The Bay Area Reporter - August 31, 2000
Matt Sharp, Survive AIDS Writers Pool

But in the era of HIV treatment, with people living longer, healthier lives, many have started or gone back to using speed and other party drugs after years of living through desperation and death. But the epidemic, even with the success of treatment for many, still often produces isolation, loneliness, and depression, which sometimes then leads people to turn to drugs. And, in the era of post sexual liberation, others use speed as a social lubricant to lessen inhibitions and allow greater sexual exploration and increased sexual freedom, which often includes barebacking, the unsafe activity of abstaining from condom use.

Whatever the reason, it is clear that speed is a popular trend. Everywhere you look, gay men are talking about its effects. In chat rooms, porn magazines, circuit parties, and certain S&M and leather scenes, there is discussion about prolonged evenings of speed use combined with the stimulatory effects of Viagra.

Tim (not his real name), a gay man concerned about his speed bingeing told me that he definitely can relate his increased use to "the ability to party all night" and "experiment further into wilder sex." And he said, "once you start, you just want more, one feel-good scene perpetuates another."

Speed, also known as crystal, crank, crissy, or tina is methamphetamine, a psychostimulant that has powerful aphrodisiac effects on the brain. Adverse problems such as hypothermia, convulsions, and cardiovascular difficulties that may lead to death have been reported. The drug can also cause damage to the blood vessels in the brain, resulting in strokes. And the underlying problem with crystal is that it is highly addictive.

Speed use is related to geographic areas, where the drug is made in underground laboratories, where it is most available. The West Coast is known for higher prevalence of speed because of the many local labs and distribution routes. Some East Coast cities, such as Pittsburgh and Atlanta, are now experiencing their own speed epidemics among gay men.

Regardless of the trend in the use of crystal, there will always be gay men partying, while others may seek help with addiction or curbing their use according to their own individual lifestyles and personalities. There are lots of programs available to help with the situation, and non-judgmental opportunities to help the user help himself.

These non-judgmental programs are based on what is called harm reduction, because they seek to guide the client in ways to "reduce the harm" caused by their use of crystal, including exposure to STDs and HIV while on the drug. Harm reduction is more realistic and is especially important for HIV-positive men, who, while on crystal, may be exposing themselves to other pathogens, further weakening their impaired immune systems. Tim, an HIV-positive gay man, has tried several times to seek help with 12-step and abstinence-only programs, but said, "They make me feel bad about myself and my use of speed, and I go out and want to use more, which replaces the guilt, and continues my habit."

One speed harm reduction program in San Francisco for men who have sex with men, regardless of how they identify themselves, is called the Stonewall Project. Organized in late 1997, the goal of the program is to provide a safe environment where men who have sex with men can learn to deal with their crystal issues without any stipulations, pre-conditions, or guilt-laden finger-pointing and blaming. It is a program where men are able to learn how to use crystal more safely, learn to reduce their use, or stop crystal without having to give up other substances, or even end up stopping all substances.

Michael Siever, an AIDS activist, psychologist, and creator of the project, said, "After participating in Stonewall, many people decide to give speed up completely, but everyone decides for themselves within their individual and group counseling. It is more powerful when someone owns a decision, rather than forcing someone to fall in the cookie-cutter mentality of abstinence-only. Abstinence-only programs can be very boot camp; most gay men are rebels, so they don't do well in that kind of environment. The Stonewall Project applies gay men's sensibilities."

Siever has a long history of working with substance users. As early as 1991, he worked with Operation Concern, which was then more of a 12-step recovery program for anyone using any drugs. After growing frustration with abstinence-only programs, he advocated and pushed for the creation of the Stonewall Project from the city.

Stonewall is not alone in offering harm reduction to gay men who use speed. Siever said, "There is the Neon program in Seattle and the Van Ness House program in Los Angeles which runs an innovative program with street youth, many of them sex workers, using art therapy and other interesting ways to engage people." When asked what more should be done to help the program, Siever, who sits on the city's Substance Abuse Treatment on Demand Planning Council said, "There needs to be help for people when they want it -- if you don't catch people when they ask for help, they are often lost for a long time. Treatment on demand is crucial."

Funded by the Department of Public Health for only $150,000 a year, Stonewall has a small staff: Siever as part-time director, two part-time counselors, and one part-time administrative assistant. "Obviously, funding is critical because we now can only work with about 25-35 people and there are always others on the waiting list," Siever said.

He concluded, "There needs to be more public discussion of the role of drugs in our lives in general. Our moralistic society needs to open up to listening, understanding, and funding of innovative programs that can actually help people in the ways they want help." San Francisco has been the leader of programs such as these, now the Department of Public Health must ensure their continuity and expansion to match the trends.

For more information about the Stonewall Project, including drop-in hours, call (415) 502-1999. The project is located at 3180 18th Street Suite 202 in San Francisco.

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