Tag: drugs

At my age, I have seen a lot and in the past six months, I have had two friends die from drug overdoses. They were hugely successful in their careers, and no-one saw it coming. Perhaps they were accidental overdoes, or maybe they chose this path, but it begs the question - what responsibility do we have as friends, family and employers of people who are suffering from addiction, anxiety and depression?

I was shocked when a friend of mine told me that his house was broken into in Townsville. Yet another break-in that seems to now be the norm for a town that has 10.1% unemployment rate (Source: ABS Labour Force Survey) or according to ABC article in June 2016, a 13.9% unemployment rate. Townsville now boasts one of the highest jobless rates in Australia.

I was very proud of Emma Watson when she did her speech for the United Nations promoting HeForShe. It was a significant move forward in looking at the whole gender equality issue in a different, more level approach.

I thought long and hard about the women that work for me and the women and girls that are my family. This speech meant something, and I felt more men were standing up and saying that we should respect each other.

About two years ago, I was driving in my car with a man who use to own nightclubs and bars, and he said to me, "women will do anything for coke - I should write a book on it". I looked at him and said, "maybe you should". By bringing the issue out into the forefront, maybe it might create a situation where women think about what they want in life and how they want to be perceived. They may also think about the fact that doing cocaine is illegal and it doesn't make you a better person.

On the weekend I went to dinner with a few girlfriends, then a couple of them went on to a nightclub. 

I personally couldn't think of anything worse. Why in your mid-forties would you want to go to a nightclub? To pick up? To get drunk? Really?

Then I thought a bit more; I know lots of old, rich men who go to nightclubs, particularly when they are in New York, London, Ibiza, Mykonos etc. There seems to be a growing trend. Perhaps I didn't notice it so much when I was younger at how many old men there are in nightclubs. I am talking 50's, 60's and god-forbid, 70 year old's hanging out with 20-somethings, trying to lure them through wing-men that are more connected usually due to their ability to source drugs or find rich people to pick up the tab.