Gaming\'s New Drug Culture: Sex, Drugs and Counter-Strike

[robwright]

The use of drugs in gaming has evolved from simple marijuana use in the early days of Atari to the current assortment of illegal narcotics and over-prescribed medications. Welcome to gaming\'s new drug culture.

 

[miglaugh]

I guess it's good to bring it up every now and then, but this is news?

People have been doing this for at least about a decade.

 

[Christopher1]

This is my first posting on TG Forumz, and I just had to make it when I saw that they were talking about the drug culture that surrounds gaming.

The facts are that drugs and alcohol are a part of MANY people's lives, not just in the gaming circles, and that is not going to EVER change.

People are just going to have to accept that some people are going to use drugs in order to get a high, and simply treat it when that casual use turns to addiction, if it even ever does.

I have MANY friends who do drugs, ranging from PCP to meth, and most of them have steady jobs, good family lives, and wonderful children. Much of what is blamed on 'drug use' comes from poverty and the over-arching drive of managers and management to get rid of anyone who even 'looks' like they are taking drugs.
Facts are, most people who use drugs are less violent than the population in general, have less confrontations, and have very good lives. It's only when they start using the drugs not for a momentary pleasure, but to blot out disappointments in their lives that you start having problems.

Much of the 'violence' that stems from drugs also comes not from them, but from the prohibitory laws, the same way that alcohol prohibition lead to escalating violence.

 

[ninjahedge]

There she is again.

"I have not had anyone come in to me that has used them yet, but I am sure they will".

Um...k.


People who use the drugs to enhance play ability ARE ADDICTED. Maybe not to the game itself, but to competition. They will win at all costs. They are doing the same thing for the game that adults later do in the buisness world. How is it no comparable to a wall street guy snorting coke or taking amphetamines to stay "on his game"?

I think it is something that you have to keep an eye on, and it is a problem, but I think this signals more that video games are becoming more of a common factor in peopels lives rather than drugs becoming common in video games.

 

[killz86]

I took Ritalin from the ages of 7-14 and it is a very evil drug. also poeple that use this drug for gaming and such are supid.Ritalin should be banned from anybody using it. i have Adhd and is made me a zombie it is a very evil drug and the goverment should ban it because it does nto help it only makes the kids that use it wrose and the people that use Ritalin it will mess them up for life. i know this for a fact i was on it. my family doctor give it to me and i will never take or use this drug again.

 

[killz86]

I took Ritalin from the ages of 7-14 and it is a very evil drug. also poeple that use this drug for gaming and such are supid.Ritalin should be banned from anybody using it. i have Adhd and is made me a zombie it is a very evil drug and the goverment should ban it because it does nto help it only makes the kids that use it wrose and the people that use Ritalin it will mess them up for life. i know this for a fact i was on it. my family doctor give it to me and i will never take or use this drug again.

 

[Houndsteeth]

"All things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial...I will not be mastered by any one thing!"

Paul had enough to say on this subject. How does imbibing in a particular drug (any drug, whether it is legal or illegal) make you a better person? Drugs have particular purposes (medical or otherwise) that can be used to the benefit of people and society in general. Recreational use is where the gray line exists, as to whether it is of benefit or it becomes a problem. Even legal drugs like alcohol have this problem.

I think anyone will agree that when the drug (or addiction) becomes the master is when bad things happen.

IMHO, it is your right to mess up your life any way you want to. I just hope to God you don't end up taking anyone else with you when you go, and I most fervently hope you don't take the life of someone else accidentally and have to live with the consequences afterwards.

 

[hongkongphuey]

This is a pointless article. For someone with a Doctorate she would have to be pretty naive to think that this just happening. Drugs are everywhere, they are not going anywhere and the scariest part is that most of the most DANGEROUS ones are Over The Counter. Most drugs released by the FDA contain more side effects than the one cause they were used for in the first place. What the hell is that?! Ritalin, Oxycontin and what not are terrible for you, yet the FDA allows them to be released freely, mainly due to profits and for their shareholders. I'm not pitching a conspiracy theory here but if the pieces fit...

 

[Stephen926]

Is that a girl or a guy? lol

 

[infornography42]

Really, this is embarrasing.

I honestly thought better of you than this Rob. The first page or two of this sounds like nothing more than your standard fearmongering that the antivideo game groups have been pushing for years only with the added spin of throwing drugs into the mix.

Yes the following several pages seem to make the point that this is merely the shared cross section of two subcultures spawning a third, but if that is the case, then this is a nonissue.

The quack from the game clinic seems to be postulating a new problem getting worse based on nothing more than pure conjecture seemingly supported by some isolated incidents and the annecdotal evidence provided in the last two thirds of the article.

