The price of amphetamine in Sweden is historically low. Cheaper drugs can lead to more people trying them and making drug use easier to finance.
In a way, it makes it easier for the user, says chief physician Joar Guterstam.
A gram of amphetamine cost 200 kronor last year. It is a quarter of the price level 35 years ago, according to a report from the Central Association for Alcohol and Drug Information (CAN).
Easily accessible through social media, production in Europe, and smuggling. These are three of many factors that have contributed to the change in the price level of amphetamine over the years, according to the police.
We in Sweden have also got a shorter distribution chain. The criminal actors are closer to the producer countries and are not dependent on intermediaries, which eliminates costs, says Linda Nilsson, operational developer at the police's operational department, Noa.
Record seizures
The police and Customs seize record amounts of narcotics every year, according to Linda Nilsson, which she also believes is an indication that the availability is high in Sweden.
Since we see drugs as one of the driving forces behind crime, it affects crime. But it also becomes, in a way, easier to use drugs if availability is high, she says.
A low price on drugs can make it possible for people with addiction to finance their habits, according to chief physician Joar Guterstam at the Addiction Centre in Stockholm.
An example that Joar Guterstam highlights is cocaine, which he believes is a drug that has previously been expensive and had limited spread in Sweden. There, the addiction care in Stockholm has seen an increase in people seeking care for cocaine addiction in recent years.
More can become addicted
Low prices on drugs have consequences for both the individual and the healthcare system, he says, as it can mean that more people try the drug and eventually develop problems.
Even if it's only a minority of those who try who become addicted, it will still mean more people with addiction, says Guterstam.
We will have more of this to handle in healthcare in the future, unfortunately, if these trends continue.
Amphetamine is the second most used illegal substance in Sweden, after cannabis.
Amphetamine is manufactured chemically and is a central stimulant, which means an activating effect on the individual's behavior and in the central nervous system.
In the 1930s, amphetamine began to be used as a medicine, but when the risks associated with amphetamine use became apparent, it was classified as a narcotic.
Source: Addiction Centre
