Friend of mine died this week... things you never knew.

[Mark Ducati]

Got a call from a neighbor the other day that the Coroner's Van was in the driveway of my friend's house (lives up the street from me)... He was one of the local pharmacists in a small rural town. It wasn't a suicide, he had a loving wife and 3 small school age boys, and a successful business.

Initial coroner reports state that he was found dead on the floor with blood coming from his nose, beside him was a rolled up dollar bill with white powdery residue. This man was only 35, and physically healthy... I had no idea that he was sniffing cocaine. He was a good, kind church going man as well, and was very active in the community... the type of person who would go into the pharmacy at 2 in the morning to get somebody their medication if they needed it in the middle of the night.

Back when I was in college, I tried some coke... it was fun, but I never really took to it, I was too afraid of it when it made my heart beat wildly.

This stuff can kill you at any age and in no matter how good a shape you or your heart is in...

If anybody here is using cocaine... put it down! 3 small boys no longer have a daddy, and a young wife is now alone.

I guess I'm just venting here because it really makes me mad that this didn't have to happen, he didn't have to die this way so young.

[alismith]

Sorry to hear this. It's a shame when something like this happens to someone you would never think would be using the stuff. However, people have the mindset that they are invincible and no matter what they do, nothing is going to happen to them like it happens to others. I'm sure he thought he would just get a little high then come back down with no problems. People have to learn that there are consequences for every action they take. Sometimes those consequences are fatal. He won't get another chance. I feel sorry for the family he left behind. Sad.

[Lysander]

Coke is the new pot. I know a lot of people in my field and others, like Marketing, who do it. Never cared for the stuff personally, but I'm a control freak.

[Ronwicp]

Might not have been coke since he worked in a pharmacy. Lots of other stuff out there that smells pretty good now days.

None of that matters though. Sorry to hear about your friend.

[Full Otto]

If it was they've got the pure stuff don't ask me how I know.
You just never know sorry for the loss

[Vorkutinetz]

Sorry to hear about it .... Feel really bad for the family...

[blobman]

that sucks.thats why i wouldnt touch anything like that anymore(did alot of it back in the day),but i honestly beleive a bump would kill me in my present condition(just gettin fatter by the day)

[NAPOTS]

Sorry for your loss, never tried coke, never want to.

Besides, with as much coffe as I drink, I'd probably get hooked on it.

[Skarmajunga]

Sorry for the loss of your friend
:(

[Krupski]

If anybody here is using cocaine... put it down!

Sorry to hear about your friend... and a big +1000 on your advice! :thumbsup:

When I was (a lot) younger, I tried all kinds of illegal drugs (even IV heroin and preludin)... without going into the whole long story, the truth is:

Most illegal drugs DO feel good... they feel great the first time you try them. Next time it's not quite the same. Then you get used to it and you take more, trying to experience the "first time" again.

Pretty soon you are taking almost an overdosage amount, still not reaching the "goal" of the "first time rush" and in the end you just end up feeling sick, burned out and broke from pissing away all the money to buy the crap in the first place.

At that point, you have a choice... bite the bullet and quit cold turkey, or just keep pushing it high and higher until they find you dead on the floor.

"Drugs" are CRUEL. They entice you with a good feeling... then they grab you by the balls and don't let go until either you can defeat them... or they kill you.

Stay away from that shit. It will try it's best to kill you.

[Sherman]

Sorry for the loss of a friend. You just never know what people do behind closed doors. Again Sorry.

[renegadebuck]

Yeah, I hate to see good people die off young. We're gonna need all of them soon enough. Sorry for your loss.

[Draco]

Sorry man, Blue Ridge eh?

[Prometheus168]

Hate to hear it bro, and I hate to hear of any man leaving behind his wife and children without a husband and father....

RUsty

[Partisan1983]

Very sorry to hear about your loss. Whenever a loved one dies tragically it is never easy, regardless of the cause.



That being said, cocaine was not the cause. If you have never been around it, I can see how easy it is for someone to blame it. The lies and myths surrounding contraband is a joke (99% of it is based on racism).

