Stimulants

Articles on stimulants like MDMA, amphetamine, methamphetamine, khat, nicotine and caffeine.

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Stimulants

From Golden Crescent to Crystal Crescent: The Making of Balochistan’s New Meth Economy

Jun 3, 2026

When we think about Afghanistan and drugs, one substance comes to mind: opium. Indeed, the country has essentially had a…

A drawing of the Red Queen pulling Alice from Lewis Caroll's Through the Looking Glass.

Drug Policy Personal Stories Stimulants

The Chemical Red Queen’s Race: Why banning NEP won’t stop the NPS market

Teresa Almeida Castro

Apr 23, 2026

I remember the exact brand name printed on the zip bag. I remember the appearance, the texture, the taste. I…

Drugs & Development Stimulants

Bangkok on Speed: Work, Migration and Methamphetamine in Urban Thailand

David McNeill

Mar 10, 2026

Lek was 21 when she arrived in Bangkok. Fresh from a music degree at her local university, she was ready…

Street view of Vientiane, the Laotian capital.

Drugs & Development Stimulants

New Drug Treatment Centres in Laos: An End to Treatment As Punishment?

Emily Andrews

Dec 15, 2025

Landlocked between China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, Laos’ location in the Golden Triangle places it in the midst of…

White pills in the middle of roasted coffee beans.

Drug Harm Reduction Stimulants

Could Stimulant Replacement Therapy Reduce Cocaine and Stimulant Harms?

Tom Fresen

Nov 18, 2025

Stimulant deaths around the world are on the rise. In the UK, the number of deaths involving cocaine is 11…

Drug Trafficking Drugs & Development Stimulants

Can Syria Ever Leave Captagon Behind?

Jack Hayes

Sep 9, 2025

Before the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Syria controlled an estimated 80% of the global Captagon trade…

One of the islands of Tonga with map trails drawn around it, signifying the methamphetamine trade routes occurring through the water.

Drug Harm Reduction Drug Trafficking Stimulants

Tonga Reports Record Low Meth Seizures After Public Health Struggles

Ryan Hesketh

Jul 10, 2025

Tonga’s fight against methamphetamine appears to be bearing fruit—at least on paper. Police Minister Piveni Piukala announced this week that…

Personal Stories Stimulants

Review: “Sassafras: A Memoir of Love, Loss and MDMA Therapy”

Carrie Lou Hamilton

Jan 20, 2025

In 2023, Australia became the first country in the world to legalise MDMA for therapeutic purposes. Rebecca Huntley’s Sassafras: A…

Drug Trafficking Stimulants

After Assad; What Next for Syria’s Captagon?

Narcosis

Jan 14, 2025

As Bashar al-Assad flees for Russia, Syrian rebel groups – primarily the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – have…

Drug Policy Stimulants

Zimbabwe Arrested Meth Users Despite Drug Never Being Illegal

Daniel Itai

Jan 13, 2025

A glaring omission in Zimbabwe’s drug control laws has meant that methamphetamine was only just outlawed. In October 2024, the…

Drug Trafficking Drugs & Development Other Drugs Stimulants

New Report Highlights Syrian Drug Use During Civil War

Narcosis

Nov 27, 2024

Despite tough laws and cultural taboos, drug use is a reality across the Middle East. From captagon ravers in the…

Cannabis Other Drugs Psychedelics Stimulants

Russian Soldiers Increasingly Use Drugs on the Frontlines

Stanislav Korovyev

Nov 26, 2024

Since the beginning of the war, the Russian military command has deployed around 700,000 soldiers on Ukrainian territory. The invasion…