New Mexico in Focus; 4; Aids; NMAS Participants

the drugs are out there. Okay like I said you know the drugs that are out there right now that you can find like really easy are meth crack and crack to me like I said it's the worst drug anybody ever came up with because that drug will make you do things that you never ever in your wildest dreams would have imagined you ever would ever do just to get it and the worst thing about is it's not even physically addicting it's all psychological you know like with heroin heroin's another really accessible drug and it's because that drug is so addicting because it's a physical addiction you physically get sick if you don't have it any of the other drugs is a psychological addiction and in your mind you think you need it you know sometimes your mind to make you sick physically but it's not really a physical addiction so yeah those are about

the three most accessible drugs right now out there of course weed but I mean weed isn't really that's not you know I mean that's pretty natural really you know really I mean that's something that was put there you know and people somebody just found out that they get high off just one last question for Christine you know part of the reason that we're doing this program this year and this week is because I mean it's the 25th anniversary from when HIV was first kind of diagnosed and we came up big thing right so that's 25 years ago which seems doesn't seem like that long ago do you feel like HIV is still a concern out there on the street or people kind of put it away in their mind actually I think it's a real concern I think HIV is a is a real concern it's a real

it's a real concern I mean because people are more oh how can I put it they know it's out there they know it's out there and they know they can get it and I think they're wanting to know more about it and they're searching you know like say before you you know turn the tbe on and there be a little thing about HIV and when they change it like if you know oh well you know that will happen to somebody else and now they're stopping on that channel just to hear what it's got to say about HIV because I think it's a reality now you know that it can really happen to them because here here in Albuquerque just within our circle of heroin addicts because that's what I do I have heard of

a few people coming up with HIV and actually turning into AIDS and so I think it's too close for comfort you know to where you can't help but to find out what's out there you know get more information get educated on HIV because if you don't you're going to die and I think I think that's what people are actually wanting to find out wanting to get some education on HIV and that's another good thing about these syringe exchange vans is they do give you that information if you've got a question these people that are driving around in the van aren't just there to hand out syringes they are educated you know they can answer your questions they're not just out there to hand you you know a syringe and say you have a good day you know they are out really

out there and they know their stuff you know they know what to say they know these questions they know the answers to the questions which is cool and how do people in your in that circle react to that I mean how do they how do they react to the van and to the new that maybe some people have HIV like if they're a fear there I think that there is a fear as far as knowing that people around them do have HIV but I still think that there's some people that have a long way to go as far as you know the education as far as knowing what they can what what and how they can get HIV how to avoid it or you know like some people still think you know that you can get HIV by kissing I mean that's ridiculous

but they need to get more educated they need these vans out there they really do and as far as how they feel towards these vans like I said I think they actually this and there's a need for them there really is especially like the front lines you know like in the war zone or you know the South Valley as a matter of fact I have some friends out in Bernalillo that did not even know that there was a syringe exchange program in New Mexico much less in Albuquerque they didn't even know what it was all about I sure wish somebody could go out there and do something you know educate these people out there because they're dying they're dying I had a person just from Bernalillo just come to my house the other day and say you know what they tried to save this guy he OD'd in the house and they didn't know what you do

I had just gotten some Narcon from one of the vans or from here I'm sorry from New Mexico aid services and I sent it with them and explained to them what to do with these and sent them the little pamphlet on you know how to do it you know what to do where to do it and stuff and sent it to Bernalillo with them because I know these people are dying if they had these Narcon these classes this education they wouldn't die they really wouldn't die there's some need they're still need for this place these things these vans this education is all of it all right there's still a big need can you explain to us just for people might not know what what Narcan is Narcan is it's a blocker it's an opiate blocker say you're overdosing or you have somebody in your house

it's OD and you can actually it doesn't have to be mainlined you don't have to get a vein you can shoot them anywhere in a muscle and give them this Narcon and it will block it it'll block all your opiates and have them come out of this overdose and they'll be okay within five minutes they should be fine unless they're too far gone but you know you can catch them you can catch them and it stops a lot of people from dying you know and thank God that they made this easily accessible also you know you can actually come into New Mexico AIDS and say you know what can I get some Narcon and they will give it to you without judgment again you know without judging you or looking at you crazy you know trying to look at your arms or you know trying to make you feel like shit basically I'm sorry but for real you know

