Drugs in T2K

[Mohoender]

As General asked about the DEA, I figure I would post what I came up with on drugs and cartels.

The Americas:
Production concentrates mostly on Cocaïne.

Cartels are strong in Central America, Mexico and Venezuela. They took full control of Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, most of Peru (the coastal regions remain under state control) and Surinam.

Drugs are largely present in Argentina, Brazil and the Carribeans but there is no direct control by the Cartels.

The DEA was disolved except for a small branch located in Panama (Civgov controlled for me). The office in Panama is not involved anymore in fighting drugs however as it is charged with helping Civgov getting a fair supply of drugs.

Actually, both Milgov and Civgov are using drugs as a weapon against each other. The Mexicans are also allowing as much drugs as possible to enter the southern region of the US.

In this region of the world, drugs are travelling through 3 means:
- Small private boats.
- Survivng military vessels of all nationalities.
- A fair number of aircrafts still operated by Cartels.

Europe and Africa
Production concentrates mostly on Canabis.

The production comes from two main locations: Northern Africa and Turkey (Anatolia). Most drugs enter Europe through the southern harbours and it is mostly carried on small ships (often own by muslim pirates). The french navy is also largely involved.

France is using it as a weapon in the Netherlands and in Germany but that would be (IMO) the only true military uses of drugs.

Elsewhere, drugs are distributed through civilian organizations (Union Corse...). However, I wouldn't be surprised to see drugs being used in places like Silesia, by the local authorities, in order to keep enslaved population in line.

In Africa, drugs are in use but along a more traditional line. Fighters will have a tendency to use drugs in order to strengthen in combat. As a result, many African warrior tend to be berserk in combat (Hard to stop but fighting like fools).

Asia
Main production would be Opium.

The two main production areas would be an extended Golden Triangle (areas of Burma, southern China and Thailand) and Afghanistan.

Drugs would be very present among the civilian populations of Australia and Thailand as well as among the various surviving elites everywhere.

Then, several Chinese warlords would send Opium to Russia in order to weaken the soviets. As a result, because of that and because of Russian mafia, the surviving soviet units are facing an increasingly important problem among its troopers (especially in the East).

In the Middle East, I wouldn't be surprised to have several special ops units being involved in anti-drugs operations.

[General Pain]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...United_Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_drug_trade
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_cartel
http://www.erowid.org/

[pmulcahy11b]

Here's another aspect of drugs in T2K:

Even back when I was in the Army, there was a lot of use of what we called "Go Pills" -- stimulants such as Provigil (normally prescribed for narcoleptics or those taking very sedating drug combinations), as well as liberal amounts of caffeine. We even used those in peacetime to keep going and stay alert during long ops where we would be awake almost the entire time. Provigil is a good go pill; it produces no jitteriness and washes out of your system quickly when the dose is over. Caffeine -- well, the side effects are well-known and while they are not the best thing to keep awake, but better than nothing.

And of course there are uppers...

Imagine a black market in Provigil in T2K?

[Mohoender]

That's a good point Paul. That might also apply to "regular" illegal drugs. I don't know what the situation is in the USA but when I did my military service in France, the various army branches were all more or less involved in some kind of drug dealing.

The strategic submarine base at Lorient was even known as the main drug entrance gate in Britany.

[JimmyRay73]

I always figured the break down in communication and easy transport would lead to a rise in "home grown" narcotics such as the ever-present marijuana and relatively easy to manufacture meth. Long lines of transport and the necessity for refinement would most likely make things like cocaine and opiates (morphine, heroin, etc) less common except in the areas they're indigenous to.

I would also expect a rise in the numbers of old-school moonshiners, due to alcohol's versatility. Just think, it isn't just a depressant, it has medical uses as well as being a fuel source, and therefore it is three trade goods in one... Some of those Tennessee mountain folk would go from being somewhat outcast by their neighbors to being perhaps the most important people on their particular hillside...

[General Pain]

Originally Posted by JimmyRay73

I always figured the break down in communication and easy transport would lead to a rise in "home grown" narcotics such as the ever-present marijuana and relatively easy to manufacture meth. Long lines of transport and the necessity for refinement would most likely make things like cocaine and opiates (morphine, heroin, etc) less common except in the areas they're indigenous to.

I would also expect a rise in the numbers of old-school moonshiners, due to alcohol's versatility. Just think, it isn't just a depressant, it has medical uses as well as being a fuel source, and therefore it is three trade goods in one... Some of those Tennessee mountain folk would go from being somewhat outcast by their neighbors to being perhaps the most important people on their particular hillside...

I'm allmost hearing a " You might be a redneck...joke coming up...."

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by JimmyRay73

I always figured the break down in communication and easy transport would lead to a rise in "home grown" narcotics such as the ever-present marijuana and relatively easy to manufacture meth. Long lines of transport and the necessity for refinement would most likely make things like cocaine and opiates (morphine, heroin, etc) less common except in the areas they're indigenous to.

I tend to agree except that I count all of the later as being "home grown" narcotics. You are right on one thing, we use a lot of refinement for the others but there is no real need for it, at least for the dirivative of Opium.

I don't know much about drugs in general (except for some consumption back in college), and even less about their making process, but cocaïne as been used since the mid-19th century. As a result, I don't expect that you'll need very complex lab to get it. For exemple, it was often mixed with cigarettes.

Opium has been used since 3000 B.C. and is as easy to get as canabis/marijuana. In my opinion you still can find a fair amount of opium/morphine around. You should also look at what was called "Polish Opium". Currently, opium is produced mainly in Asia, in the Middle East, Mexico and Columbia. With the Twilight war I would expect the culture area to be much wider, at least for medical reason. Every local warlord will be interested in getting some morphine.

