"Crystal, which is often produced cheaply in small "poison kitchens", is considered an important factor in HIV infections among gay men in the USA. In Germany, on the other hand, the drug does not seem to play a major role in the gay scene, even though there are repeated reports that crystal from the Czech Republic is literally flooding the German market. A snapshot of Paul Schulz
"Crystal floods eastern Bavaria", reported the Passauer Neue Presse on 16 February. Dirk Schäffer, Drugs Officer at Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe, confirms this: "There is a new 'crystal connection' through which the drug from the Czech Republic is more easily imported into Germany than it was a few years ago." Methamphetamine has a stimulating effect, increases the desire for sex, but also the willingness to take risks and use violence - and can very quickly become addictive. The after-effects can be devastating: extremely long sleep (up to 30 hours), depressive moods and irritability lasting up to two weeks, psychoses, hallucinations, physical deterioration, skin problems, dental damage, changes and damage to the brain with prolonged use.
Party drug use as a "component of the willingness to take risks"
There are hardly any studies on the use of crystal by gay men. The eighth survey on the sexual behaviour of gay men conducted in 2007 revealed that crystal (also known as Yaba, Pervitin, Pernik, Piko or Ice) plays virtually no role in Germany. Looking at ecstasy, speed/crystal, LSD, ketamine and cocaine as a whole, around three per cent of under 20-year-olds used such "party drugs" at least occasionally and three per cent frequently or regularly. At five per cent, the proportion of users was highest among 25 to 44-year-olds. However, the authors of the study also concluded that party drug use can be seen as "a component of risk-taking behaviour". This means that party drugs are taken, for example, to reduce inhibitions, to have sex with unknown partners and to fulfil desires for anal intercourse without a condom.
Are horror images useful against drugs?
In the USA, on the other hand, crystal has been a massive problem for more than a decade. Gay men also consume it and forget for days who and where they are and who is doing what to them. According to studies, crystal users become infected with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections more often and more easily and pass on these infections many times over. This is why there have long been large-scale campaigns in the USA and other countries warning against crystal. The 2005 founded Meth Project Foundation for example, uses shocking adverts and videos. "You'll never worry about lipstick on your teeth again," it says about a mouth in which only a few foul brown stubs are visible in black gums. And back in 2004, crystal was so ubiquitous in the USA that one of the main characters in the gay TV series "Queer as Folk" was able to struggle through a crystal addiction for a season without having to explain to the audience how this could happen.
"But I wouldn't see it that way in Germany," explains the pharmacist Tibor Harrach, long-standing member of the Drugs working group of Bündnis90/Die Grünenformer member of the Management Board at Eve and Rave e.V. Berlin and author of several articles on the subject of ecstasy. The man is a recognised expert on party drugs. "I don't want to talk anyone out of their concerns, but in my own work at the moment I can't see any signs of an increase in the use of crystal in the gay scene. It's certainly good to pay attention to this, but there are no studies that would prove this trend at the moment, and my own observations don't correspond to this either. It's true that there are new ways of getting the drug into the scene, but so far I haven't seen any changes."
The situation is different in Germany
But why is it that a drug that in other countries is making a triumphant advance across the gay scene is not becoming a major problem in Germany? Harrach suspects socio-cultural causes: "The different party behaviour in the USA and here may be an influence. According to my observations, a drug that puts you out of action for days on end, so to speak, doesn't meet the needs of the scene here. Men are more likely to use 'tried and tested' drugs such as speed or cocaine, which have a shorter effect. If you 'party through' a weekend with them, you can still function during the week. Another factor could be that sex parties in Germany rarely take place in private rooms and prevention can be more easily applied here."
And last but not least, there are the information and support services in the scene itself. "Even if others criticise this, I find offers such as the Drug scouts' in Leipzig important and good," says Tibor Harrach, "precisely because they are so close to the scene. Direct contact in and with the scene is a key to the success that such projects can demonstrate, for example, in the area of crystal. This is also successful HIV prevention, because it prevents circumstances in which crystal is as widespread as in the USA from arising in the first place."
Further information: https://drugscouts.de/de/lexikon/crystalmethamphetamin
