Tons of People Are Doing Meth on Zoom for Bleak Reasons

A young man is alone in a dark room. Despite being isolated, he is watching a live DJ play a rave and streaming hardcore pornography on a screen along with dozens of other people. They enjoy their favorite group activity, slamming meth.

This isn't a William Gibson novel according to a new NBC report. It is a daily reality for thousands of meth users. The news outlet joined and observed many of the Zoom chats where people hang out for hours and get high together, and while many of the sources they interviewed remained anonymous, they all seemed to agree on one thing: the postpandemic internet is providing a strange new reality that serves as one

One user told NBC that there is no meth without zoom and there is no meth without zoom.

Most of the major social media platforms where folks organize these gatherings give the news outlet statements about how they don't allow meth use and remove people who violate guidelines, but in reality moderation is difficult, and drug content creation rules vary widely among the platforms.

The bottom line is that users are able to hang out and feel safe in their community, a dynamic with complex implications for policy, tech, and the lived experience of drug users.

One source told the pub that there is always someone that will slam with you.

That also leads to additional isolation, which can be harmful to users' mental health. People might stay in their rooms for a day or two, encouraged to use more and leave the house less often.

It is important to note that meth is a very serious drug. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 2.6 million Americans aged 12 and older reported using the stuff in 2020. The agency says users who get addicted will experience physical illness and discomfort when they aren't using, and that prolonging use can cause psychosis, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, and violent behavior. They may also experience the sensation of bugs crawling under their skin, which can lead to meth users picking their flesh to bloody bits.

It's not hard to relate to a group of people who want to forget the dumpster fire of a society we live in for a while and hang out with people who don't judge their habits. Drug users deserve compassion because of the side effects.

Maybe if the US invested in smarter drug policies, like Overdose Prevention Centers that provide a safe place to take pre-purchased drugs with clean tools and that offer access to therapy, we wouldn't see so many people desperate to connect.

It would be great if elected officials were able to see what everyday people with real struggles look like. Maybe they could legislate from a realistic point of view.

Scientists recorded the brain activity of a person as they died.

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