without making you feel low scum you know and that's the worst part about going somewhere you know and having somebody look down on you you know that's the worst part of it can I see one more question do you think that part of something else that we're kind of looking at for the show is if there's needle sharing going on in prisons and maybe the thoughts of why there isn't a kind of needle exchange program in prison do you have any experience with people who've been in prison I've been in prison yeah I've been sharing going on there I know a couple of people that have gotten hepsi from prison and there will never be there will never be a needle exchange program in prison because there's not supposed to be doing drugs in

prison you know and whether I mean they do know it's a reality some way somehow somebody going to get some dope it happens every day I've known people especially the men especially the men actually go into prison not even normal to heroin was and coming out an addict you know coming out fixing heroin or even coming out strong out on heroin I got strong out in prison I sure did and it's easy it's easily accessible if you have money you can get the dope tell me about when you're during that time in prison and talk to me about that needle sharing because you know we've we've obviously interviewed people from the correction program he's like

and now it's not a problem we do these checks there aren't any needles where do the needles come from yeah where do the needles come from yeah what do you use so you get creative yeah where does the needles come from okay perfect example a friend of mine wasn't jail county jail and was getting ready to go to prison there's always drugs at in jail especially when you first come in and intake before the classify you to different levels different pods because when you intake well of course people will come in you know would Keystered or whatever you know whatever means they they bring in the dope and will bring in a syringe at the same time so she actually bought the syringe with the intention to take it to prison with her because they she knows that what syringe can be worked up to a hundred dollars in prison one syringe not even carrying what condition it's in

as long as it works as long as it works and so she did she took it with her you know and that's how they they use it out there or you know sometimes you can make them out of light bulbs if you can find a light bulb the majority of the time you know they're you know the fluorescent light bulbs you know you know the tubes but if you can find a light bulb you know you can make a syringe out of a light bulb out of the little syringes you know that I mean the the little stoppers you know like the Tylenol little squeeze tops you know like those there's a lot of different ways and then some people they you know even in prison they're scared you know because a lot of people won't even use a needle because they have this fear of

hepatitis or or HIV because a lot of times because of the confidentiality they can't let people let the population know who has HIV because there are girls that do have HIV in prison but because like I said the confidentiality they can't let them know who hasn't who doesn't so they're really scared so they'll snort their stuff you know but but the people who aren't scared they share yeah and it's all behind wanting that rush you know wanting the rush of the of the dope instead of the high really they're looking for that rush and it's really crazy oh yeah there's a lot of sharing needles in prison you know I've done it you know but in prison like I said you know there's this fear you know so there are a lot

no I shouldn't say everybody a lot of people are more careful they'll get bleached you know and they're rinse out their syringes you're really good but if you use a lot of bleach it messes up the the plastic on the plungers you know the rubber on the plungers so you can't use them you know as much as you would you know if you didn't use the the bleach because it eats away the rubber and it makes it hard so you can't use them and um other than that you know so this is like if you don't mind this is like if you're gonna use a needle but you don't know about we should have aids is it like Russian roulette you think oh definitely oh yeah definitely it is it is Russian roulette it is because you're never gonna know you know you can you can know this person that

has the syringe and you can do your background on her you can do the research on her you because I mean you got inmates that work in medical so you can ask these inmates hey you know can you do me a favor and check out this chick you know because so and so has the syringe and I want to use it but I want to find out it makes sure she doesn't have hip or she doesn't have aids can you do that and they'll look and she's clean and whatever and uh but you never know who she's linked it to you know so you're still playing Russian roulette because you don't know who she's linked it to even if this girl is clean you don't know who she's linked it to so yeah you're playing you're playing with your life you're taking that chance you know you're spinning that barrel and whatever you're gonna shoot you know you're gonna shoot up somebody else's virus unless like I said unless you clean them with you know chlorox or bleach whatever and then you have that chance of messing up your rubber messing up your

and a lot of times the girls won't you know they think they can clean it out with you know boiling the syringe in hot water which is ridiculous you know it does not kill the virus it doesn't it and so they think that if they boil it and water they cleaned it out and they really didn't so you know yeah you're playing Russian roulette so when these corrections department people are saying to me like it's not a problem I'm saying they're bullshitting you they're just blowing smoke because um it's always been a problem but will always be a problem it's like the plague in the bible you know there will always be plagues that you can never get rid of and that's one of them yeah drugs drugs will be a plague for the rest of the life whether you're inside the walls or outside the walls there always gonna be drugs always always can just one more question do you it was great it was great you really are so open that's wonderful

