Russian Drug Users Describe Life and Trends During the Pandemic

“Drug use is globally interconnected. Just thinking of the routes illegal drugs take up to the point of consumption—from being grown or synthesized in producer countries, refined and produced in secondary locations, then often smuggled across borders and oceans—often makes you wonder, as a drug user, about people elsewhere in the world, doing pretty much what you’re doing.”

“While the desire for different substances and their effects is near-universal, cultural and policy landscapes vary greatly, which was one reason we wished to present Russian drug users’ experiences to Filter’s readers.”

“Russia infamously has some of the world’s most draconian drug policies. As one study framed it: “The government’s official policy towards drug use is one of ‘social intolerance,’ which seeks to legitimize and encourage societal ill treatment of people who use drugs.”