about "not inhaling" - there are still jokes about that. And Obama was upfront about trying drugs.

I was disturbed by the fact that he used cocaine. It is illegal.

I understand that alcohol and prescription medications are abused and thta it is a very big problem. We are struggling with me right now and trying to decide with my doctor where I stand with my sleep medications. I hate to say that I am addicted to them, but I cannot sleep without them - so that is kind of a textbook definition. On the other hand my doctor knows I cannot sleep without them - I couldn't sleep without them before I started taking them, but the side effects are starting to get very tricky.

Anyway, back on topic. I am working with my doctor, my meds are legal. Marijuana, cocaine, heroin are NOT. Our President, and Clinton both broke the law by first securing these substances and then by using them. But on the other hand so has about 80% of this country by drinking before the age of 21 or smoking before the age of 18 (16? - not sure of what the legal age on smoking is). I know I took my first drink when I was 19, so I did break that law.

I didn't hear that Obama admitted he used cocaine, but I did hear he used marijuana. There a millions of folks who use marijuana and do not become addicted to drugs. I have heard of others who have used cocaine as a recreational drug. There is a strong scientific theory that there is an addiction gene that can cause one person to become an addict and another not. I have never used or abused any kid of drugs, legal or non legal. I also don't think illegal drugs of any kind should be put into one's body, or prescription drugs be abused. However, I also do not believe it is the governments business to tell us what we can and cannot put into our bodies. Having said that, it took a few years after the loss of my son to find myself jumping the fence to be on the opposite side of the Drug War. The War on Drugs & prohibition have caused more deaths because of the archaic way our drug abused loved ones are treated. They are shunned by society, they are often abused in drug rehab facilites, they are jailed and/or imprisoned for non violent acts, they often lose their homes and possessions, kids are denied educational grants for any drug related arrest, the list goes on. Anything can become addictive, we all know about food and gambling, but some people can also become addicted to a belief or a religion.
Until we educate ourselves about drugs, read about both sides of the drug war argument, talk to experts, grieving parents, drug experts, only then can one make up their mind where to stand on the question of drugs and addition. I did a fair at our local mall a few years ago, I had a table with brochures & other drug information for shoppers to browse, or take no charge. I had a poster of the children whose stories are written in my book, Between Two Pages:Children of Substance, that I was also selling. People would come near, but as soon as they saw my table had drug information, the quickly avoided eye contact and changed direction with haste. I spent 2 days at that mall with 2 tables. I sold zero books, and only a few people even ventured near enought to take any of the information. Sad, isn't it? Some folks are denial! I was armed and ready to offer important information to parents regarding kids and drugs. Denial, it's real.

I don't look at Clinton or Obama and think "GASP! They are horrible people because they did drugs!!" They are human beings just like everyone else. I can bet money that George Washington did a negative thing or two in his past before he became president. Society needs to get over these issues and look at the real problems in the world. What they did in their past is their business and there should be no reason why it should be brought up now, you know unless they killed a person or two. :) But in all seriousness, people make mistakes and people try out different things. It's what they are doing now that matters.

Because voters hated George W Bush and Republican party and did not have an alternative to McCain, people decided to ignored that fact that Obama did Cocain. And voters are more understanding than when Clinton was running for president. Everybody does make stupid mistakes one way or another in his/her lifetime.

Not that I'm proud of the fact, BUT I grew up in a drug culture. My woodstock generation parents did drugs growing up and the attitude was "kids will be kids" and experimenting with drugs was part of the growing up process - atlease in my neck of the woods. Of course that was before a lot of kids began killing themselves with the drugs and before Nancy Regan began telling everyone to "just say no."

I haven't done an illegal drug since I was 21 years old, and it's my sincere hope that no child will ever do the drugs I did growing up, but it has been a part of life, and will probably continue to be a part of life, so I respect Obama's honesty.

Let's face it, we all did stupid things when we were young!

Hey this is the thing that each and every person who used to take or who is addicted to a drug even if its illegal and finally admits it they can not be treated as guilty but they are accommodated and taken through till they have fully recovered. Its done that way so that people may stop taking this dangerous drugs. When Obama admitted that he tried them this made no impact since no one is perfect and if he does not take it at the moment it doesn't raise eye brows.