On a final note, Ritalin is not evil any more than a rock that was used to bludgeon somone's head open is evil. It is a chemical. The lazy corporate shill psychiatrists/psychologists who go with the pill popping method of behavioral correction and the unethical corporation behind them are the evil ones. They are effectively prescribing cocaine (same family of drugs and roughly as powerful as Ritalin) to children and college students.

 

[ninjahedge]

I had a previous post on the second half of this article, but something went screwey with the site and did not allow me to post through, lets see if this gets through.

I think it is complete rubbish. I have no idea what friends this guy had that got him in with a bunch of sniffers that like Tub diving, but this was beyond a bunch of techies getting wired on Bawlz or Red bull and playing until the wee hours.

I do not know why he stayed after seeing people sniff coke and pop pills. My ass, and laptop would have been out of there as soon as I saw the little baggies. These guys do NOT represent the mainstream here, or even teh majority of tweaked LANers, they are a bunch of f'd up kids that would rather buzz themselves up in front of a game than find anything else to do.

Putting this almost-fiction right after another "armageddon is coming for our youth" article was a poor play. Guys, split these stories up.

 

[Grendel_66]

Pointless and quite naive article decribing a drug party disguising as a LAN party. The author should have checked out a few LAN parties first and taken some drugs so he knew what he was writing about. Pathetic article, about the quality of something I'd expect to see in the "Sun", "Bild", "Weekly World News" or the like. :roll:

Edit: "she"'s a he..

 

[lordaardvark2]

I personally thought the article was just one of those that make you say, "...whats the point?" Because, of course, someone somewhere is going to use drugs and play videogames in conjunction. And, likewise, somewhere, someone is going to play videogames and NOT use drugs. That, of course, doesn't mean that drugs are commonplace at LAN parties. I just hope that people who have never been to any LAN parties and are not experienced on the subject don't get the wrong idea and try to go out and ruin other people's fun. I could see a parent or someone out of the know reading that and going bananas. Yeah, i believe that these people were doping up at a LAN party. But that definately doesn't mean that everyone at every LAN party does it. And that, to me, was a point that the article seemed to be missing.

If this gets the conversation off topic, i will gladly delete it. But i was just wondering, why is there such opposition to the videogaming culture? WHY? i find people blaming the most random things on videogames. My mom for instance, and this may not be a good example, totally flips out whenever i don't hear her call or am a little late responding or something. I know for a fact, that if i were doing ANYTHING other than gaming, for instance, eating broccoli, or doing push-ups or cutting myself; she wouldn't have a problem. and i've noticed similar happenings outside of my own house. why? why are gamers still not accepted?

 

[e1000]

Well, I cant say that I havent smoked some wacky tobaccy and played quake III, but taking meth or coke at a lan party seems a little extreme to me.

Im all for experience enhancing drugs, they are cheeper than a new graphics card after all. But performance enhancing drugs, thats going too far. Especially in the realm of professional gaming.

Am i alone here in my suport for weed and games?

 

[infornography42]

why? why are gamers still not accepted?

Simply because nothing has replaced it and the generation that was most affected by them growing up has not replaced the generation who was not.

Most adults these days do not think rock and roll is corrupting our youth, most adults these days no longer believe movies and TV are great sins. So will it be when Generations X and Y replace the baby boomers.

Don't worry, your kids will be significantly less shunned by adults when they grow up to be gamers ;-)

Also VR or holodecks or something similar will be the new threat to the American Way or whatever they are trying to preserve.

 

[lordaardvark2]

Am i alone here in my suport for weed and games?

I understand why you'd smoke up and game, and i have no problem with it. I don't think its a bad thing, i just won't advocate it, either. I just don't really have that much desire to be high and game. And when people like Mr. Dr. Professor Whatshisface, the person that started all of this, hears you say that or sees you smoking up, they flip out. So, whatever. I dont have a problem. Others do.

 

[microgiant]

I dont believe for a second that our author was sober during this experience.

 

[Corksil]

First off, I used to be a pretty heavy gamer. I could easily spend as much time as I could in my room with my minifridge, sink, microwave, and toaster. I carried on this life style for a period of about 6 months, and then changed. I'm still not sure why I changed, but during that period, I hosted LAN parties almost every weekend, with about 10-20 people at each. Not once were drugs ever involved. Ever. I should hope this article does not display LAN parties as the new Woodstock.

I'm not sure why the world doesn't like gamers. I have had that conversation a couple of times and made little progress. Depending how you look at it, it's one of the best hobbies. You don't depend on other people to do it, and the people you do -when you want- are already online. You don't have to leave your room/dwelling/whatever very often. You can stay entertained almost forever - if you have decent games. As far as the money angle, it doesn't cost that much, however if you want, you can spend ALL your money on it and make it even better. I dunno, just rambling here but I may have one or two things to say.

