Alex – Interview 24
Alex drinks several nights a week with friends, and occasionally takes drugs under the influence of alcohol. He knows a lot of people who take drugs regularly, especially marijuana (cannabis). He avoids cannabis because he had a bad experience with it when he was about fifteen.
Alex drank as a teenager and his parents didn’t mind as long as it wasn’t in excess. When he was about fifteen, there were times that his mother worried that he was drinking too much. He had suffered from depression and anxiety during adolescence, and used alcohol to build up his confidence. He is still on medication, although he isn’t supposed to drink when he is on his meds.
He says that drinking patterns change when you go to university. You’re away from home, living independently, and with more freedom. You don’t have to worry about drinking and going home to your family. He drinks every other night and usually with a group of friends.
He and his friends often have fun doing drinking games, where a lot of alcohol is drunk. Alex has never been a regular drug user, but he very occasionally takes cocaine or MDMA when offered it at a friend’s house or at a night club. He knows a lot of people who take drugs regularly, especially cannabis. He avoids cannabis now because he had a bad experience with it when he was about fifteen. Nearly every time he has taken drugs, it has been under the influence of alcohol. He says that he probably would be less likely to take drugs when sober. He thinks that he has enough bad habits already, and would rather not get a drug habit in future.