Again I am very sorry for your loss.....this upcoming Labor Day weekend will be the 5th anniversary of a very good friend of mine that tragically died.....I was only 22 at the time and not ready to deal with losing someone that wasn't an old family member, it has affected me ever since.....I don't know what more to say

[L1A1Rocker]

Sorry to hear about your friend. That's something I've never messed with. A little pot in high school was all I've ever messed with. Just hung out hung out with people that didn't mess with it I guess. Never had any peer pressure to even try it till I was an adult. Was real easy to turn down at that point in my life.

[AKTexas]

Sorry about your friend Mark.We are still dealing with my ex's mother passing.One of my cousins in Houston has lost two of his nephews to cocaine abuse.The drug did not actually kill them but was cause for their suicide.

[O.S.O.K.]

Yes, very sad. A needless death to say the least.

[ubersoldate]

Sorry about your loss.
Ive been in bands for the last twenty years, so Ive been surrounded by it.
The good thing is that it showed me early, that there really is no postitive outcome with hard stuff.
Even the guys who shot up and were snorters in the 80s and quit in the 90s are still burn outs, just clean burn outs.
Lost a handfull of friends over the years to the needle and the glass, but I always kind of saw it as something that happens when you play with that stuff..
Its a choice one makes.
Never got into drugs myself other than smoking some hash in Germany and Amsterdam back in the day, I did play with a reggae band at that time so I think it was mandatory!

I dont even drink nowdays..Its hard enough to keep up with life in general without having a clear head.

[sniper_n_training]

I might have tried it in high school (along with a few other "strong" drugs), but for whatever reason, I only drink alcohol and chew the occasional Vicodin. Anything stronger than that just fu*ks with things even more than they need to be.

Sorry for your loss Mark

[Mark Ducati]

Thanks for the replies fellas...

There has been more than one thread here where quite a few of you have said that you no longer drink... ya know what, I'm 45 and I'm at a point in my life where I'm starting to feel my own mortality... My son is 6, daughter 3... I'm just about ready to quit drinking myself... don't get me wrong, I'm not a drunk, but just a personal feeling that I don't want my kids to grow up with alcohol in the house. It has been a problem for me in the past and I'd like to try to keep some of those foot holes out of their path if possible.

I like what Uber said... "Its hard enough to keep up with life in general without having a clear head. "

We really have a good bunch of guys here... a lot have shared some pretty personal stuff, gunsnet can almost be like group therapy sometimes and I just want y'all to know that I really do appreciate everyone here.

[rktman]

Mark,

You said exactly what I've been thinking lately. I like an occasional drink after the family has gone to bed, but it's been eating at me that my kids might find out someday. I don't want to be a stumbling block for them. Maybe time to find another way to relax...
Sorry about your friend, I have a buddy that's a pharmacist and it's pretty stressful from what I hear. We all need to find better coping mechanisms.

[ATAK, Inc.]

Mark, sorry to hear that, he was way too young. I hope his family can cope with this loss.


Thanks for the replies fellas...

There has been more than one thread here where quite a few of you have said that you no longer drink... ya know what, I'm 45 and I'm at a point in my life where I'm starting to feel my own mortality... My son is 6, daughter 3... I'm just about ready to quit drinking myself... don't get me wrong, I'm not a drunk, but just a personal feeling that I don't want my kids to grow up with alcohol in the house. It has been a problem for me in the past and I'd like to try to keep some of those foot holes out of their path if possible.

I like what Uber said... "Its hard enough to keep up with life in general without having a clear head. "

We really have a good bunch of guys here... a lot have shared some pretty personal stuff, gunsnet can almost be like group therapy sometimes and I just want y'all to know that I really do appreciate everyone here.

I can relate on the drinking thing, I dealt with alcoholism growing up, it was amazing my parents never divorced.
Then I went into the AF (was a huge partier before that, did everything short of needles), and drinking was the norm.
When I joined the Thunderbirds it only amplified from there.
In 1997 I was in a bad car accident and afterwards just lost the desire to drink, it started to give me headaches, so I quit. Not totally, I will have a drink every now and then, just doesn't mean anything to me anymore. Case in point; I bought a 6-pack at the beginning of June, there are still 4 left!
And, my in-laws drink quite a bit, and I see in my girls how they don't like it and don't like their Nana and Papa when they have been drinking a lot.

I like being clear headed, I like the extra $$$. Now I've quit smoking and am enjoying the extra $$$ from that too!!!