“The Chemical”, they announce a new drug that is becoming popular in Cuba

Editorial from CubitaNOW ~ Friday January 12, 2024

There is a drug that is becoming very popular on the streets in Cuba and it is known as “Chemical”.

A report by Claudia Padron, a journalist for the independent media Cubanet, explains that it is a type of drug that is based on cannabis, with added synthetic substances that vary depending on the manufacturer.

“Its production, which is done in typical neighborhood households, requires cannabis and low-cost chemical precursors,” the report explains.

One of the interviewees clarified: “As I saw, they put grass in a tray and there they pour chemicals on top to dry everything. I’ve heard that they add pills for epilepsy to these substances, but I don’t know exactly what they add.”

At the end of last year, the Ministries of Education and Higher Education recognized that the average age of starting drug use in the country is 15 years, especially during the first years of lower secondary school and technical-vocational education.

Reports submitted by these organizations to the Education Commission of the National Assembly of People’s Power show that cases of drug use have been identified at all educational levels, with the highest incidence in basic secondary school.

The seriousness of the problem is proven by mentioning that there are 168 students linked to drug use cases, where more than 87% affect their academic performance and come from permissive or disorganized family environments.

The head of the National Anti-Drug Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), Juan Carlos Poy Guerra, informed the National Assembly that the problem of drug use in Cuba is linked to group pressure, low risk perception and consumer fear. Denial when reporting these acts.

Recommended for you