BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Sherlock and drug use?

AliceI · February 15, 2013 1:27 pm

I know that in the canon of the books, Sherlock Holmes used drugs. I also know that in ASiP Sherlock had a suspicious reaction to the ‘fake’ drugs bust eluding to the fact that he has at some point used elicit drugs. In the pilot he even comes right out and says it. The cabbie asks if he likes drugs and Sherlock replies, “Not in awhile.”

All of this seems very contradictory to some of the other BBC Sherlock canon statements. Sherlock is all about his mind and using it to parse out the truth of a situation. In TGG he describes his mind as his “hard drive and that ordinary people fill their heads with all kinds of rubbish and that makes it hard to get at the stuff that’s really important.” He becomes extremely agitated with John insisting that he can’t believe Sherlock doesn’t know simple primary school knowledge and starts yelling that “All that matters to me is the work. Without that my brain rots.”

In THoB he is quite literally freaked out by seeing the hound. It makes him doubt himself and that is a very uncomfortable situation for Sherlock not to mention something he has never experienced before. He knows that he saw the beast, but logically he couldn’t have. He says, “I’ve always been able to trust my senses, the evidence of my own eyes, until last night.” He came right out and said that he has never experienced doubt of his senses before. That tells me that he has never used drugs due to how they effect the function of those very same senses.

Given this about BBC Sherlock, it seems to me that taking drugs that alter one’s perception would be almost offensive to a man like him. He relies on his abilities to observe everything around him. His brain automatically takes it all in and begins to categorize all that input. Anyone could understand that the use of drugs would be a way to shut that off for a little while, but going by how BBC Sherlock describes himself and the workings of his mind, I don't really see him choosing to willingly hamper his ability to perceive the world around him.

The only reference we see of his possible drug use in the series is the ‘fake’ drugs bust. From that point forward the only substance he seems to have difficulty with is tobacco. Given these contradictions within the series I am unsure whether or not to think that the BBC Sherlock actually uses, or has in the past, used drugs. Opinions?

SusiGo · February 15, 2013 1:41 pm

I think he has. To me the scene in the flat clearly implies a past drug habit. Else he wouldn't say "I'm clean". He never denies that he has taken and/or consumed drugs in the past and says that he even gave up smoking. Nobody would call himself clean if was only about cigarettes.

And the cabbie says "still the addict" thereby referring to information he surely got from Moriarty.

Drugs may have various effects and not all of them dull the senses, brain functions, etc. In the canon Holmes uses cocaine whenever he's too long without a case and his brain isn't challenged. Cocaine seems to help him to cope with that.

Harriet · February 15, 2013 3:07 pm

Sherlock has, as you pointed out, Susi, obviously a drug record, I fully agree.

Some drugs enhance brain activity for a certain time.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychostimulant - a perfect list for Sherlock.

Mrs.Wenceslas · February 15, 2013 3:33 pm

I also think he has some drug history- brain stimulants, I´d expect...one would say he better too drugs than had..sexual experience at the school. at there are theories on this forum that John a Mrs Hudson are looking for drugs in Sherlock´s room while he´s away with Mycroft in the morgue in ASiB

QuiteExtraordinary · February 15, 2013 4:48 pm

The problem in HOUNDS is that he is on drugs but doesn't know it, I think. He loses control over his emotions and doesn't know why, that is what scares him. As soon as he realises it is a drug, it's no problem for him anymore because then he knows where the hallucinations and the fear come from, and then he can deal with it.

Last edited by QuiteExtraordinary (February 15, 2013 4:49 pm)

Mrs.Wenceslas · February 15, 2013 5:50 pm

yes, QE - I think you are perfectly right. if he´d have control over the drug, it would be no problem for him to deal with.

Davina · February 15, 2013 7:54 pm

There is another thread which also explored this aspect Feb 17th 2012 'Drugs'.

Mrs.Wenceslas · February 15, 2013 8:03 pm

thank you, Davi, I was too lazy for searching :-)

Mrs.Wenceslas · February 15, 2013 8:13 pm

I don´t think he wants to have rest - he needs to work, or his brain is getting rotten...I can imagine he experimented with drugs to be more fast!

QuiteExtraordinary · February 15, 2013 8:19 pm

Or maybe both. A lot of people do that (sadly) - take stimulants to function and then sedatives to calm down and be able to sleep.

Mrs.Wenceslas · February 15, 2013 8:22 pm

true. but if breathing is boring, sleeping should be too that´s what I love about this forum - we can imagine, discuss, guess...and no idea can be completely right or wrong of course

Harriet · February 15, 2013 8:23 pm

Swanpride wrote:
Did he took the drugs to stimulate his brain? I always thought he did it to "stop the engine" for a while, to get some peace.

