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Addiction Treatment Curbs Crystal Methamphetamine Abuse Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Addiction Treatment Curbs Crystal Methamphetamine Abuse Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Behavioral therapy can help gay and bisexual men (GBM) reduce crystal methamphetamine abuse and risky sexual behaviors and sustain these gains for 1 year, NIDA-funded researchers report. By the end of a 16-week trial of four different behavioral therapies, study participants’ stimulant-positive urine samples fell 31 percent, and their number of past-month sexual partners fell more than 50 percent—outcomes that regressed little at the followup visits. Symptoms of depression also improved.

Dr. Steven Shoptaw and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Friends Research Institute recruited 263 crystal methamphetamine-addicted Gay and Bisexual Men throughout Los Angeles County, particularly in Hollywood, where HIV prevalence is especially high. Of these, 162 completed the requirements for entering the addiction treatment phase of the study, which were to attend six assessments and participate in at least two of four group sessions on abstinence skills during a 2-week “baseline period.” Men who met the requirements reported less severity and shorter duration of methamphetamine abuse than those who did not, despite having abused methamphetamine for 5 years and having spent $293 on the drug in the past month, on average. Half had engaged in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with someone other than their primary partner in the past month, and 84 percent of these men linked the behavior to methamphetamine abuse. Most participants (73 percent) reported symptoms of depression, with about 30 percent describing these as moderate to severe.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, alcohol detox, amphetamine, behavioral treatment, crystal meth, crystal methamphetamine, depression, detox, detox program, drug abuse, drug rehab, inpatient drug rehab, intervention, interventions, meth addiction, methamphetamine, patient, recovery, rehab, relapse, symptoms, therapy, treatment

New Jersey Drug Problems

There are approximately 40,000 drug rehab and addiction treatment center admissions in New Jersey each year, however, due to the high relapse rate of many traditional drug rehab programs most families are searching for something that works.

The Solution

Drug rehab and alcohol rehab that addresses the individual through a holistic approach is the most successful method. Our philosophy is to refer you to the best possible drug rehab center that can help handle the problem for good. We will refer you to drug rehab and alcohol rehab programs that will meet each person’s individual needs.

New Jersey Drug Situation

Cocaine is considered a significant drug threat to New Jersey. Powder cocaine is readily available throughout the State and crack cocaine is available in urban population areas. Cocaine is the drug most often associated with violent crime in the State. Cocaine is generally sold in ounce and pound quantities in New Jersey. Crack use is declining but remains available in the larger metropolitan areas of New Jersey.

Club drugs, which are mostly synthetic substances, are increasing in availability and use in New Jersey. LSD in liquid form is readily available in the metropolitan areas of New Jersey. During 2001, 34% of those surveyed in New Jersey reported lifetime usage of MDMA. 4.5% of those surveyed reported usage of MDMA within the past 30 days. The average user age was 17.3, and the average age of first time use was 15.9 years.

Heroin - The most common types of heroin available in New Jersey are Mexican black tar heroin and brown powdered heroin. New heroin users in New Jersey are often young adults who smoke or snort the drug rather than inject it. This is due to a misconception that this practice is safer and less likely to lead to addiction.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, alcohol rehab, alcohol rehab program, amphetamine, club drugs, crack cocaine, crystal meth, crystal methamphetamine, drug rehab, drug rehab center, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, mdma, methamphetamine, oxycodone, recovery, rehab, rehab center, rehab programs, relapse, treatment, vicodin

New Jersey’s Drug Addiction Issues

New Jersey contains both an international airport and major commercial shipping centers. Consequently, the state presents an attractive transportation hub for drug organizations, as well as a major challenge for law enforcement entities combating this illicit activity. While Colombian and Dominican drug organizations predominantly control heroin and cocaine trafficking, recent intelligence indicates that Mexican traffickers from the West Coast are now moving cocaine shipments into the New Jersey and New York areas. There continues to be a significant drug abuse problem in New Jersey. In urban areas such as Newark, Elizabeth, Trenton, and Camden, widespread crack cocaine and heroin use continue. Drug rehab and addiction treatment programs have sprung up to treat the drug addiction problems throughout New Jersey.

