I know there are people here who are thinking about shooting, whether it’s because their tolerance is shot or they want a better high, or maybe they just listen to too much fucking Johnny Thunders, I dunno.

I’ve been slamming on and off for about 18 years. I wouldn’t ever turn anyone onto it. Hell, I’d never turn anyone onto dope period because a few months later if they can’t control themselves they might be selling their ass - nothing wrong with sex work if you want to do it though! Not a thing! A lot of people don’t.

Some people say it’s two “addictions,” the dope you shoot and the needle. They forget to include the rush, which makes 3. Unless the registering and drawing up blood is included in the needle, that’s 4. Ask a nurse who used to slam how she feels when she draws blood! There are other things that you come to love, like deciding how much to shoot, and you’ll find that shooting is very hard to stop because you’ve become psychologically dependent on more than a handful of factors. Not to mention much more physically dependent if using opiates, because your tolerance will go up a lot.

Anyways, I shoot throughout the day because I want the rush - people say they’re chasing a rush when smoking or snorting…they don’t know what a rush is like. Boofing comes closer than the others in terms of bioavailability - closer but it’s not the INSTANTANIOUS GRATIFOCATION - that’s part of what makes shooting so risky. The triggers/addictions/habits that I mentioned above (needle, dope, blood, rush..) are identified with that instant gratification of the rush.

With cocaine, the high doesn’t last so long, so you chase that rush again right after you get off and aren’t electric.

I don’t know too many slammers who haven’t OD’d. I’ve had them as long as you consider doing a shot then waking up on my face - did I crack my head? How long have I been there? I shouldn’t have been using alone but also, I probably wouldn’t have OD’d if I was smoking it or whatever - you still can though, a lot of mfs are OD’ing on smoking it. I know people who have OD’d more times than is believable so I won’t say.

Again, I come back to the rush throughout the day no matter the drug. Over and over again. The rushes of different drugs are very different but they have those characteristics or triggers , all roads lead to the rush with shooting.

***Drug use doesnt have to be some progressive thing at all, a disease or negative thing - you have a MUCH better chance of keeping control if you use a route of administration besides needles.

I don’t need to tell you about misses. With heroin they’re little bubbles, with meth you might end up with something pretty nasty.

If you’re gonna slam anyways or are self taught and messing your body:

(1) Test your dope (2) Go to a needle exchange for supplies (3) Have narcan and you should any damn way (4) learn all you can about your drug of choice, its origin, what solvents and cuts might be in it, how it’s made etc (5) learn all you can about the CORRECT way to slam, and about harm reduction.

I put narcan up there separately because you DO NOT WANT to have to breathe for someone for however long and struggle to keep them awake and breathing while they call out for their mom in the most pitiful voice you ever heard.

I made the needle exchange or CLEAN RIGS separate because it’s a huge thing that people just do not give a fuck about and they will fix you shots in rigs people with diseases have used or just mix them up by mistake.

A lot of us talk about how so many people can’t handle…it’s even more the case with shooting up. The people who became deathly thin, my friends who have died? They slammed.

We need to end the stigma and drug war but part of that is education, and if you know your shit you know your shit you know that you’re just better off not slamming.

Don’t romanticize our slamming pics and stay away if it makes you want to shoot. Just like you’d stay away from dope if you quit using.

I’m not an expert, I’ve just been around for a while and seen a lot of shit and been through it too.

If we handle our dope, it’s might be because we’ve gone through lots of bullshit to get that way. Some people shoot with no problems, but some people fuck themaelves yo right away and are never the same, or are no longer with us

Peace out, I gotta go to the methadone clinic,

Your pal AstroWolf