Tweakers Project PosterMeth has the distinct ability to make a person feel so “amazing” because of the overpowering release of the “feel good” neurotransmitter dopamine that it is said to have no equal. Smoking, or blowing clouds, can cause lung impairment, secondary burns and mouth infections. Slamming, which is slang for injecting meth into the vein, not only spreads disease but causes major scarring, infections and skin erosion. Meth has grabbed the gay male community in a disproportionately and epidemic stranglehold, causing HIV, Hep C, and other STD’S and STI’S to run rampant. “I thought it was cocaine.” “It was just a little bump.” “He was so hot, and he said sex would be so much better.” “I wanted to fit in.” Those are some of the many reasons members of our community give as to why they tried meth in the first place. The sex is almost always unprotected because most don’t have thoughts about tomorrow when they are using tonight.

Jimmy PalmieriTina, ice, crystal, glass, P-N-P, blowing clouds, Get to the Point, T - are all common codes that can be found on any gay hook up site, suggesting, in “tweaker” language, a night of using meth and most likely having sex. In this first of a three-part series, Jimmy Palmieri, founder of the Tweakers Project, discusses why gay men begin using meth.