Microstory 759: Butts

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You’ll be pleased to learn that recreational drugs are not nearly as much of a problem on other worlds as they are here. They do exist, yes, but always under vastly different conditions. Early humans would experiment with what is healthy to consume, and what is not. They test out foods, drink water from new sources, and try out various herbs to see if they hold any medicinal value. Like on Earth, many of these substances end up altering the cognitive abilities of those who tried them. On some worlds, they assimilate these experiences in their spiritual superstitions, believing them to provide them with visions of the future, or some other truths. As civilization forms, however, these outrageous beliefs are always discarded in favor of reality, even while religious devotion persists. As science progresses, professionals begin to study these substances, codify them, and scientifically declare them to be unfit for normal consumption, if that becomes the case. The ones that do end up having some use in the field of medicine are studied further, and modified to be used safely. They are never inhaled as smoke, for the particulates would damage people’s insides, thus unbalancing any benefit they may come with. Side effects, though present in all medicinal drugs, are lessened to the extent possible, with usually even stronger regulations than we have in most countries here. Likewise, alcohol is determined to have little health value, and any positive impact it has on the human body is outweighed by its negative effects, and therefore supplemented by something more responsible. It is simply not worth it. Because of these cultural differences, the drug scene is a deep underworld. It’s harder to find, harder to avoid its consequences, and harder to get out. Few studies have been conducted on the long-term effects of recreational drugs, so recovering addicts find little help by others, even if they decide they want to get better. So that’s one downside. There is less variety on these worlds as well. Alcohol can be made by one fermentant, or another, but people generally don’t come up with interesting variations, or combinations. If you want to get drunk, you take what’s available, and you’re usually unconcerned with taste, or the nuance of ingenuity. On the other hand, this makes some things a bit safer. Nobody would think to add fiberglass to the ingredients for smokable substances, or most of the hundreds of needlessly toxic chemicals found in Earthan cigarettes. The people who make them don’t have those resources, nor the support of society. So, what’s the point of this? Why do I bring this up without tying it into discernible narrative? I’m just letting you know that your dumb way of doing things isn’t the right way...it’s just the one you came up with. I guess that makes me the wild card in this story.