As you might know, I would like to be a contributing to my LGBTQA+ community as I expressed in my first essay titled “Gay health care & advocacy” working with the prompt (This I no longer believe). As a New Yorker, I’ve been reading in media over the years about the public emergency in drug use across the nation and this called my attention. I’ll be analyzing the LGBTQA+ youth community in New York State and taking people’s testimonies about their experiences with drug use substances. The results of my work will contribute to community a better understanding about a silent crisis for those whose identity as queer.

As a young latino immigrant whose come to NYC seeking for better opportunities, I faced how difficult can be to find them and ironically how easy to lose faith and path. The LGBTQA+ youth is more at risk of using prescription drug misuse and illegal drugs than heterosexuals. I have used to study this problematic of many queer youth [NYC Health, Drug Use among Youth in New York City Public High School, by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 2015], and what I found it isn’t surprising for me, since the percents of using drugs by sexual orientation are high when comparing with heterosexuals groups (NYC Health, 5), however, the numbers go even higher when I compared with white and latinos. Till 2015, those whose identity in the study as latino were more at risk of using drug misuse or illegal drugs compared to white communities (NYC Health, 5). It is important to understand finding an answer and solution for how to assist the latino & LGBTAQ+ community which is affected the most. Later, I will introduce a  people’s testimony, together with the Information that (NYC Health, 5) contains to support my analysis.

The local authorities of New York have been tracking this problem, because drug use can  cause a drug overdose death, and in New York, where since 2019 [beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic] numbers has been reported to increase compared with previously years, (NYC Health, 2). It is important to mention the government report I used to sustain my study contains a lot informations related to the subject, which includes misuse of a prescription drug such (Benzodiazepine misuse, Opioid analgesic) or illegal drugs; (Ecstasy, Cocaine, Heroin, Stimulant misuse). These substances mentioned before are the most common to use in the community LGBTA+ confirmed by some of the victims who decided to stay anonymous to protect their identity. I will be interviewing some of the victims in recent times of what I called silent crisis, that haskilled hundreds of people per year and many of them still sufferers the struggle of the guilty in finding resources to be assisted, and it seems that rehabilitation center are not the best options to seek helpand get better said by a patient, (Jake, 2023).

According with the CNN web portal in section related to health in January 2023 alcohol consumption and marijuana used increase in adults since the pandemic but dramatically dropped for youth cross America. “Cannabis use among teenagers ages 13 and 15 dropped by 3.4 percentage points in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019, while tobacco use declined by about 4 points, the study found” (CNN health, Adult and Youth drug use in America since the pandemic, 2023). The article by the CNN caught the attention as researcher, because to assist our community we need better understanding about the problem in action to help those who are seeking a way to feel better, and get out of drug abuse addiction that can ruin people’s life.

The data collected by NYC Health can show how the numbers went up “prescription drug, cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy” from 2013 compared to 2015, (NYC Health, 1). Drastically, the misuse of Benzodiazepine went up till 5.0% compared to 2013 which was 0% (NYC Health, 1) however, the use of ecstasy stay the same around 5.0%, but it is impressive to see that the highest in the raking is going to be for the “Opioid analgesic misuse” staying in the first place with 7.0%, (NYC Health, 1). It is alarming these numbers and it is been about 8 years since last data was collected, ignoring the issue that LGBTQ+ communities have grown with the past few years, around the same time they started to have more recognition by government across the world, therefore New York City is been the house for many of whom don’t have the same opportunities in their country of birth, and numbers can show the latino community with the second highest raking in the data by NYC government (NYC Health, 1).

