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The Many Faces of Meth: |
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(Source: Multnomah County Sheriff's Office - Faces of Meth™) |
Gay Community Grapples with Meth Use in D.C.
While the targets of most anti-drug programs are still crack cocaine and marijuana, crystal methamphetamine use is rising in the Washington, D.C. area gay community and causing an increasing demand for treatment, according to local health officials, substance use treatment professionals, and specialists in gay health issues, reported The Washington Post on November 8.
Despite drug threat assessments as recent as 2002 describing meth use in D.C. and the surrounding areas as "limited," "low," and "not yet a serious problem," the past five years have seen surge in the number of D.C.-area gay men seeking treatment for meth use. For instance, the District's Whitman-Walker clinic, which serves mainly gay clients, states that 75 percent of its new clients report meth as their primary drug of abuse, and that meth referrals have increased five-fold since 2000.
Meth use presents a particular risk to the gay community because, as recent studies suggest, it increases risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, possibly due to the drug's tendency to enhance the libido, produce extended periods of high energy, and cloud judgment.
This summer, the D.C. Crystal Meth Working Group formed to foster collaborative solutions to the growing crisis, involving District substance use professionals, youth organizations, nightclub owners, recovering users, the police department and other agencies.
The group received a $42,000 grant from the District health department to work with Whitman-Walker on a public education campaign targeted towards the gay community. Efforts will include a social marketing campaign featuring slogans such as "Let's Talk About Crystal Meth" and "Crystal Meth Sucks" on posters, pins and T-shirts that will be distributed in nightclubs.
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