Young Cubans turn to church and state as cheap, synthetic drugs flood the streets

Cuba is grappling with a fast-growing wave of synthetic drug use that is hitting young people hard

HAVANA -- Several dozen people stood in circle in a room at a Havana psychiatric hospital, their hands held together as they chanted in unison, vowing to rid their bodies from “the toxins that enslave.” The collective plea to reclaim their freedom for just the next 24 hours was the first step of a 90-day detoxification before beginning rehabilitation.

Drug use was an almost-unknown phenomenon in Cuba until the beginning of this decade. However, a deepening economic crisis, shortages of basic goods and the emergence of low-cost synthetic drugs have combined to transform the landscape.

In Havana and other cities across the island, it is no longer unusual to see young people in public parks sleeping, walking with difficulty or lying unconscious.

According to authorities, the primary threat is the “químico,” (chemical) — a potent cocktail of synthetic cannabinoids and hazardous additives. Also known on the streets as “papelitos,” or "little papers,” the drug is absorbed into sheets of paper that are sliced into tiny doses and smoked. At roughly 250 Cuban pesos per hit (50 cents), it costs less than a basic loaf of bread or a can of soda.

“It’s very cheap...and it’s everywhere,” said David Morales, 25, who is in recovery after receiving help at government-funded health centers and is now in rehabilitation therapy at the Alcance Victoria Cuba evangelical Baptist church.