Till Meth Do Us Part –
JANUARY 28 2020 – I learned that meth is certainly not a drug just for people in trailer parks. It is incredibly prevalent in all parts of society, and particularly in gay culture. Statistically, gay men are four times more likely than straight men to try it. It is also one of the most addictive single substances known to man, if not the most addictive. People can become addicted after a single dose, and once people form a dependency, the chances for recovery are shockingly low. It drastically alters a user’s brain chemistry so that he is unable to feel pleasure unless he is using the drug.
Silvio told me the story of how he was at a party one night when someone handed him a pipe of what he thought was weed. When he hit it, he quickly realized it was not weed, but crystal methamphetamine — a chemical compound created in a lab or bathtub somewhere and designed to flood your body with dopamine and energy. It would be several more years before he became a full-fledged addict, but that initial hit set the stage for a dark and perilous journey that would lead to his ultimate destruction.
While our professional relationship seemed to be soaring — we’d set up exciting projects all over town with the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek — the periods of time when he’d go missing and the amount of time it would take him to recover were becoming increasingly concerning. We warned him that the next time it happened, we were going to call his mom and explain everything that was going on. We thought that might be enough of a deterrent, but soon enough, he was gone again, and we had to break the news to the dear, sweet Mama H that her son was in grave danger.
