According to a new report, arrests related to crystal meth have escalated by 500 per cent in five years. Figures from the police showed that 100 people in London were arrested last year for offences related to the stimulant, which was 82 more than in 2010. 

The highly addictive drug methamphetamine is usually sold in a crystal form – it can be smoked, snorted or injected, and its street names vary from ‘Tina’ to ‘Ice’.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated the worldwide production of amphetamine-type stimulants, which includes methamphetamine, at almost 500 metric tons a year, with 24.7 million abusers. The United States reports some of the highest usage, with over half a million regular users. 

Though the UK hasn’t reached the proportions of crystal use of across the pond, Dr Adam Winstock, from Global Drug Survey, thinks these new statistics probably accurately reflect what’s going on on the ground.

“I probably saw more people in 2014 and 2015 using crystal than I had done in the previous 10 years in the UK,” says Winstock. “The rise of crystal meth use in the UK is centred largely around the gay sex scene and major cities. Almost without exception the people who are seeking treatment are involved with the gay dance scene”.

This relates to chemsex, a practice within the gay scene, where drugs like mephedrone, GHB and methamphetamine are used – separately or together – as it makes a user more aroused, and enables them to stay awake for much longer. People get really horny, so chemsex parties can include having multiple partners, and as some of the drugs are relaxants, sex is less painful. According to Dr Adam Bourne in Motivations and values associated with combining sex and illicit drugs (‘chemsex’) among gay men in South London: “Drugs made other men seem more attractive, increased physical sensations, intensified perceptions of intimacy and facilitated a sense of sexual adventure”.

Demand from within the UK has changed in the last few years, according to Winstock, with suppliers popping up to meet that demand. “There is an increased demand which drives increase of supply,” he adds. “Some of that is coming in from outside but you see an increase in home production, with some lines in the UK. Alhough obviously, it's nothing near what we see in the US.”

Winstock also attributes this to the drop in price for crystal. He explains: “Three years ago people were probably paying 50 quid a quarter, now you're getting crystal meth at about 100 quid a gram if you know the right place to go.”

As the user base increases, police apparently cotton on quite quick to what can be a “visible public health problem”. It’s pretty easy to spot someone on crystal meth, as hostility and aggression increases, and the symptoms aren’t like other harder drugs. For example, cocaine doesn’t have the prolonged effects of crystal meth – a few days without sleeping is much more common from hits of crystal. Therefore, the police are going to be investing more time in these areas, catching more people out.

“I think what is interesting is that for years the UK was never terribly interested in crystal meth. I think the thing that has seen the change in the past five years is the growth of the gay sex scene”

“It can be very difficult to manage people who are very intoxicated on crystal meth. So for the police, it's the aggression and the difficulty of controlling people who are very aroused,” says Winstock. “Often people on crystal meth feel like they're indestructible and invincible. Therefore, they aren't necessarily frightened or concerned when the police turn up. Or a lot of their aggression can come from psychotic hallucinations.”

One of the major behaviours that arises from crystal meth use is increased sexual activity, which can lead to multiple partners, and, more often than not, STIs and HIV infection.

Though it can’t be certain where the crystal meth in the UK is coming from exactly, Winstock assumes it’s coming from gangs in eastern Europe who’ve been trafficking drugs for years. “It’s possible that there are new supply routes and new dealing networks have made it available,” says Winstock. However, there’s also an increase in home production from with Britain. It’s “relatively simple” to make, like MDMA and there are multiple routes in which wouldn’t necessarily require specialist access, or chemistry knowledge.

As for who’s taking it, Winstock again points to the gay sex scene being a driver for the stimulant: an interest in chemsex parties, even within the mainstream media, has grown parallel with crystal use. It appeals to what Winstock calls “a different group” to the likes of heroin users. Unlike heroin, it lasts for a long time, but it’s also very versatile in how it can be consumed: smoked, snorted, taken orally.

“I think what is interesting is that for years the UK was never terribly interested in crystal meth. I think the thing that has seen the change in the past five years is the growth of the gay sex scene. That seems to have been the drive for it, and I don't know what's shifted,” he says.

“It’s understanding that it gives you a lot of energy and stamina – you think about the activities that people are using it for and for those reasons are engaged with it” 

Winstock thinks it’s too unreliable, and too dangerous, to properly regulate a crystal meth market. Going for long periods of time without sleep, regardless of cause, can cause problems: lack of awareness, paranoia, irritableness, lack of judgement, aside from the physical affects. It’s also not recommended to mix with other drugs or alcohol. Winstock says most users take it over a weekend, taking the week days to fully recover. However, certain groups or behaviours people are involved in can affect their usage.

In the states and Australia, crystal meth has been linked with sex workers, though it’s not known whether this is a similar behaviour in the U.K. According to Peter Aggleton and Richard Parker in Men Who Sell Sex: Global Perspectives, male sex workers report using drugs like crystal meth to increase their sexual response or “to make the delivery of some sexual services faster”, with things like anal and fisting made much easier. As crystal meth use leads to 'disinhibition', it can also put a user engaging in sex work in risky situations.

“There’s a big use of crystal meth among truck drivers too, who are doing long distances,” adds Winstock. “It’s understanding that it gives you a lot of energy and stamina – you think about the activities that people are using it for those reasons stay engaged with. So for long-distance truck drivers it's really bad because they can become reckless and impulsive. I guess there are some people out there who are functioning crystal meth users, but then those aren’t the people seeking treatment.”