Illegal drugs enjoyed by many of the young male Poles

Globally, Europe remains the main centre of ecstasy production, although its relative importance is declining as ecstasy manufacture spreads to other parts of the world. Worldwide amphetamine production and seizures also remain concentrated in Europe. In 2003 amphetamine laboratories were uncovered in Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg (small-scale), the Netherlands, Poland and the UK.

Most amphetamine seized in 2003 originated in the Netherlands, followed by Poland and then Belgium. Around 82% of the total amount of amphetamine seized worldwide in 2003 was in Western and Central Europe. Quantities seized appear to have been on the increase since 2002.

ArcticPaulThreads: 49 Posts: 245 Joined: Apr 7, 08	Jan 15, 09, 12:40 / #
Many of the young, male Poles I know enjoy a smoke of weed and/or hash. They tell me it costs 30 zl per gram in Poland (considerably more than in England). I haven't smoked in years but the conversations I hear verify this. Some of the Poles are developing a taste for coke. One guy I work with supplies several of the Polish guys with a few grams each on Friday/Saturday nights. How common is drug abuse in Poland? Are heroin and crack starting to cause problems yet?

loco polacoThreads: 3 Posts: 421 Joined: Aug 5, 08	Jan 15, 09, 12:43 / #
heroin has been around in PL for decades; hashish too.

osiolThreads: 59 Posts: 4,714 Joined: Jul 25, 07	Jan 15, 09, 12:47 / #
If we were to look back in time to the communist era, what was Poland like in those days for illegal substances?

loco polacoThreads: 3 Posts: 421 Joined: Aug 5, 08	Jan 15, 09, 12:54 / #
there were a few junkies out there but overall very few. most people got their fill with wódka, spirytus or bimber.

ArcticPaulThreads: 49 Posts: 245 Joined: Apr 7, 08	Jan 15, 09, 14:11 / #
loco polaco: heroin has been around in PL I noticed a few Junkies in Krakow. But compared to the amount of hard drug abusers you would see openly in a western European city of that size the amount was negligible. At the moment I do volunteer work to gain experience/qualifications to start earning my living in the substance misuse field. The fact I am learning Polish has been a fantastic door-opener because loads of new clients in UK are Polish lads. Away from family structure. Bored after work. More money than they have ever had before....they're drifting into all the wrong passtimes. It is my belief that has many return to Poland they will take their desire to use drugs with them and create the demand that will inevitably be met and supplied my any number of importers. When the Irish economy took off and the Irish started returning in huge numbers the amounts of heroin deaths went from one of the smallest in EU to one of the highest.

dcchrisThreads: 11 Posts: 687 Joined: Oct 29, 07	Jan 15, 09, 14:29 / #
apparently speed is popular in Poland and the manufacturing of chemical drugs is big business. high quality drugs made by gangs for export. a lot of the younger people like to smoke weed/ganga.

Grzegorz_Threads: 81 Posts: 6,213 Joined: Nov 16, 06	Edited by: Grzegorz_ Jan 15, 09, 14:41 / #
ArcticPaul: It is my belief that has many return to Poland they will take their desire to use drugs with them Drugs have been in Poland in large quantities since a really long time, so that's really not a new thing. Poland is also one of the biggest producers of synthetic drugs in the whole world, most is for export but a lot for domestic consumption.

ladykangarooThreads: - Posts: 187 Joined: Jan 2, 09	Edited by: ladykangaroo Jan 15, 09, 16:33 / #
osiol: what was Poland like in those days for illegal substances? There is a movie about Ryszard Riedel "Skazany na bluesa". Speaks more than a thousand words. Amphetamine and opium poppy have always been quite popular, that hasn't changed much. And people have always been resourceful, everything based on Trichloroethylene could have been used for getting high (every single Polish person has heard about Butapren glue). ...and 30 zł is waaay too much, especially in large cities like Kraków, Warsaw or Wrocław.

PrinceThreads: 26 Posts: 826 Joined: Nov 4, 08	Edited by: Prince Jan 15, 09, 16:49 / #
Heroine and other opiats are not popular. In 80's situation was different ... opiats were more popular.

cjjcThreads: 37 Posts: 463 Joined: Jul 26, 08	Jan 15, 09, 16:56 / #
I think wódka is the big thing, someone once told me that wódka is the crack of Poland.

cjjcThreads: 37 Posts: 463 Joined: Jul 26, 08	Edited by: cjjc Jan 15, 09, 17:01 / #
McCoy: It used to be. Not now tho. I think it is still big. When I was in Poland I saw some people in some states because of wódka and I think it's easy to draw an invisible line in your head into what you class as a drunken bum and a crack head. Wyspianska: Someone who has told you that is as knowledgeable as yourself. Well I'm sorry. Did I claim to be an authority? No. I merely stated what I have been told and what I have seen so please no subliminal insults.

