Normalization of Recreational Drugs
Recreational drugs refer to the chemical substances consumed for pleasure, relaxation, and purposes apart from medical motives. Recreational drugs are generally taken for enjoyment or to enhance the experiences of life in some or the other way. Nevertheless, there are chances that it can lead to addiction impact the health and social life of the user, and also incline him towards crime. The most common forms of recreational drugs used in the UK are cannabis and cocaine. In the past, drugs have been used by humans as the oldest way to change the way we sense and view things in life. However, it has been a controversial debate and is often perceived as a “deviant activity” carried out by a small section of society, usually in their youth. In modern times, the UK has the largest number of youth who have experienced the drug in Europe (Measham et al. 2001) giving stiff competition to their counterparts in the United States. (Ramsay & Partridge,1999). Most of the drugs used by the young population in the UK are mainly for recreation and include cannabis, ecstasy, amphetamines, and cocaine. The large amount of drugs being used by the youth and young adults in the UK has led to the consideration of accepting these drugs in contemporary society, instead of viewing them as a sign of deviance and subcultural pass time, in contrast to the way it was practiced in the past.
Normalization is a term used for a stigmatized and deviant section of society, who are accepted in the society and are made part of the conventional modern everyday life. A large number of researchers, scientists, lawmakers, and other sociologists think that the use of drugs has become a fairly common practice in modern society, particularly among youth who take it as a part of their daily lives. The normalization theory was coined by Howard Parker and his peers, who played a major role in developing the theory widely known as the “normalization thesis" (Parker, 2005). The “normalization theory” was used by Parker, Williams, and Aldridge to measure 'sensible' recreational drug use (Parker, Williams & Aldridge, 2002). The researchers claimed that the use of sensible recreational drugs was initially used by the Mods and Hippies in the 1960s-1970s as well as the typical youth in the 1980s when the "rave scene" was prevalent. The culture of dancing and having revelry became popular, and with it, the onset of recreational drugs also became ‘normalized’. This was seen as a new way of leisure for young people, as they enjoyed a tempting new drug called ecstasy. Scholars claim that the practice of consuming illegal drugs is not seen as a deviant behavior anymore, as the youth term it as an expression of “freedom of choice”. Due to these factors, these drugs are termed as recreational instead of being problematic for society. The researchers also claim that sooner the young individuals who have not yet experienced the drug culture will be termed as a minority, and hence referred to as ‘deviants’.
The advent of globalization and the increased trading between countries has facilitated easy access to drugs. This led to the increased and common use of drugs, and more disposable income in the hands of youth to enjoy an extended childhood as well as consume drugs freely. It has been observed that youths in their late teens and early twenties are the major users of illegal drugs. Thus, the normalization theory is mainly proposed to remove the humiliation of young people who take recreational drugs, since a major part of the youth involved in the same are not deviant and are not involved in any kind of crime. There has been a shift in the pattern of consuming hard drugs, such as cocaine and heroin to recreational drugs like alcohol, cannabis, and ecstasy which are largely used as a part of leisure activities by today’s youth (Measham, Newcombe & Parker, 1994). Thus, recreational drugs are largely accepted in contemporary society and ‘normalized’ as it does not amount to a culture of crime as evident in the case of more serious drugs such as heroin.
Implication
Though society has accepted the use of recreational drugs, the same is not without any side effects on the surroundings, particularly the influence it exerts on the youth. Though it is a fairly common practice for most people to have experienced drugs at some point in their young days, this practice should not be taken casually. The normalization theory has been accused of being exaggerated and tends to oversimplify the various ways young people have created a notion about it. Scholars such as Shiner and Newburn have criticized the normalization theory and claimed that the idea of normalization “exaggerates and over-simplifies drug consumption by young people” (Shiner & Newburn, 1997). They maintained that the consumption of recreational drug use is done by a small section of society, and hence cannot be generalized for the whole and accepted as a normalized aspect of society.
The normalization of recreational drugs in society can have an adverse impact on the youth, as the overdose or addiction of the same can lead to mental health issues, which are at times detected while other times gone without notice. These drugs can lead to pain and suffering for the users and their families destroy homes as well weaken the foundation of society. It has been proven that drugs can cause permanent physical and mental damage to those addicted to them and adversely hamper their family and professional life, as well as all the individuals who come in contact with the user. With the normalization of recreational drugs, these illegal recreational drugs will be easily available and accessible in the market with a wide variety of substances such as cocaine. Excessive use of drugs can adversely impact the user's health, and lead to bad health and ailments.
On the positive side, recreational and other illicit drugs have healing properties as well. Drugs such as cannabis are many times used for coping with stress, low confidence, problematic situations, and low emotions. Many times drugs such as marijuana are also used for medicinal purposes and are used to heal many neurological diseases and other ailments. Cannabis has been proven to decrease the vomiting and nausea feeling during the chemotherapy process, enhance the appetite in people suffering from HIV/AIDS, and also proven to reduce muscle spasms and other chronic pains. However, doctors have advised against the self-medication of these illicit drugs, as they can lead to overdose and pose a threat to the health of the user. It is always safe to go as per the direction of the doctor and avoid taking drugs as per your own whims and fancy.
To conclude, recreational drugs are increasingly getting an acceptance in society owing to the popularity it has among the youth. The young population consumes these drugs for leisure and relaxation purposes and is no longer seen as a taboo in society. People consuming recreational drugs are not considered deviant and are seen more as an expression of “freedom of choice”. However, the impact of this normalization of recreational drugs in society is both positive as well negative. Anything done in excess can always backfire. Thus, an overdose or addiction to recreational drugs can pose problems for the user's health and also disrupt his family life. On the positive side, recreational drugs are known to have healing properties and are also medically proven to heal many diseases, chronic pains, and neurological ailments.
References
- Parker, H. (2005). Normalization as a barometer: Recreational drug use and the consumption of leisure by younger Britons. Addiction Research & Theory, 13(3), 205-215.
- Parker, H., Williams, L., & Aldridge, J. (2002). The Normalization of ‘Sensible’ Recreational Drug Use. Sociology, 36(4), 941-964.
- Measham, F., Aldridge, J. and Parker, H. (2001) Dancing on Drugs: Risk, Health and Hedonism in the British Club Scene. London: Free Association Books.
- Measham, F., Newcombe, R., & Parker, H. (1994). The Normalization of Recreational Drug Use amongst Young People in North-West England. The British Journal Of Sociology, 45(2), 287.
- Ramsay, M. & Partridge, S. (1999) Drug Misuse Declared in 1998: Results from the British Crime Survey. London: Home Office
- Shiner, M. & Newburn, T. (1997). Definitely, Maybe Not? The Normalisation of Recreational Drug Use Among Young People. Sociology. 31 (3), 511-529.
