Methamphetamine in Spain. Current situation and outlook

Methamphetamine in Spain. Current situation and outlook

By: Nicolás Piñeiro

The report by Episteme Social entitled “Methamphetamine in Spain: trends, profiles, and harm,” funded by the Government Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs and recently published, reviews the global scenario and analyzes the current situation in Spain with regard to the trend in the use of this substance, which until fifteen years ago was virtually unknown in the country.

Methamphetamine is by no means a new drug. It was discovered in Japan in the late 19th century and its production was simplified in 1919, so that by the second decade of the 20th century it was already being marketed under the name Pervitin® in Germany and Philipon® in Japan as a mood modulator and stimulant. It spread among the general population of these two countries, helping to keep spirits high and increase productivity.

During World War II, methamphetamine played a prominent role. Historians have written extensively about the influence of this stimulant at some decisive moments in the conflict, and the rise and promotion of this drug, as well as the consequences of its use among ex-combatants, are well documented.

Since then, at a global level and after rigorous control, methamphetamine did not disappear. In fact, it was marketed as a drug for depression, fatigue, and obesity for decades, its consumption became normalized, and outside of these guidelines, it was relegated to the background compared to other recreational drugs.

In the late 1980s, methamphetamine returned with some momentum to the illegal markets in North America and Asia (where it is called shabu or yaba). In that decade, meth was rediscovered as a powerful, low-cost stimulant and a source of profit that did not depend on crops such as cocaine or heroin.

In Europe, things have worked differently, or at least methamphetamine has been less widespread than in other international markets. In the Old Continent, other stimulants such as MDMA in nightlife

or cocaine are preferred. The Czech Republic is a special case. In that country, and by extension in the region, the use of pervitin, the street name for methamphetamine in the region, is widespread as a recreational drug and is the main illegal substance of abuse in the country. According to our research, it was with the arrival of global phenomena such as chemsex in 2014 that people began to hear about the use of “tina” in Spain beyond the anecdotal use of methamphetamine that might occur in rave contexts in contact with Eastern European countries and therefore under Czech influence, or among some Asian communities residing in the country.

In the chemsex phenomenon, the use of drugs in sexualized contexts among gay men, methamphetamine has played an important role. It is worth noting that different substances may be used to carry out the activities typical of these circles. However, the specific use of GHB/GBL, methamphetamine, poppers, mephedrone, or ketamine, along with erectile dysfunction drugs, is part of a cultural kit specific to this environment.

The use of methamphetamine in these sexualized contexts most likely originated in the United States, where meth was already widespread, and from there it spread to these circles via London, Berlin, and Amsterdam, becoming a cultural pattern shared by gay communities in Western countries. In Spain, the chemsex scene has grown significantly since its arrival in the country, and with it have come these new patterns of consumption and, therefore, new profiles of consumers who end up developing problems with their drug use. Our report analyzes the fact that just a few years ago, methamphetamine was an expensive product, costing around 120 euros per gram, whereas today it can be bought for less than fifty, This indicates that there is more methamphetamine on the market, as evidenced by police actions showing that the Netherlands has become a producer of the substance and that some Mexican groups are introducing their methamphetamine or cooking it in Spain, both for local consumption and for export to other markets. Another important aspect highlighted in our report, after consulting specialists in synthetic drug markets from the EUDA and the UNODC, is that methamphetamine is a relatively easy drug to produce, meaning that small criminal groups with reasonable knowledge of chemistry and access to precursors can synthesize this product in sufficient quantities to supply a city. The fact that it does not depend on any crop makes methamphetamine easier and cheaper to produce than other drugs and its market fluid and highly adaptable.

Analysis of the current situation in Spain shows that methamphetamine is used in chemsex contexts, to a certain extent in some rave scenes, and in recent years the substance has been observed reaching street users, people who frequently use drugs, usually heroin and smoked and/or injected cocaine, which has been the classic profile of users of harm reduction centers for decades.

In some cities, particularly in Barcelona, this trend towards methamphetamine use has increased especially since 2020. In these socially excluded circles, people from different backgrounds and with different profiles come together, so that influences on drug use are also modulated and transformed. The arrival of methamphetamine on this market meant that some of the people who used cocaine, although also heroin mixed with injected cocaine, migrated to methamphetamine use.

This migration from one substance to another makes sense from an economic point of view, as the cost of satisfying compulsive cocaine use can be enormous, whereas methamphetamine does not need to be consumed as often. There is also a symbolic reason for this shift: methamphetamine makes it easier to stay active, awake, and alert, and therefore more attentive to opportunities to earn money and feel less vulnerable in homeless situations. A key aspect highlighted in our report is the risks associated with methamphetamine use due to its effects and consequences. The effects last longer than those of other stimulants and, depending on the dose, can keep the body and mind alert for 24 or 48 hours. Lack of rest, food, and adequate hydration, together with this high stimulation of the nervous system, contributes to the onset of acute adverse effects.

The short-term negative effects of methamphetamine use include heart problems, hyperthermia, and mental imbalance. Subjecting the body to such high levels of stress for many hours can, in certain cases, cause psychotic episodes. When consumption occurs in unsafe environments such as the street, or when there is a pre-existing mental health condition, the risk of suffering these episodes is multiplied.

In the long term, methamphetamine is an addictive substance. Its pharmacokinetics cause the massive release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, which are related to pleasure and the activation of the nervous system. With prolonged regular use, depression and anxiety can become recurrent. It is also linked to hepatotoxicity, neuroinflammation, a weakened immune system, and a characteristic degradation of the teeth and gums, known as “meth mouth.” Our report concludes that in Spain, methamphetamine is present in these settings and has not yet made the leap to other drug-using environments, such as recreational leisure scenes among young people or other more normalized spaces. There is a strong social and cultural component to drug use; people choose certain substances over others based on different variables that often have to do with their social, family, or friendship circles. Methamphetamine still faces some barriers that make it less popular than other substances, even though it is increasingly available on the market.

It is likely that in the coming years more people will try methamphetamine and that in environments where it is already consumed, its use will increase, mainly due to price and availability. Consequently, we will see an increase in the number of people seeking treatment for this drug. However, it is less likely that methamphetamine will spread beyond the environments where it is already consumed, and therefore we are unlikely to see methamphetamine on a regular basis among young people or in more mainstream party and social settings.