Addicts Who Survived: An Oral History of Narcotic Use in America before 1965

Appendix: The Interviews

Appendix: The Interviews CORE QUESTIONS Personal Background When and where were you born? What sort offamily did you grow up in? What was the occupation ofyour father? your mother? How old were your parents when they died? How far did you go in school? What jobs have you held? Why did you come to New York City (if not a native)? Have you ever been married? Have you had any children? Onset ofAddiction When and where did you first use drugs? Which drugs did you use? Did you use other drugs before using opiates? alcohol? barbiturates? cocaine? marijuana? Why did you first use drugs? for medical reasons? curiosity? because your friends were using? When did you first notice that you were hooked on opiates? What made you realize this? Did the friends you were using with also become addicted? How much did the drugs cost when you began using? How pure were they? How did you administer the drug? sniffing? smoking? skin popping? intravenous? What was your initial dose? A d d i c t s W h o S u r v i v e d 3 8 6 Addiction Career Did you increase the dose? If so, how rapidly? What was the highest dosage you reached? Which opiates were available when you became addicted? When (if ever) did you first use heroin?' Did you change methods of administration? When and why? Did you attempt to quit voluntarily? How many times and under what circumstances? Do you have any addict friends who managed to quit and remain abstinent, without resorting to other drugs? How did you obtain opiates? How did your sources of supply change over time? How did prices fluctuate over time? When were opiates especially abundant? scarce? Was there ever a time when you were forced to abstain because there were simply no opiates to be found? Were you able, during times ofscarcity, to "make" doctors? How did you do this? Which opiates did the doctor provide? How did you support yourself and pay for your habit? Did you have to resort to hustling activities? Were you ever arrested? On what charges? How many times? Did you spend time in prison? Were drugs available there? Methadone How long have you been on methadone maintenance? Which program(s) have you been in? How did you hear about methadone? Did your addict friends advise you against it? What made you decide to participate in the program? How did it alter your style oflife? What is your opinion ofmethadone maintenance? Present Circumstances What are your present sources of income? Are your needs being met? How has your addiction affected your relationships with your family? Do you regret having become addicted? A p p e n d i x : T h e I n t e r v i ew s 3 8 7 Given that addicts seldom reach old age, to what do you attribute your longevity? EDITING PROCEDURES In order to illustrate the way in which we assembled the narratives, here are two examples, one relatively simple, the other relatively complex. The way the tape would read in transcript is compared with the way it actually appears in the book. The first excerpt, with italics denoting the interviewers' questions and comments, is taken from an interview with Emily: Couldyou describe what life was like on the Lower East Side at that time? Well, I'll tell ya, life was all shooting and tough guys and, uh, they broke into my mother's house and put the lights out and steal the bulbs, and I had to fight with them. I took care ofmy brothers and my sistersI was the tough one in the house. Mm-hmm. [Nods head for her to continue.] And, uh, my mother was a super; I had to help her out. My father worked as a presser. He made maybe nine dollars a week. So I had to get up in the morning and help them with the barrels to put out. And clean the toilets that they were in, you know, if the landlord was coming I had to wash the whole building, and the floor and the ... 1fere they-whenyou say "clean the toilets, "you mean thatpeople didn't have toilets in their homes, they . .. No-all in the hall. Mm-hmm. And we had to clean them if they didn't clean 'em. Mm-hmm. So I wouldn't let...