9 Highway the gay community throughout the ethamphetamine is currently the drug of choice among members of the gay com- munity. More frequently than we might gather from the documented histories of drug use in this country, amphetamines in their various forms have been the most frequently con- sumed illegal drug in the U.S. According to Philip Jenkins’s 1999 book S)/’I1!l1€ll.C Panics: The Symbolic Politics of Designer Drugs (New York University Press), amphetamines were “archetypal designer drugs" first syn- thesized in the late nineteenth century: "The most popular drugs of the twen- tieth-century have been ampheta- mines. Although heroin has had a dra- matic resurgence over the past decade, it is the amphetamine which has remained at the front of the illegal drug popularity race.” Going back to the begin- ning, Benzedrine was first synthesized in 1887. This led to the 19203 creation of Dexedrine. D-phenyl-isopropyl- methylamine hydrochrloride, better known as methamphetamine, was also synthesized during the 1920s. Benzedrine was given to soldiers during World War II when they had to perform with little sleep. Factory workers were given the drug to keep them productive during long hours so they could survive their wartime swing shifis. Amphetamines were later considered a wonder drug _ by those in the trucking industry. It likewise continues to be a favorite artificial motivator among stressed-out 1990s and into the new millennium is methylene-dioxymethamphetamine, better known as Ecstasy. The drug was first synthesized in 1912 by the Merck Corporation to treat lethargy. Its use later increased in the 19505 as, believe it or not, an adjunct to psychotherapy. Beware: some have com- pared the chemical compound in Ecstasy to that of SSRIS (selective ser- atonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Prozac, Paxil, and Celexa. The Ecstasy-Prozac comparison is like comparing apples and oranges. Each has a completely different effect on the brain. Those claiming that amphet- amines help relieve their depressive symptoms are in for an unpleasant surprise down the road. A serious problem with the study of illegal drugs and their effects is a great lack of exploration of its role in sexual functioning and pleas- ure. It took the medical establishment almost two decades to point out the correlation between drug use and HIV infection. “Get high, get stupid, get AIDS” should have been one of the main thrusts of initial HIV education. But our culture’s notorious lack of . maturity and squeamishness regarding anal sex contributed to avoidance of identifying the role drugs play in the sexual realm. No wonder Europeans laugh at us until they pass out. Cocaine has long been glo- rified as an aphrodisiac because it works on brain receptors related to sexual response and pleasure. Similarly, Ecstasy can often dramati- students. Crystal methamphetamine is vastly popular because it mimics the brain’s natural catecholamines such as dopamine, epinephrine, and norepi- nephrine. These affect cardiovascular functioning and the central nervous system, causing the brain to release more feel-good chemicals. “Crank” and “crystal” are both amphetamines, but each is pre-. pared with a different solvent. While crank is more powdery, crystal (a.k.a. “rock”) is a harder crystallized form cut with a razor blade. Both are usual- ly snorted or can be mixed with a liq- uid and injected directly into the bloodstream. My mother told me that amphetamines were handed out to women like candy in the 1960s as appetite suppressants. She first real- ized their power while cleaning win- dows at our house at 3:00 A.M. Then she threw them away. The drug of choice within cally increase sexual pleasure in addi- tion to pepping you up on the dance floor. Ecstasy and crystal meth make you feel fabulous. Studies of male prostitutes have shown that cocaine and crystal methamphetamine are frequently used by customers as a means to increase sexual arousal, intensify orgasm, and reduce the sexual refractory period in order to experience multiple ejacula- tions within a smaller timefraine. If there was ever a “good reason” to use crystal, that is certainly it. Unfortunately, the same drugs thatbring pleasure can also bring serious health problems. The most pronounced are dehydration and obliviousness to dangers: your central nervous system is so overloaded that it cannot warn the brain to slow the body down. Some guys have literally dropped dead on the dance floor with body temperatures reaching 107 >- degrees Fahrenheit. This is extremely rare but it does happen. The most pervasive effects involve the way the brain is trained to produce its chemicals in a non-drug aroused state. Extensive use of amphetamines may result in a brain that no longer recognizes the need to produce some of its own neurotrans- mitters. Like the shrinking testicles of ' the man who chronically uses anabol- ic-androgenic (testosterone based) steroids, the chronic amphetamine user can be left with a brain that per- manently does not produce adequate amounts of seratonin. Other studies have shown that subjects who are classified as “heavy users” of Ecstasy — those who use the club drug three times per week or more for at least six months — are ten times more likely to develop Major Depressive Disorder than inem- bers of control groups. The results also suggest that this effect may be irreversible. We may currently be looking at a generation of gay men who will experience chronic biologi- cal depression once the party is over. But scare tactics regarding drug and alcohol abuse and depend- ence do not work well. We all like to have a good time, and we are all immortal — at least while we are still young. Educationis the key to safety. It is more important to understand the risks you may be taking so you can make informed choices about drug and alcohol use than to blow off the na'i've and impotent “Just Say No” message. Just know what you are get- ting into. Knowledge is power, so take good care of yourselves. Have an excellent year 2004. V Copyright © 2003 Alexander Renault. All rights reserved. Alexander Renault is the pen name for a writer who has published in multiple genres. He has ‘ worked in the mental health and drug and alcohol fields for the past fifteen years. Mr. Renault is currently editing the non-fiction anthology Walking Higher: Gay Men Write About the Deaths of Their Mothers from Renault Publishing, Inc. He invites you to visit him at AlexanderRenault. com. of spring $7.00 per bouquet Order Today! Help Fiht Cancer... Buy Daffodils! 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