I've been a IV user for 11 years and I've never felt addicted to the needle OR the drugs during that time. I work full time, have a second job 3 nights a week, have 2 houses and a great family and social life.
For me, it's the most effective method of administration. I find it cheaper, the effects are better and it last for longer (speed and cocaine). I think using clean needles (and disposing of them responsibly) each time I use is a much cleaner practice than say, sharing a pipe with 5 other people or snorting a line off a surface that god knows what has been there before.
Every time I or anyone that I know has been in the care of a medical practitioner, I have not known of any medication to be administered in a crack pipe, nor has the doctor asked me to snort a line from their desk......
Irresponsible IV users create stereotypes for ALL IV users, by not disposing of needles safely, re-using needles, sharing needles and blaming drugs and their method of administration for their addiction. I have known of people who have lost their home and gone to prison, because of bad choices and excessive use.... and they've never gone near a needle.
I am often frustrated at the reaction I get from the chemist when purchasing needles. It is often one of judgement that I feel is unfair and ill-informed. Being that I'm referring to a Pharmacist who has a university education in drugs and medications, and the various methods in which they are administered, I'm stunned that the purchase of sterile needles is so widely frowned upon.
Also, to fellow users who stand from their moral high ground - after they've snorted a line from a dirty toilet seat, or shared a group cold sore from the party pipe and announce to me their disapproval of needle use..... it's nothing more than laughable.
I am not a heavy user and I have never used outside of my financial means. I have never snatched a bag or broken into a persons home and it makes me sad that the piss poor actions of some, reflect such prejudice on those of us who prefer this method of use.
Maybe with a bit less judgement and more concern on maintaining a healthy balance in our lives, I don't think it really matters how we all choose to have a bit of fun.
I definitely relate to your experience with the chemist, or, well, in my case, pharmacist. I've even had experienced where someone would purposely pull out the packaged syringe, leave it out on the counter without putting it in a bag, while they slowly work the register. I stupidly went back to this pharmacy multiple times as it was convenient, and after experiencing the same treatment each time (it starts with a look of disgust), I realized that it really
was his intention to belittle and humiliate me. Luckily my girlfriend got a hook up at a needle exchange so I havn't had to pay for fits in month's, but I agree that rather than being treated poorly, we should be treated at least with the same respect as everyone else. Sometimes when I get that look of disgust I feel like asking "what, would you rather me use the one outside by the dumpster?" Addiction
is recognized as a disease by the medical community now, yet it still feels as though the majority of 'professionals' see it as a moral failing.
In regards to irresponsible IV use.. I respect your opinion and understand your frustration with such users, but I guess due to my own mistakes in the past, I feel sympathetic towards those who are ignorant, which is why I love being a part of bluelight. I used to be way less than sanitary when it came to my IV drug use, but I was younger, more desperate as well as more ignorant. I really do believe that becoming addicted to the act of injecting is a very real thing as I struggle with it myself, in fact, as I believe I posted earlier, I think I'm
more addicted to the needle than anything else. However, I'm starting to see this as a good thing since I am working towards completely giving up this ROA (as I really don't I can handle it responsibly, at least in the long term), and as I can't imagine using certain drugs through any other ROA, I'd really prefer to just drop them altogether.