Recovery from Crystal Meth: One Man's Story

The DC Crystal Meth Working Group has released it's first video featuring Jimmy Garza talking about his recovery from crystal meth addiction.

This is a first in a series of videos the group will do with local gay, bisexual, and transgender men talking about health and wellness issues that impact our lives and our community.

If you are interested in telling your story, or assisting with the video project, please e-mail videoproject@thedccenter.org.

Watch our first video below or at www.letstalkaboutmeth.org.

DC Crystal Meth Working Group Raises Awareness about Crystal Meth and HIV Among Latinos in Washington DC

The DC Crystal Meth Working Group is hoping to raise awareness about the prevalence of crystal meth and HIV within the Latino community by unveiling a new website and outreach materials, the group announced today.

To commemorate National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, which is October 15, the DC Crystal Meth Working Group is debuting a Spanish version of its website. The site contains basic information about crystal meth, its effects and where to go to seek treatment or harm reduction services. The new Spanish language site can be found at www.hablemosdelcristal.org.

“This new website is part of our ongoing efforts to reach out to the Latino community,” said Michael Sessa, chairperson of the DC Crystal Meth Working Group. “We are still learning the extent of crystal meth use within this population, but to the extent that there may be use at all, we want to provide resources and referrals.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Latino Americans and African-Americans continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. Crystal meth use has been tied to an increase in HIV rates among some populations.

In addition to the new website, the DC Crystal Meth Working Group has transcribed its brochure and palm card into Spanish to reach more people within the community. On September 28, the group participated in Fiesta DC, a Latino cultural festival in Adams Morgan.

The DC Crystal Meth Working Group consists of individual members of the local community and local organizations dedicated to providing information and resources that help people make informed choices about crystal meth. The group also collects data about crystal meth use and provides referral information for treatment and recovery. To learn more about the group visit www.letstalkaboutmeth.org.

November 30th: DC Meth Awareness Day

Save the Date, November 30th is Crystal Meth Awareness Day. Crystal meth is a very addictive drug that continues to be used in the District, particularly among gay men. And unfortunately crystal meth use and HIV often go hand in hand.

Our local Crystal Meth Working Group has done some great work raising awareness of this issue, including the February 2007 Community Forum on Crystal Meth.

Unfortunately, the event planned for Crystal Meth Awareness Day was criticized for not being relevant to our DC meth epidemic and inappropriate for the LGBT Community.

Check back here for plans for Crystal Meth Awareness Day this year, or visit www.crystalmethsucks.org.

DC Community Forum on Crystal Meth

The DC Crystal Meth Working Group held an open town hall on February 26th entitled ‘The State of the Crystal Meth Epidemic in Washington DC’, which was co-sponsored by several community groups (additional pictures from this event are available on our flickr page).

A number of speakers emphasized the connections between crystal meth (methamphetamine) and new HIV infections in the District of Columbia.

Dr. Mariana Niemtzoff, Director of Behavioral Health Services for Whitman Walker, stated that last year 73% of the clients receiving treatment for amphetamine use were HIV positive. This is an increase from previous years where the rate was around 55%.

A notable frustration during the coarse of the evening was lack of data from DOH (deja vous?), which makes it hard to know what's really happening with Meth in DC.

On a personal note as a gay guy in DC, I found myself wanting to hear more about why this drug has taken hold in the gay men's community, and why despite having all of the information and fully understanding the consequences, gay men in DC still make bad decisions about meth, about sex, and about other risk behaviors.

I know that I sometimes make bad decisions (yes, there, I said it) when I'm lonely, when I'm insecure, when I'm depressed, when I don't have my friends around, when the guy I'm with is really hot, etc .... Lots of reasons.

And for me, the solution to the meth problem is not just having a doctor make sure you understand the medical consequences of meth, and not just having a prosecutor make sure you understand the legal consequences of the meth.

For me the solution has to be addressing the heart of the matter: why, at certain times in our lives, these consequences just don't seem to matter ... and we end up making bad decisions about alcohol, or crystal, or meth, or whatever ...

As gay men we continue to live in a society that doesn't fully value who we are. And let's face it, sometimes we don't fully value each other.

We rarely talk about how depression impacts the health of gay men. And even more rare our conversations about how we build more inclusive, welcoming, and loving environments to support gay men in the DC.

I'm really inspired by work done in other parts of the country around this. Manifest Love, a group of gay men finding new ways to be with and for each other, is one example of what I'm talking about. Check out the site.

At any rate, I think the forum Monday night was a good start, and I'm glad the Crystal Meth Working Group is going to continue to work on this issue.

The mission of the DC Crystal Meth Working Group is to provide information and resources to help people make informed decisions about crystal meth. For more information, visit www.letstalkaboutmeth.org.

Let's Talk About Meth

Today is Crystal Meth Awareness Day. Don't believe me? Check out the White House Press Release. It's a good a time as any to talk about Crystal Meth, which for many increases your risk for HIV both mentally, and physically. Here in the nation's capitol, the DC Crystal Meth Work Group is tackling this issue head-on. Learn more at their website: www.letstalkaboutmeth.org.