I had a weird experience before work the other day

For all of you who don't know I work at an after school program in the Tenderloin in SF. Because I work with kids I have to keep my energy up so I've gotten hooked on Java Monster. The thing is I can't drink it in front of the kids since the club is a "Junkfood Free Zone". I have to drink it out on the sidewalk like an alkie.

Anyway as I was standing out on the sidewalk this guy walks by and says "want heroin, speed, reds." Usually with heroin and speed your customer comes to you but Reds. I thought they stopped making reds years ago. I thought Reds went the way of the Quualude and the Dodo Bird. I remember my dad talking about doing Reds in the 70s but not getting real specific.

So old hippies I ask this question. What the fuck are Reds and what do they do?

Peace Out,
Rev J

 

I haven't heard of those in years.

They are barbiturates, or they were then. On the streets in the 70's around here they tended to be seconal, nasty shit.

Rather like a really bad drunk but the high is higher and the low is nastier.

 

Ha Ha, I remember "reds".
Barbiturates
Street Names: Amytal, Downers, Nembutal, Phenobarbital, Reds, Red birds, Red devils, Seconal, Tuninal, Yellowjackets
Toxicology Detection: Slowly, about half is metabolized within 48 hours
Phenobarbital may be detected 4 weeks later
Psychological Effects: Like alcohol inebriation, but with greater euphoria and disinhibition. Higher doses can lead to memory loss, greater impairment in judgment, paranoia and suicidal ideation
Physical Effects: Sleepiness, slurred speech, decreased respiration, and can lead to death. Tolerance develops quickly, and danger of an overdose, especially when taken with another drug, is significant
Withdrawal Symptoms: Same as those of alcohol. Withdrawal is life-threatening.

Last time I ever did anything like that I think I was 17-18. My friend came over with some Seconal. I took two and we were talking and smoking a joint. I was sitting on the edge of my bed with my feet on the floor. I was in the same position 13 hours later when I woke up.
My friend told me I passed him the joint, mumbled something then just fell straight back and was out. He tried to wake me with no luck.
Yeah reds, lots of great memories behind those.
Yeah right.
Also depending on what you exactly took, because some are meant to be taken daily and are long lasting, you could have a two day hangover from them. Not pleasant in the least. I think I only did "downers" about 4-5 times in my life.
I do miss Quaalude's though. They were kind of like a cross between MDMA in terms of euphoria and downers.

 

Holy, think you might of been the very friend I did them with as the trip was crap. To make sure, repeat and decide it is still crap.

I can't comment after the 70's as I stopped playing and they may be floating something else now as reds.

Horrible stuff. Not a great memory at all.

 

Yup them are the bastards!

 

yes, eat some.. go to bed..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf-Mtd2A1DI"]YouTube- Jimi Hendrix - Stockholm - The Wind Cries Mary (live 1967)

 

I'm sitting here getting nauseous just recalling that "swooshing" slow motion feeling every time you even turned your head. Don't know why we ever took them to get "high", but I also don't care much for alcohol either.
You know that movie special effect where they make the person moving appear as a smearing blur? THAT is how "reds" make you feel.

 

I can honestly say it was the stone that I never regretted not doing again. It was a horrible feeling of disconnect and yet still being connected enough to not feel as if anything was tangible. After wards it was such a drawn and surreal feeling as nothing felt as if it connected at all. Not the high or the low. Just empty.

I am probably not making sense with that as the whole feeling felt like it did not make sense.

 

It's interesting that in the definition PB posted it mentioned Yellowjackets. I thought Yellowjackets were Benzadrine due to the yellow and black capsule.

Peace Out,
Rev J

 

I just found that when I was looking for a pic to post and figured what the hey. It came from one of those anti-drug sites with information that is from when Nixon was in office.............the first time.

 

I doubt it's what that guy had,
but some kids I know call some thizz pills reds.

 

Yellow Jackets were nembutal... a sedative, and were solid yellow capsules.

The king of barbiturates was probably tuinal, aka Rainbows or F66s, which came in fat blue and red capsules and were quite strong. I think that they were a mix of seconal and nembutal.

I don't know if this type of sedative is manufactured anymore since they now make sleeping pills like Ambien that don't give you that kind of a buzz.

I kind of liked downers as a teenager, though I'm sure that they'd just put me to sleep if I were to take any now.