When I was 17/18, I think I got the best lesson about drugs that I could. I worked with a real druggie and watched him stuff his life up. He'd go out to take uppers & downers all the time, (which annoyed the crap out of us when we got in trouble because of him). He went on to become famous about a year after he left - climbing over a lion's cage (in the zoo) because he got dared to (after he'd been at the pub & taking more drugs) - one of the lions obviously thought he tasted good and took off one of his legs.
All of us who knew him (some had been at the pub with him that night), just laughed when we heard his name mentioned on the radio. A while later (maybe a year or so), he was in the news yet again. He'd shot his dad with a crossbow while his dad was watching tv with his g/f. His mum apparently treated him badly, but his dad was a cool guy according to everyone who knew him.
Instead of going to prison, he got sent to a mental institution. He was released after about a year. A reporter was doing a story on homeless people in parks & came across him (only way I knew he was on the loose again) so stopped to talk to this young guy missing a leg (I guess he was in his early 20s at this stage). They figured out who he was, a song and dance was performed & he went back into another institute, but a higher security one this time.
I have no idea of where he is these days, but I'll always remember him & will not partake of drugs to this day. He started by smoking weed & just carried on.
I know of plenty of others whose lives drugs have ruined, but John's story is the one that made most of an impact on me at the stage in my life I would have started doing drugs - honestly, watching it all was enough & whenever I get tempted these days to try it, I just think of him & decide it's not worth it (I'm the type of person who probably would take it further).
As for the original story of this thread, sorry, I don't have sympathy. You make your choices & you learn to live with them. If you get caught doing something illegal, it's on your head, nobody else's. I agree, however, weed should be decriminalised (personal use only & that way we could grow some as the plants are cool) ;)
Michelle