Radio Netherlands Worldwide

15 years ago I was selling alcoholic drinks for Seagrams here on Sint Maarten. Giving away promotion things like caps, sun shades, coasters and wall hangings I was the most popular visitor in many bars. It was there I was first introduced to cocaine. At the end of the evening when the barkeeper himself was getting tipsy he would invite me for a line in the bath room. That was when I found out why coke is so immensely popular. No matter how drunk I was, one line of the magic powder and I was sober right away. It lasted long enough to drive home alert, straight and very awake, and the next morning no hangover came. I found out that cocaine was sold in little street bars all over the island, over the counter. One had to hand over a $20 note asking for a Heineken Special, and in the hand that gave the bottle was a small plastic pack of cocaine. In broad daylight, with other people around, sitting in such place I saw these transactions taking place between all kind of people, from the highest ranking politicians to the lowest street sweeper. After a friend got killed by a drunk driver (who obviously had not used coke) I understood how dangerous alcohol is and I stopped selling it. Since then I have not tasted cocaine again. I think that with moderation an adult should be allowed to use it. It will stay popular as long as alcohol is popular, as it is the only real immediate antidote for drunkenness.