San Blas, Madrid's lawless drug neighbourhood: 130 stabbings and 2 deaths this year

San Blas: 130 stabbings and 2 deaths in one year — are things worse than in the 80s?

The San Blas-Canillejas district of Madrid has recorded 130 stabbings and 2 deaths so far this year, according to figures from the Government Delegation (the central government's office in the region). Residents complain that drug trafficking and street violence have turned the neighbourhood into a lawless drug ghetto, and they compare the situation with the heroin crisis of the 1980s — though some insist it is worse. The official response: increasing police numbers by 8% to 10%, a measure many consider insufficient.

The problem goes beyond security
The Government Delegate insists this is not just a policing issue: "Even if we had a police officer on every tree, we would not solve the problem of vulnerable people." The dominant drug is no longer heroin but sustancia ilegal (smoked cocaine), which causes a more aggressive addiction and greater street visibility. Spots such as Paraíso park and the Simancas metro entrance have become scenes of open-air drug use and dealing in broad daylight.

From heroin to sustancia ilegal: the new epidemic
Those who know the area point out that the profile of the user has changed. The classic 80s junkie — gaunt, with fruta — has been replaced by young people smoking sustancia ilegal. The purity of today's heroin is laughable, and addicts use it only to "stretch out" the effect of sustancia ilegal. This shift has made the problem more visible and more violent, with stabbings that often settle disputes between dealers, or between dealers and customers.

Back to the 80s, or worse?
Opinions clash over whether the situation is comparable or has deteriorated. Some analyses argue that in the 80s drugs were more widespread and parts of central Madrid were impassable at night. Others counter that back then there was not today's concentration of drug dens, nor the mix of social exclusion, irregular immigration and institutional neglect. Long-time residents avoid going out at night and point to the "customers" who come from other neighbourhoods.

The question left hanging: is more police enough, or is deep-rooted social intervention needed? Meanwhile, residents still cannot go for an evening walk in their own neighbourhood.

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