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In the Dune series by Frank Herbert, at what age would people not from Arrakis (eg. Members of a Great House/aristocracy or the rich) start taking Melange? As it has geriatric properties to extend the life span of the user, would you wait until post 20s so you prolong at a mature stage or if you started say pre-teen would you still go through puberty at a normal rate?

If I remember correctly Paul Atreides hadn't taken​ Melange before arriving on Arrakis and he is 15 at the start of the series.

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  • IIRC, Spice wasn't commonly taken by people that weren't training to be navigators, no? I expect there might be some recreational use in the upper class. but I had the impression it was a thing people knew about, but did not use. Mar 8, 2019 at 16:05
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    @VBartilucci yes the Guild use it as do the Bene Gesserit but most of not all of the Great Houses were using it mainly for its life prolonging qualities. Mar 8, 2019 at 18:41
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    Given that Fremen children and other children on Arrakis develop normally, it's most likely a matter of expense, and not being necessary. Agree that late 20s, early 30s would be when consumption would begin.
    – WillAdams
    Jun 14, 2019 at 19:30
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    Whenever they get left alone at home for the first time and find their parents stash?
    – Forral
    Jun 19, 2019 at 21:57
  • This is never covered in the book series, so there is no canonical answer. But there is the line "on some worlds a handful could buy a house." This gives us some idea of price, and thus availability to a common user. But is still very unclear, given that on our world the price of a house can range a thousandfold from one country to the next. Aug 6, 2021 at 22:00

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