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Claim
Drug dealers are selling pink teddy bear-shaped crystal methamphetamine known as “strawberry quick” to children in schools in India.
Fact
Viral messages found to be a hoax that first surfaced in the US in 2007; viral image found to be a stock picture.
An image of a packet carrying what appears to be tiny teddy bear-shaped pink candy is being widely circulated on social media with the claim that it is a drug known as “strawberry quick”, which is popular among children in Indian schools. “This is a new drug known as ‘strawberry quick’. There is a very scary thing going on in the school. There is a type of crystal meth that looks like strawberry pop rocks (the candy that pops). Smells like strawberry,” read an X post sharing the image.
Schools also reportedly ran awareness campaigns based on the social media posts. “A school sent an advisory to parents, urging them to stay alert as social media messages warn that strawberry meth is being mistaken for sweets by children, leading to cases of urgent medical attention after consumption. The substance is said to be available in multiple flavours, including chocolate, peanut butter, cola, cherry, grape, and orange,” read a Times of India report, dated February 2, 2025.
Fact Check
Newschecker first ran a reverse image search of the viral photo, which led us to The Sun report, dated March 7, 2017, featuring the same image with the headline, “Four schoolgirls aged 13 taken to hospital after ‘taking teddy bear ecstasy pills’”.
“Four schoolgirls, 13, were taken to hospital after ‘taking teddy bear ecstasy pills’ in Manchester [England]. The youngsters swallowed the pink, ‘teddy bear’ pills near the Civic Centre in Wythenshawe, and were admitted to hospital on Sunday evening, police have said. They have since been discharged and are currently recovering at home,” read the report, adding that the image used was a stock picture.
We then came across this Snopes report stating that in May 2017, images of MDMA tablets were being taken out of their original context and presented in a tactic used by drug dealers to entice children. “The image of the tablets in a bag first appeared on MDMA-related sites in 2016 (captioned “Purple Bears w/ 180mg MDMA”) aimed not at children, but at users of the substance,” read the report, directing us to the first instance of the viral image being posted.
Is there A Drug Called Strawberry Quick?
We next ran a keyword search for “Strawberry Quick Meth India”, which led us to the Print Report, dated January 31, 2025, stating that the Arunachal Pradesh Police dismissed rumours about the spread of strawberry-flavoured “meth candy” among schoolchildren and urged guardians not to pay heed to social media posts in this regard.
“In an advisory here, Superintendent of Police, Capital, Rohit Rajbir Singh, clarified that social media posts claiming a narcotic drug “strawberry meth” or “strawberry quick” is being distributed to schoolchildren in the form of candies are not correct. It is an old internet hoax that first surfaced in the United States in 2007…,” read the report, adding that Singh said the law enforcement agencies, including the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), have repeatedly stated that no credible evidence supports the existence or widespread distribution of such flavoured methamphetamine targeting children. Similar reports on the Arunachal Pradesh Police’s clarification can be seen here, here and here.
A Snopes fact-check from April 29, 2007, debunks claims that drug dealers are selling coloured and flavoured crystal methamphetamine known as “Strawberry Quick” to children in the US, which further confirms that it is an old hoax that has been revived.
“However, after those early warnings about Strawberry Quick worked their way to the public through police, schools, and the news media, federal drug enforcement officials began issuing corrections that described such rumours as unfounded. While coloured versions of methamphetamine that somewhat resemble candy may have been found, the notion that drug dealers are deliberately targeting children by producing flavoured versions of the drug intended to mimic the appearance and taste of candy appears to have been based on mistaken assumptions,” read the report, quoting a US DEA spokesperson, who said about the viral claims, “We checked with all of our labs, and there’s nothing to it. It’s not a trend or a real problem; I think that this was maybe someone with good intentions but jumped the gun…The DEA has never heard of anyone adding strawberry flavouring to meth, and are not aware of any children admitted to hospitals in dire condition because of it.”
Also Read: Viral Video Does Not Show Police Thrashing Man For Pelting Stones At Train Carrying Mahakumbh Devotees
Conclusion
Viral social media posts warning about a “strawberry quick” drug being sold to schoolchildren found to be a hoax message recycled from 2007, when it first surfaced in the US.
Result: False
Sources
The Sun report, March 7, 2017
The Print report, January 31, 2025
Snopes report, September 28, 2015
Snopes report, April 29, 2007
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