Furnishing individuals with safety information on their drug of choice reduces the risk of tragedy and death. This is a self-evident truth. Putting it another way, via a popular mantra: ignorance kills education saves lives.
The cold reality however is that governments and society are, at best, ambivalent to the lives of drug users. Generally, they don’t care, and as a consequence even basic harm reduction and safety information is difficult to obtain.
MY 15 YEAR MISSION
This stark and somewhat obvious premise drove a project which began more in hope than expectation almost 15 years ago. It was during the summer of 2009 that I took the first steps in writing what eventually became The Drug Users Bible, a best-selling 638-page harm reduction tome.
This was always going to be a serious and lengthy undertaking. I resolved to not only document every drug in common use, both chemical and botanical, but to also experience them for myself. I felt that to have credibility amongst drug consumers this was an essential pre-requisite. As someone bluntly told me at the time, if I didn’t do this I would be like a nun offering sex education.
What I didn’t know at the start was that I would ultimately self-administer 182 different drugs, on a journey which would have tremendous highs, but far too many horrendous and traumatic lows. Despite the latter I got there in the end, and I was more than happy with final result. It is, without doubt, helping thousands to mitigate risk and to take more informed decisions regarding their drug use.
But this was never intended to be a project bound or limited by a traditional publishing framework. It was always about getting vital material into the hands of those who needed it most. It was about offering a helping hand to those whom society was failing. I always had a vision.
IMAGINE REACHING THOSE MOST IN NEED
Imagine vital harm reduction information being provided without charge at point of drug purchase, on a global basis. Imagine the potential impact this might have in terms of user safety.
Is this vision really so far fetched? On visiting a doctor or a pharmacy provision of safety information is routine, and this usually extends well beyond dose, frequency and duration.
Why can’t the same apply to recreational drugs? Is there a way to integrate harm reduction into the supply chain despite the unremitting brutality of the drug war?
The answer to the latter turned out to be yes, at least in part.
THE DARKNET & ITS MARKETS
The darknet, and in particular the darknet markets, play an increasingly important role in terms of the distribution of drugs. Consumers and vendors alike source from this hidden and anonymous alternative to the visible Internet which most people are familiar with.
With respect to this, my light-bulb moment regarding the above issues came in the form of a what-if.
What if I created a free-of-charge PDF version of The Drug Users Bible? What if I could actually communicate with the owners of the markets? What if they provided this PDF without charge to customers? Was this possible? Would they even listen?
I realised immediately that, although the prospects appeared to be slim, I had to go for it: even with limited success someone somewhere might pick something up from the PDF which would save their lives. But where would I start?
THE DARKNET HARM REDUCTION PROJECT IS BORN
Fortunately, like the Internet, the darknet has a social media stratum. This is dominated by a Reddit-like platform called Dread. This was the obvious start-point.
I contacted the staff there, explained my vision, and simply asked for help. With the response, an enthusiastic yes, I knew that this had a chance. The project was on.
Dread became the first darknet entity to host the PDF, and they launched it with vigour, such that even some of the markets would immediately become aware of it. It was now obvious that I had to seize the moment.
I thus began to identify every significant market. I prepared my script and started the lengthy process of establishing a means of communication. One by one I approached them, explaining the mission and asking them to either host the PDF or to provide a link to it, so that customers (drug consumers) had the opportunity to obtain their own copy.
This took patience and persistence, and months of effort, but eventually I got there. Almost every market of any significance is now on board. In another unexpected turn, a growing number of individual vendors are also offering the PDF at point of sale.
The more drug consumers who are exposed to harm reduction information the more effective this project becomes. So by any measure the project has exceeded all expectations, and continues to do so. It is now making a difference in the real world.
The media though (with the honourable exception of the BBC World Service) never fails to disappoint. My Reddit quote, below, was perhaps borne of frustration, but is nonetheless a reasonable summary of the situation:
“If an individual is caught selling drugs on a darknet market it is solemnly presented as a news-worthy story across much of the media landscape. If a market operator is caught it garners headlines across the world.
However, when those same markets evolve to provide life-critical harm reduction material directly at point of drug sale, this significant public health development remains unreported.”
Fortunately, this abrogation does not change the concrete reality on the ground.
THE CAVALRY ISN’T GOING TO APPEAR
At the very beginning I framed the context for the book, and the project, with the following commentary:
“People are dying because of ignorance.
They are dying because unremitting propaganda is denying them vital safety information.
They are dying because legislators and the media are censoring the science, and are ruthlessly pushing an ideological agenda instead.
They are dying because the first casualty of war is truth, and the war on drugs is no different.”
Although the safety data I collated and researched over so many years is now literally at the fingertips of countless thousands, this remains the case. Further, no cavalry, in the form of a benevolent government or philanthropic authority, is going to appear and suddenly provide this form of education to the wider community.
This, however, is a project with which anyone can help.
CAN YOU HELP?
From here the most obvious and immediate route to bypass these blockages is to use social media. Drug users, and there are 250 million of them, visit the various platforms like everyone else. They read Twitter posts, they engage on Facebook, they watch YouTube videos, and so forth.
What if someone with many thousands or even millions of followers provided a direct link to the PDF? Imagine how many consumers this would reach; how many could download it and have instant access to material specifically designed to save their lives? No fuss, no cost: just direct access to vital data.
This is the point of this post. Is there anyone here to who can help? Do you own a popular account? Do you know anyone who does? Do you have any means of reaching anyone who does?
It would literally be a one minute job to post a link with a one-line explanation, yet it would reach so many. It would make a difference.
Can you help? Any other ideas would, of course, be very welcome.
Here is a link to the PDF on Google Drive, to view or download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PS1xzenzffwIeQtY_P_sfMqbCrzNI4rc/view
This web page contains links to copies of the PDF on all major cloud service networks, again to view or download: https://www.drugusersbible.com/2018/01/pdf.html
Real people are dying through lack of harm reduction information every day. Real families are suffering the consequences of such loss. If you can, please help to stem this cruel tide.
Dominic Milton Trott
Author, The Drug Users Bible
Are you open to blunt constructive feedback?
I'm absolutely open to suggestions on how to extend the reach of this information. Bear in mind that the reality I have faced over many years is one of hostility outside the actual drug consuming community (which has been overwhelmingly supportive). The words blunt constructive feedback are rather ominous and could be a harbinger of a similar theme, so no, I don't want that. I did hesitate before posting here for this reason.