CRYSTAL AND CONDOMS

Sero Zero invites NYC Shrink Jean Malpas To Discuss
Meth Addiction And Treatment

"It begins like a dream, but it becomes more of a nightmare," says
Jean Malpas, a New York City psychotherapist and clinical
psychologist. He's talking about crystal meth--a party drug that's
been ravaging gay communities, among others, in many U.S. cities in
recent years. The inexpensive, easy-to-produce drug has also hit
Toronto and Vancouver, as well as rural areas across the continent.

Malpas will speak about his holistic approach to prevention and
treatment at a free talk hosted by AIDS prevention group Action Sero
Zero at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Thursday, May 4, at Centre St-Pierre (1212
Panet, room 200). The talk is one of many activities taking place
during Sero Zero's sexual health week, which runs until Saturday, May
6.

Knowledge for all

Kathy Tremblay of Sero Zero hopes that drug addiction and sexual
health professionals, as well as the general public, will draw on
Malpas's experience to help understand the drug before it hits
Montreal. Right now, she says, "There is crystal use here, but it's
still underground. It's not easy to find yet. In a way we're lucky; we
have a gap, time to think about what we want to do before it becomes
an epidemic.

"Studies in other cities show a relationship between crystal meth use
and HIV transmission," Tremblay says. "The drug is very strong. When
people are high, they don't feel pain or fatigue, so they might not
take the same precautions they normally would, which may put them at
greater risk of getting or transmitting HIV."

In addition to that, the high comes with a range of side effects, from
the relatively mild--dizziness, teeth-grinding, anxiety and impaired
speech--to the severe: permanent damage to blood vessels in the brain,
strokes, severe anorexia, convulsions, paranoia, neurological damage
and even fatal cardiovascular collapse.

The key to prevention, according to Malpas, is to consider the reasons
behind crystal meth use rather than simply treating it as just another
chemical addiction problem. "I really believe in opening up a dialogue
around the meaning of this drug's use," he says. "What I've seen work
best is creating spaces where we can take a deeper look at why some of
us take certain risks, and what we are looking for when we take them.
Like many other drugs and like alcohol, crystal meth is a relational
drug. It's taken among friends, in networks of people who party
together and have sex together--it's literally exchanged from hand to
hand."

So what would someone hope to get from a relationship by bringing
crystal meth into the equation?

"The people who use crystal meth often want more love, more intimacy,
more pleasure," says Malpas. "And it's an effective drug; it does the
job. People will tell you clearly that the sex was amazing and they
felt really great--the first two or three times. But the initial
experience of crystal meth is very distinct from what happens when it
takes a life of its own. The more you're able to find that connection
without drugs in the first place, the less you're likely to expose
yourself to potential addiction."

Risks in isolation

And that's consistent with the reasons for lack of condom use, he
says. "According to recent research, the most common reason people
choose not to use a condom is that they were looking for trust, a
special connection. People don't take a risk because they think
something bad will come of it--they do so because they think it's
worth it. That decision may be based on a cognitive distortion but it
comes of the belief that it will bring them something better."

As a result, Malpas believes that in addition to dealing with physical
and mental health concerns, "Treatment needs to be able to address the
emotional or social isolation that existed to begin with, and help
people re-create relationships."

While crystal meth may be of particular concern for gay men, like HIV,
it can affect anyone. "The gay community is a good place to start
prevention work," says Tremblay. "But--without speaking from an
alarmist point of view--once crystal meth hits Montreal, it will be
everywhere."