High Society (2016)

From Medellin’s elite clubbers to the cartel queens that run the underworld, all of a sudden everyone in Colombia seems to be snorting pink “cocaine,” also known as “tucibi.” It’s fashionable, it’s six times as expensive as regular “white” cocaine, it has its own genre of music called “Guaracha,” and it’s so popular that it has even spawned a whole new generation of “neo-narcos.” Cartels are expanding production into Europe, so expect to see this “magic pink powder” in Ibiza this season - if you haven’t already. But here’s the thing - it isn’t cocaine, and has nothing in common with 2CB (the drug's namesake). So, what is it? Matt Shea delves deep into Medellin’s underworld to find out, in a journey that takes us to the cartel queen who started it all.

It’s commonly accepted that your 20s is the time to get completely off your nut before calming down and respecting yourself. But increasingly, it seems that British people have a different idea. Over 3.7 million over-45s go raving once a week in the UK, and there has been a 518 per cent increase in over-60s being treated for cocaine abuse since ten years ago. These older ravers face worrying health risks that younger ravers don’t - the drugs are stronger, and their hearts aren’t. Will physiology prove to be the ultimate party pooper, or have these pioneers unlocked the key to eternal youth.

Scotland has the highest level of cocaine consumption on the planet according to 2018 data. Scots take on average 1.2 grams of cocaine per session - double the global average. And this epidemic is adding to one of the world’s deadliest drug crises, with a new trend of cocaine injection on the rise. Scotland now has the highest drug death rate in Europe - more than fifteen times the European average. Increasingly, cocaine is a part of that. In 2019, Scotland recorded 365 cocaine deaths, more than in any previous year. We want to know - why do so many Scottish people love cocaine? And what’s the solution when that love for cocaine becomes deadly?

Ketamine has become the generation-defining drug for young Brits. A report from November 2020 stated one in 30 young people admitted to taking the drug in the past year – the highest number since records began and far more than other countries in Europe. The latest figures also suggest that ketamine is now the fourth drug of choice for young people behind cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine. There is a certain cognitive dissonance at the heart of Generation K: On the one hand, we see it as a silly, wonky horse tranquilliser. On the other hand, it is literally a horse tranquilliser... A horse tranquilliser that can make you piss blood. As it has grown in popularity, so have bladder injuries and addictions. In this report, Matt Shea gets deep into the UK’s Generation K, and finds out how a party drug can go too far.

‘Basuco’ is now considered the cheapest drug in the world, at 20 cents a hit. It’s made from the residue leftover from cocaine production, mixed with brick dust, volcanic ash, sulphuric acid, kerosene and sometimes ground-up human bones. The high is all-consuming and shockingly addictive, and an epidemic of basuco dependency is tearing through poor communities all across South America. For the cartels, often the cheapest and deadliest drugs are the most profitable. In this episode, we meet the shadowy figures behind this epidemic and visit the neighbourhoods it has destroyed in its wake.

In this episode, we go to Germany, to see how crystal meth manufactured in Dutch super labs is taking the country by storm, finding users in sex workers, techno and hardtek party kids, and people who were looking for something to do during the coronavirus lockdown, and ended up finding meth.

There are more than 2,000 of these drug routes across the country, producing over a billion dollars in profits a year. In 2022, the Children’s Society estimated that more than 46,000 teenagers were being groomed (in some cases, kidnapped and raped) into selling drugs. These kids are made to skip school and sleep in a drug den for prolonged periods without their family's knowledge. Despite these kids being victims of trafficking, under the Modern Slavery Act, they’re often still charged with weapon offenses, which they arm themselves with as protection against addicts and opposing gangs.

VICE travels to Honduras to meet the infamous MS13 gang and learn about a supposedly powerful new drug that is making them millions. Tiburón or “Shark” is a chemically-altered weed that is said to be more addictive than cocaine and sells like hotcakes. What chemical is used to create this effect remains a mystery. Through spending time with the gang, their clients, their enemies and the Narcotics squad policing it, we learn about the impact this dangerous new drug has had on Honduras. Crucially, we take the toxic weed to a lab to discover if there truly is a secret chemical at the heart of Tiburón.