Drug Culture
As a 1st year associate at a mid tier IB I wanted to speak to the drug culture of banking and ask some questions. In my final years of college the glamour, prestige, and hard/fast lifestyle of the financial sector was what drew me to the industry. I had not always been interested in the financial sector, but got turned onto it after a flatmate did an internship at goldman in London. I landed an internship position at a boutique commodity trading firm in London between my Junior and Senior year. The firm is not a major player but has a reputable name and employees over 200 people.
Context aside, I wanted to speak about the drug culture that existed not just within my firm, but the whole of the wharf. On my fourth day of working for the fim and after having had 12 hours of sleep over the past 96, I made a passing joke to an intern about working with my eyes shut. Obviously this intern mentioned this to someone on my desk because I was ushered outside 20 minutes later and offered provigil. I consider myself a pretty liberal guy when it comes to substance use, of any sorts, so I took it and so it began................three weeks later I was with the guys on my desk on a Friday afternoon snorting coke in a locked meeting room. Initially I kept my behaviour very quiet, it wasn't until a friend of mine at a top tier IB mentioned a similar experience to me that I began to discuss it with him. Whilst no one seemed to talk about it, it soon became apparent, mostly from the 5pence pupil sizes that drugs were widely being used.
Now I am a 1st year associate and the culture of my bank is more conservative than most. I do not find myself in as many situations as I did as an intern, but certainly would say that substances are used regularly by my peers. I am staying ethically neutral on the matter, as I think one can do whatever they want with their own body.
Would you say that my experiences have been atypical on this topic?
I hope I won't be in the same situation. You work to life, not the other way around. But like you said, it's your own choice, if this makes you happy.
Never saw or heard of anyone doing drugs at work where I was, ever.
There were definitely people who did coke and obviously smoked pot, both off hours, but I wouldn't say recreational drug use any more or less prevalent than it would be in other jobs.
The only thing I'd say is that in finance people do better drugs, because you can afford it.
I never saw drug usage at the firm or during work hours either. After is another story and to each his/her own.
if that stuff is happening in your workplace, it's about time to reevaluate who you are as a professional. I don't think success correlates with taking controlled substances while working. Maybe you're bored, so go find another hobby.
I really don't have a problem with it happening at work. If you take speed/coke/heroin to help when you're pulling all nighters for some heavy deals then you're doing it to perform. It's the same thing as downing a Redbull or cans of Coke. There's nothing inately wrong with it, you just recognize the effects that theese drugs will have and using them to your advantage, same as a body builder with steroids.
As for people's stange morale issues with drugs at work I feel that if your company doesn't care, minus the crazy War on Drugs our government is propagating, what is the harm? In early America, before and after the Revolutionary War, it was common practice to drink at work, get paid your evening wages in rum and even the high skill set workers demanded to be able to have drink breaks often during work. It was the common culture and as long as a company was still making profit they were fine with it.
I know I would rather have someone high on heroin taxi me around vice someone who's sleepy...because people who are high on heroin have a very slight reduction in driving abilities, things like cell phones, children, sleepyness, being a new driver offer a much higher chance of getting in an accident.
Mostly agree with you except I'm pretty sure you have no idea what heroine is.
I think you're going off on a tangent here, but seriously? I would not be ok with a taxi driver on drugs while driving me around, but that's just me. I think you are trying to justify your actions by pulling these blanket statements. I hope they catch you, and then you'll learn how your stupid actions cost you a job.
I'm surprised to hear people would rather have someone falling asleep at the wheel driving them around. I think we can all agree we would rather have an awake, alert, sober drive who's not distracted and drives well, but if you're running numbers why wouldn't you pick someone who's doing the less socially acceptable thing if it results in less of a probability of you getting injured?
Sorry for pulling the thread in a different direction, but the OP obviously worked in a culture where drug use was acceptable and was curious if it was the same for others, I was just pointing out that many people's feelings on drug use are irrational. People feel that downing Redbulls are fine, drinking mass amounts of caffinated drinks are fine, but the moment you turn to the drugs that the government doesn't like people act like you're commiting genocide. Drugs are starting to become a social norm and as they're legalized in the states they'll eventually become legalized by the Fed. Just my take.
I know you get all your drug info from the Science channel but let's just say anyone who has ever seen someone on heroin would not want to be driven around by them. People can hardly keep their eyelids open and form sentences. Trust me it is not a PED in any way shape or form.
This was pretty much what I was getting at. Even if a heroin addict performs fine on driving tests when they are heroin, I still don't want to drive around with them.
Also as pot becomes legal in more and more states will they stop testing for THC? Can banks still say that you can't smoke pot even if it is legal in your state?
who the f takes heroin to stay awake..
I throw in a fatty in the wee hours of the night
Are people (currently employed in IBD, S&T, PE, VC, HF) really witnessing an influx of heroin use/abuse in the workplace? Is this a geographical phenomenon (Continent vs. US) or a prestige thing (Gridley Interns vs. say MS Analysts?) Personally, I have never witnessed heroin use or suspected any colleague of partaking. I agree with those above that say the horse is not a PED. In fact, once in its throes, you will likely sink like a stone. I suppose I understand the motivation - the desire to be "anywhere but here" while still actually being there to collect a pay check. I just can't see it being sustainable for any period of time.
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