HIM Magazine No.15 (English)

31
Lifestyle
The topic of sex and drugs has been a hot
topic in the gay community for many years,
and depending on one‘s views, the
media either criminalizes the sex-positive
community in one sweep or calls for drugs
to be legalized under state control in order
to get a better grip on adulterated substances
and overdoses.
For years, the German Aids Federation has
been campaigning for a different approach
to the issue of drugs - so far mostly in vain.
The situation is similar in many other
European countries. However, starting
this month, consumers in Berlin, as previously
in Austria and Switzerland, will for
the first time be able to have illegal drugs
tested by experts for dosage and possible
impurities - so-called Drug-Checking is
intended to help minimize the number
of (often fatal) overdoses. Canada, on the
other hand, is currently taking a different
approach - in the province of British
Columbia, possession of up to two grams of
hard drugs is to remain unpunished in the
future. With this model project, politicians
hope to get a grip on the drug crisis.
A research team from the Netherlands
has now set itself the task of illuminating
the initial situation from a different angle
and wanted to know: Why do gay men
occasionally or regularly resort to illegal
substances in the first place? It must be
clearly stated that the majority of those
men turn to cannabis or erection-sustaining
substances as well as stimulants such
as poppers. Only then do substances such
as GHB/GBL, mephedrone, MDMA and,
to a lesser extent, cocaine and ketamine
come into play. By means of intravenous
injections, so-called slamming, crystal
methamphetamine (also known as crystal
meth, Tina and Ice) is also used in chemsex.
Overall, about 15 percent of gay and
bisexual men (EMIS survey) from Europe
recently reported having had chemsex,
and about ten percent practice it regularly.
“
Many slammers get addicted to this
ritual. The powerful rush you crave
or see emerging in the other person.
After a slam, your voice drops a few
octaves and you adopt a different
posture. There's something animalistic
about that, I find that erotic. Also,
when I watch slam videos, I get a kick
from the effect of the rush, the moment
when the drug flows through
the bloodstream. Others enjoy the
rush right after the slam. (44 years)