PrinceThreads: 26 Posts: 826 Joined: Nov 4, 08	Edited by: Prince Jan 15, 09, 18:24 / #
cjjc: Weed should be legal. It shouldn't be punished so restrictly but it should remain illegal. cjjc: I think wódka is the big thing, someone once told me that wódka is the crack of Poland. According to the UN WHO study Poland ranks 26th in consumption of alcohol. Rank Liters/Year Country 1 15.6 Luxembourg 2 13.7 Ireland 3 13.6 Hungary 4 13.2 Moldova, Rep 5 13.0 Czech Rep 6 12.3 Croatia 7 12.0 Germany 8 11.8 United Kingdom 9 11.7 Denmark 10 11.7 Spain 11 11.5 Portugal 12 11.4 France 13 11.1 Austria 14 10.8 Switzerland 15 10.6 Belgium 16 10.4 Slovakia 17 10.3 Russian Federation 18 9.9 Lithuania 19 9.7 Netherlands 20 9.7 Romania 21 9.6 Latvia 22 9.3 Finland 23 9.0 Bosnia and Herzegovina 24 9.0 Greece 25 8.6 Serbia and Montenegro 26 8.1 Poland 27 8.0 Italy 28 7.8 Estonia 29 7.0 Iceland 30 6.7 Slovenia 31 6.1 Ukraine 32 6.0 Malta 33 6.0 Sweden 34 5.9 Bulgaria 35 5.7 Macedonia, FYR 36 5.5 Belarus 37 5.5 Norway 38 4.4 Faeroe Islands 39 2.0 Albania next source

ArcticPaulThreads: 49 Posts: 245 Joined: Apr 7, 08	Jan 16, 09, 14:46 / #
Prince: Heroine and other opiats are not popular. In 80's situation was different ... opiats were more popular. If this statement is true then Poland is the only country on earth to buck the trend. When opiates, like heroin, enter a market they grow to a peak over years until 'saturation' then level off. This means the users remain around the same amount. Each death is replaced by one, rather than the 2 or 3 new addicts that have replaced every dead addict in most European countries over the last 20 years. (See Hong Kong, New York for 'saturation'). Countries that have managed to reduce the use of street heroin have done it with draconian laws (Singapore, Malaysia) or a very expensive programme of state prescribed alternatives (Switzerland). I don't mean substitutes like methadone I mean Diamorphine (Pharmaceutical heroin). Over the next 15 years Polands wealth will grow dramatically. People will have much more disposable cash. There will be a much bigger incentive to smuggle into Poland as an actual market. In the past it was far more profitable to continue on to Germany or Scandinavia with the contraband.

Grzegorz_Threads: 81 Posts: 6,213 Joined: Nov 16, 06	Jan 17, 09, 15:50 / #
ArcticPaul: Countries that have managed to reduce the use of street heroin have done it with draconian laws (Singapore, Malaysia) or a very expensive programme There's the "third way" and that's what I think is happening here - don't look at ddicted with compassion, don't help them, spit at them, they will die quickly and others will think twice.

McCoyThreads: 46 Posts: 1,756 Joined: Jul 3, 08	Jan 15, 09, 16:58 / #
cjjc: I think wódka is the big thing, someone once told me that wódka is the crack of Poland. It used to be. Not now tho.

Wyspianska	Jan 15, 09, 17:01 / #
cjjc: I think wódka is the big thing, someone once told me that wódka is the crack of Poland. Someone who has told you that is as knowledgeable as yourself.

Grzegorz_Threads: 81 Posts: 6,213 Joined: Nov 16, 06	Jan 15, 09, 17:05 / #
cjjc: someone once told me that wódka is the crack of Poland. Not sure about crack but It is definately more hardcore stuff than most of so called soft drugs.

PrinceThreads: 26 Posts: 826 Joined: Nov 4, 08	Edited by: Prince Jan 15, 09, 17:15 / #
Amphetamine consumption in Europe

PrinceThreads: 26 Posts: 826 Joined: Nov 4, 08	Jan 15, 09, 17:51 / #
Lets have a look on Amphetamine production http://www.drugscope.org.uk/newsandevents/newsarchivepages/november200 5/cocaine-becoming-stimulent-drug-of-choice-for-many-young-europeans.h tm Globally, Europe remains the main centre of ecstasy production, although its relative importance is declining as ecstasy manufacture spreads to other parts of the world. Worldwide amphetamine production and seizures also remain concentrated in Europe. In 2003 amphetamine laboratories were uncovered in Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg (small-scale), the Netherlands, Poland and the UK. Most amphetamine seized in 2003 originated in the Netherlands, followed by Poland and then Belgium. Around 82% of the total amount of amphetamine seized worldwide in 2003 was in Western and Central Europe. Quantities seized appear to have been on the increase since 2002.

cjjcThreads: 37 Posts: 463 Joined: Jul 26, 08	Jan 15, 09, 18:00 / #
Weed should be legal.

cjjcThreads: 37 Posts: 463 Joined: Jul 26, 08	Jan 15, 09, 18:27 / #
Prince: It shouldn't be punished so restrictly but it should remain illegal. I disagree. It's late for me and I have things on my mind but remind me tomorrow and I will post my argument. :)

szkotja2007Threads: 38 Posts: 2,544 Joined: Dec 29, 06	Jan 16, 09, 14:29 / #
If you are tall and skinny - dont smoke hash. [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THC][/url]

southernThreads: 116 Posts: 10,955 Joined: May 17, 07	Jan 16, 09, 15:24 / #
osiol: If we were to look back in time to the communist era, what was Poland like in those days for illegal substances? If you were a party member,you could get two grams of coke.

away guyThreads: 12 Posts: 392 Joined: Mar 16, 07	Jan 17, 09, 15:53 / #
Drugs was never a huge problem in Poland but since there are so many ilegal immigrants comming in and buying ilegal paid marriages and doing there scams here it has become very serious. Watchout soon poland will be like the UK a mixed country with a lot of shittttt.

osiolThreads: 59 Posts: 4,714 Joined: Jul 25, 07	Jan 17, 09, 16:37 / #
away guy: ilegal immigrants Looks like scapegoating to me.