BC'S CRYSTAL METH FOCUS IGNORES GAY MEN

Drug Use / Gay Group Brings Own Outreach To Davie Village

The BC government is failing to address the growing use of crystal
meth among gay men, charges Dr Tom Lampinen from the BC Centre for
Excellence in HIV/AIDS.

Though a March press release from Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)
acknowledges that "[a]pproximately 3,000 people are dependent on
crystal meth across VCH, with gay men and street-entrenched youth
among the highest risk groups," most of BC's meth programs are
focused on youth only.

In fact, the same day VCH issued its press release, the BC Ministries
of Health and Public Safety issued a joint release of their own
announcing $8 million in new spending to address youth addictions to
crystal meth, including $1.7 million specifically for youth programs
in VCH's area. The ministries allocated an additional $450,000 for
VCH to develop youth prevention programs, containment, treatment and
detox, and additional research into meth usage.

"Focusing on youth ignores the bulk of the problem," Lampinen says.

Last week, Lampinen tabled a new report at the 17th International
Conference on the Reduction of Drug-Related Harm indicating that
approximately 2,500 gay men were using crystal meth in Vancouver in
2002, including 700 who were HIV-positive.

When asked how much VCH spends on meth programs targeting gay men, a
spokesperson for VCH says she cannot break down its addictions
programming budget by drug or target group. "I couldn't find anything
we've done specifically for gay men," Viviana Zanocco says.

Zanocco says the lack of action in the gay community is due to a
shortage of data. "With Downtown Eastside injection drug users, we
can extrapolate from the number of people using the needle exchange
and other programs," she says. "You hear [about gay men using meth]
but it's all anecdotal."

When asked about Lampinen's new report, she says she's not aware of
the data "but it will go a long way towards determining what we need to do."

The lack of provincial attention and funding to date hasn't deterred
the Gay Men's Methamphetamine Working Group (GaMMa). GaMMa volunteers
have been bringing their own message of safer drug use to bars and
clubs in the Davie Village since March.

Their goal is clear, written on the backs of their shirts: "Shedding
light on gay men and crystal meth."

"The GaMMa project is rooted in a non-judgemental, harm reduction
approach," explains its coordinator Jody Jollimore. "We are only
trying to promote a healthy approach to drug use, while providing
some resources for those who use."

Founded two years ago, GaMMa got a significant boost last year when
it received a federal grant from the Canadian Drug Strategy. The
group is a collaboration encompassing concerned individuals from
YouthCO, AIDS Vancouver, Vancouver Coastal Health, the BC Centre for
Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and the BC Persons with AIDS Society. Ottawa
had previously called for proposals for locally based harm-reduction programs.

Jollimore says the overall goal of the project is to create a
dialogue within the gay community about meth use.

"By being a regular presence in the community, the volunteers and the
project are becoming known," he says. "People are approaching the
volunteers, sharing their stories and experiences. Hopefully this
will empower people to speak to others."

Volunteer Mike Varma says GaMMa differs from other strategies in that
it is peer-based. "Members of GaMMa are either current or ex-users,
or non-users who've been close to the drug."

At a recent GaMMA outreach night at the PumpJack Pub, Varma and his
teammates pass out cards with the names and numbers of information
and treatment services, condoms, lube and pamphlets on the risk of
unsafe sex due to lowered inhibitions associated with meth, and the
health risks meth poses to HIV-positive users.

Bar patrons seem uncertain how to interact with the volunteers at
first, but there is clear curiosity.

Some patrons try to get information surreptitiously. One young man
stands alone by the pinball machines eyeing the booth for five
minutes before sneaking up and grabbing a flier while the volunteers
are talking to other patrons.

Varma acknowledges that social stigma prevents some people from
approaching them.

"Putting the fliers in bathroom stalls allows people to grab fliers
without other people seeing and getting the impression that they
might be interested," he says. An hour after fliers have been placed
in the bathroom, most are gone.

Later, a patron approaches Varma, laughing. "Crystal meth? I don't
want any!" The volunteers engage him, and he eventually tells them he
has "a friend" who he's concerned about.

"He used to be really messed up," says the man. "He has a good life
now, but he still dabbles and I'm worried about him."

Varma offers him a referral card and pamphlet he can offer to his
friend. Suddenly, the patron becomes visibly emotional and admits
that he once had a drug problem.

"It's good you're targeting the gay community," he says. "Gays
sometimes have trouble using public resources. We need people who
understand gay issues."

Jollimore agrees and hopes the project will help evaluate what the
authorities should do next.

"I hope that at the end of this project, we could go to the BC
government and say 'this is what we need,'" he says. Gay Men's
Methamphetamine Working Group.