Interesting that the affordability factor came up - it was what brought me to Jamaica for the first time in 1983. I wouldn't call Negril an inexpensive destination anymore - it can be quite spendy as a matter of fact but less than say the Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Hawaii etc. I can still manage (thank god) but the increasing costs certainly do not get by me.
As far as being accused of being "jaded and bitter" - look, it seems some folks really do not like the place anymore so it would be silly for them to spend money to go there, bitterness aside. Things like a stalkie running at me with a knife - never happened and I hope it never does. But I spend most of my time on the cliffs and I believe (and I could be wrong) there's a lot less of that nonsense there than on the beach. Because of my loyalty to the place and the fact that I'm still enjoying the hell out of it I could be (and probably have been) accused of wearing those rose colored glasses. Without getting deep into that discussion lets just say that my experience there bears out that those glasses have slipped off more than once but my heart keeps me coming back. I'm not quite done yet but some are - and understandably based on some the experiences I'm reading here.
Cocaine has indeed ruined what used to be a pretty mellow place. With the onset and then decline of the big spring break thing I saw more blow and crack in Negril than I could ever remember. I've seen it affect some good people I know there - I've seen it affect many a tourist. Again, its supply and demand. Its not going anywhere. Cocaine has been in Jamaica for eons but its popularity in Negril is in the scheme of things fairly new.