Diva: [Very hearty, if inappropriate, laugh]
FO: Oh, it's funny to think about now. [laughs] But imagine how it was for those poor people.
Diva: What turned you on to the meth book?
FO: I didn't want to write it. It started out as an article for the New York Times. The New York Times called and wanted me to write about it particularly because of the gay men having sex without condoms. Hanging around gay clubs, writing about meth like it was a new drug. I didn't want to do that. Then they came back and said that it could be different.
My agent saw the article and asked if I wanted to write a book about meth. I said I'd write the book that I wanted to write. But it's not really as big as people seem to think it is. The drugs that people like just don't change that much. Its alcohol, tobacco, weed, and coke. The problem with meth is that it lasts for 8 hours. It doesn't fit into people's lives. There is a limit to people who will do meth with any regularity.
Diva: Really? You'd think it was destroying the country.
FO: Its journalists. Pack journalists. One guy writes a story and they compete with each other. They all try to see who can come up with the most horrifying story. And yes, you can find a ton of horrifying stories, but it doesn't add up to the epidemic that they try to make you think it is.
The rates of addition for meth are no different than the rates for coke or heroin. Most people who take drugs, nothing happens to them. Ninety percent of people don't become addicts. A certain group will always get into trouble. That has very little to do with the drug itself. Some people are just destined to screw up their lives. It's the dose that makes the difference. There is a big difference between doing a couple of bumps of meth and taking huge quantities.
Being an addict is almost a badge of honor. There is addiction obsession in this country. Have you heard of Spontaneous recovery? Most people quit drugs without medical help. If addiction is really a disease, how can they do that? Some people genuinely need help. But not everyone does. People don't want to hear that they drink too much. They want to blame a disease. It's a way of absolving themselves. Do you know what the failure rate is for so called recovery? If it's really a disease, how come doctors can't come up with a treatment that will "cure" it?
Diva: You make some good points. And the book is fascinating. Are you working on a new book now?
FO: I'm thinking about some ideas. It will have an international focus. Not another drug book for a while. Don't want to get pigeon holed. But I like writing about drugs. Drugs are like a prism that you can look at other social issues.
I'm fascinated by cybercrime. I've just finished an article for Playboy on crime on Craigslist. That will probably be a chapter in the book. I just have to work it all out with my publisher. You can't write a book about cybercrime without going to St. Petersburg. I'm not sure when I'll start, but that will probably be the next book. Right now, I'm writing for Playboy and Maxim. They're great to work for and they let me write what I want.
Diva: It was so good to speak with you. I pretty much gush in my reviews of your books. I'm really looking forward to reading your next book. I don't typically read Playboy and Maxim, but I'll look for your articles.
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Diva Interviews