something else that's kind of like worrisome too has been like what happens when folks leave prison because sometimes maybe their families don't know that they're using and that there's some transmission going on that way you know maybe there's a wife or a husband who doesn't know can you talk to me a little bit about that oh yeah see the thing about you coming out to a partner that's straight you know that doesn't use drugs and say you started using drugs in prison and then you're going to have to come out and and go get yourself checked per se you know or or sit down and really be open to her and tell her you know what look I used in prison you know so there might be a chance I need to go get checked you know get these you know test done HIV test you know I have C test you know even hepatitis period A B and C you know and I really need to get checked

and then she's gonna ask questions well why you know why are you so concerned you know because baby I don't want to give it to you you know well give what to me and how you know why are you so worried well okay I ended up having you know I ended up getting high in jail and or in prison and then I use somebody else's needle you're gonna end up having to tell her and as you can be sneaky enough and be lucky enough not to have contracted anything because I would say me personally as a personal opinion nine no maybe not that many seven out of ten will come out with hepatitis C for real yeah and that's the reality of it hepatitis is rapid it is in prison there's my son came out of prison hep C positive and never knew and he went to prison at the age of 17 and never knew what heroin was till he got to prison

when he came out I knew he was using I knew it because I would see him in a car looking fine normal came back around 45 minutes and he's oh yeah messed up and I'm like looking at him and by this time he was already 23 you know he just got not a prison a month before so I know that's where he learned it I know that's where he started getting high was in prison he came out and addict you know so I have to make me feel disappointed disgusted pretty messed up as a mom but it makes me mad

because this is supposed to be some type of rehabilitation and it's not all it's doing is making these youngsters worse really it's making these youngsters worse because even if they don't start using drugs in there they're going to get caught up in a click you know which is a gang a prison in a prison gang or they're going to learn other things you know it's not going to rehabilitate them it's going to make them worse they're going to get caught up in a gang they're going to start using drugs they're going to learn other ways of committing crimes you know that they never even knew about you know and thinking okay now I can you do things illegally and be smarter about it you know when in reality that's a damn lie the

only good thing that I that it's come out of his prison term is that he's gotten a lot of legal education he was so proud he called me the other day and said hey mom check this out I got my first habeas corpus you know turned over you know I wrote out a habeas corpus for my friend and you know that it's time reduced and he was all happy about it you know but when he comes out he's not going to be able to use any of it because he's a felon just like myself I I've been going to TVI for the last three years and and my major is office administration with the legal concentration and only for the simple fact that as a felon I cannot work I've got a job offer at the public defender's office but I cannot work on a one -on -one with the clients because I'm a felon

I can do all the work as a paralegal but not have the title because I'm a felon you know so but it's cool so once I get my foot in the door I'll be all right I hope it works out for you thanks thank you so much for this thanks I'm going to shift just your hand a little bit because we need to cut a little bit what I can find yeah that was great that's great so how old is he now my son is well I've got two sons one of them is we'll be 29 and the other one will be 28 oh wow yeah just the two boys no girl just I've got one daughter I've got four sons of one daughter yeah are you have any grand kids yet oh I've got six of them oh guys a set of twins a twin oh yeah a boy and a girl yeah yeah yeah yeah and that's the his kids the one I'm talking about yeah so how long till you're done at T .V .I. like I appreciate it um I figured that by the spring of next year I should be doing my

internship at the public defender's office that's great yeah and then right after that I should be doing my co -op yeah yeah so you have to like to like a little understeady kind of thing yes yeah the internship would be like and and the funny thing about it is the the person that actually offered me the job was the the public defender that represented thanks Gloria for waiting around you know they're meeting already let out so um the one thing is that I my voice is not going to be recorded we're just recording you so when you begin an answer if you can try to work my question into the beginning of your answer that would help out so for instance if I said you know Gloria how often do you come to NMAS and you say once a week I won't know what the once a week is referring to so if you can say I come to NMAS once a week or if I say

