?In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.? ― Albert Einstein
Let me add a few quick comments from my own life experience. I partied very hard in the 1970s and 1980s, less so in the 1990s, and I've slowed way down since then. And yes, my crew abused the hell out of cocaine for many years.
Fortunately back then it was all about powder. Peruvian Pink was popular. Yes, it definitely makes you want more. Hell, there was a time that we used to judge how good a particular batch was by how far across town we'd be willing to drive at 4am to get more.
How much did I like it, how much did I do? Well, I can tell you I once handed my friendly coke dealer the keys to my matched pair of '62 Cadillacs (one lime green and one turquoise blue) while telling him to "just let me know when my credit's no good again." So, I guess you could say I did a good bit. And I wasn't the heaviest user in my crew by any means.
Here's my point. Most of the biggest partiers I knew from back then are alive and okay today. The ones who've passed died from accidents or in service. None of those alive had their lives destroyed or look 20 years older than they actually are. Most of them are settled down with families and don't do any of the things they used to do. A few are still sort of living the life, but they're healthy and doing what they want.
Is it a dangerous drug for those who have addictive personality types: yes, it's very dangerous for those people. But so are so many other things for them too. My circle never included people who couldn't exercise control when necessary (it was a requirement), but I saw how some others let it control their decisions in foolish ways.
But personally, one day I decided to quit doing cocaine. It was the same day I decided to quit smoking menthol cigarettes. I stopped both of them cold turkey nearly 30 years ago and haven't had a line or a cig since. So, if you don't have the kind of mental, emotional, chemical wiring that makes you more likely to become addicted, you can do a lot of things (no, not everything) and walk away whenever you want.
The map is not the territory.
P.S. I'd have fun with Lindsey. I knew a LOT of girls like her. Sure, she's rich and famous and all that. But inside there's a little girl who doesn't know how to get off the path she traded so much to be on. There's the packaged version, the public version, and then there's the lost, scared child who needs help.