The newcomers to a gang (most of them at the Dial-a-Doper level) are almost always led to believe they will make a lot of money—a claim that is 99% false.
Many end up poorer than when they started because they owe money to their gang (late payments, drug rips, fronting drugs).
Most gang members are low-level members who could earn more money by working at a fast food restaurant. Some may show off whenever they have money, but more often than not they are broke or in debt.
Many end up having to borrow or steal money from their family or sell their possessions just to pay off debts and that is often not enough, which results in gang members coming to the family’s home to extort or threaten parents or siblings.
They are often kidnapped, beaten, and tortured as a way of sending messages from one gang member to another.
They get robbed and beaten by customers.
They are targeted by the police and are likely to be arrested, have their property seized if it is used during the commission of a criminal offence, and a criminal record will prevent them from doing things like traveling outside Canada.
One of the most common reasons to quit is being tired of getting beat up.
Most youth gang members eventually quit their gang, but the longer they are involved, the harder it is to quit.
