I feel like they care for me on a more personal level here and do not judge me. Hepatitis C tests are one of the services available at Ozone.Īt Ozone, I feel more like an individual person. I was asked all the time why I was not protecting myself, and I felt that I was being blamed for this by health workers. I felt there is a lot of judgment in the mainstream hospital system when it comes to people who are using drugs. That is when I was first referred to Ozone for support and treatment. Two or three years ago, I discovered that I had hepatitis C which you can contract by sharing needles or the paraphernalia needed to prepare crystal meth. Nowadays, I only use crystal meth once every three months, and normally it is paid for and prepared by the person with whom I’m having sex. I did tell my mother, who was supportive, and friends said I could call them anytime I felt sad. At that time, I felt a lot of despair, so I thought I needed it more, but the drug made me feel even sadder once the effects had worn off. I began using it a lot in 2018, perhaps twice a week. I felt happy and wanted that feeling more and more. The drug could really amplify my emotions and prolong this enjoyable activity. I only use ice when I have sex, and when I used it for a second time, it was a better experience. I even went to hospital to get checked out, but could not tell the doctor that I had taken ice as it is illegal. That first experience left me feeling strange I couldn’t eat or sleep, and I wasn’t sure what was happening to my body. “I first tried drugs at university when I was 21 years old, when I was invited to someone’s dorm to take ice, which is the slang for crystal meth. He spoke to UN News ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking which is marked annually 26 June. The organization promotes harm-reduction services which focus on their clients’ needs with the aim of preventing the health and social impacts of drug use.

Watcharapol Mahaprom, who goes by the name Paan, accesses services at a clinic in Bangkok run by the UNODC-supported non-governmental organization, Ozone.

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