you know what colors the sky you say the sky is blue instead of just saying blue does that make sense yeah okay and if I interrupt you it's just because I need to get it in that form and if I'm doing it wrong just you know just put your finger like yeah yeah oh it's not right it's not right I'll just get you started back on the track again but you know you can say whatever you want to okay so Gloria tell me about why you why you come to the women's group and and what you like about it here I've been with the women's group for like maybe that I can remember before they started having some place to invite people to come or they used to have a van and go to place to place or they used to have like a big trailer in a park right here off a central and maybe from it's been like eight nine years I've been with them and they finally had a place where like a house where they could feed the the

homeless and we could have our group sat and I like it because it made me understand a lot more than what I thought I knew actually I didn't know as much as I know now I really like it it caught my attention and I even got our daughter because I have a partner and I raised I've been with her 14 years and I've raised her daughter with her so her daughter was three now she's she turned 18 so she comes to these groups also and she speaks on what goes on in the groups to her friends so I know it's working well with another you know through their heads so yeah really I can say I like it I learned a lot from it yeah I think I'm at your partner in the last time right yeah she was here she was just here sweet um are you personally dealing with

any of the kind of medical issues they talk about like hepatitis C or HIV are you dealing with any of that yes I've already got my shot from my hepatitis um we're in me I think I'm just waiting for my last one I think that one will be because you get your first shot for A then you get your B you get two shots and then you get their last one and that's like a wall bat you know like they say I should be getting it in May or June I'm not too sure my last one but it really they made me understand really what it's what it's formed what it's about and you know basically I feel a lot better than knowing than not knowing and like I said I thought I knew it all and I don't there's things that I really was surprised to learn off these groups yeah there's a lot out there so you personally haven't had

to deal with hepatitis C or HIV yeah I have hepatitis but it's not as bad so late like they said that I the nurse she's they comes and gives us our our free shots here she said that's good that I came when I went before I got any stronger it wears however that works but um yeah I have it and I think I got it off of my partner because we've I've never ever shared needles and there was at one time that I really was sick and I said I don't care just anyone give me one and I I know I had to have gotten one of hers because she had it so I never had it and I've gone and gotten checked for it and they always said no no no here other places and my my test came back negative on hepatitis I know there's but this is the main thing I'm talking about so um it had to been that one or two days that I had tried it off for her

but you said you others night you've been very good about using clean needles yes I tried to use it as much as I can't because I'm the type that I don't really like pain and when you use a doll one oh my god it gives you a lot of especially when you have no veins and you have to be poking and poking to find one and um having new ones is good to have so you won't have to be uh sharing because that is very dangerous what I learned off of these uh programs right if you could I think just last question like if you could tell if you could kind of put one message out there to maybe people who are in a similar situation who aren't using clean needles what would you what would you say to them? I would like to say to the people that don't know or nothing about the healthcare for the homeless or anywhere they do have uh

programs similar to this out there to look and find out where they're at because it's very important to make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into and uh god bless anybody that uh doesn't know about it and please get the help because I thought that it was all about just um just getting a needle and fixing and just giving it to the next person just as long as they weren't sick anything about that there's it's behind it it's uh behind a used syringe um is the the diseases behind it the infections that you could get out of it the bunch of um different kind of things that could happen just for being stubborn and not knowing or really being lazy and not being safe because there's a lot of places here that have numbers that you can

call and ask them where they're at and they will let you know where they're at so you could do uh an syringe exchange. All I ask is for you all that are from Albuquerque and know about these programs go for it because like I said again um it's very safe to know about them. That's great. All right in your card today thank you very much thank you thank you thank you thank you thank

you thank you thank you and you want um you want ties you want the first cotton is any kind of good. I'm going to give you another bag actually. This is that um that powder is sort of a gaffer just that just the vitamin C straight up like we were talking about it today. Oh okay. Yeah do you want some of that? I'll put a few packets in. You want some cotton?

No okay um do you want any waters? Yes okay you want pinker blue. Uh blue and then I know for some uh I'm going to put some more bad equipment in there for you too. Awesome. No ties you said right? No. All right. I'm going to put that bag for you. Thank you for bringing them all back. You know what I'm going to do right now. Yeah. You know what I'm going to do is just put the protection to you and I don't want to go along you know getting somebody. Yeah for getting something from somebody too. Yeah and you're so good with 30 people pushing. Yeah. Awesome. I really appreciate it. Yeah. What's it? All right. Thank you. Hope. All right. Somebody can give you that. I'll see you in a bit. Yeah

but let me um get your receipt.