To you and me, to most people I dare say, drugs are something you take once in a while to help you get over, or ignore, some nasty infectious thing you've acquired from somewhere.
Usually colds, or headaches or fluey type things, these remedies form the core of the multi-billion pound drugs industries. Its in their interests to ensure that some poor suffering soul is guided to the balm to sooth their fevered brow as quickly as possible, with as little fuss as possible. Perhaps even in whispers, if the sound hurts to much.
This isn't what happened recently.
While in Vancouver, I had a lovely allergic reaction to the hostel potplants. Read: walk in the room and start sneezing out the contents of my brains - for about 6 hours after each exposure.
So I decided, whilst passing a pharmacy (yes, the pharmacy was more like a drug store, and as big as say, a small Sainsburies) I decided to pick up some pseudoephedrine - or sudafed, as you may know it (and an antihistamine, but that was easy to do). To you and me, a fairly effective decongestant with few side effects and a cheap price tag - so easy to get, effective, cheap...what more could you ask for?
In this case, a grilling on how old I was, why I wanted it ("*sneeze*...see?"), how much I wanted, why didn't I want *this* - a phenylephrine based decongestant (more expensive and less effective at the dose) , or why not buy this mixed product...
Wasn't amused in the slightest, so in the end I simply said no and walked out. You'd think that if someone knows enough to ask for a drug by its active ingredients that they probably know what they want. Possibly down to the milligram.
The lovely thing about cities - there's always another store a little further on, which I visited. Got some antihistamine and asked what the whole thing about pseudoephedrine was. I was only slightly shocked.
After a few slightly odd questions (why do you want to know, you don't actually want to buy any?) I found out. It appears that its in great demand by drug producers.
I kid you not - the 30 pack tubes you can by in the uk have a real use. With a little work it can be easily transformed into methamphetamine! Medicine to poison in a couple of really easy steps, readily described on the internet.
My mistake was trying to buy it within a street or two of Vancouver's drug central - the corner of Main and Hastings - while very tired, jet lagged, unshaven and scruffy.
It wasn't my fault, was it?
1 comment:
Some people are never satisfied - one day you get thought of as a 16 year old, the next as a down and out. Perhaps before going out in the morning you need to look in the mirror and see who you are on that day? Could be an asset before going job hunting?
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