O R . COLL.
Crystal criticism
A new campaign highlights
the dangers of using meth
by
P atrick C ollins
111 1 1 was the best New Year’s ever,” says a 31-
year-old gay man, recalling that evening
nearly five years ago when he first used
methamphetamine.
A powerful central nervous system stimulant
whose ingredients include red phosphorous,
hydrochloric acid, drain cleaner, battery acid, lye,
lantern fuel and antifreeze, the dmg is more com
monly known as meth, speed, crank, go-fast
crystal.
“A friend of mine had been talking about it a
lot,” he recalls. “I decided I wanted to give it a try.
I went in the bathroom and took a little.”
W hat ensued, he says, was absolute euphoria.
“All of your senses are alive,” he says. “You feel
tingly, and your sense of touch is really height
ened. Orgasming is very nice, very explosive.
And your dick stays
hard way longer, even
after you orgasm.”
More accessible
and less expensive
than cocaine, a
dance with m eth
amphetamine can
be seductive on a
number of levels:
long-lasting
erections,
an
insatiable sexu
al appetite and
unlimited
swells of ener
gy-
But
the
realities of long-term
usage can be disastrous. Perhaps the most
visible symptom is the browning of the chronic
meth user’s teeth. O ther side effects include heart
failure, brain damage, stroke, uncontrollable
writhing, jerky or flailing movements, irritability,
extreme nervousness, insomnia, tremors,
hypothermia and convulsions.
And the legendary weekend-long erections
eventually dissipate. In a cruel twist commonly
called “crystal dick,” long-term users often find
themselves unable to achieve an erection. Sans
hard-ons, those who were once meth-driven tops
sometimes roll over and become bottoms. In the
frenzy of a meth rush, condoms may be disregard
ed by one or both parties, increasing the risk of
HIV transmission.
Also, one of the more efficient means of tak
ing crystal is through needles, a handy avenue for
HIV.
In fact, queer men who use crystal meth are
considered one of the highest-risk groups for HIV
infection. One study in Seattle, for example,
found that queer men who use crystal are two to
five times more likely to become HIV-positive.
Continued on Page 6
ND THE SCENES
Some professional artists are out and proud,
but others think coming out is risky business
by
F lora S ussely
Page 21