France is doing a brilliant job at hiding a dirty little secret.
While official health reports will boast that France’s drug use is very low compared to other European states, with only 3% of the population claiming to have tried cocaine, the streets of Paris seem to be telling a different story.
Go out in Paris at night and you will notice that party-goers are high on more that just smoke fumes and glasses of wine. They’ve got the look of rabid squirrels and eyes of glass. And they are invading swanky bathrooms across the city.
Cocaine use is becoming as commonplace as cigarettes in certain Parisian locales– from the clubs to the workplace. And it’s certainly not just in fashion circles.
In a 2004 study conducted in 4 Parisian cities, over 80% of youths surveyed admitted to have tried cocaine at least once. With a gram priced between 50 and 70 euros, and an individual hit only 20 euros, the price of a cocaine filled night is comparable to the expensive drinks you will pay at many clubs. And, like ordering a drink, one need only to ask the barman. PetiteBrigitte has met one barman who brags about selling so much coke that he will soon buy his own restaurant. He sells to strangers at the club, and his special VIP’s are invited to his apartment. Cocaine in Paris is also just a call away. Many users simply dial a number and a scooter delivers the order, to the home or office. Just like pizza.
Perhaps most interesting is the complete indifference with which French cokeheads regard their drug use (apparently, drug education is not part of the school curriculum here). D., a 23 year old business school student, says,
“When we know we are going to go clubbing, we start sniffing in the afternoon, after our last class, so we know we’ll have energy from the start of the night. For me, it’s a youthful drug– I know that someday I’ll stop, it’s not like I’m too accustomed to it.”
French psychiatrist, Docteur Hautefeuille, has an interesting perspective on the cocaine trend:
“In France, drugs have always been considered a more calming and contemplative product. On the other hand, Americans always looked to drugs for excitement and to surpass performance. The massive arrival of cocaine in France is a symptom of the Americanisation of Europe. No longer do we take drugs to be original or rebellious, but we take them to conform to this model of eternal youth, exuberance, wittiness.” That’s right, blame America.
So the next time you go clubbing and can’t keep up… maybe cocaine is the reason. Just say no mes amis!