New Jersey Heroin Addiction: Since the terrorist attacks in New York City on September 11, there has been an increase in the availability of heroin in New Jersey. This has been primarily attributed to the increased law enforcement presence in New York. Narcotics officers have reported large amounts of narcotics are being rerouted to New Jersey before distribution in New York. County narcotics task force commanders have reported an increase in heroin related deaths. Intelligence indicates drug traffickers may be shipping narcotics in cargo containers to the port in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Heroin distributors are also reportedly utilizing two way pagers with text messaging to communicate with each other. Heroin Addiction is a treatable illness in an addiction treatment program or drug rehab. If you need help,let us help you locate an addiction treatment program in the New Jersey area.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment program, addiction treatment programs, amphetamine, centers, crack cocaine, crystal meth, crystal methamphetamine, drug abuse, drug addiction, drug rehab, heroin addiction, meth addiction, methamphetamine, recovery, rehab, treatment

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Crystal Meth Addiction

Crystal Meth Addiction Still A Problem For Gay And Bisexual Men: Gay and Lesbian Medical Association Responds to Press Reports Downplaying Prevalence of Meth Use

SAN FRANCISCO (June 23, 2006)– The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) today expressed concern over recent media coverage of a study which downplays the extent of crystal methamphetamine use in the U.S.

A widely published June 14 Associated Press article reported on a recent study which found that 0.2% of Americans are regular users of crystal meth. The study, “The Next Big Thing? Crystal Meth amphetamine in the United States,” was carried out by the Washington, DC-based Sentencing Project. Neither the study nor media coverage about it addressed crystal- meth- amphetamine abuse by gay and bisexual men.

Tags: addiction, alcohol rehab, amphetamine, centers, crystal meth, crystal methamphetamine, drug rehab, meth addiction, methamphetamine, recovery, rehab

Crystal Meth Addiction.. Devestating

The images in my last month local newspaper was enough to make anyone stop for a moment and see the devastating effect of crystal meth (Crystal methamphetamine) now becoming more mainstream and reaching epidemic proportion.

The newspaper featured stories about young men and women who went from being excellent students, good mothers, good fathers, all in all good citizen to becoming shameful addicts who won’t stop at anything to get their next fix.

What really captured my attention was the transformation of these beautiful men and women. How they went from being handsome to find themself looking old and sickly after they have started using crystal meth. Beside looking old and sickly, they had all kinds of lesions on their bodies, which I later found out is called crank bugs (feeling that bugs are crawling on your skin). The lesions are caused by constantly scratching your body from the itch.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment program, amphetamine, crystal meth, crystal methamphetamine, depression, drug rehab, effects, hepatitis, hepatitis c, mental illness, meth addiction, methamphetamine, recovery, rehab, relationships, treatment

Crystal Meth, HIV and HEP C

Why is there an association between crystal meth and viruses like HIV and Hepatitis?
The association between crystal meth and HIV transmission is related to: 1) the tendency of many people to engage in unprotected and uninhibited sex while under the influence of crystal meth and 2) the risks associated with injection drug use for those who shoot speed. In terms of sexual transmission, many people when high on crystal meth do not use condoms and may have sex with many different sex partners during a speed run. And even if they do use condoms, the lengthy and rougher sex that often results in a much higher likelihood that the condom will break. Additionally, some men who have receptive anal sex while on speed are less sensitive to pain responses and may be inclined to have more aggressive sex for longer periods where injury is more likely to occur and the risk of HIV infection is increased.
There is also a high risk for transmitting Hepatitis B and C for many of the reasons mentioned above. Like HIV, Hepatitis B can be transmitted through unprotected sex or through sharing of syringes and injection supplies. Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through blood to blood contact, usually by sharing syringes or other injection equipment.
The risks of HIV and Hepatitis B and C transmission for those who shoot crystal meth is the same as with any injection drug use. Any sharing of syringes or the various items used in preparing to inject the drug can pass these viruses.
Further increasing the likelihood of HIV transmission among crystal meth users is the fact that gay men who use crystal meth have a much higher rate of HIV prevalence than gay men who don’t use speed. Different studies have found that gay men who use crystal methamphetamine are two to three to four times more likely to be infected with HIV.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment program, amphetamine, crystal meth, crystal methamphetamine, drug rehab, hepatitis, hepatitis c, meth addiction, methamphetamine, recovery, rehab, treatment

Crystal Meth and Ecstasy Dominate Drug Worries

THE twin scourges of crystal meth and ecstasy abuse dominate the drug addiction problems being faced by nations in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, two new reports said.

