i'm not sure where in vaud you live but i smell it all around, it's a constant scent in lausanne at night. even at the gare at 7 in the morning i see people smoking .
The prevalence of drugs here in Lausanne compared to the UK is quite an eyeopener - went into a public toilet last night and someone was in there smoking crack
Try living in Chauderon, that place is overrun by dealers. I go past few every time I go out/come back, regardless of direction. Mostly selling weed, very visible (black only, standing on corners). Similar to Riponne, but that seems to be occupied by white trash with more alcohol influence.
Funny thing is, where I work in Geneva is also quite a popular spot for dealers (around river in centre). One could say Romandie is overrun by them, but then there is Limmatquai in Zurich, yet another shopping center for needy. And rest of cities are quite OK (maybe Paquis in Geneva is exception).
Dealers are OK as long as you leave them be. Their life stories are usually quite sad and they just try to live through, coming from war zones etc.
I gave up interest in an apartment on Rue de Bourg due to the constant presence at night, but now my fiancé reports one says good evening every time she walks home from the gym. So who knows...I guess it's rather civil.
P.S. I've heard plenty of anecdotes about the Germans being way more into depressants like pot while the French are more into uppers, but take that with a grain of salt.
Shortly after we moved here, I was walking along the lakefront in Geneva, pretty much right in front of the jetty that goes out to the fountain. My wife and kids were a few yards ahead of me and somebody came up to me and tried to sell me some hash. The conversation went like this;
Hey man, you want some Hash?
No thanks.
Come on man, it's good hash.
I don't smoke hash
But it's good hash! you'll like it.
"I'm here with my family, do I seriously look like I smoke hash?"
Later, my wife pointed out that with AC/DC T-shirt, ear ring, shaved head, and goatee yeah, as a matter of fact, I do look like I smoke hash. I forgot what I my default "look" became after I retired and moved to europe...
Do you think that cash belongs to them, and not to their "boss"? Come on, everybody knows how these hierarchical structures work.
Or otherwise - see how much money (and much, much more) could be taxed if this country went back 12? years to similar state than Netherlands? Most probably without any rise of consumption, and these types would have to actually do some real work.
Unless those are money are from coke/meth dealers, that's another story.