Megan Townsend

This week, HR 7661, a nationwide book ban, may move forward for a vote on the House floor as members of Congress return from a two-week recess. The proposed bill targets LGBTQ-inclusive books, using the threat of defunding to intimidate public schools and libraries into removing titles; and has already advanced out of committee. This bill is an attack on every American’s family and freedoms and a massive overreach to force blanket censorship onto local communities.

Despite the limited data available on LGBTQ+ drug use, existing statistics suggest that these individuals use drugs at higher levels than straight people. The latest available information states that 2.6% of adults aged 16-59 use drugs at least once a month. However, when looking at LGBT individuals specifically, around 9% of this community use drugs ‘frequently’. Although we know that drug use is more common within this community, research often struggles to grasp why.

3 years on from DM for Details, this is where we’re at… In days gone by, the sale of drugs online was dominated by dark web monoliths such as the Silk Road and Alphabay. However, the proliferation of social media into everyday life has shifted the way we access illicit substances. In 2022, anyone with a smartphone and social media access can purchase drugs almost instantaneously. How prevalent is the issue of drugs on social media?