SWJ El Centro Fellow Teun Voeten Releases New Book: “The Devil’s Drug”

Teun Voeten, war photographer, anthropologist, researcher, writer, and SWJ−El Centro Fellow has released a new book on Methamphetamine. The book: The Devil’s Drug: The Global Emergence of Crystal Meth is published by Roman & Littlefield.

With a combination of thorough investigative journalism, daring fieldwork, and colorful atmospheric sketches, Teun Voeten draws a very detailed and disturbing picture of a drug that is on a rapid international rise.

Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as crystal meth, is one of the most addictive drugs in the world. Heavy users can destroy themselves in just a few months. Originally given by the Nazis to their troops to fight the blitzkrieg, it has now conquered the whole world and is used at sex parties in Amsterdam and Antwerp, by former hippies in Prague, by the underclass in the slums of Harare, Cape Town, and Peshawar, by truck drivers in Thailand, and by workers in the sweatshops in Bangladesh.

Researcher Teun Voeten traveled the globe for two years to investigate all sides of this diabolic drug, exploring the bizarre history and pharmacological effects. He talked to homeless addicts in Tijuana and Los Angeles, cartels in Mexico, international drug experts in Bangkok and Kabul, and more. Voeten also interviewed numerous authorities, judges, and social workers who are trying to stop the meth epidemic.

The Devil’s Drug is available currently available on Kindle and is available for pre-order in hardcover at Amazon and  will be released 17 March 2025.