Misinformation is not limited to a border. It is spreading transboundary. Some misinformation that spread decades ago in the US is currently spreading in South Asia. This is our search about one such issue related to a drug.
Social Media Posts
Claims are being spread in the South Asia region, in countries like India and Sri Lanka, stating that drug dealers are selling coloured and flavoured crystal methamphetamine known as “Strawberry Quik” to children. Those posts say that type of drug is viral among school students and ask parents to care for the children.
It`s viral on WhatsApp, as shown below.
It can be seen on FB also.
Not only South Asia, some posts viral in African continent too.
We decided to do a fact check about this.
Fact Check
First, we did a keyword search and found out that international fact-checking organizations like Snopes debunked this claim decades ago when it was being spread in countries like the USA.
In early 2007, warnings were spread about sweetened and flavoured forms of methamphetamine known as “Strawberry Quick.” Different stories about Strawberry Quik first reported it appearing in western states of the USA in January 2007. Those stories explained it as resembling rock candy or Pop Rocks, generating panic that it might mislead children into thinking it was candy.
However, after those precautionary statements and propaganda about Strawberry Quik ,news media of US asked about it from law enforcement officers and they said media that the rumours were unfounded. While varieties of methamphetamine that somewhat similar candy can be found, the implication that drug mafias are deliberately aiming children by promoting flavoured versions of the drug intended to emulate the outlook and taste of candy seems to have been based on misleading hypothesis.
As a DEA(Drugs Enforcement Administration, USA) spokesman observed in 2010, the rumour about “strawberry quick” had “nothing to it” Snopes article can be read here.
A article done by another group regarding this issue can be read here
Few days ago, on 31st January 2025, Arunachal State Police of India released a statement and stated that these social media posts are false and not true. They classified it as internet hoax.More details can be read here
We did a reverse image search and found that the viral image of the post is connected to some ecstasy tablet named “teddy bear” ecstasy and not methamphetamine.
Some UK media reported about the hospitalisation of school children after taking teddy bear ecstasy. A story about it can be read here and here
The viral posts being spread in Caribbean countries like Jamaica and their education ministry also released a statement on this ,as per media reports .Such media report can be reached here
To get more information regarding the issue, we contacted the Sri Lanka Police Media Unit. They stated that no reports/complaints were received about such named drugs, selling targeting the school children, and viral social media posts are unfounded.
“While it is true that drugs targeting school children are being sold in Sri Lanka also, the drug mentioned above, methamphetamine, an expensive drug type, is highly unlikely to be sold among school children as they don’t have sufficient amounts of money to buy it. “, the spokesperson of National Dangerous Drugs Control Board(NDDCB) says.
He adds that some street children who are not attending schools are using methamphetamine drugs. Further, he elaborated that there are some drug tablets etc among school children and, however no reporting of methamphetamine use. He pointed out , no such report of strawberry Quik named drug products in Sri Lanka and they have not detected any drug type in Sri Lanka resembling similar outlook impression like the image what is being shared with the viral posts.
Previously we did similar articles in Sinhala language also.
පාසල් අවට මත්ද්රව්ය ඇතුළත් ටොෆියක් ඇති බවට පළ වූ WhatsApp පණිවිඩයේ ඇත්ත කතාව!
මත්ද්රව්ය ඇතුළත් ලොසින්ජර පිළිබඳ පළ වූ WhatsApp පණිවිඩය පිළිබඳ ඔබ දැනුවත් ද?
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Conclusion
As per our investigation, we found out that a viral message about a drug named Strawberry Quik is false and a fake rumour. Currently, the rumour has been spreading in the South Asian region, and it was spread in the US decades ago, in the year 2007. As per international fact-checkers and US authorities, this rumour is fake. Currently, this message is being spread in South Asian countries. The media unit of Sri Lanka police and dangerous drugs control board also confirmed that no such drug is among school students, and social media posts are false.The viral image which is being shared with the post is the drug type which comes under the category of ecstasy tablet(not methamphetamine) and some cases of it found in UK schools and the tablet widely known as “teddy bear ecstasy”. However, NDDCB of Sri Lanka confirmed that no drug with similar outlook found in Sri Lanka.
Title:“Strawberry Quik” (A Harmful Drug Among School Children )- Hoax or Real ??
Fact Check By: Kalana KrishanthaResult: False
