An interview with detective Nikos Pelekasis in the newspaper Pontiaki Gnomi – Shisha Drug: The “Destroyer of the Poor”
Shisha is the name of the hallucinogenic drug that has recently appeared in drug-use areas, with methamphetamine as its main substance, mixed with stimulants and toxic substances such as solvent, kerosene, bleach, battery fluid, ethanol, alcohol and even strychnine. It is found in crystalline form, and its mixing does not necessarily have to take place in a laboratory, as even a kitchen is sufficient for it to take its final form.
The price of the Shisha drug ranges from €3 to €5 per dose, which is why it is called the “cocaine of the poor.”
It is used by inhaling it through the nose, smoking it or injecting it. The effects on the user are immediate, as for 24 hours it does not cause sedation but rather stimulation, aggression, anxiety, irritability, insomnia and intense sexual desire.
The side effects appear quickly and are devastating for the user.
From the very first days, the user loses weight, develops wrinkles because body fat melts away rapidly, and their teeth begin to decay. Damage to vital organs is irreversible. One user stated in his testimony:
“For ten years I have tried everything. Shisha is the one that kills you. It is something different; it burns you up inside. I won’t do it again, even though it is cheap, €3 to €5 per dose.”
Experts report that Shisha is 80% more destructive than heroin and, for this reason, they are putting pressure on authorities to strengthen drug rehabilitation centres. According to reports, a similar drug wiped out an entire generation in Argentina.
Although many cite the conditions of the economic crisis as the reason for the spread of Shisha, it is striking that no other country that experienced economic devastation, with the exception of Argentina, saw a similar emergence of this drug.
Shisha Drug
“The above text may be indicative of practices and methods used in the past. Certain practices and methods may no longer be applicable under the new Law 5005/22 concerning the procedure for lifting the confidentiality of communications, cybersecurity and the protection of citizens’ personal data.”
Pontiaki Gnomi Newspaper
September 2013
Issue No. 55
Detective Nikos Pelekasis & Associates
Private Investigation Agency
Stadiou 39, Athens, 2103616406
Dragatsi 8, Piraeus, 2104131298