 

[killersnowman]

I have MANY friends who do drugs, ranging from PCP to meth, and most of them have steady jobs, good family lives, and wonderful children. Much of what is blamed on 'drug use' comes from poverty and the over-arching drive of managers and management to get rid of anyone who even 'looks' like they are taking drugs.

Facts are, most people who use drugs are less violent than the population in general, have less confrontations, and have very good lives. It's only when they start using the drugs not for a momentary pleasure, but to blot out disappointments in their lives that you start having problems.

Much of the 'violence' that stems from drugs also comes not from them, but from the prohibitory laws, the same way that alcohol prohibition lead to escalating violence.

wow! let me see the meth head that has a steady job, good families, and wonderful children. maybe it is all caused by poverty but why are these people pore? maybe cause they are spending their money on meth? not a good use of money when you cant feed your children.

i have met some meth heads and i must say that they will hurt you for no other reason than to get more meth. so dont tell me that most people are less violent who use drugs.

when people get momentary pleasure over and over and over again it becomes a "dissapointment in their lives" when they dont have that pleasure.

meth is an evil drug. dont try to play it that it isnt.

 

[killersnowman]

I had a previous post on the second half of this article, but something went screwey with the site and did not allow me to post through, lets see if this gets through.

I think it is complete rubbish. I have no idea what friends this guy had that got him in with a bunch of sniffers that like Tub diving, but this was beyond a bunch of techies getting wired on Bawlz or Red bull and playing until the wee hours.

I do not know why he stayed after seeing people sniff coke and pop pills. My ass, and laptop would have been out of there as soon as I saw the little baggies. These guys do NOT represent the mainstream here, or even teh majority of tweaked LANers, they are a bunch of f'd up kids that would rather buzz themselves up in front of a game than find anything else to do.

Putting this almost-fiction right after another "armageddon is coming for our youth" article was a poor play. Guys, split these stories up.

100% agree. this article is trash. how the man quotes these people as if they are experts. they are druggies and play video games. nothing more

 

[caamsa]

Remember the more over the top it is the story is the more it is considered "news worthy". Us regular old fart laners who drink mountain dew and eat pizza are boring. Imagine what that article "old fart laners" would look like but yes I agree these crazy drug lans I am certain are the exception and not the rule.

 

[rwinches]

Wow what a lode of crap this is the cheeseist lowest that tom's has ever gone.
How irresponsible! game addicts?!!! give me a break! most games require hand eye reflexes drugs only slow that down period! Parents that tell their kids say no to drugs then put those same kids on drugs are really lame. I am tired of this BS. Strangestranger right you know nothing! This article does not belong on this web site!. I am done with people with letters after their name spouting off about that which they know nothing! This woman is just lame,game addiction!!! No disclaimer can justify this really bad really harmful disinformation. Tom's you are on the edge!!

 

[rwinches]

Ugh! I just finished reading this repugnant tripe! So this writer went to a drug party (where they happened to be playing vid games) got high, spent too much money on coke and decieded to explote the scene to pay for his party bill and wrote this 'high' at points it is sooo hard to follow. What evidence does this present that all vid parties/players are doing drugs?!!!! Tom's stop this before it is too late!! Please!! I am sure that the authors/distributers of 'Counter Strike' will not be happy that you are associating them with the 'New" drug culture!! God, I think I liked it better when you started kissing Intels butt with Dual Core! Oh! wait no that not true that is really lame too! I mean have you seen the orgasmic ads from Intel quoting the slight increase Intel now has for such a short time over AMD. AMD has been kicking Intels butt at much lower clock speeds!! So when AMD comes out with 65 tech and a new mem controller, uh oh there it goes again, AMD way out in Front. OH, I am sorry, did you go out and buy a new mother board for Intel and get left at the alter again!!!!

 

[BomberBill]

The use of drugs in gaming has evolved from simple marijuana use in the early days of Atari to the current assortment of illegal narcotics and over-prescribed medications. Welcome to gaming\'s new drug culture.

More particular:

"Marijuana is still the prime example when it comes to video games," Orzack says. "I haven't had any of my patients tell me about [Ritalin and amphetamines] yet, but I won't be surprised when someone does."

On this occasion, I strongly believe this article to be sensationalistic and erroneous in its presentation of the "facts". I also think its excessively subjective in its tone and content.

 

[Boslink]

I can't say that i liked this article, but i think it's interesting.

This article only covers some extreme (by my opinon) "gamers" or better to say people that play games. This is good to know and it is good to peek into this world.

But from another side to somebody/someone this article can be "introduction" to drugs because now they know what to use and what to mix. And if they want loooong and “good sex” then take sextasy. :twisted:

I'm strong believer that drugs should stay illegal and not propagated in any way (and this article in a way propagates use of drugs). This article also can be used as “evidence” why games are bad and why some father/mother won’t allow his kid to go to LAN party.

Anyway thanks for this insight info.