Moving forward into the next part of my work, it is going to be evidence of some victims caused by the drug abuse crisis and their personal decision in how to manage their addiction problem without the support of local institutions in providing services that can offer help to recovery.  Both of them decided to stayed anonymous, let’s begin with Ana, (28yo, trans woman, immigrant latino) she is originally from South America, currently unemployed, and a victim of the drug abuse crisis. Ana always saw the possibility of going rehab too far, due she can’t afford it and government federal program does not coverage rehab center. She mentioned to me, she got better and find her own way to get her of drugs. She wrote to me “Drug for me are an escape when we can’t deal with our internal issues. I realized that Drugs only give us a temporary high and numbness and you gotta be prepare for the lows and the depression that accompanies it, take your time with the feeling, don’t judge yourself and let go”, (Ana, 2023) When I read her note my analysis was, that she found in her owns ways how to get her out of an addiction but even so, she is aware how hard is to felt into again. Mostly of the people struggling with certain of addiction can be treated successfully, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, (NIDA, 2020). I also had the opportunity to meet an Jake, (27yo, cis/man white who identify himself as gay). According to Jake, he went to a Rehab Center for 4 weeks from March 29th to April 28th of the current year. This story is different, Jake is currently employed, and he was able to get resources thru his insurance that his job paid for, he also mentioned that he is happy of being sober till today. When I interviewed him about his experience in Rehab He mentioned to me “it is a horrible place, I will never go back, you lose all contact with outside world” and “Once, you committed to go in, there is no way back”. He describes the Center as it is a very lonely place, with strict rules and no recreational conditions or activities to help them to keep mindful active. To end, he said he rather manage his sobriety that going back to a place like that, (Jake , 2023).

Our youth is struggling with a serious sobriety problem and their personalities do not fit their needs seeking for care. Society is facing how terrible is looking for metal care and how the medical federal programs do not coverage not event a therapist sometime. Obviously, imagine Rehabilitation Centers are extremely high and the health care provide does not meet the standards for a patient, how this left us?. In my analysis, it is because local authorities do not care about issues related to drug abuse or drug overdose, same as some other sensible topics like (abortion or gun control), and when does it to despite the public of the reality itself. Drug Overdose is been an stigma for over decades, media rarely talks about because society usually decide ignore the fact of a very hurtful crisis for families and relatives around the victims as well.  Therefore, the conditions of treatment offered it is not that the Rehab Center promotes,  freedom and sobriety for recreational purposes don’t take place which contributes with Jake’s decision of never go back to a Rehab Center.

NAPLES, ITALY – JUNE 22: An activist of the LGBT movement with a flag during the 12th Mediterranean Pride of Naples on June 22, 2019 in Naples, Italy. The Mediterranean Pride of Naples is one of the many events of Pride Month scheduled in Italy and around the world, inspired by the Stonewall riots of 1969, when protests and clashes between police and homosexual groups took place in New York, symbolically the moment of birth of the modern gay liberation movement throughout the world. (Photo by Ivan Romano/Getty Images)

It is time for our community to speak loud about what we are facing and find a way to get toright resources with the support of our local governments. The non-profit sector should must be organizing and getting ready to provide this kind of metal health services accessible to anybody who lives in the metropolitan area of New York City. Once we tackle the problem proving the kind of mental health that our New York community needs, we can be able to work with the victims who want to feel integrated again into the society, but these must be seen a next step. The thing impressed me more was the fact that Jake described as mindful inactive while he was in rehab, I thought at first this is it not a good environment for a someone young struggling with addiction when probably the best way will be the opposite stimulating their brain to make them feel integrated.

To conclude, I want to say drug abuse lead to drug overdose death which in New York is the center of the opioids crisis where approximately “30 New York per 100,000 died of overdose; 25 per 100,000 died of opioids overdose death” in 2021 according to State Comptroller of New York, (NYS, 2022). Exposing children to the horror a lose their parents in front of their eyes, and a violence scenario where many of them grow in this circumstances. Government needs to listen  and act about it in action to support the LGBTQA+ affected by and give us the path to provide accorded metal health services.

1. Office of New York. “Re: Continuing crisis drug overdose death in New York”, State Comptroller, (November 2023), https://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/continuing-crisis-drug-overdose-deaths-new-york, Accessed May, 2023.
2. NYC  Health. Drug Use among Youth in New York City Public High Schools, by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 2015. NYC Health, June, 2017, pp. 1-9, https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief92.pdf, Accessed May, 2023.
3. Sandee , LaMotte. «Adult drug use rose during pandemic, but dropped dramatically in youth, study says». January 31, 2023, pp. 1-2, https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/31/health/drug-use-pandemic-wellness/index.html, Accessed May, 2023.
4. Substance Use and SUDs in LGBTQ* Populations. National Institute in drug abuse, pp. 1-2, https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/substance-use-suds-in-lgbtq-populations, May 2023.
5. Ana, X. Drug Abuse and Rehab. April 30th.
6. Jake, X. Drug Abuse and Rehab. April 30th.