Drug use controversial?

[Claire Twy]

I noticed that the official reviewer took issue with the drug use mentioned. What was your take on the drug use described in this book? Did you think it added to the story, detracted from it, or made no difference?

I think it fit in quite well with the story. In a society of people working hard to conform and pretending to be happy, what better way to release their stress than by chemically-induced relaxation? It definitely makes sense in our society, where opium and weed are taken to reduce the stress in a fast-paced, high-tension environment, so why wouldn't it make sense for these people? I also liked how it was used in the nightclubs. It reinforces the detachment and impersonality of their society, that they have to use drugs to elicit arousal and sexual attraction.