Yes, late 60s and 70s.LuckyR wrote: ↑September 28th, 2018, 1:36 pmI have no doubt that your observations are accurate. However, it is my opinion that what you are describing is a historical constant, that does not account for the dramatic (more than quadrupling of drug deaths in less than two decades) change in the types of illegal drugs used, since the total percentage of illegal users (using within the last month) has only increased from about 8 to 9% in the same time period.Greta wrote: ↑September 27th, 2018, 4:29 pmAs for those trying to kill themselves with drugs (mostly booze & cigs, but also others in some cases), I can think of three of my nephew's old school pals plus and old friend of mine - none can compete in today's world. The cause is almost entirely economic. I know others who live cleanly but are on the verge of homelessness - some young, some my generation. There is growing despair at the situation with employment and accommodation
Your first paragraph does provide such a partial explanation, though it is not clear to me what era your first paragraph's observations were gathered from. If it was the late 60s/early 70s then I agree with you.
However, given that suicide rates are rapidly rising, the use of legal and illegal drugs for a "slow suicide" will logically also be increasing. Many young people can't see a place for them in the world. Once you could start at the bottom and work up. Now you can start as a waiter and continue in the role forever, or until burnt out. They are also struggling to find affordable accommodation and homelessness rates are soaring, up 4.6% in the last five years.
This is to be expected. As governments increasingly choose to represent companies rather than individual taxpayers, the least prepared and fortunate of the latter will logically start dying out - exactly as intended but never stated.