Drugs, we’ve all heard of them whether it’s cocaine, heroin, ecstasy or the newer breed of drugs such as ketamine and methadrone. We’ve all been warned of the effects of drugs and the damage they can cause us at some point in our lives. But no matter how dangerous we all know they are and the perilous affects they can have drugs are still a huge fixture when it comes to the gay clubbing scene.
A report published last year by the UK Drug Policy Commission found that LGBT people had a higher use of illicit drugs than their heterosexual counterparts, with around 10% of heterosexuals admitting to taking drugs in the previous year compared with 33% of gay, lesbian and bisexuals.
But why is this? Are drugs more accessible on the gay scene? Is it due to gay people having more disposable income on average than straight people? Is it due to glamorisation in TV shows such as Queer as Folk? Or do gay people feel more of a need to take drugs on a night out?
Well I decided to find out. I interviewed two people from different parts of the country to see whether their experiences with drugs on the gay scene would help me find out why drugs were so big on the gay scene.
John, 27 has lived in Manchester for a number of years and works for a well known mobile phone company and was a regular drug user in his younger years whilst on the gay scene in the cities infamous Canal Street, This is what he told me:
Do you think drugs are a big part of the gay scene?
Definitely everyone in their right mind uses them for some reason. Either to make the night better or to make it cheaper.
Do you feel there’s pressure on the gay scene to take them more than anywhere else or do feel its equally as bad?
I think there’s some pressure out there because you always see people having fun and dancing away and you always think I can do that too, and if you need some kind of chemical assistance the pressures always going to be there.
Have you ever been influenced yourself?
Yeah quite a few times. I wouldn’t say I was influenced but I did it.
Do have any negative experiences?
Oh god I’ve had all sorts of Negative experiences. Wandering aimlessly around Moss Sides in a fish net top and a pair of hot pants because I was off my face, that’s one interesting experience.
So you wouldn’t recommend the use of drugs on a night out?
No I wouldn’t recommend it, I mean I cant tell someone not to do it because everyone’s got to make their own choices but I wouldn’t personally say go out of your way and get off your face.
So what would you say to young people now just going on to the scene about drugs?
There’s more to it than the drugs and the alcohol, go out for a good time not to see how wasted you can get.
Emily, 20 is originally from South Wales but currently resides in Southampton whilst studying for a degree at University, her opinion of drugs on the gay scene differ to Johns as she believes that drugs are accessible in all walks of life and not just on the gay scene, this is what she had to say:
Do you think drugs are a big part of the gay scene?
It can depend; drugs are easily accessible if wanted. I think in many cities drugs are a part of most young peoples nights out, but at the same time I think there are many people whose nights out don’t include any drugs at all. I feel that once someone has dabbled it is more than likely that 25% or more of their nights out will probably include drugs in the future.
Have you ever been influenced to take drugs by people?
It’s hard to say, I wouldn’t like to say influenced on my behalf or theirs but technically I could sit here and explain it all, and everyone would simply say that was classed as me being influenced. I may have been out and a friend may have questioned the option of getting drugs and I may have thought it would be a good idea, and so on. I don’t think I’ve ever been influenced in the sense of feeling like I have to because someone else is.
What bad experiences have you had because of them?
Well quite a few, in many different ways. There have been times where I’ve been physically ill from drugs, sickness at the time and then emotionally for x amount of days after. I’ve also witnessed other people physically and mentally lose control due to drugs. People just get caught up in what’s going on without even realising and it affects them in different ways. I’ve seen some get obsessed with their weight, others forgetting who they were and living with a different personality almost as someone else when on drugs, stealing, turning aggressive. There’s so many side effects post narcotics that may even be oblivious to many.
What would you say to younger people just starting to go out about the dangers of drugs?
It’s hard to advise people on drugs, as everyone will react differently. Obviously to be aware of the consequences you may have to face, and trust me this can lead into a very extensive list of life changing options/changes. If you can face it with the idea of just having fun, then that’s what your more than likely have. But knowing when to draw a line under that fake fun is something to keep in mind. Don’t get me wrong, I myself have had a brilliant time off drugs, but the fun go-er to addict transition can be considered a very blurry area.
After conducting both of these interviews we can see that drugs on the gay scene are a big issue and they are used regularly when it comes to gay clubbing, but after talking with Emily it has also shown me that drugs aren’t just a big issue on the gay scene but in a number of different scenes around the UK. But it still doesn’t answer why drugs are used so frequently on the gay scene. To me it appears that maybe because the heterosexual to homosexual ratio of people in the UK is so vast with only an estimated 10% of people being gay, that there does appear to be more homosexual people taking drugs. But whether this is true or not doesn’t matter, what does is that drugs are out there and they are a problem so be aware and make sure that as a person with your own mind you know the dangers of drugs.
*Johns name was changed due to him not wanting to be named
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