Devil's Drug

Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as crystal meth, is one of the most addictive drugs in the world. Heavy users will destroy themselves in a few months. Originally it was given by the Nazis to their troops to fight the Blitzkrieg. Now it has conquered the whole world and is used at sex parties in Amsterdam and Antwerp, by former hippies in Prague, by the underclass in the slums of Harare, Cape Town, and Peshawar, by truck drivers in Thailand and workers in the sweatshops in Bangladesh. The largest production centers are in Mexico and Myanmar. But in recent years one lab after another has been found in the border region of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Researcher Teun Voeten travelled the world for two years to investigate all sides of the diabolic drug. He explored the bizarre history and pharmacological effects, he talked to homeless addicts in Tijuana and Los Angeles, cartels in Mexico, international drug experts in Bangkok and Kabul. He met with the original crystal meth cooks in Prague, participants of gay orgies in Amsterdam, speed dealers in Holland and the world-famous underground chemist Uncle Fester in Wisconsin. Voeten also spoke to numerous authorities, judges and social workers who are trying to stop the meth epidemic.

This book is a wide analysis but above all a strong warning. With a combination of thorough investigative journalism, daring fieldwork, and colorful atmospheric sketches, Voeten draws a very detailed and disturbing picture of a drug that is on a rapid international rise.