Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Anyone who knows me knows I’m not some kind of anti-drug crusader. Normally I say that people have the right to poison their bodies any way they choose. I don’t like to see anyone destroying their minds or bodies with addictive substances but it’s a free world.
But my feeling on this changes when it comes to Crystal Methamphetamine, (also known as “Crystal Meth” or simply “Crystal.”) When Erik and I were in New Zealand nearly everything was refreshing about their society except when the conversation turned to Crystal. This chemical is causing destruction in every corner of the planet and people everywhere are concerned about its spread and use.
But there is a vicious dynamic in the gay community I call “The Crystal Crucible.” This dynamic involves sex, Crystal, Viagra and Poppers. Hank Wilson, a dear friend and tireless activist was the first guy to discover, (with the help of a local physician,) the fatal link between Viagra, Poppers, and cardiac arrest. When we meet our discussion always turns on these three substances.
“The Crystal Crucible” involves taking these drugs in combination to literally fuck all night. Crystal keeps one awake. Viagra fights limp dick caused by Crystal, (also known as “Crystal Dick.”) Poppers, (amyl nitrate,) increase the sensation of orgasm. As if this were not bad enough, add alcohol and other substances like Ecstasy and you have a powerful chemical mix.
Young gay men fall into this pattern of behavior and place themselves upon The Crucible. Like their heterosexual counterparts, they have no concept of what they are doing to their minds and bodies. They use these drugs to dance the night away and have sex for hours on end, additionally putting themselves at risk for exposure to HIV and other infectious diseases.
But the truly frightening part comes after they come down from the Crucible. Here’s a conversation I have heard too many times:
“My brain is damaged from the Crystal and I can tell. All the time.”
“My doctor says it’s permanent.”
Then I usually hear a story about another victim of the Crucible who took his own life rather than live with permanent, irreversible brain damage. The horror of the Crystal Crucible is something that is hard to understand until you see the effects afterwards. The hardest thing to do is to keep from weeping when I hear these men speak.
I wish I could tell you this is a rare occurrence, but it’s not. Crystal is destroying the minds of thousands of young gay men, and by extension, everyone else who uses Crystal Meth around the world. This is not the kind of drug addiction/abuse one can recover from and the damage it causes drives suicide rates.
And Crystal is not all that new to our landscape. It appeared in the 80s but its use was short-lived because it drove people into the ground so quickly it scared addicts.
That fear is gone today. Crystal is in every group, in every community, in every country in the world. It is literally spreading like wildfire through rural communities, damaging brains and destroying lives. The effects of Crystal use in large cities is hidden by factors in the environment, but that will not last. This is not just a “backwoods” problem.
People are free to make their own decisions, make their own mistakes. But the Crystal Crucible is too costly a mistake for us to turn a blind eye and leave it to free will. In the 80s AIDS was killing my community, today Crystal is the killer.
“Crystal causes permanent, irreversible brain damage.”
This is the message we need repeat like a mantra until everyone hears it. It’s our job to look out for our brothers and sisters, not only in the GLBT community but in the world at large. The sooner we get people to stop using Crystal the less brain damage they will suffer. And maybe we can save thousands of young men and women, gay and straight.
“Crystal causes permanent, irreversible brain damage.”
Pass it along, repeat it publicly – often.
This matters.
But my feeling on this changes when it comes to Crystal Methamphetamine, (also known as “Crystal Meth” or simply “Crystal.”) When Erik and I were in New Zealand nearly everything was refreshing about their society except when the conversation turned to Crystal. This chemical is causing destruction in every corner of the planet and people everywhere are concerned about its spread and use.
But there is a vicious dynamic in the gay community I call “The Crystal Crucible.” This dynamic involves sex, Crystal, Viagra and Poppers. Hank Wilson, a dear friend and tireless activist was the first guy to discover, (with the help of a local physician,) the fatal link between Viagra, Poppers, and cardiac arrest. When we meet our discussion always turns on these three substances.
“The Crystal Crucible” involves taking these drugs in combination to literally fuck all night. Crystal keeps one awake. Viagra fights limp dick caused by Crystal, (also known as “Crystal Dick.”) Poppers, (amyl nitrate,) increase the sensation of orgasm. As if this were not bad enough, add alcohol and other substances like Ecstasy and you have a powerful chemical mix.
Young gay men fall into this pattern of behavior and place themselves upon The Crucible. Like their heterosexual counterparts, they have no concept of what they are doing to their minds and bodies. They use these drugs to dance the night away and have sex for hours on end, additionally putting themselves at risk for exposure to HIV and other infectious diseases.
But the truly frightening part comes after they come down from the Crucible. Here’s a conversation I have heard too many times:
“My brain is damaged from the Crystal and I can tell. All the time.”
“My doctor says it’s permanent.”
Then I usually hear a story about another victim of the Crucible who took his own life rather than live with permanent, irreversible brain damage. The horror of the Crystal Crucible is something that is hard to understand until you see the effects afterwards. The hardest thing to do is to keep from weeping when I hear these men speak.
I wish I could tell you this is a rare occurrence, but it’s not. Crystal is destroying the minds of thousands of young gay men, and by extension, everyone else who uses Crystal Meth around the world. This is not the kind of drug addiction/abuse one can recover from and the damage it causes drives suicide rates.
And Crystal is not all that new to our landscape. It appeared in the 80s but its use was short-lived because it drove people into the ground so quickly it scared addicts.
That fear is gone today. Crystal is in every group, in every community, in every country in the world. It is literally spreading like wildfire through rural communities, damaging brains and destroying lives. The effects of Crystal use in large cities is hidden by factors in the environment, but that will not last. This is not just a “backwoods” problem.
People are free to make their own decisions, make their own mistakes. But the Crystal Crucible is too costly a mistake for us to turn a blind eye and leave it to free will. In the 80s AIDS was killing my community, today Crystal is the killer.
“Crystal causes permanent, irreversible brain damage.”
This is the message we need repeat like a mantra until everyone hears it. It’s our job to look out for our brothers and sisters, not only in the GLBT community but in the world at large. The sooner we get people to stop using Crystal the less brain damage they will suffer. And maybe we can save thousands of young men and women, gay and straight.
“Crystal causes permanent, irreversible brain damage.”
Pass it along, repeat it publicly – often.
This matters.
# posted by Phillip T. Alden @ 8:51 PM 
