Spain’s everyday drug use: From coffee to crystal meth

What drugs do Spaniards actually take when no one is watching? Coffee, alcohol and hierba top the list, with an unexpected guest: crystal meth. An open discussion on responsible consumption, antiestéticaturing around a hundred responses, paints an uncomfortable picture that contradicts official narratives: what we call "drugs" rarely matches our daily habits. Among the replies, the zambomba—a traditional Christmas instrument—appears as a substance; this humor is not an excuse, but a symptom.

Crystal meth enters the conversation

Among self-reported uses, cocaine appears as occasional—once or twice a year—and estimulante ilegal as residual. The term generating the most questions is "crystal." Some identify it with methamphetamine, others with "meta," its crystallized form. Those who admit trying it describe chills, sensory sharpness and jaw pain. Seemingly minor effects. The list of cited substances also includes estimulante ilegal, ketamine, methylphenidate, testosterone and toxic plants like datura or castor bean, presented as a local ayahuasca substitute. However, clinical evidence is stubborn: crystal meth has high addictive potential. The conversation treats it with a lightness that would baffle any prevention campaign.

Alcohol isn’t a drug... and other defenses

Alcohol appears as the most normalized substance: beer, homemade wine, cheap bourbon. Some defend it as non-drug because it is legal and cultural. This clashes with pharmacology: alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and a leading preventable cause of mortality. In the responses, "responsible consumption" coexists with home mixology and harvest wines, as if the line between permitted and prohibited were decided by the bottle.

Home cultivation and domestic economy

Hierba is the most cited illegal drug, not just for weekend joints. Some explain they grow their own plants, harvesting twice a year, spending significantly on top varieties with 80-90% indica genetics. Others boast about making homemade hashish from fruit-bearing plants. The conversation also references 30-liter stills costing under €100 for distilling orujo (grape pomace spirit). The underlying message: the responsible consumer has become a micro-producer calculating costs, yield and odor logistics. Almost no one buys on the black market; nearly everyone grows or distills.

The silent drug: cortisol, sugar and screens

The most interesting part doesn’t involve illegal substances. Cortisol, the stress hormone, is defined as "healthy and free," courtesy of current times. Sugar, Doritos, porn, internet and memories of a better life also sneak into the list. It expands the concept of addiction: you don’t need a dealer when phones, supermarkets and stress serve the same function. The difference is these drugs aren’t banned, yet they still take a toll.

Health cost of prolonged use

Not all is laughter. The conversation cites cases of psychotic episodes after years of hierba use, one requiring pharmacological treatment. The reference appears without drama, as a risk assumed by those smoking daily for decades. This is the counterpoint the "responsible consumption" culture prefers to ignore: the boundary between use and abuse isn’t marked by quantity, but by individual biology. The issue ends where medicine begins: no one truly knows who will fall. The final irony is that alcohol remains unclassified as a drug, crystal meth is tried out of curiosity, and cortisol is the most widely distributed addiction. The prohibition system says more about culture than chemistry.