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Shake ‘N Bake: the Migration of ‘Pervitin’ to Ireland

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Abstract

Home manufactured methamphetamine known as ‘Pervitin’ has historically dominated the drug market in the Czech and Slovak Republics. Seizures and surveillance data indicate some displacement of ‘Pervitin’ across Europe to areas of low reported prevalence (Nordic countries, Germany, Cyprus, Greece and Portugal). We present the first single case study of clandestine production of ‘Pervitin’ to Ireland, a country with low reporting history of methamphetamine. Content analysis yielded three descriptive themes; ‘Pervitin’ use, Decisions to Use and Effects; Legality and Hazards; and ‘Clandestine Manufacture.’ The study yielded unique insight into migration of this culturally specific drug, and how continued cultural contexts for use and ‘cooking’ remain intact when residing in the host country. Given its unique cultural nature and national characteristics, continued migration of Eastern European citizens across Europe, diffusion of clandestine production warrants continued surveillance. Appropriate service responses require culturally appropriate information and outreach services to Eastern European service users.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Sciences, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland

    Marie Claire Van Hout

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  1. Marie Claire Van Hout
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  2. Evelyn Hearne
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Correspondence to Marie Claire Van Hout.

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Authors Marie Claire Van Hout and Author Evelyn Hearne declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Van Hout, M.C., Hearne, E. Shake ‘N Bake: the Migration of ‘Pervitin’ to Ireland. Int J Ment Health Addiction 15, 919–927 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-016-9715-x

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