ecstasy
Drug death of 13-year-old puts focus on drug policy
An Ecstasy pill with the “Blue Punisher” motif. photo
© Ennio Leanza/Keystone/dpa
It was shocking news, especially for parents: a 13-year-old died – presumably from a high-dose ecstasy pill. According to expert estimates, the ecstasy trade could increase again.
Better education, especially for young people and projects such as the still new drug checking: after the alleged Drug death of a 13-year-old in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the horror is great and the focus is on drug policy.
The federal government’s drug commissioner, Burkhard Blienert (SPD), demands: “The most recent cases, however, must encourage us to invest more energy and money in expanding prevention in schools.” In addition, the name “Blue Punisher” has been haunting the news since Tuesday – the girl is said to have taken such an ecstasy pill before her death. But what exactly is it, what makes it so dangerous and how widespread is ecstasy in Germany?
Blienert: Small brightly colored pills can be deadly
According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), of the 1,990 people who died in 2022 as a result of their illegal drug use, 392 were under the age of 30 and 21 were minors. Blienert now told the German Press Agency: “It saves lives when children and young people know very early on that the small, brightly colored pills can be extremely dangerous and even fatal. And that they also know that the pills can also lead to a deadly trip to hell even if they get the pill as a gift from a nice buddy in the schoolyard.” You have to talk to young people about this – at home, at school, in clubs, in sports, in clubs.
Already warned about Blue Punisher pills
The brightly colored pills – in the case of the 13-year-old it was probably a blue pill with a skull motif: These are often high-dose ecstasy pills, but that’s not always the case, as the Federal Criminal Police Office explains. “Blue Punisher” is not a separate drug, but a logo or motif of an ecstasy tablet. Tablets with the same logo could come from different sources and have completely different compositions and effects.
“The “Blue Punisher” logo has been on the market for several years, and there are no specific figures on the distribution of individual ecstasy logos,” the BKA said. “In the past there have already been various warnings from various national and international institutions about this logo that an increased dosage of the active ingredient, usually MDMA, could be present.” It is not yet known which active ingredient the tablets consumed in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania contained and whether there was an increased concentration of active ingredient.
New project – “Drug-Checking saves lives!”
On the occasion of the current events and debate, Blienert also looks at a completely new project: “The tragic events confirm another fact: pressure checking saves lives!” There are first model projects in Berlin. “As the name suggests, illegal drugs are tested for impurities and composition in the drug testing stations,” explains Blienert. It was only last Friday (June 23) that the Bundestag decided that the federal states should be able to allow such pilot projects “if the analysis is linked to a risk assessment and health education”.
But: It takes three days to a week at most for the results of such a laboratory analysis to be available. But Blienert also sees advantages other than the pure analysis results: “It’s also a very simple way to get into a counseling session with drug users quickly and easily,” he said. “With the permission for drug checking, we are taking an important step forward in drug policy: away from punishment towards protection and help!”
Ecstasy trade declined during the pandemic
The BKA also emphasizes that the appearance alone does not say much about the danger posed by a drug. Ecstasy tablets with other logos – not “Blue Punisher” – could also have different or increased levels of active ingredients. In general, trade in ecstasy has declined in recent years – around 2021 by 19 percent compared to the previous year.
“However, this decline can certainly be explained by the corona pandemic and the corresponding exit restrictions, since ecstasy consumption very often plays a major role in parties and celebrations that were not possible during this time,” explains the BKA. Current figures for 2022 are not yet available. “However, it can be assumed that the level will at least remain the same, if not possibly increase.”