To these you can had several less common narcotics inlcuding mushrooms, peyotl...

However, I agree with you and most chemical drugs will have become unavailable. Of course, the large reduction in international trade will reduce the amount of drug trade but I don't think that it will suppress it. IMO, two main market will remain active during the twilight war: weapons and drugs.

[General Pain]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

I tend to agree except that I count all of the later as being "home grown" narcotics. You are right on one thing, we use a lot of refinement for the others but there is no real need for it, at least for the dirivative of Opium.

I don't know much about drugs in general (except for some consumption back in college), and even less about their making process, but cocaïne as been used since the mid-19th century. As a result, I don't expect that you'll need very complex lab to get it. For exemple, it was often mixed with cigarettes.

Opium has been used since 3000 B.C. and is as easy to get as canabis/marijuana. In my opinion you still can find a fair amount of opium/morphine around. You should also look at what was called "Polish Opium". Currently, opium is produced mainly in Asia, in the Middle East, Mexico and Columbia. With the Twilight war I would expect the culture area to be much wider, at least for medical reason. Every local warlord will be interested in getting some morphine.

To these you can had several less common narcotics inlcuding mushrooms, peyotl...

However, I agree with you and most chemical drugs will have become unavailable. Of course, the large reduction in international trade will reduce the amount of drug trade but I don't think that it will suppress it. IMO, two main market will remain active during the twilight war: weapons and drugs.

...don't forget prostitutes..hehe

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by General Pain

...don't forget prostitutes..hehe

There won't be much prostitutes General (except for a few lucky ones), they'll be slave. You do the same with them but don't have to pay for it. Nevertheless, you are right, slaves will be the third trade (or may be the first).

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by General Pain

...don't forget prostitutes..hehe

Which means that antibiotics will be in high demand...

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Which means that antibiotics will be in high demand...

No! It will simply mean that you'll have much in common with famous 19th century artists.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

To these you can had several less common narcotics inlcuding mushrooms, peyotl...

Hard core hallucinogens are not going to be in high demand in the T2K world. Can you imagine a bunch of heavily armed, psychologically traumatised soldiers necking a fistful of magic mushrooms? I don't think the results would be pretty.

[General Pain]

Originally Posted by Targan

Hard core hallucinogens are not going to be in high demand in the T2K world. Can you imagine a bunch of heavily armed, psychologically traumatised soldiers necking a fistful of magic mushrooms? I don't think the results would be pretty.

...war is never pretty....unless you're on magic mushrooms hahahaha

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Targan

Hard core hallucinogens are not going to be in high demand in the T2K world. Can you imagine a bunch of heavily armed, psychologically traumatised soldiers necking a fistful of magic mushrooms? I don't think the results would be pretty.

Agree. but I can, however, imagine a bunch of suriving traumatised civilians using them. They might even be supplied by local authorities. Nevertheless, I think that Canabis/Marijuana, Opium and Cocaïne (to a lesser level) would be in much wider use (even among military). They are IMO a better way to abduct people.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Targan

Hard core hallucinogens are not going to be in high demand in the T2K world. Can you imagine a bunch of heavily armed, psychologically traumatised soldiers necking a fistful of magic mushrooms? I don't think the results would be pretty.

Sort of the like the drug called "The Ladder" in the movie Jacob's Ladder. It made the troops fight with mindless, berserker fury, but when they ran out of enemy to kill, they attacked each other and couldn't stop themselves from fighting.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Sort of the like the drug called "The Ladder" in the movie Jacob's Ladder. It made the troops fight with mindless, berserker fury, but when they ran out of enemy to kill, they attacked each other and couldn't stop themselves from fighting.

Yes, that's what I had in mind. I've had LSD and I've had magic mushrooms and trust me, they wouldn't be popular in a post apocalyptic environment. I'm glad my friends and I didn't have access to firearms when we were tripping, and we were relatively well adjusted people. Soldiers with the full range of "issues" (PTSD, survivor's guilt, depression, paranoia) would IMO have a high probability of totally flipping out in a violent manner if they took powerful psychogenics.

[jester]

And thus, halucinagens would be a new weapon of sorts.

For crime and control, in some areas, food and water would be the controling mechanism. And then imagine food that is contaminated, sure radioactive food but what about the wheat or grain fungus ergot? They say that is what saved Rome from the Huns. The Huns grain was contaminated with ergot which is a halucinagen. So, imagine a warlord or similiar who purposely puts food on the market, or lets it get "captured" and the enemy ends up poisoned and tripping and then ill.

Further, more drug talk;

What about drugs that would be need and can be made in small labs or from what we now consider modern street drugs with modification or further refinement.

Opiates that we have talked about. Morphine but I would also see lodiumum returning as well.

Vitamin tablets, powder or drops would be something of importance. Citric Acid or vegetable oil, or even drops of some form of juice, or even a vegetable extract in vinegar to combat disease like scurvy, beri beri etc.

Antibiotics would take more work but could be done in a garage or besement lab. Certainly a highschool science class.

Aspirin and similiar; these work wonders for reducing fevers and would save thousands as they already have saved millions.

Decongestants which are similiar meth, remember, meth is made from regular cond medicines that are refined and reduced. So, we need the basic ingredients to turn into meth which are chemicals ie, medicines. But I know some herbal and similiar things that will act as a stimulant, these range from coffee to some foods. Such things could possibly help in place of asthama meds, or epinephrine due to say an allergic reaction.

So, what other meds can or would be able to be made in a small scale laboratory? And herbal stuff can be a totaly different topic.