A lot of what is taught about HIV infection through drug use involves the sharing of unsterile needles, leading to transmission. While crystal meth usage has decreased among all communities since 2004, a data set provided by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shows in 2017, 12% of Black and Latino men used crystal meth, compared to 6% of their white counterparts.Ĭonnecting the use of crystal meth to the rise in diagnosis in HIV is not entirely incorrect. But the ads were directed toward the neighborhood’s saturated population of white gay men, and the organizations failed to target other communities where crystal meth use was rampant. That year, Gay Men’s Health Crisis and the LGBT Center plastered ads emblazoned with the words, “Buy Crystal Meth, get HIV for free” in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. It wasn’t until 2002 that crystal meth became seen as a health risk in the queer community. It activates the same pleasure center in the brain that’s triggered during sex. Euphoria, an inflated sense of self-confidence, and increased sexual drive wash over the user. Either way, the high lasts for about 12 hours.
It’s most commonly smoked, but it can also be injected, giving the user a much more immediate high. The odorless drug is relatively cheap and has stayed consistently at about $20 for a quarter of a gram since the ‘90s. According to the National Rehabs Directory, “The first large-scale use, and presumably mass production, was observed in 1984 in Los Angeles.”Ĭrystal meth became more widely used among the queer community in the ‘90s.
In the ‘80s, the drug of choice was crack cocaine. The Anvil and the Saint were two New York gay bars that operated in this decade’s peak. When Studio 54 closed down in 1980, the queer community began communing in spaces specifically for them. Owner Steve Rubell was a gay man, and he welcomed these outsiders into the predominantly straight scene.
The festivities were attended by gay men and the occasional drag queen. Parties there were extravagant, and drugs were used en masse. Studio 54 gained popularity in the late ‘70s. Party drugs have long been popular in nightlife spaces. The availability of the drugs on the apps makes recovery harder for those battling with substance abuse disorder, especially for those dealing with an addiction to crystal meth, which is recognized by the American Addiction Centers as one of the five most addictive drugs. In their profiles, users add unnecessary capital Ts-e.g., “HosTing”-or use codewords like “Tina,” “Crystal,” diamond emoji, and “Party and Play” or “PNP” to signify they use or deal crystal meth. For dealers, it’s the perfect way to scope out potential customers. The geolocation, visualized on a grid-like interface that features more than 100 profiles at once, makes it easy to see the users nearest you.
The popular gay dating apps are geolocation-based, which structurally sets them apart from swipe-centered apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge. Today, users on Grindr, Scruff, and Jack’d are prominently promoting the buying, selling, and using of drugs-commonly crystal meth. It persisted in the 1990s and the early 2000s on AOL chatrooms, then transitioned to popular gay social websites like Manhunt and Adam4Adam, which operate similarly to modern apps. The problem of drug-dealing online isn’t a new concept. He said that like many, his drug addiction was helped by gay dating apps including Grindr, Scruff, and Jack’d. Adam tried to get clean more than once from the highly addictive stimulant, but he relapsed three times. Shortly after, Adam was having unprotected sex with a man when suddenly the man said, “Oh, by the way, I’m HIV-positive.”Īdam’s response, “Well, I guess I am now, too.”įrom 1999 to 2018, Adam struggled with his abuse of crystal meth. It was there that one question changed Adam’s life for the next 20 years: “Do you want to smoke?” One night, Tim introduced Adam to his friends who were doing crystal meth in an apartment in New York City. They met up and had sex a couple of times. Adam, now 38, had just graduated from high school when he met a guy named Tim online. In the late ‘90s, Adam P., who told me about the saying, was doing what many other teens were doing: Going on AOL chatrooms to talk to his friends and, occasionally, flirting with boys. But if you’re not in the fucking barbershop, how are you gonna get a haircut?” There’s a saying in Crystal Meth Anonymous: “If you’re in the barber’s seat, you’re gonna get a haircut.