In many countries, meth brings fear. It hurts lives. Yet few Brits use it. Let’s see why.
In 2011, a million people used meth in the US. Czech lands see more meth than heroin use. One in each hundred takes it in New Zealand and Australia.
Britain tells a different tale. Just 17,000 Brits tried meth last year – the least used drug checked. Compare this to others: 27,000 used heroin, 47,000 took crack, 2 million chose cannabis.
Meth sticks to small groups here. Most users join London’s gay club scene. They mix it with pills at parties. Some cases show up in towns like Manchester. But it stays quite rare.
Why? First, Brits pick lots of other drugs: 174,000 used mephedrone, 211,000 took speed, 415,000 liked ecstasy, 627,000 picked cocaine. Legal highs sell well too.
Cost blocks many. A gram of meth costs £260 here. Other drugs cost less: £46 for cocaine, £13 for speed, £11 for some heroin. Most pick these cheaper drugs.
Making meth brings problems too. Labs need rare stuff and skills. Large lands like the US have space to hide labs. Britain’s size makes that hard. Czech lands make more meth as they kept old drug plants when their old rule fell.
Bad news keeps folks away. Meth leaves you up for days. Health fails fast. Hearts get sick. Weight drops quick. Teeth rot. Most know the sad “before and after” shots that show these facts.
Sleep loss can last days. Poor food choice makes weight fall fast. Those who use needles risk blood ills. Teeth rot from the drug’s effects. These risks show up much faster than with other drugs.
Many things block meth use here. Small land size makes labs hard to hide. Strict rules watch lab needs. Pure meth costs lots to bring in. These blocks add up.
Yet change may come. Police find more meth each year in Europe: 30kg in 2000 grew to 1,582kg by 2011. UK finds grew too. More home labs show up, though still few.
Dr Owen Bowden-Jones runs a drug clinic in London. He helps near 300 meth users now. Most live in London, but some come from Manchester too. While most are gay men, some straight club fans now ask for help.
The Numbers Tell More
While Britain sees little meth use, the trend needs close watch. The jump from 30kg to 1,582kg across Europe shows how fast things can shift. Drug trends often start slow, then surge. Think crack in the 1980s – first in cities, then spreading wide.
The Club Drug Clinic in London tracks these shifts. Their 300 cases might seem small, but they matter. Each case helps map how use spreads. And with meth’s harsh effects showing up so fast, catching trends early saves lives.
Past drug waves teach us well. Crack and heroin both grew from small starts. Speed ran wild in the 1960s. Ecstasy boomed in the 1980s. Each drug found its time to spread.
For now, most Brits see meth just on TV shows. The drug that wreaks so much harm stays rare here. But we must stay sharp. Small signs might warn of big change. Smart eyes must watch these clues.
Drug trends can stay quite local. Price, drug choice, health fears, and hard drug-making all play parts. Yet change could come fast. Wise people keep watch and plan ahead.
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