But then, he would not take 3 nicotine patches

AliceI · February 16, 2013 12:47 am

Davina wrote:
There is another thread which also explored this aspect Feb 17th 2012 'Drugs'.

Really? I read through every thread in the character analysis before posting a new thread. How did I miss that?

I'm still not convinced either way although I don't particularly disagree with anything that has been posted thus far. It just seems that some of the BBC canon is in contridiction to itself.

Sentimental Pulse · February 16, 2013 1:07 am

This is an interesting topic as well.

A few thoughts here.

I would think someone who is willing to try drugs would view cocaine (canon) or meth or any other amphetamine as a potential stimulant to the brain. I could see a susceptible Sherlock experimentng with those as opposed to hallucinogens like LSD or peyote that would take away his logical sanity.

It is hard for us who see how cerebral and vice free Sherlock is to accept that as a motivation. But I must admit I can get my arms around him taking some speed to stay awake during a time sensitive investigation far easier than i can understand his smoking. Maybe that is just me.

I do see though that perhaps Moftiss are trying to factor in the change in medical information about cocaine now as opposed to the 1890s. Maybe Jeremy Brett would be smoking cigarettes in the 21st century too

Last edited by Sentimental Pulse (February 16, 2013 1:08 am)

just_tea_thanks · March 5, 2013 1:51 am

The effects of cocain use do not negatively impact a person's ability to trust their senses or the evidence of their own eyes. It simply augments brain function (though if you overdo it, you can grow paranoid to an extent). I wouldn't liken controlled cocain use to the effects of an experimental pyshologically designed drug designed to obfuscate and confuse one's senses and powers of deduction.

Schmiezi · March 5, 2013 5:01 am

AliceI wrote:
It just seems that some of the BBC canon is in contridiction to itself.

There are many examples for contradictions when it comes to Sherlock, and I like to believe that they are written on purpose. The first example that comes to my mind is his sleeping room. Whenever we see the flat, it's a mess, and it's always pointed out that it's not John who's causing this mess. Then we get to see Sherlock's room in SiB and it's like the tidiest place in the entire flat.

That may be just a minor detail, but that's how the characterisation of Sherlock works on the show, IMO.

I could think of more profound examples if it were it not 6 a.m. and way to early to think...

Michele · March 5, 2013 5:48 am

Schmiezi wrote:
AliceI wrote:
It just seems that some of the BBC canon is in contridiction to itself.

There are many examples for contradictions when it comes to Sherlock, and I like to believe that they are written on purpose. The first example that comes to my mind is his sleeping room. Whenever we see the flat, it's a mess, and it's always pointed out that it's not John who's causing this mess. Then we get to see Sherlock's room in SiB and it's like the tidiest place in the entire flat.

That may be just a minor detail, but that's how the characterisation of Sherlock works on the show, IMO.

I could think of more profound examples if it were it not 6 a.m. and way to early to think...

Maybe he just likes to spread his junk around. Or needs a private clear area for all this clever thinking. But you're totally right. I didn't really think about it. Could have always been Mrs Hudson's cleaning antics!

miriel68 · March 5, 2013 10:38 am

I was a bit lost about the drug thing in SiP, because, if I recall correctly, Mofftiss said in an interview that they decided to eliminate drug habit, as it is perceived differently nowadays and would not work, There is no suggestion about Sherlock's even taking drugs in the whole two seasons and I was surprised to see him so tense about drug boost. Unless these are Mrs. Hudson's drugs he is worried about?

Davina · March 5, 2013 10:47 am

I am still in two minds about how the/a drug habit is viewed nowadays. Masses of contradictions really. Probably wise for Moftiss to avoid it, apart from the implicit scene in ASiP as it might well have stirred up a hornets' nest and detracted from the rest of the series.

erunyauve · March 5, 2013 11:22 am

miriel68 wrote:
I was a bit lost about the drug thing in SiP, because, if I recall correctly, Mofftiss said in an interview that they decided to eliminate drug habit, as it is perceived differently nowadays and would not work, There is no suggestion about Sherlock's even taking drugs in the whole two seasons and I was surprised to see him so tense about drug boost. Unless these are Mrs. Hudson's drugs he is worried about?

I think they just meant they weren't going to show him as a current drug user. In canon, Holmes' drug use is mentioned fairly frequently. I don't think it's a problem to show him as a past drug user who has overcome the habit, but audiences (not to mention censors) would have a hard time warming to a current user. (And even in the 19th century, canon Watson was quite disapproving and concerned about the health effects of Holmes' habit.)

I would guess that the past drug use is even less likely to be a focus in Series 3 since 'Elementary' has chosen to emphasise that in its version of Holmes.