Nearly half the countries in the region now rank crystal meth as the primary drug of concern, while the rest consider ecstasy their biggest threat.

Most of the 13 nations studied in a new report by the Australian National Council on Drugs ( ANCD ) also report growing abuse of both drugs.

“We should not underestimate the threat that illegal drugs use and supply poses to the wider Asia-Pacific region’s stability and the potential impact of this situation on Australia,” said ANCD chairman Dr John Herron.

A second report, by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, documents growing concerns about the more potent forms of crystal methamphetamine that have recently appeared on Australian streets.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, amphetamine, crystal meth, crystal methamphetamine, drug addiction, drug rehab, meth addiction, methamphetamine, recovery, rehab, treatment

Crystal Methamphetamine and HIV

The use of crystal methamphetamine by men who have sex with men (MSM) increases the risk of HIV transmission and can cause complications in those who are already HIV-positive, according to an article in the March 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online. Highly popular with young people who frequent dance clubs, crystal meth and its cousin “Ecstasy” both induce a feeling of elation and alertness. This sense of well-being is dangerous, though, as it lessens inhibitions and can lead to unprotected sex with multiple partners.From the Clinical Infectious Diseases :Crystal methamphetamine use increases HIV risk

The use of crystal methamphetamine by men who have sex with men (MSM) increases the risk of HIV transmission and can cause complications in those who are already HIV-positive, according to an article in the March 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.
Highly popular with young people who frequent dance clubs, crystal meth and its cousin “Ecstasy” both induce a feeling of elation and alertness. This sense of well-being is dangerous, though, as it lessens inhibitions and can lead to unprotected sex with multiple partners. HIV rates are high among methamphetamine users, putting younger MSM at an increased risk for infection.

Tags: Amphetamine, Crystal Meth, Crystal Methamphetamine, Effects, Methamphetamine, Patient, Symptoms, Treatment

Crystal Meth, HIV, Gays and Lesbians

Methamphetamine Treatment as HIV Prevention

For about a decade in California, the drug most tightly linked with HIV infection in Gay Bisexual Men has been crystal methamphetamine. The drug conveys a sense of heightened sexuality in the short term and is associated with risky sexual behaviors and extremely high rates of HIV infection in those seeking treatment. Sixty percent of the participants in Dr. Shoptaw’s study reported HIV-positive status, a prevalence much higher than his group has observed among GBM seeking treatment for cocaine (30 percent), alcohol (15 percent), or heroin (5 percent) abuse.

“The reductions in risky sexual behavior in this study exceeded those observed in HIV prevention trials among Gay BBisexual Men. We conclude that treatment for crystal meth abuse fits into a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy,” says Dr. Shoptaw. The findings have already made an impact: These data helped policymakers at the California Office of AIDS decide to allocate $3 million for programs that address methamphetamine abuse among GBM.

Tags: Amphetamine, Clinical Depression, Crystal Meth, Crystal Methamphetamine, Depression, Meth Abuse, Methamphetamine, Symptoms, Treatment

Crystal Meth Addiction and Gay Men

Breaking the Grip: Treating Crystal Meth
Addiction Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Recent studies indicate wide usage of crystal methamphetamine by gay and bisexual men. Many healthcare providers, however, are not well equipped to recognize crystal meth use by their gay and bisexual male patients and lack sufficient knowledge about treatment options and how best to refer these patients to culturally competent treatment programs. For this reason, GLMA is currently conducting a study entitled Breaking the Grip: Treating Crystal Meth Addiction Among Gay and Bisexual Men, that is examining crystal meth use in the gay and bisexual male community.

A central part of GLMA’s mission is to ensure that all healthcare providers have the skills they need to provide culturally competent care to LGBT patients. Through Breaking the Grip, we seek to disseminate unbiased information about the risks of crystal meth use and to equip healthcare providers to recognize crystal use among their gay and bisexual male patients and to be able to refer these patients to appropriate care.

Tags: Addiction, Amphetamine, Crystal Meth, Crystal Methamphetamine, Drug Addiction, Lgbt, Meth Addiction, Methamphetamine, Patient, Recovery, Treatment