Tina: the drug devastating the gay community

Something is ravaging through the gay community, leaving death and misery in its wake, yet few are willing to talk about it. If I’d written that sentence a generation ago, I’d have been referring to the Aids crisis. But this time the enemy isn’t a virus, but a substance called ‘tina’ or ‘ice’. It is a methamphetamine – a stimulant drug that is either smoked or injected into the veins. Tina is also called crystal meth, made famous by the Netflix series Breaking Bad. It causes a rapid increase in dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline, which leads to euphoria, alertness, energy and self-confidence. It also triggers an almost insatiable increase in libido. It’s easy to see the appeal.

But the downsides are horrific. The effects on the heart and central nervous system can lead to seizures, heart attack, stroke, dangerously high body temperature, difficulty breathing, kidney failure, coma and even death. When tina is mixed with other drugs, the likelihood of an adverse reaction and possible overdose increases greatly. It is often taken with GHB, a clear liquid drunk to offset agitation – another tina side-effect.

Two people from my friendship group have died from the drug’s effects. Both were in their twenties. Tina also causes psychiatric complications including acute psychosis, paranoia, insomnia and depression. Working in A&E in central London covering mental health, I have seen dozens of men who have taken the drug and gone mad. One tried to castrate himself while in the throes of psychosis. Another, convinced his friends were plotting to murder him, barricaded himself into his flat, only to then throw himself out of a window when they managed to break the door down. It’s common for gay men to come to A&E pleading for sleeping pills because they haven’t slept for days.